The Repentant Rake

    The printer hesitated. Jonathan wearied of his lying. It was time for action.

    'You will have to come with us, Mr Henshaw,' he declared.

    'Why?' said the printer.

    'Because I'm placing you under arrest, sir.'

    'On what charge?'

    'You are an accessary to blackmail.'

    'That is ridiculous!'

    'Save your protests for the magistrate, sir,' said Jonathan, going round the counter. 'We have evidence to link you to a conspiracy to extort money by means of blackmail.' He held up the page. 'This is only the first link in the chain.'

    'Stay away from me!' said Henshaw, pushing him away.

    'Leave him be, Mr Bale,' said Christopher. 'He may yet be innocently involved here. Let me explain the seriousness of the situation, Mr Henshaw,' he went on, turning to the printer. 'We are not just talking about blackmail. Murder has also occurred.'

    'Murder?' gasped Henshaw.

    'The killer tried to add me to his list of victims. As you see, I still bear the scars of the encounter. But let me tell you exactly what we are dealing with here.'

    Christopher gave him a terse account of the crimes, omitting the names of the blackmail victims but mentioning the amounts of money demanded. Henshaw's face was eloquent. Shock gave way to fear, then quickly changed to self-pity.

    'I knew nothing of this, Mr Redmayne!' he protested. 'I swear it!'

    'Did you print that page?' asked Christopher.

    Henshaw bit his lip. 'Yes,' he admitted.

    'Have you printed anything similar?'

    'Not yet, sir. But another commission is promised to me.'

    Christopher looked around. 'Do you have the diary on the premises?'

    'No, sir. The gentleman said he'd bring it in due course.'

    'What gentleman?' said Jonathan.

    'The one who paid me handsomely for that single page,' replied Henshaw.

    'Did he give you a name?' asked Christopher.

    The printer nodded. 'Yes, Mr Redmayne. A name and an address.'

    'Excellent!' Christopher leaned forward with excitement. 'We want them.'

    'I'll need to look in my book,' said Henshaw, easing Jonathan back so that he could reach behind the counter. He pulled out a ledger and set it down, beginning to flick through the pages. 'Here it is,' he said at last, finding the correct place.

    'Give us the name!' demanded Christopher. 'Gabriel Cheever, sir,' announced Henshaw. 'He lives Knightrider Street.'

Chapter Thirteen

    Susan Cheever tried hard to conceal her disappointment but it showed clearly in her eyes. Hoping that they had returned with good news, she was dismayed when Christopher explained what had happened at the printer's shop. What hurt her most was the fact that her brother's name had been used to disguise the identity of someone who was implicated in his murder. It was a detail she intended to keep from her sister-in-law.

    'I am sorry that it was all such a waste of time, Mr Redmayne,' she said.

    'But it was not,' said Christopher. 'We feel heartened by what we discovered.'

    'Heartened?'

    'Yes, Miss Cheever. We know who printed that extract from the diary and he assures us that his customer promised to return soon. Mr Bale has left a colleague of his watching the shop. When the man does return,' he said 'Mr Henshaw will give a signal and an arrest can be made.'

    'Are you sure that you can trust this printer?'

    'Oh, yes. Thanks to Mr Bale. He frightened the life out of Miles Henshaw.'

    'It was the only way to get his help,' said Jonathan with a smile. 'He was a surly fellow who had been sworn to secrecy by his customer. He was very obstructive at first. When I threatened to haul him before a magistrate, he thought better of it.'

    'Was he aware that Gabriel's diary was being used for blackmail?'

    'No, Miss Cheever. He was simply paid to print that extract.'

    'By whom?'

    'That is what we've yet to establish,' confessed Christopher, 'but Mr Henshaw gave us a good description of the customer. Apparently, he was a well-built young man with a handsome face but a rough manner. I have a strong feeling that I met the fellow in the dark last night.' He grinned quietly. 'After the way I flattened his nose, he may not be quite so handsome now.'

    'You say that he had a rough manner?'

    'Mr Henshaw meant that he was uneducated Miss Cheever. He spoke less like a master than a servant. That may be a valuable clue.'

    It was late morning and the three of them were sitting in the parlour of the house in Fetter Lane. Jonathan was anxious to continue their investigation but Christopher felt that they had to report back to Susan first. He had not forgotten the way she had surged into the room to enquire after his health. It was almost worth taking a beating to enjoy the sheer luxury of her concern. Since she had appeared, his injuries no longer caused him the slightest twinge of pain.

    'What will you do now, Mr Redmayne?' she asked.

    'First, I will tell Jacob to escort you safely home.'

    'Must I go?'

    'You can remain here if you wish but it may be a long wait. Mr Bale and I have so much more to do. Besides,' said Christopher reasonably, 'your sister-in-law will be wondering what happened to you. It must have been a great shock to her when you suddenly left.'

    'It was.'

    'Go back and reassure her.'

    'What shall I say to her?'

    'Tell her that her husband's death will soon be explained.'

    'Am I allowed to mention the attack on you, Mr Redmayne?'

    'No,' he said. 'It would only upset her needlessly She has enough things to worry her as it is. Say nothing about me, Miss Cheever. Try to get her to do the talking.'

    'I will.'

    'Are you making any headway on that front?'

    'I think so,' she said. 'Lucy is close to confiding in me.'

    'Then it is important for you to stay with her.'

    'I suppose so.'

    'She needs your support.'

    Susan gave a nod of agreement. Reluctant to leave, she accepted that she had to go. She had travelled to London at her sister-in- law's express request and could not desert her for any length of time. The visit to Fetter Lane had served to deepen the unspoken affection between her and Christopher. While she waited for him to come back, she had learned a great deal more about him simply by sitting in his house and imbibing its atmosphere. It was an interesting place and it reflected his character with accuracy. Jacob had even let her see some of his master's drawings. Marvelling at Christopher's skills, she was grateful that her father had retained him as an architect. It was her one source of consolation. She rose sadly to her feet.

    'Yes,' said Christopher, reading the query in her face. 'I promise that we will keep you informed of any progress we make. It's a blessing that Mr Bale's house in Addle Hill is so near to Knightrider Street.'

    'I hope that you will find time to come yourself, Mr Redmayne.'

    'Of course.'

    'I still believe that you may be the one to gain Lucy's confidence.'

    'As long as I have yours,' he said.

    'You do,' she assured him.

    Jacob was summoned and given instructions. All four of them soon left the house together. Pausing in the street, Susan bestowed a valedictory smile on Christopher.