Carroll

Chapter 7 – The Elephant

      Since leaving the Toronto Police force, Carroll and Pethswitherick had become part members of the Dominion Police[i]. Charged, since the beginning of the war, with undercover security, protection of the Navy yards and the operation of a fingerprint bureau, the Dominion Police were Canada’s first security force. Carroll’s fine mind and application of the latest scientific knowledge to security work, had made him one of the department’s leading investigators and prevented him from going overseas. His skills were needed at home. George and he had worked well together and, at Carroll’s insistence, George had moved with him to Ottawa and the Dominion Police.

      Once he had been made aware that the clerk from the office, had been followed and that a serving officer of the Canadian Army was missing, he and George left Kingston on the next train for Montreal. There, after an afternoon interviewing ticket agents, showing them the picture The Daily British Whig had provided of Sharp, they concluded that the pair had struck for the US. A quick call to Ottawa obtained the American ambassador’s help in linking up with the US Secret Service and they quickly gave permission for Carroll and Pethswitherick to enter the US as investigators. Telegrams to his and George’s wife and they were ready to leave.

      “George, have you ever been to the US?” Carroll asked

      “Well, I was to Buffalo when we lived in Toronto to see Jack Johnson fight. That was a cracker jack night, I tell you”

      “Quite a fighter?” said Carroll who didn’t follow the boxing game

      “Absolute power and domination” glowed George,

      “Never could see the sense of watching two chaps bash each other to bits”

      “But it is so exciting,” George said  “the crowds, the cheering, the skill and power of the fighters and all the while Johnson is grinning that big silly grin of his.”

      Carroll chuckled and then said “OK, so let’s review what we know”

      George said “We have a returned officer of the Canadian Army who has been gassed and wounded and who obviously suffered shell shock and God knows what else. He doesn’t come home one night and they find his uniform piled neatly beside the Cataraqui in Kingston. They suspect he’s drowned or committed suicide. He has an outfit of civilian dress, blue suit and white Panama hat. He has a few dollars from the sugar bowl at home, and over $1500 of funds from the Casualty Department. He gave no indication of any plans to leave, except his wife found the clothes described, missing from the closet and the station agent said he saw a man dressed in a blue suit and white Panama, getting on the 9:17 Grand Trunk  in Kingston. He also saw a fat man jump on the train at the last moment. The same fat man was found dead near Ganonoque the next day. The dogs follow Sharp’s scent from the Cataraqui to the Grand Trunk Station. Sgt Higgins who served with him, recalls seeing someone who looks like Sharp in Montreal station. The lady in the checked coat is obviously the courier from the department in Ottawa. He must be aware of what the girl is doing.  I don’t believe she threw Portland off the train by herself. Sharp must have been in on that. I think he’s helping her.”

      Carroll said “They’re obviously on to the courier then. We need to catch up to Sharp and the girl. They need our help George”

            Carroll thought for a moment and then said slowly “This might be a chance to find out

about the cell that’s working in Canada. I’d think that if Portland was following her, he was also reporting her activities to a controller.”

      He caught the sleeve of a passing conductor and said “Can one send a telegram from the train?

      The conductor said “I will give you a form and you can write out what you want to say and I’ll drop it off as we pass the next station. They will send it where ever you wish.”

      With the form in hand Carroll wrote

      Suspect P found dead near Grand Trunk line Ganonoque, part of Axis cell (stop) Trace movements and actions for 48 hours prior death (stop) Believe may be part of Adams (stop) Will follow our courier and see who else shows up (stop)

Signed : Carroll

      When the conductor passed them again, Carroll handed the page to him and said, “Send this collect.”

     

---

[i]       The Dominion Police initially consisted of fewer than a dozen men, whose principal duty was to protect federal government buildings in Ottawa. Duties later included undercover security, the protection of Navy yards and the maintenance of a fingerprinting bureau. The Dominion Police was absorbed into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1920

Haggerty

“Sit down Sgt” said inspector Carroll, “Now tell us again what you saw”
“I was on my way home and I was lining up for tickets at that temporary station the Grand Trunk has in Montreal.” Haggerty shifted uncomfortably. “I really don’t want to get Mr. Sharp in trouble”, he said.
“We’re just trying to find Mr. Sharp”, Carroll assured him, “Go on”
“Well, I was waiting in line and looking around at the station they’d put up temporarily until they build the new one. I guess some saboteur torched the original one”
“We don’t know that Sgt”, said Carroll, “please continue”.
“Well, as I said, I was looking around and then I thought I saw Mr. Sharp and a lady in a checkered coat walk along the station floor toward the trains. They seemed to be so causal about it. I almost didn’t realize who it was. Sharp was in civilian clothing.
Carroll said, “How would you know Mr. Sharp?”
“Oh, he was my Captain when we left Kingston in 1915”
“So you’d know him by sight?”
“Certainly, although he’s a lot thinner than when I knew him, but it definitely was him”
“Where in the terminal did you say you saw him?’
“Over by the entrance to the trains”
“No idea what train?”
“No, that’s only the second time I’ve been in Montreal, No “
“What did the lady look like?”
“About the same height, wearing a summer straw hat and checked coat”
“Did they have any luggage?”
Haggerty closed his eyes as he tried to re-picture the scene. “I think Mr. Sharp had a Gladstone bag”
“What about the lady?”
“Not sure about that sir”
Carroll looked at the Sergeant and then, folding his note book carefully together, stood and said” Thank you Sergeant. I’m glad to see you are home. Are you on leave or…”
Haggerty looked at Carroll but didn’t say anything for a moment. “They thought it best I come home for a rest”, he said. He stood up, put his forage cap squarely on his head. Carroll saw his hand tremble as he reached to pick up his stick from the desk. As he strode from the room Carroll muttered “Poor bastard”,

“George” he called
Corporal George Pethswitherick opened the door and stepped in. “George, we have to go to Montreal”
“Yes sir”, George answered “When do we leave?”