The Repentant Rake

Chapter Eleven

    When he returned to Fetter Lane that evening, Christopher Redmayne met with a double surprise. Not only was Jonathan Bale waiting for him, an even more welcome visitor was sitting contentedly in his parlour. She looked up at him with a smile. After the ordeal of her brother's funeral, Susan Cheever had regained some of her radiance. She was pleased to see him again and he, in turn, was openly delighted.

    'Miss Cheever!' he exclaimed.

    'Good evening, Mr Redmayne.'

    'What are you doing here?'

    'Mr Bale kindly brought me to your house.'

    'I thought that you were still in Northamptonshire.'

    'Lucy invited me to stay with her for a while in Knightrider Street.'

    Christopher was thrilled. 'So close?'

    'That was how I came into it,' explained Jonathan, noting the fond glances that were being exchanged between the two of them. 'Miss Cheever had a message for you. Knowing that I live nearby in Addle Hill, she called to ask if I would deliver it. Since the message has a bearing on the investigation, I thought it best if Miss Cheever gave it to you in person.'

    'Thank you, Mr Bale.'

    'Did I make the right decision?'

    'Without question,' said Christopher.

    Realising that he had ignored Jonathan, he greeted him properly and urged him to stay for refreshment, but the constable had other work to do. He rose to his feet, took his leave of Susan then followed Christopher into the hall, where he lowered his voice to ensure that they were not overheard.

    'I assured Miss Cheever that you would see that she got back safely.'

    'I shall insist on it.'

    'I had a feeling that you might, Mr Redmayne,' he said, face impassive. 'But how did you fare when we parted this afternoon?'

    'Very well.'

    Eager to get back to his guest, Christopher recounted, in only the briefest outline, details of his respective meetings with Celia Hemmings and Sir Marcus Kemp. The constable's eyebrows lifted at the mention of Arthur Lunn.

    'He was not a man I could ever admire,' he said.

    'You and he are hardly well matched.'

    'Do you wish me to speak to him again?'

    'No, Mr Bale,' said Christopher, opening the front door. 'I'll take care of Mr Lunn from now on. In fact, I had planned to track him down this very evening.'

    'I felt so out of place in that coffee house.'

    'You would feel even more out of place in one of his nocturnal haunts. For that's where I am likely to run Arthur Lunn to ground.' He eased Jonathan into the street. 'Leave him to me. I'll call on you tomorrow and report anything that I find out.'

    'Thank you, Mr Redmayne.'

    Christopher waved him off before closing the door. He was deeply grateful to his friend. Jonathan had not merely brought Susan to his home. He had tactfully left them alone together, knowing that Christopher would elicit far more from his visitor if he were not sitting between them. The thought of accompanying her back to Knightrider Street was a joy in itself. Christopher went back into the room with anticipatory pleasure.

    'What can I offer you, Miss Cheever?' he said.

    'Nothing, thank you. Jacob has been looking after us.'

    'So he should.' He grinned broadly. 'I cannot tell you how happy I am to see you again. Did Sir Julius travel back to London with you?'

    'No, Mr Redmayne. Father remained at home. He prefers to mourn there.'

    'I can understand that.'

    It was a timely reminder that Susan herself was still in mourning, dressed in sober attire and rather subdued. Christopher saw the impropriety of grinning at her. Making an effort to look more serious, he took the seat opposite her.

    'Did you tell Mr Bale what this message was?' he asked.

    'Yes,' she replied. 'He is assisting you in the inquiry.'

    'It's more a case of my assisting him, Miss Cheever. He is the officer of the law, not me. It was Mr Bale, after all, who helped to find the body on Paul's Wharf.'

    'I know. I asked him to show me the spot.'

    Christopher frowned. 'You went there?'

    'Before we set out for Fetter Lane.'

    'It's hardly a fit place for a young lady.'

    'Nor for my brother, I would have thought. What was Gabriel doing there?'

    'That has still to be ascertained.'

    'Mr Bale believes he was killed elsewhere and carried to the wharf.'

    'I'm sure that the full truth will emerge in time.'

    The pleasure of being with her again was making it difficult for Christopher to concentrate. When he parted from Susan at the funeral, he had resigned himself to a wait of several weeks before he chanced to see her again, and that meeting would certainly be in the presence of Sir Julius Cheever. Yet here she was, unencumbered by her father, talking to him alone under his own roof. He had to force himself to keep to the matter in hand.

    'What is this message, Miss Cheever?'

    'Lucy and I have spent a lot of time together,' she explained. 'I think that she is slowly learning to trust me.'

    'You are one of the most trustworthy people I have ever met.'

    'She is still wary of everyone, Mr Redmayne, and still in a state of shock.'

    'Has she told you why her marriage had to be kept secret?'

    'Not yet. But she may do so in time.'

    'I hope so. It will be relevant to our inquiry.'

    'What she has done is given me a few hints.'

    'Hints?'

    'They were not deliberate,' said Susan, 'but they dropped out in conversation.'

    'Go on.'

    'She knows something important about the time that Gabriel was killed. Lucy was visiting her ailing mother in St Albans. Her maidservant went with her. Gabriel was left in the house on his own. But he was not there when he was attacked.'

    'What makes you say that?'

    'I think that he was meant to be somewhere that night,' she said. 'Lucy more or less confirmed it. Gabriel was ambushed on his way to or from this place and murdered. His body was carried to the wharf.'

    'He was certainly not killed at the house. There would have been signs of the struggle. Besides, someone as cautious as Gabriel would not have let a stranger in.'

    'Mr Bale explained that.'

    'Oh?'

    'He says that the killer must have stolen Gabriel's key.'

    'Quite probably,' said Christopher, thinking it through. 'There was no indication of forced entry. When she got back, your sister-in-law had the feeling that someone had been in the house but everything seemed to be in its place. It was only when she carried out a thorough search that the theft of the diary came to light;

    'Yes,' said Susan under her breath. 'The diary.'

    'What do you propose to do, Miss Cheever?'

    'Try to break down Lucy's reserve completely so that she tells me the truth.'

    'And if that fails?'

    'I was hoping that you might speak to her, Mr Redmayne.'

    'Gladly. If you think she is up to it.'

    'She is,' Susan assured him. 'Lucy has an inner strength.'

    'Tell me when to come and I'll be there immediately.'

    'Let me try first of all.'

    'I will,' agreed Christopher. 'You are in a much better position to win her over. When the rest of your family rejected Gabriel, you stood by him. Lucy knows that. You are probably the only person with whom she can discuss her husband.'