Roanoke: The Price of Power

The Arrest

Arnold and Dare made way for the Doc's cottage and were fortunate enough to come upon him on his way home from some errand.

"Doc!" Arnold called to him.

The Doctor stopped a pace from his front door and turned.

"Gentleman," he smiled. "Has there been some break in the investigation?"

"I'll say," said Dare, and Arnold held up his hand. Shut it.

"Some evidence has come to light, Doc. I'm going to have to ask you to come with us so we can ask you some questions."

"Of course," said the man in black.

Arnold's face went flat. In London he had played a part in the apprehension of dozens of criminals. Sometimes the arrest felt solid, and sometimes it felt amiss. The encounter with Doc was already taking a sour turn.

It felt dead wrong.

"Doc," he continued. "I want you to understand that you're being implicated in the murder of Jeremy Swift. I've been assured by assistant governor Dare that justice will be served and you will not be persecuted without due process of law."

The Doctor's smile faded, but he straightened his back and gave a solid nod of compliance.

Arnold reached out his hands, "may I?"

Again, Doc nodded, and the former magistrate's investigator conducted a search of his person. Arnold removed the man's belt knife and a small book from a pocket in the rust lining of his coat. The knife didn't interest him. It was clean, well-oiled, and would never serve as evidence.

The book, however, bore the weight of an object that would open many doors.

"Let's go, Doc," he said, clapping the man on the back.

Dare was scowling, as he had been through the entire "aside." There was condemnation in the man's eyes, and he likely saw himself a fitting judge among the Roanoke leadership.

Arnold knew Doc would see no justice from Ananias Dare.

* * * * *

There were only three functioning locks on Roanoke island. One of them kept the armory and powder room in security. Another was affixed to the stockade's small southern gate so that it could be opened from the outside. The final lock, oiled and true, was used to secure the chillhouse and its attached dispensary during the night.

Assistant Governor Dare, along with his like-titled contemporaries, held the keys to each of these locks. It was he who decided that the most secure place to hold the Doctor was the underground brewing room of the chillhouse. Aside from casks and sacks of barley and corn, the room was devoid of furnishings or decoration. It had no windows and only one door, also fitted with an iron latch that could accommodate a lock.