Page 36 of The Return of the Rake

Alfie swallowed his coffee, looking at King with a combination of unease and admiration. “Tricky, that’s what you are. Remind me not to get on the wrong side of you,” he said with a soft chuckle.

“You need no reminding,” King said gruffly, for he liked Alfred Marwick, who was, strangely enough, an honest fellow, if one overlooked his propensity for lifting jewellery from private houses. “Did you sell the items you acquired that night yet?”

“Most of them,” Alfie said with a grin. “And a nice bit of business it was too. I’ve a mind to take it easy for a while and enjoy life, seeing as how it’s good for my health. I’ve one or two pieces remaining, but I think I’ll hold on to them for a rainy day, just in case. Portable property is not something one ought to turn one’s nose up at.”

“No, indeed, it is not,” King replied with a laugh. “I hope you’ve told no one else about your place here?”

“What d’you take me for?” Alfie grinned, which diminished suddenly.

“What?” King said at once.

Alfie shook his head. “Nothing. Probably nothing,” he amended, a worried glint in his eyes. “It’s just, the last piece I sold, on the way home, I had that feeling. You know, a prickle up the back of my neck.”

“Bloody hell,” King said, knowing exactly what he meant. “You’d best be on your guard, Alfie. Lock your doors and look after that sister of yours.”

“I will. Swear to God.” Alfie nodded, his expression grave, but he was a young man of high spirits, and his amiable nature could not keep him down for long. “What about you?” he asked with a smile, though his tone was wary as he helped himself to another thick slice of ham. “What plans have you got, then, once Lawson has fallen into your nets? If you don’t mind my asking. You know it won’t go any further.”

King regarded the fellow, whom he thought of as little more than a boy. He was a slender fellow, handsome too, in a youthful, fresh-faced manner. “I’m leaving St Giles and the business,” he said, shocking Alfie so much he dropped his fork with a clatter.

“You never are,” he said, so astonished his eyes looked like they would start clear out of his head.

King laughed. “I am. I’ve been putting things in place for years now, slowly. But what Lawson said to you, and the information you found out about how the land lies at the docks, made my mind up to speed things along. If the fellow is so keen to take my place he may do so and gladly, may it bring him joy,” he added, seeing Alfie shiver at the tone of his voice.

“You’ve set him up,” he said in a whisper, all admiration.

“Alfie, you wound me,” King said, shaking his head mournfully and placing his hand over his heart. “As if I would do such a despicable thing.”

Alfie gave a bark of laughter, looking utterly delighted. “It couldn’t happen to a nicer fellow,” he said, stuffing a large piece of ham into his mouth and chewing contentedly, for there was no love lost between him and Harold Lawson.

“But what about you?” Alfie said. “What will you do?”

King shrugged. “The same as I’ve always done, except I’ll be a legitimate businessman. Respectable,” he added, widening his eyes at Alfie in amusement as he spoke the awful word out loud.

“Well, you could knock me down with a feather,” Alfie said in wonder. “Never thought I’d see the day Jasper King took the straight road.”

“You might consider trying it,” King added, frowning, for he worried for the young man, who seemed to him to be ill-equipped for a life of crime, though he was clever and quick and had never yet put a foot wrong. “You’ve got your sister to think of.”

“Ah, you met Alice, didn’t you?” Alfie said with a smile. “What did you think of her?”

“A forthright young woman,” King replied carefully.

His friend laughed heartily. “You don’t know the half of it,” he said with a grin.

“Does she know what you do?”

Alfie shook his head. “Leastways, she suspects, but does not know, and I do nothing to give her any details, for what she does not know can’t hurt her, nor me either.”

King sighed and got to his feet. “Right, well, that’s my duty done, so if you’ll excuse me, I’ll push off.”

Alfie rose too and held out his hand, which King shook. “I’m very grateful to you for coming all this way to warn me. It was good of you.”

King shrugged. “I don’t like being indebted to people. However, if you ever have the good sense to get out of your line of work, you might think to come to me. I could use a quick-witted fellow like you, should you like some respectable employment,” he added with a smile.

Alfie looked surprised by the offer. “Do you mean it?”

“Certainly, I do,” King replied. “I’ll be in town for a while longer, though I’m not sure how long, but come and see me or send word to me in town. I’ll meet you somewhere out of the city to save you getting your throat cut.”

“That’s most kind of you, King. I-I don’t know what to say.”