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.The kind of face lasses might like until they saw his eyes.’‘What about his eyes?’Hercules stopped his work and turned to stare at the Constable.‘Cruel, Mr Nottingham.No caring in them at all.’‘What was he doing here?’‘With a lass, having their dinner.In one of the private parlours.They had the look of kin.’‘Kin?’‘Their faces,’ Hercules replied as if it was obvious.‘The shape, you could see it.Brother and sister.’‘What was she like?’‘Not big like him.’ He thought for a moment.‘Fair hair, pretty enough, happen a year or two younger than him.’‘Have you seen either of them before?’The man shook his head.‘What were they talking about?’ the Constable asked.‘Nowt when I was there.They kept quiet.’‘Did you hear a name at all?’‘No.’Nottingham left two coins on the shelf.A brother and sister.How did that information help him? Whoever the woman might be, she wasn’t the dead girl in the cold cell; the corpse had brown hair and was no more than sixteen or seventeen.They had money enough to dine at the Rose and Crown, and the sense to keep their mouths shut when someone else was around.Still, it was one more link to add to the chain, and enough to make Nottingham spend part of the morning going round the other inns on Briggate, asking after their guests.No brother and sister, and no one recollected any.Out of habit he returned to the White Swan for his dinner, a cold game pie and a long cup of ale.He looked up, startled, as someone moved on to the bench across the table.‘Nothing on the girl, boss,’ Rob said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.‘I didn’t expect there would be.Keep on trying.I know a little more about this man with the large hands.’He explained it all, Lister attentive as he gulped down his food with the eager appetite of the young.‘Someone knows them,’ Rob said when the Constable was done.‘Then we’d better find out who.Do what you can this afternoon.But make sure you take Emily home when she’s finished at the school.’‘Yes, boss.’Nottingham stared out of the window and suddenly stiffened.He moved quickly, dashing out of the inn and running down Kirkgate.Rob followed, unsure what was happening, knowing only that it had to be be important.He caught up with the Constable just as he gripped a man tightly by the arm, swinging him round.‘I’m surprised to see you still here, Mr Johnson.’TWENTY-SIXThey took him back to the jail.The Constable pushed Johnson into a chair and sat on the other side of the desk, his palms flat on the wood.‘The last time I saw you, Mr Johnson, you were cursing Leeds and everyone who lived here.’Rob stood close enough to see the man’s face redden.‘I was angry,’ he said, sorrow filling his voice.‘I’d have thought you’d want to leave this place far behind you.’The man stayed silent for a long time.‘Well, Mr Johnson?’ Nottingham asked, then pressed again, ‘Well?’‘I found a job,’ he answered softly.‘Doing what?’‘I help set up the trestles for the markets.’Nottingham watched his face carefully for any sign of a lie.‘That’s only two mornings a week, Mr Johnson.How do you fill the rest of your time?’‘I’m …’ he started, then shook his head.‘I’m looking for more.’ It came out almost as apology.‘What made you decide to look for work in Leeds?’‘I didn’t have any money.’ He shrugged.‘I needed some to move on.’ He hesitated.‘I said things I didn’t mean.’Nottingham smiled gently, softening his tone to coax out more information.‘We all do that, Mr Johnson.Where are you living?’‘I lodge with Mrs Frame.’He knew it, across the river, cheap beds in a dirty house.‘Tell me, what do you know about the schools in Leeds?’‘Schools?’ The man looked confused.‘Nothing.Why?’‘My daughter runs a school.’Johnson simply looked at him, baffled.‘Not long after you told me you hated Leeds and everyone in it, things began happening there.Broken windows, threats, books destroyed.’The man’s eyes widened.He began to rise and Rob placed a hand on his shoulder.‘You think that I …?’‘Give me a good reason to believe you didn’t, Mr Johnson.’‘I didn’t.’ He sounded desperate, eyes wild and bulging.‘I didn’t even know about it.’In spite of himself, the Constable believed him.If the man was a liar he was one of the best.His expression, the way he held himself, everything spoke of his innocence.He doubted Johnson had paid attention to any school, let alone Emily’s.All he was trying to do was get through this life without too much pain.Nottingham nodded at Rob and the lad moved away.‘I’m sure you understand my concern, Mr Johnson.’‘Your daughter, of course.’ He nodded eagerly, the sweat shiny on his face.‘And perhaps you’ll see why I thought you were responsible.’Johnson lowered his head slightly.‘I didn’t do it.’ He sounded close to tears.‘I know that now.My apologies for the way I cornered you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
