Avery & Blake 02 - The Infidel Stain (34 page)

‘And you call out in your sleep.’

‘I do?’

‘So you sold your commission,’ he said.

‘There were plenty of takers – well, you would remember all that. We are reasonably well set up. I have leased a small estate. I train the local militia. Life is quiet. Seeing my sister Louise again makes up for a good deal. But Helen …’

I stood up, went to the fire and rooted the poker around pointlessly in the embers.

‘But Helen,’ he prompted.

I sighed again. ‘She would have done better to marry someone else. I do not think I will ever make her happy.’

‘She is not a child, William. She made her own decisions.’

The fire crackled.

‘I have not forgotten, you know,’ I said in a low voice.

‘What?’

‘That you tried to tell me. Not to rush in, to take my time. I did not listen.’

‘Who listens to that kind of advice?’

‘I hope the baby will make up for it a little.’ I stared at the fire. ‘Blake? Do you still think of your wife, of Anwesha?’

‘I do, every day. But her face grows ever fainter in my memory.’

I dozed and woke and dozed again. At last I woke and it was morning and Blake was shuffling about in his banyan. He had boiled water for coffee and was frying some eggs in a pan.

‘Are you well enough to do that?’

He ignored me, then handed me a plate of eggs and a cup of coffee which I did not refuse.

‘Blake, perhaps we should surrender the Wedderburn murder to the new police,’ I said. I had been turning the matter over in my mind a great deal. ‘You would at least be safe. Who would be sorry?’

‘I would be. The Wedderburns would be. His next victim would be. And you would be.’

It was true. My blood was up and I was not ready to give up all and return home. ‘But if we continue, you may end up dead too,’ I said
.

He did not respond but scooped up his eggs.

‘I am with you, you know that,’ I said. ‘I wish, however, that you would tell His Lordship about Loin’s threats.’

Blake slurped his coffee.

‘As you wish,’ I said. ‘Well, I should return to my rooms and change, and I will look in on Miss Jenkins and O’Toole. Can we not do something with him? Send him somewhere? She cannot be expected to put up with him for another day.’

He stood up. ‘I’ll come up with something. Now I’m getting up. I cannot spend another day here.’

‘Can you even walk? What of your ribs?’

Blake lifted up his shirt. He had removed his bandages and there was a dark bruise all along one side. When I remonstrated he brought out a little screw of paper. Inside was a small ball of opium.

I shook my head. ‘You are sure?’

He nodded, pulled a little off and ate it.

As he chewed it he said, ‘She’s a nose, by the way.’

‘What?’

‘Matty Horner. Is a nose.’

‘An informer? Oh, come now, Blake, enough of this! O’Toole I accept. We had it from his own mouth. But Matty? A spy? It is not British to do such things. It is, well, it is
French
.’

‘It may not be “British” but it happens all the time. The authorities use spies and informers. Plenty of them. They just don’t wish anyone to know it. I’d say they set Matty to keep an eye on us, and
before that, to watch the Wedderburns, and maybe the whole of Holywell Street. It would explain why there’s never a copper there. That way, they know what’s going on, but they don’t need to act on it.’

A wave of disappointment washed over me. ‘What possible reason do you have to think that?’

‘For one thing the coppers knew we had seen Heffernan.’

‘One might have followed us from Lord Allington’s, and there was a policeman on Cheyne Walk.’

He shook his head. ‘And when he came to see me Loin knew about my Judas notion too. Only you and I and Matty—’

‘I recall it,’ I said curtly. The sympathy for Matty that had so sweetly revived in me drained away once more. ‘Was she spying on Daniel because of his Chartism?’

‘Maybe. Maybe she was watching Nat.’

‘And all her professed affection for the Wedderburns was a lie. And her words about improving herself. And when she offered to watch the street for us, all the while she was spying on us.’

‘She’s on the right side of the law. I thought you would approve.’

‘Do not be facetious.’

‘You don’t understand how such things happen,’ he said. ‘She’s on her own. By running errands for the coppers she protects herself and Pen, she hopes. The coppers won’t move her on like other street sellers. And for all we know, she was forced into it. Pen got himself into trouble, she did this in return. I reckon she cares for the Wedderburns and I’m sure she wishes to improve herself. She probably thought it better that she watched the Wedderburns rather than anyone else.’

‘If she hoped to protect her brother she has failed.’

