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There was silence but for the drips of water from the eaves and the distant murmur of the river. “And I can be discreet,” Monk went on. “Or not…”
“It were Lister. Casual like. Does a job here and a job there. Bit of a dresser, he is. Likes nice coats. Don’t know where you’ll find him. Prob’ly down the river from here. Other side. Deptford way, maybe. I’m not going with you, and you can’t make me.”
“Need a bit more,” Monk said, breathing easily, controlling his sudden, sharp interest.
“Like what?”
“Favorite pub? Habits? Something so we know it’s him. There’s more than one ‘Lister.’?”
“Pig ’n’ Whistle. But he don’t drink beer. Likes that Irish stuff—Guineas—or what you call it. And that’s all!”
“That’s enough,” Monk replied. “Unless, of course, that’s all fluff out of your head!”
“It ain’t! You owe me, Mr. Monk. And it’ll bite you in the end if you don’t keep your word! I’ll make sure o’ that.”
Monk and Hooper went back to the boat, rowed downstream and across, and moored at the nearest stairs to the public house. They had quite a long walk and knew that when they got there, they might have an even longer wait before they heard mention of or saw Lister, who had recently come into a sizeable amount of money.
It actually took them the rest of the afternoon and a lot of other gossip before they found him. Lister was a slender man of average height, but he seemed more than ordinarily spry, moving with the nimble elegance of a dancer or a fighter.
“Interesting,” Hooper said quietly. “Seen him before?”
“No. Wonder where he’s come from,” Monk replied.
“Want to bet me that that coat’s new?”
“No takers,” Monk said. ?
?Only the second or third time on, I’d say.”
“Bought with blood money?” Hooper moved his weight as if to stand up.
Monk put a hand on his arm and pulled him back. “Let’s watch him for a while, see who he knows, what he does.”
Hooper sat back down. “Better we follow him than take him in here,” he said almost under his breath. “We may not be able to make anything stick. If we follow him, we’ll learn who his contacts are. Follow them to the power behind him. Maybe backtrack a little? See who he’s been seeing over the last few days? It’s the first promising lead we’ve had. Give me one of the other men who worked with us on the night.”
Monk hesitated. If Hooper was the traitor, and Monk did not trust him and let him know that by refusing, then it would be obvious and Hooper would know. “Good idea,” he said quietly. “I’ll get as much background on Lister as I can and have him bring it to you. A couple of days should tell us if Lister could be our man. But who’s behind him? And, Hooper…”
Hooper looked at him.
“They’re dangerous. Be careful.”
Hooper smiled.
Monk stood up and walked away to pay the bartender for his drink, and for Hooper’s, too.
* * *
—
CELIA WAS AT HOME in the early evening when there was a knock on the front door, and a moment later Mary knocked on the sitting-room door, then came in looking startled.
“There’s a Miss Bella Franken to see you, Miss Darwin. She says it’s regarding a financial matter, and…and Miss Katherine.”
“A financial matter? What on earth has it to do with me?” Celia was totally confused. “You had better ask her to come in.”
Mary withdrew, and a moment later a young woman came into the parlor. She was small and neat, and dressed almost completely in black.
“I’m sorry to intrude at such a tragic time, Miss Darwin. I feel as though I should have come sooner. I am not certain if you will care, at this moment, but I should not decide for you.”
