Read Online Steps to the Gallows by Edward Marston - Free Book Online
Authors: Edward Marston
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pistol. ‘I will have this weapon beside me night and day. I suggest that you take the same precaution.’
Title quivered. ‘I’ve never fired a gun in my life.’
‘Well, I have and – to tell you the truth – I rather enjoyed it.’
CHAPTER FIVE
Still bruised from their meeting with the chief magistrate, the Runners were quaffing their third pint of ale at the Peacock Inn. They traded complaints about Kirkwood until they found a new target for their bile. Chevy Ruddock walked into the room and saw them seated in a corner. He was a tall, gawky young man with an unappealing face redeemed by a willing smile. Proud to become a member of one of the foot patrols, he’d been mocked for his wide-eyed innocence at first but he’d learnt quickly. Ruddock had turned into a plucky and resourceful officer. For that reason, he’d been given an important task.
‘Good evening,’ he said, sharing a smile between them. ‘I did what you asked of me, Mr Yeomans. I’ve spoken to a dozen of them.’
‘And?’
‘I’ll go back in the morning to sound out even more.’
‘ And? ’ repeated Yeomans. ‘And – and – and?’
Ruddock was bemused. ‘And what, sir?’
‘Did you bring back any evidence? Has anyone reported a sighting?’
‘One man did see someone lurking in the vicinity of thehouse,’ said Ruddock, ‘but thought him too old to be capable of strangling anybody.’
‘He could have been keeping an eye on the property,’ said Hale, thoughtfully. ‘Paige’s lodging must have been watched – no doubt about that. Who gave you this information?’
‘It was Mokey Venables, sir.’
‘That little weasel!’ said Yeomans with a snort. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of times I arrested him for picking pockets. In the end, he learnt that the best way to keep out of prison was to report crimes rather than commit them. Respect where it’s due, though. He’s got sharp eyes and he knows Bloomsbury as well as he knows the body of that scrawny hag he calls his wife.’
‘What else did you learn, Ruddock?’ asked Hale.
‘Very little,’ admitted the other. ‘I had the feeling that some of them were holding things back.’
‘You should have leant hard on them, lad.’
‘I tried to, sir, but it was no use.’ He brightened. ‘They all asked me the same thing, however. Every one of them told me to pass on their regards to Mr Yeomans and Mr Hale. They hold you in high esteem.’
‘And so they should,’ said Yeomans, darkly, ‘but we want more than their regards. We want names and addresses. We want the evidence to set us on the trail of a killer. One of them must have seen or heard something.’
‘I’ll try again tomorrow,’ volunteered Ruddock.
‘Alfred will go with you.’
‘Will I?’ asked Hale, offended to be given the lowly task of rounding up their informers. ‘What will you be doing, Micah?’
‘I intend to go to that print shop.’
‘That was my suggestion. Why don’t I come with you?’
‘You’ll be too busy working with Ruddock.’
‘It will be an honour to be at your side, Mr Hale,’ said Ruddock, beaming. ‘I learn so much when I’m with someone of your standing.’ He looked at Yeomans. ‘What’s this about a print shop, sir?’
‘It needn’t concern you,’ replied Yeomans.
‘Does it have any bearing on the murder?’
‘Indirectly, it may have.’
‘Then it must be the shop where Mr Paige sold his prints.’
Instead of impressing him, the glimmer of intelligence shown by Ruddock only annoyed Yeomans. Downing his drink with a loud gulp, he handed the empty tankard meaningfully to the younger man and Hale followed suit. With a smile of resignation, Ruddock went off to buy another pint for each of them.
‘Don’t be too hard on him,’ advised Hale. ‘He’s eager to help.’
‘Then why did he come back empty-handed?’
‘You heard him, Micah. People were holding something back. That means they’re hanging on to information in the hope that they
Title quivered. ‘I’ve never fired a gun in my life.’
‘Well, I have and – to tell you the truth – I rather enjoyed it.’
CHAPTER FIVE
Still bruised from their meeting with the chief magistrate, the Runners were quaffing their third pint of ale at the Peacock Inn. They traded complaints about Kirkwood until they found a new target for their bile. Chevy Ruddock walked into the room and saw them seated in a corner. He was a tall, gawky young man with an unappealing face redeemed by a willing smile. Proud to become a member of one of the foot patrols, he’d been mocked for his wide-eyed innocence at first but he’d learnt quickly. Ruddock had turned into a plucky and resourceful officer. For that reason, he’d been given an important task.
‘Good evening,’ he said, sharing a smile between them. ‘I did what you asked of me, Mr Yeomans. I’ve spoken to a dozen of them.’
‘And?’
‘I’ll go back in the morning to sound out even more.’
‘ And? ’ repeated Yeomans. ‘And – and – and?’
Ruddock was bemused. ‘And what, sir?’
‘Did you bring back any evidence? Has anyone reported a sighting?’
‘One man did see someone lurking in the vicinity of thehouse,’ said Ruddock, ‘but thought him too old to be capable of strangling anybody.’
‘He could have been keeping an eye on the property,’ said Hale, thoughtfully. ‘Paige’s lodging must have been watched – no doubt about that. Who gave you this information?’
‘It was Mokey Venables, sir.’
‘That little weasel!’ said Yeomans with a snort. ‘I’ve lost count of the number of times I arrested him for picking pockets. In the end, he learnt that the best way to keep out of prison was to report crimes rather than commit them. Respect where it’s due, though. He’s got sharp eyes and he knows Bloomsbury as well as he knows the body of that scrawny hag he calls his wife.’
‘What else did you learn, Ruddock?’ asked Hale.
‘Very little,’ admitted the other. ‘I had the feeling that some of them were holding things back.’
‘You should have leant hard on them, lad.’
‘I tried to, sir, but it was no use.’ He brightened. ‘They all asked me the same thing, however. Every one of them told me to pass on their regards to Mr Yeomans and Mr Hale. They hold you in high esteem.’
‘And so they should,’ said Yeomans, darkly, ‘but we want more than their regards. We want names and addresses. We want the evidence to set us on the trail of a killer. One of them must have seen or heard something.’
‘I’ll try again tomorrow,’ volunteered Ruddock.
‘Alfred will go with you.’
‘Will I?’ asked Hale, offended to be given the lowly task of rounding up their informers. ‘What will you be doing, Micah?’
‘I intend to go to that print shop.’
‘That was my suggestion. Why don’t I come with you?’
‘You’ll be too busy working with Ruddock.’
‘It will be an honour to be at your side, Mr Hale,’ said Ruddock, beaming. ‘I learn so much when I’m with someone of your standing.’ He looked at Yeomans. ‘What’s this about a print shop, sir?’
‘It needn’t concern you,’ replied Yeomans.
‘Does it have any bearing on the murder?’
‘Indirectly, it may have.’
‘Then it must be the shop where Mr Paige sold his prints.’
Instead of impressing him, the glimmer of intelligence shown by Ruddock only annoyed Yeomans. Downing his drink with a loud gulp, he handed the empty tankard meaningfully to the younger man and Hale followed suit. With a smile of resignation, Ruddock went off to buy another pint for each of them.
‘Don’t be too hard on him,’ advised Hale. ‘He’s eager to help.’
‘Then why did he come back empty-handed?’
‘You heard him, Micah. People were holding something back. That means they’re hanging on to information in the hope that they
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