‘I’d say she’s got what she can out of the coppers. Theft is theft. Most felons in Coldbath get a visit every three months. She gets to see him once a week.’

I laughed indignantly. ‘Damn me! I believe you
prefer
her as a liar, thief and spy.’

Blake shrugged. ‘I know who she is now. She does what she must. She got herself off the street and out of the lodging-houses. She’s
kept the blue bastards off her back. It takes nerve. I can’t blame her for it.’

‘I swear,’ I said angrily, ‘she reminds you of yourself. That is it. You were a little spy too.’

‘Maybe she does.’

Matty’s noxious cellar was abandoned, the door swinging open upon its hinges. Not a trace of her presence remained; even the hiding-place behind the bricks was empty. An old woman in the street told Blake she had not been seen the night before and that a cart had pulled up early that morning and removed everything.

‘They have taken her off to some charity school,’ he said.

‘Would she leave Pen so?’ Despite my anger, I felt a creeping sense of unease.

‘Time to visit Allington.’

At Charles Street the daily tract on the little desk was entitled
Except Ye Repent, Ye Shall All Likewise Perish
. Lord Allington entered the chilly drawing-room with his hands clasped around his back. Lady Agnes followed, taking up a position by the window.

His Lordship took in Blake’s face and gasped. Lady Agnes, looking away from the window, saw it too. A small part of me enjoyed her surprise.

‘I cannot think what you can be doing appearing here in such a state, Mr Blake,’ she said in a lightly ironic tone. ‘Frankly, I find it discourteous. I can only conclude that you have been in a tavern brawl.’

Once again, I had the strangest feeling that she was in some perverse way angling for his attention. I would have contradicted her but somehow Blake knew what I intended. He laid a hand on my arm.

‘What leads you to that conclusion, Lady Agnes?’ he said.

‘Your face.’

He half laughed.

‘Mr Blake and Captain Avery,’ said Lord Allington, looking at the ceiling, ‘as you know, a great deal of pressure has been brought to
bear upon me to end the inquiry in which you have been engaged. After considerable thought, I feel I have no course but to bow to it. I have strayed beyond my calling; my work is to help and heal the labouring classes. The investigation must cease. I should like to thank you for your efforts. It is disappointing that they have come to naught. I will of course see that your work is rewarded and any expenses you have incurred are likewise met. I am sorry that our association should be brought to a close in this manner.’

Blake bowed.

‘I too am sorry, Your Lordship,’ I said. ‘We have also had a deal of pressure brought upon us to cease work on this case, though of a rather cruder sort than you. Two days ago Mr Blake was visited at his lodgings by two men who told him to withdraw from Your Lordship’s inquiry and threatened him with a dreadful fate should he not. I myself came upon them, by which time they had already inflicted considerable damage. That is why, Lady Agnes, he has been indisposed and his face is bruised. He asked me not to speak of it to you, like the stoic man he is. One might almost conclude that someone with considerable influence is actively working to keep the perpetrator of these awful crimes at large. And that thought dismays me. I should also like to add, Your Lordship, that when you requested our services you said you sought men “incorruptible and undeflectable”. Those were your very words and I beg you to reconsider.’

‘I am shamed by your words, Captain Avery. They are bravely said. But I must tell you, sir, I feel I cannot do otherwise.’

‘I suppose we must abide by your decision, Your Lordship,’ I said, ‘but before we go I should like to see Miss Horner. She did not return to her lodgings last night and all her belongings have disappeared.’

‘I am not sure Miss Horner’s circumstances are really a fit subject for two men,’ Lady Agnes said.

‘I beg your pardon?’ I said. ‘We should like to see her now, please.’

‘That will not be possible,’ said Lady Agnes. ‘She is not here. One of our ladies took her to one of our clothing societies to find some suitable garments.’

‘I am glad you brought Miss Horner and her brother to my attention, Captain Avery,’ Lord Allington said, almost placatingly, ‘I truly am. And I should like to do what I can for them. The girl, in particular, appears to have conducted herself with courage and presence of mind. It seemed to us her current circumstances expose her to many dangerous and insalubrious influences and she would be best served by being removed from them. We decided to bring her here, where she was fed, washed and given a clean bed last night. Mr Threlfall is inquiring whether there may be a place for her at the Union school at Norwood Hill, which takes children from poor and unfortunate backgrounds and gives them lodging and education. It may be that she is too old. If that is the case, we will endeavour to find her a position as a maid-of-all-work in a respectable household, since she seems to have had some education. For the time being she will remain here in the servants’ quarters until a decision is reached.’