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.The kind of face lasses might like until they saw his eyes.’‘What about his eyes?’Hercules stopped his work and turned to stare at the Constable.‘Cruel, Mr Nottingham.No caring in them at all.’‘What was he doing here?’‘With a lass, having their dinner.In one of the private parlours.They had the look of kin.’‘Kin?’‘Their faces,’ Hercules replied as if it was obvious.‘The shape, you could see it.Brother and sister.’‘What was she like?’‘Not big like him.’ He thought for a moment.‘Fair hair, pretty enough, happen a year or two younger than him.’‘Have you seen either of them before?’The man shook his head.‘What were they talking about?’ the Constable asked.‘Nowt when I was there.They kept quiet.’‘Did you hear a name at all?’‘No.’Nottingham left two coins on the shelf.A brother and sister.How did that information help him? Whoever the woman might be, she wasn’t the dead girl in the cold cell; the corpse had brown hair and was no more than sixteen or seventeen.They had money enough to dine at the Rose and Crown, and the sense to keep their mouths shut when someone else was around.Still, it was one more link to add to the chain, and enough to make Nottingham spend part of the morning going round the other inns on Briggate, asking after their guests.No brother and sister, and no one recollected any.Out of habit he returned to the White Swan for his dinner, a cold game pie and a long cup of ale.He looked up, startled, as someone moved on to the bench across the table.‘Nothing on the girl, boss,’ Rob said, wiping the sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.‘I didn’t expect there would be.Keep on trying.I know a little more about this man with the large hands.’He explained it all, Lister attentive as he gulped down his food with the eager appetite of the young.‘Someone knows them,’ Rob said when the Constable was done.‘Then we’d better find out who.Do what you can this afternoon.But make sure you take Emily home when she’s finished at the school.’‘Yes, boss.’Nottingham stared out of the window and suddenly stiffened.He moved quickly, dashing out of the inn and running down Kirkgate.Rob followed, unsure what was happening, knowing only that it had to be be important.He caught up with the Constable just as he gripped a man tightly by the arm, swinging him round.‘I’m surprised to see you still here, Mr Johnson.’TWENTY-SIXThey took him back to the jail.The Constable pushed Johnson into a chair and sat on the other side of the desk, his palms flat on the wood.‘The last time I saw you, Mr Johnson, you were cursing Leeds and everyone who lived here.’Rob stood close enough to see the man’s face redden.‘I was angry,’ he said, sorrow filling his voice.‘I’d have thought you’d want to leave this place far behind you.’The man stayed silent for a long time.‘Well, Mr Johnson?’ Nottingham asked, then pressed again, ‘Well?’‘I found a job,’ he answered softly.‘Doing what?’‘I help set up the trestles for the markets.’Nottingham watched his face carefully for any sign of a lie.‘That’s only two mornings a week, Mr Johnson.How do you fill the rest of your time?’‘I’m …’ he started, then shook his head.‘I’m looking for more.’ It came out almost as apology.‘What made you decide to look for work in Leeds?’‘I didn’t have any money.’ He shrugged.‘I needed some to move on.’ He hesitated.‘I said things I didn’t mean.’Nottingham smiled gently, softening his tone to coax out more information.‘We all do that, Mr Johnson.Where are you living?’‘I lodge with Mrs Frame.’He knew it, across the river, cheap beds in a dirty house.‘Tell me, what do you know about the schools in Leeds?’‘Schools?’ The man looked confused.‘Nothing.Why?’‘My daughter runs a school.’Johnson simply looked at him, baffled.‘Not long after you told me you hated Leeds and everyone in it, things began happening there.Broken windows, threats, books destroyed.’The man’s eyes widened.He began to rise and Rob placed a hand on his shoulder.‘You think that I …?’‘Give me a good reason to believe you didn’t, Mr Johnson.’‘I didn’t.’ He sounded desperate, eyes wild and bulging.‘I didn’t even know about it.’In spite of himself, the Constable believed him.If the man was a liar he was one of the best.His expression, the way he held himself, everything spoke of his innocence.He doubted Johnson had paid attention to any school, let alone Emily’s.All he was trying to do was get through this life without too much pain.Nottingham nodded at Rob and the lad moved away.‘I’m sure you understand my concern, Mr Johnson.’‘Your daughter, of course.’ He nodded eagerly, the sweat shiny on his face.‘And perhaps you’ll see why I thought you were responsible.’Johnson lowered his head slightly.‘I didn’t do it.’ He sounded close to tears.‘I know that now.My apologies for the way I cornered you [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]