understand. Was there anything unusual, or out of place?' Perry asked.
'Some of his body parts were out of place, like broken, if that's what you mean?' Eric continued when Perry shook his head, 'Nothing special, badly smashed up. Probably hit with pieces of wood, certainly punched and kicked, then dragged off the road and hidden away. Fits with what I've heard some thieves do elsewhere, although we don't have much robbery along the roads around here.'
'So nothing that could be of help to me then? Where are his cart and oxen?' Perry was annoyed at losing yet another way to catch the gang.
'Long gone, certainly not seen around here. If it had been brought into the city I'm sure it would be hidden away, and if you're right about that butcher being involved, no-one will ever again see those oxen in one piece.'
'I should have travelled with him, hidden on the cart rather than arranging to meet up to catch the gang in the act.' Perry was frustrated, but felt no remorse for the dead man. Tomson had put his lot in with a criminal gang and despite the arrangement Perry had made with him, deserved any punishment he got.
Perry decided a confrontation was the best strategy. He had come so far, but it had all crashed to the ground around him. His anger was clouding his thinking, but he was too involved to realise this. If he had stepped back from the situation, Perry would have started to rebuild his strategy, but with the butcher only a few hundred yards away, the temptation to challenge the man, to his face, was too great.
It was midmorning and the market had been open for several hours. Perry made his way past the temporary stalls sandwiched into the wide marketplace by the shops along the edges. The shop he was after was near one corner, meaning that he could approach it from nearly in front. He started poking around the various stalls, stalking his prey, making sure he was unseen. He had met Col Butcher on a number of occasions and had no doubt that the man would recognise him at a glance, even with his heavy overcoat and cap. He kept his head down, apparently looking at the wares in front of him, but eyes on the butcher. The butcher was oblivious to all, except his customers, on whom he lavished his attentions. This was fortunate as Perry was struggling to find suitable places to view his prey from.
As he watched, he saw that the butcher was popular, regardless of his dubious business practices. The pies were in great demand, and they did actually smell really good. Butcher also kept up a fast trade in meats, most of which seemed, at a distance, to be perfectly good. Occasionally Butcher would usher a poorer looking customer into the darkness of the shop, rather than serving them on the outside stall. Perry was certain that these people were being offered inferior meats that would fit their budgets. Once, the butcher had taken a well-off looking customer inside, probably to rip him off thought Perry. There was also a middle-aged well-dressed woman who appeared to be undertaking a large shopping trip, probably a servant for a significant household. She had also gone into the shop, but Perry could not tell if she was buying the poorer meat, and pocketing the difference from the money her employer had given her, or if she just went inside the shop to pick up a large existing order. Judging by the time she took, Perry thought it was probably the former.
After a while, Perry decided to intercept one of the customers who used the inside of the shop. He wanted to see what was being purchased. He had seen one of the constable's men coming along the street towards his, one that had been present when he had been informed about Tomson's death. The man, Pete his name was, would be perfect for the job of persuading someone to allow Perry to inspect their purchases. After all, most people would know the constable's men by sight.
'Pete, get here.' Perry called the
'Some of his body parts were out of place, like broken, if that's what you mean?' Eric continued when Perry shook his head, 'Nothing special, badly smashed up. Probably hit with pieces of wood, certainly punched and kicked, then dragged off the road and hidden away. Fits with what I've heard some thieves do elsewhere, although we don't have much robbery along the roads around here.'
'So nothing that could be of help to me then? Where are his cart and oxen?' Perry was annoyed at losing yet another way to catch the gang.
'Long gone, certainly not seen around here. If it had been brought into the city I'm sure it would be hidden away, and if you're right about that butcher being involved, no-one will ever again see those oxen in one piece.'
'I should have travelled with him, hidden on the cart rather than arranging to meet up to catch the gang in the act.' Perry was frustrated, but felt no remorse for the dead man. Tomson had put his lot in with a criminal gang and despite the arrangement Perry had made with him, deserved any punishment he got.
Perry decided a confrontation was the best strategy. He had come so far, but it had all crashed to the ground around him. His anger was clouding his thinking, but he was too involved to realise this. If he had stepped back from the situation, Perry would have started to rebuild his strategy, but with the butcher only a few hundred yards away, the temptation to challenge the man, to his face, was too great.
It was midmorning and the market had been open for several hours. Perry made his way past the temporary stalls sandwiched into the wide marketplace by the shops along the edges. The shop he was after was near one corner, meaning that he could approach it from nearly in front. He started poking around the various stalls, stalking his prey, making sure he was unseen. He had met Col Butcher on a number of occasions and had no doubt that the man would recognise him at a glance, even with his heavy overcoat and cap. He kept his head down, apparently looking at the wares in front of him, but eyes on the butcher. The butcher was oblivious to all, except his customers, on whom he lavished his attentions. This was fortunate as Perry was struggling to find suitable places to view his prey from.
As he watched, he saw that the butcher was popular, regardless of his dubious business practices. The pies were in great demand, and they did actually smell really good. Butcher also kept up a fast trade in meats, most of which seemed, at a distance, to be perfectly good. Occasionally Butcher would usher a poorer looking customer into the darkness of the shop, rather than serving them on the outside stall. Perry was certain that these people were being offered inferior meats that would fit their budgets. Once, the butcher had taken a well-off looking customer inside, probably to rip him off thought Perry. There was also a middle-aged well-dressed woman who appeared to be undertaking a large shopping trip, probably a servant for a significant household. She had also gone into the shop, but Perry could not tell if she was buying the poorer meat, and pocketing the difference from the money her employer had given her, or if she just went inside the shop to pick up a large existing order. Judging by the time she took, Perry thought it was probably the former.
After a while, Perry decided to intercept one of the customers who used the inside of the shop. He wanted to see what was being purchased. He had seen one of the constable's men coming along the street towards his, one that had been present when he had been informed about Tomson's death. The man, Pete his name was, would be perfect for the job of persuading someone to allow Perry to inspect their purchases. After all, most people would know the constable's men by sight.
'Pete, get here.' Perry called the
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