‘I see,’ I said.

‘The brother’s situation is less easily resolved,’ said Lord Allington, taking up a piece of paper from the desk. ‘He is known to our man at the local mission, Mr Dearlove, who says that he is lively but prone to mischief and increasingly ungovernable. I suspect the only thing that may be done for him would be to try to have his sentence commuted from transportation. He would likely receive a prison sentence of two to four years, with a whipping at the end of it. It is not entirely clear to me that this would be a better outcome than transportation, which, though effecting the parting of brother and sister, might at least offer the prospect of a new start and a healthier life.’

I thought of the small boy and his look of desperation as he had been pulled from his sister.

‘She will see her brother before he leaves?’ said Blake.

Allington hesitated.

‘You must see that Coldbath Fields prison is hardly an appropriate place for a young girl,’ said Lady Agnes. ‘It may seem harsh, but she is embarking upon a new life – they both are – and they must prepare to be apart.’

‘But the girl must be able to make her farewell to her brother,
and the boy’s sole comfort is his sister’s visit,’ I said, appalled. ‘Surely you can arrange for her to be chaperoned?’

‘We will ensure he is visited by our people before he leaves. My brother mentioned he was short of warm clothes and bedding. He will receive them.’

I looked at Blake, but his face was closed; it was as if he had already withdrawn from the room. I appealed to Allington.

‘Your Lordship, would you reconsider this? Surely they should be able to take their leave of each other? In the meantime we are keen to follow Miss Horner’s progress and to confirm she is happy with these arrangements. I should like to see her before I return to Devon. Will you allow me to do that?’

‘I am sure that can be arranged,’ he said. ‘Perhaps tomorrow, Agnes?’

‘I cannot promise, Allington. I shall be in Whitechapel visiting the lying-in hospital. One of the doctors believes he has discovered the means to relieve the pain of childbirth, a vapour. But we are uneasy about his work.’

‘Why is that?’ said Blake, suddenly engaged again.

‘If you must know, it is laid down in Genesis that women must bring forth children “in sorrow”, and thus it might be said that such innovations go against Bible teaching. However, one of our Bible commentators says that “sorrow” may be translated as “toil”. We plan to discuss the matter more precisely.’

Blake smiled woodenly. I could feel the irritation building in him. ‘It might be argued that God gave Adam just such relief from pain. How does it go? “God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam, and he slept; and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof.”’

‘Unless your opinions have changed since last we met, Mr Blake, you are an unbeliever,’ Lady Agnes said. ‘And therefore your citing of biblical authority can hardly be taken seriously.’

‘Agnes,’ said Lord Allington reproachfully. ‘Mr Blake, may we return to this attack upon your person? Do you know who these men were?’

‘I do.’

‘And …?’

‘As you yourself said, the investigation has ceased and our association has drawn to a close.’

Lady Agnes snorted. It was an oddly unladylike sound for such a ladylike woman.

‘I am sorry that you feel thus, though I
do
understand it,’ said Allington with such concern that even I found it slightly exasperating. Blake, I was sure, was starting to seethe. ‘Let me persist. Do you think your attackers may be protecting the murderer?’

‘Perhaps. But they may have other reasons.’ Barely civil.

‘Other reasons?’ said Allington. ‘Do you believe you are any closer to finding the culprit?’

‘Yes.’

‘And?’

‘What’s it to you, Lord Allington? You’ve just dispensed with my services.’

‘But you will continue with your pursuit?’

Blake gave a cursory nod.

Allington smiled. ‘Humour me, Mr Blake. Tell me your theories.’

Blake was silent for a moment. Then he said calmly, ‘I was working upon two suppositions. One is that the three dead men had a significant personal connection and that the key to the murders lay in their conjoined pasts. The other was that given the violence and strangeness of the murders, the murderer may be mad, and perhaps driven to kill, almost by a hunger for it. If this is the case, finding him may be more difficult, as such murderers may choose their victims on almost arbitrary grounds. However, since the murdered men had a common profession and are, I believe, linked in other significant ways, I persist in believing that by understanding their pasts we may arrive at the identity of the killer.’