Read Online Convalescence by Chris Nickson - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chris Nickson
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body. The young man didn’t have a face he knew, with sandy hair, old clothes, his boots repaired many time. There’d been an empty pack at his side and a battered tricorn hat a few yards away.
Sedgwick had examined the area carefully before he called for help. There was little blood by the body and he began to search around, finally finding a spot by the riverbank where the soil was damp and sticky to the touch. Twenty yards, he guessed, and the man was small. He could easily have been killed here and carried there, out of sight for a while.
Bruises had bloomed like flowers across the man’s face. There were more on his body, he saw as he cut away a shirt of rags, stiff and discoloured with blood. He’d been knifed four times, in the stomach and chest. If he’d been lucky the poor bugger would have died quickly. From the look of it, he hadn’t even had a chance to defend himself. There was a sheath on his belt, but no knife. The killer had likely taken it.
The deputy stood back, slowly rubbing his chin and reaching for a mug of ale to wash the taste of death from his mouth. Rob had told him about the man the boss met on Timble Bridge yesterday and he wondered if the body could be him. He’d planned on checking Mrs. Lumley’s lodging house when he had chance; now he’d better make time.
In the afternoon Nottingham took up the stick and walked down to the bridge again. He was weary by the time he leaned against the parapet, but perhaps it had been a little easier, just the smallest bit quicker. Maybe, he thought hopefully. Maybe. He settled into the shade, letting the sweat dry on his face and watched the world go by. His thoughts started to drift.
Will Langton. The man was trouble. The constable might have been gone from work for a few months, but his instincts hadn’t vanished completely. Hopefully the man really had bypassed Leeds and gone elsewhere. He shook his head slowly and turned his gaze back to the water, listening to the soft way it burbled over the rocks.
“Boss?”
Dragged back to the day, the constable looked up to see Sedgwick next to him. He’d never even heard the man arrive.
“Hello, John,” he said with real pleasure. “I’m surprised to see you out this way during the day.” The look on the deputy’s face made him pause. “You look tired.”
“Never ends, boss. You know that.” Sedgwick sighed and rested his elbows on the parapet. “I wanted to ask you something. That man you met yesterday…”
“Will Langton? Strange, I was just thinking about him.”
“I need you to tell me what he looked like. In detail.”
Nottingham cocked his head. “What’s happened?”
“I found a body by the water engine. Empty pack by his side. Not anyone I recognise.”
The constable tried to picture the man in his mind, his words slow as he described Langton, telling everything he could recall. “What do you think?” he asked finally.
“Sounds like him,” Sedgwick answered after a while. “I went by Mrs. Lumley’s. He’d never gone there. Someone killed him by the river.”
“That pack was heavy when I saw him,” Nottingham said thoughtfully. “You think he was sleeping down there?”
The deputy shrugged.
“No sign of a fire, but it’s warm out.”
“I told him to try the Talbot if he wanted to sell things. Rob said he looked in but didn’t see anyone like Langton.”
“Doesn’t mean much. He must have met someone.” Sedgwick sighed. “I don’t need a murder on top of everything else.”
“I wish I could help you.”
The deputy ran a hand through his hair. “So do I, boss. More than you know.”
“How are Lizzie and the children?”
“Well enough, not that I have much time with them.” He sighed. “You are you going to come back, aren’t you,
Sedgwick had examined the area carefully before he called for help. There was little blood by the body and he began to search around, finally finding a spot by the riverbank where the soil was damp and sticky to the touch. Twenty yards, he guessed, and the man was small. He could easily have been killed here and carried there, out of sight for a while.
Bruises had bloomed like flowers across the man’s face. There were more on his body, he saw as he cut away a shirt of rags, stiff and discoloured with blood. He’d been knifed four times, in the stomach and chest. If he’d been lucky the poor bugger would have died quickly. From the look of it, he hadn’t even had a chance to defend himself. There was a sheath on his belt, but no knife. The killer had likely taken it.
The deputy stood back, slowly rubbing his chin and reaching for a mug of ale to wash the taste of death from his mouth. Rob had told him about the man the boss met on Timble Bridge yesterday and he wondered if the body could be him. He’d planned on checking Mrs. Lumley’s lodging house when he had chance; now he’d better make time.
In the afternoon Nottingham took up the stick and walked down to the bridge again. He was weary by the time he leaned against the parapet, but perhaps it had been a little easier, just the smallest bit quicker. Maybe, he thought hopefully. Maybe. He settled into the shade, letting the sweat dry on his face and watched the world go by. His thoughts started to drift.
Will Langton. The man was trouble. The constable might have been gone from work for a few months, but his instincts hadn’t vanished completely. Hopefully the man really had bypassed Leeds and gone elsewhere. He shook his head slowly and turned his gaze back to the water, listening to the soft way it burbled over the rocks.
“Boss?”
Dragged back to the day, the constable looked up to see Sedgwick next to him. He’d never even heard the man arrive.
“Hello, John,” he said with real pleasure. “I’m surprised to see you out this way during the day.” The look on the deputy’s face made him pause. “You look tired.”
“Never ends, boss. You know that.” Sedgwick sighed and rested his elbows on the parapet. “I wanted to ask you something. That man you met yesterday…”
“Will Langton? Strange, I was just thinking about him.”
“I need you to tell me what he looked like. In detail.”
Nottingham cocked his head. “What’s happened?”
“I found a body by the water engine. Empty pack by his side. Not anyone I recognise.”
The constable tried to picture the man in his mind, his words slow as he described Langton, telling everything he could recall. “What do you think?” he asked finally.
“Sounds like him,” Sedgwick answered after a while. “I went by Mrs. Lumley’s. He’d never gone there. Someone killed him by the river.”
“That pack was heavy when I saw him,” Nottingham said thoughtfully. “You think he was sleeping down there?”
The deputy shrugged.
“No sign of a fire, but it’s warm out.”
“I told him to try the Talbot if he wanted to sell things. Rob said he looked in but didn’t see anyone like Langton.”
“Doesn’t mean much. He must have met someone.” Sedgwick sighed. “I don’t need a murder on top of everything else.”
“I wish I could help you.”
The deputy ran a hand through his hair. “So do I, boss. More than you know.”
“How are Lizzie and the children?”
“Well enough, not that I have much time with them.” He sighed. “You are you going to come back, aren’t you,
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