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.He ordered a mug of ale and glanced around to find Tom Finer staring at him.Everywhere he turned these days he seemed to see the man.Finer raised his cup in greeting and waved him over.‘Finished for the day, Mr Nottingham?’The Constable sat on the bench.‘Unless something happens.’Finer smiled.‘I doubt that’s too often.’Nottingham shrugged.‘Once is more than enough.’‘Has it been quieter since Amos died?’The Constable smiled at the question.‘Not so as you’d notice.Why, Mr Finer, do you intend on keeping me busier with your workhouse plans?’The older man smiled, but it was strained.‘Everything I do is legal these days, Constable.I told you that.’Nottingham raised his mug in a toast.‘I’ll hope that’s true.’Finer took a drink of his ale and made a face.‘Not the best in Leeds here, is it?’‘Better than the Talbot.’The man nodded slowly.‘True enough, Mr Nottingham.But the gossip’s more interesting there.’‘If it’s so good, what brings you down here?’Finer stroked a chin covered in thin white bristles.‘Old haunts.I remember getting roaring drunk in here one night with Arkwright, back when he was the Constable.He challenged me to a bare knuckle fight out on Kirkgate.’‘I never heard about that.Who won?’‘We’d had so much ale that neither of us landed a punch,’ he laughed.‘Amos stood and cheered us on.He won ten pounds that night by betting there wouldn’t be a winner.’‘I might have put money on that myself.’‘You’d just be a young ’un then, you’d probably not even started working as a Constable’s man yet.A long time ago.I remember when you started out with him.You looked like you’d nothing about you.I’d seen more fat on a worm than you had back then.’In spite of himself, Nottingham grinned.‘A lifetime,’ he agreed.‘Two or three, perhaps.For me, anyway.’ He drank a little more and pushed the cup away.‘I remember the ale as better than that.’ He paused.‘I know you think I’ve come back to Leeds to cause trouble, but I haven’t.’‘So you keep saying.Time will tell.’‘It will,’ Finer agreed.‘You’ll see.’ He eased himself to his feet.‘I think I’ll go to the Talbot and hear what’s been happening.And then home for my supper.’‘I wish you well.’‘I doubt you do, Mr Nottingham, but thank you anyway.’ He nodded and left.The Constable drained his ale.Was he wrong about Finer? Lately it was so hard to be certain, but deep inside a small knot told him he was right.He remembered something Amos Worthy had told him once – repeat a lie often enough and it’ll become the truth.The more that Tom Finer said he’d put crime behind him, the more folk would believe it.Being doubtful might be no bad thing.FIFTEEN‘Mr Sedgwick.’The deputy heard the small voice and felt a hand tugging at his sleeve.Looking down, he saw Ezekiel Fadden’s oldest boy staring up at him.‘What is it?’ he asked, trying to remember the lad’s name.He looked to be about the same age as James, his own son, with a grubby face and hands, and shoes far too big for his small feet.‘Me ma said to tell you me da’s back if you want to talk to him.’‘Aye, thank you.Will,’ he added as it came to him.’ He pulled a farthing from the pocket of his breeches and placed it between the small fingers.‘Is he at home?’‘He’s wetting his whistle at the Old King’s Head,’ the boy said carefully.‘That’s what she said to tell you.’Sedgwick laughed and tousled the boy’s hair.‘Right, off you go, then.You’ve done your job.’ He watched the boy run.The doors of the Old King’s Head were wedged open to let in the fresh air and the light.A man swept the floor, and the serving girl leaned against the trestle talking idly to the landlord.Fadden was standing by the window, gazing out at Briggate.The deputy bought himself a mug of the cold ale and joined him.‘Maggie said you’d been looking for me,’ the carter said warily.‘Have I done anything wrong?’‘Not that I know of,’ Sedgwick answered and saw the man ease a little.Faddon had done something, he thought, and wondered if he’d been found out.Sometime he’d discover exactly what.Information was always useful.‘You go to Whitby.’‘Not that often any more,’ he shrugged.‘It’s mostly York or Hull these days, that’s where the business is.Gives me chance to stop over in Sherburn.There’s a little lass there who’s sweet on me.’ He winked.‘As long as Maggie doesn’t find out I’ll be fine.’ He drained the mug and gave it a long glance.‘Another?’ the deputy asked.‘Aye, go on.You need a good wet, driving a team all day.’Sedgwick held up a pair of fingers for the serving girl.‘When were you in Whitby last?’ he asked.‘Must be close to three months ago,’ Fadden answered after a while.‘Once the road over the moors was clear after winter.’‘Did you hear of anything out there?’‘Like what?’ The man picked up the fresh ale and drank [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.He ordered a mug of ale and glanced around to find Tom Finer staring at him.Everywhere he turned these days he seemed to see the man.Finer raised his cup in greeting and waved him over.‘Finished for the day, Mr Nottingham?’The Constable sat on the bench.‘Unless something happens.’Finer smiled.‘I doubt that’s too often.’Nottingham shrugged.‘Once is more than enough.’‘Has it been quieter since Amos died?’The Constable smiled at the question.‘Not so as you’d notice.Why, Mr Finer, do you intend on keeping me busier with your workhouse plans?’The older man smiled, but it was strained.‘Everything I do is legal these days, Constable.I told you that.’Nottingham raised his mug in a toast.‘I’ll hope that’s true.’Finer took a drink of his ale and made a face.‘Not the best in Leeds here, is it?’‘Better than the Talbot.’The man nodded slowly.‘True enough, Mr Nottingham.But the gossip’s more interesting there.’‘If it’s so good, what brings you down here?’Finer stroked a chin covered in thin white bristles.‘Old haunts.I remember getting roaring drunk in here one night with Arkwright, back when he was the Constable.He challenged me to a bare knuckle fight out on Kirkgate.’‘I never heard about that.Who won?’‘We’d had so much ale that neither of us landed a punch,’ he laughed.‘Amos stood and cheered us on.He won ten pounds that night by betting there wouldn’t be a winner.’‘I might have put money on that myself.’‘You’d just be a young ’un then, you’d probably not even started working as a Constable’s man yet.A long time ago.I remember when you started out with him.You looked like you’d nothing about you.I’d seen more fat on a worm than you had back then.’In spite of himself, Nottingham grinned.‘A lifetime,’ he agreed.‘Two or three, perhaps.For me, anyway.’ He drank a little more and pushed the cup away.‘I remember the ale as better than that.’ He paused.‘I know you think I’ve come back to Leeds to cause trouble, but I haven’t.’‘So you keep saying.Time will tell.’‘It will,’ Finer agreed.‘You’ll see.’ He eased himself to his feet.‘I think I’ll go to the Talbot and hear what’s been happening.And then home for my supper.’‘I wish you well.’‘I doubt you do, Mr Nottingham, but thank you anyway.’ He nodded and left.The Constable drained his ale.Was he wrong about Finer? Lately it was so hard to be certain, but deep inside a small knot told him he was right.He remembered something Amos Worthy had told him once – repeat a lie often enough and it’ll become the truth.The more that Tom Finer said he’d put crime behind him, the more folk would believe it.Being doubtful might be no bad thing.FIFTEEN‘Mr Sedgwick.’The deputy heard the small voice and felt a hand tugging at his sleeve.Looking down, he saw Ezekiel Fadden’s oldest boy staring up at him.‘What is it?’ he asked, trying to remember the lad’s name.He looked to be about the same age as James, his own son, with a grubby face and hands, and shoes far too big for his small feet.‘Me ma said to tell you me da’s back if you want to talk to him.’‘Aye, thank you.Will,’ he added as it came to him.’ He pulled a farthing from the pocket of his breeches and placed it between the small fingers.‘Is he at home?’‘He’s wetting his whistle at the Old King’s Head,’ the boy said carefully.‘That’s what she said to tell you.’Sedgwick laughed and tousled the boy’s hair.‘Right, off you go, then.You’ve done your job.’ He watched the boy run.The doors of the Old King’s Head were wedged open to let in the fresh air and the light.A man swept the floor, and the serving girl leaned against the trestle talking idly to the landlord.Fadden was standing by the window, gazing out at Briggate.The deputy bought himself a mug of the cold ale and joined him.‘Maggie said you’d been looking for me,’ the carter said warily.‘Have I done anything wrong?’‘Not that I know of,’ Sedgwick answered and saw the man ease a little.Faddon had done something, he thought, and wondered if he’d been found out.Sometime he’d discover exactly what.Information was always useful.‘You go to Whitby.’‘Not that often any more,’ he shrugged.‘It’s mostly York or Hull these days, that’s where the business is.Gives me chance to stop over in Sherburn.There’s a little lass there who’s sweet on me.’ He winked.‘As long as Maggie doesn’t find out I’ll be fine.’ He drained the mug and gave it a long glance.‘Another?’ the deputy asked.‘Aye, go on.You need a good wet, driving a team all day.’Sedgwick held up a pair of fingers for the serving girl.‘When were you in Whitby last?’ he asked.‘Must be close to three months ago,’ Fadden answered after a while.‘Once the road over the moors was clear after winter.’‘Did you hear of anything out there?’‘Like what?’ The man picked up the fresh ale and drank [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]