way back to Bow Street.’
‘If you came to see Mrs Mandrake, you’ll be disappointed. She’s not here.’
‘Oh,’ said Yeomans, head sinking to his chest. It jerked back up again. ‘Then perhaps I could speak to Mr Mandrake.’
‘There’s no such person any longer,’ said Tite, sadly.
The Runner’s hopes stirred. The woman he’d come to admire so fervently had no husband. Palpably, she was free and unencumbered. His long perambulation in Holborn had been more than justified. Yeomans smiled for the first time that day.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Accustomed to living solely with men, Jem Huckvale was disconcerted to be left alone in the house with nobody for company but women. The fact that they were all concerned for his health made it even more uncomfortable. Meg Rooke was the real problem. His affection for her was stronger than ever but it was replaced by diffidence and hesitation whenever she was actually close to him. What irked him most, of course, was that he was trapped in bed when there was a murder to solve and when the person who’d attacked him was still on the loose. Instead of staying as a guest at the home of Peter and Charlotte Skillen, he wanted to be involved in the hunt for the culprits. Such was his eagerness to join the others that he elected to ignore the dull ache in his head and manoeuvred himself slowly out of bed. Unsteady on his feet at first, he soon regained his balance and crossed to the chair over which his clothing had been draped. Huckvale was just about to dress himself when he heard footsteps ascending the stairs. Panic-stricken in case Meg caught him with bare feet exposed, he tried to clamber into bed again.
Instead of the usual timid knock, however, there was a resounding thud before the door swung open. Gully Ackfordstepped into the room in time to see his friend pulling the bedclothes protectively up to his chest.
‘You’re in no danger from me, Jem,’ he said, amused. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m bored to death.’
‘What – with a comely girl like Meg at your command?’
‘I want to be with you and the others.’
‘There’s time enough for that.’
‘What’s happened, Gully?’
‘A great deal – some of it is bad and some of it good.’ He perched on the edge of the bed. ‘Let me tell you the worst news first. I’ve just come back from viewing Leo’s body. If I hadn’t been told it was him, I’d never have recognised my old friend. Fire ravages the human body in cruel ways.’
‘When is the inquest?’
‘It will be very soon and very short. There are no witnesses to offer evidence. The verdict is thus obvious. Leo was killed by person or persons unknown. Except,’ he added with a smile, ‘one of them, we believe, is known now.’
Huckvale was excited. ‘You’ve put a name to him?’
‘Strictly, speaking, it was Charlotte who did that. Her record book helped to unmask the rogue. It was someone we once arrested for starting an affray and causing damage to the Hope and Anchor.’
He went on to tell the full story of their discovery. It only served to make Huckvale even more eager to return to the gallery and take part in the investigation. Convinced that Abel Fearon must have been his attacker, he was desperate for a second encounter with the man. On the next occasion, however, he vowed to wreak his revenge on the former sailor. Thrilled by most of what he heard, he was jolted by the news that they had a self-appointed assistant.
‘This is no work for a woman, Gully,’ he said.
‘Mrs Mandrake insists.’
‘What can she possibly do?’
‘To begin with, she can fire a gun. I let her have use of our targets and she hit them every time without any difficulty. Her real value, however, is that she knew Leo very well and is able to tell us a lot about him. When she heard that he was being stalked, it was Mrs Mandrake who badgered him into finding a bodyguard.’
‘Do you mean that this lady sent him to us?’
‘She didn’t exactly recommend
‘If you came to see Mrs Mandrake, you’ll be disappointed. She’s not here.’
‘Oh,’ said Yeomans, head sinking to his chest. It jerked back up again. ‘Then perhaps I could speak to Mr Mandrake.’
‘There’s no such person any longer,’ said Tite, sadly.
The Runner’s hopes stirred. The woman he’d come to admire so fervently had no husband. Palpably, she was free and unencumbered. His long perambulation in Holborn had been more than justified. Yeomans smiled for the first time that day.
CHAPTER SEVEN
Accustomed to living solely with men, Jem Huckvale was disconcerted to be left alone in the house with nobody for company but women. The fact that they were all concerned for his health made it even more uncomfortable. Meg Rooke was the real problem. His affection for her was stronger than ever but it was replaced by diffidence and hesitation whenever she was actually close to him. What irked him most, of course, was that he was trapped in bed when there was a murder to solve and when the person who’d attacked him was still on the loose. Instead of staying as a guest at the home of Peter and Charlotte Skillen, he wanted to be involved in the hunt for the culprits. Such was his eagerness to join the others that he elected to ignore the dull ache in his head and manoeuvred himself slowly out of bed. Unsteady on his feet at first, he soon regained his balance and crossed to the chair over which his clothing had been draped. Huckvale was just about to dress himself when he heard footsteps ascending the stairs. Panic-stricken in case Meg caught him with bare feet exposed, he tried to clamber into bed again.
Instead of the usual timid knock, however, there was a resounding thud before the door swung open. Gully Ackfordstepped into the room in time to see his friend pulling the bedclothes protectively up to his chest.
‘You’re in no danger from me, Jem,’ he said, amused. ‘How are you?’
‘I’m bored to death.’
‘What – with a comely girl like Meg at your command?’
‘I want to be with you and the others.’
‘There’s time enough for that.’
‘What’s happened, Gully?’
‘A great deal – some of it is bad and some of it good.’ He perched on the edge of the bed. ‘Let me tell you the worst news first. I’ve just come back from viewing Leo’s body. If I hadn’t been told it was him, I’d never have recognised my old friend. Fire ravages the human body in cruel ways.’
‘When is the inquest?’
‘It will be very soon and very short. There are no witnesses to offer evidence. The verdict is thus obvious. Leo was killed by person or persons unknown. Except,’ he added with a smile, ‘one of them, we believe, is known now.’
Huckvale was excited. ‘You’ve put a name to him?’
‘Strictly, speaking, it was Charlotte who did that. Her record book helped to unmask the rogue. It was someone we once arrested for starting an affray and causing damage to the Hope and Anchor.’
He went on to tell the full story of their discovery. It only served to make Huckvale even more eager to return to the gallery and take part in the investigation. Convinced that Abel Fearon must have been his attacker, he was desperate for a second encounter with the man. On the next occasion, however, he vowed to wreak his revenge on the former sailor. Thrilled by most of what he heard, he was jolted by the news that they had a self-appointed assistant.
‘This is no work for a woman, Gully,’ he said.
‘Mrs Mandrake insists.’
‘What can she possibly do?’
‘To begin with, she can fire a gun. I let her have use of our targets and she hit them every time without any difficulty. Her real value, however, is that she knew Leo very well and is able to tell us a lot about him. When she heard that he was being stalked, it was Mrs Mandrake who badgered him into finding a bodyguard.’
‘Do you mean that this lady sent him to us?’
‘She didn’t exactly recommend
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