The Cheapside Corpse by Susanna Gregory

Author:Susanna Gregory [Gregory, Susanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Fiction, Historical, General, Mystery & Detective
ISBN: 9780751552805
Barnesnoble:
Publisher: Sphere
Published: 2015-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

The next day, Saturday, dawned clear and bright, but Chaloner was unimpressed to find that his cold was still with him. Would the thing never go? He had enjoyed the music the previous night, but felt he would have performed better had his ears not been plugged, his nose blocked and his throat sore, while sneezing and coughing had been a nuisance, particularly during one adagio. Worse, he had not been able to sing, which meant that Silas had been one part short for his motet so it had not been performed.

He dressed and went to the kitchen, where he found Gram hacking at a grey, rubbery slab with a knife. It was week-old oatmeal, but Chaloner ate the slice he was offered anyway.

‘I understand you were born and bred on Cheapside,’ he said. ‘Did you know Dick Wheler?’

‘Of course not! I do not demean myself by consorting with bankers. And he was a nasty piece, anyway – not a man I would want as a friend. He was stabbed, you know.’

Chaloner did. ‘Have you heard any rumours about who might have done it?’

‘Plenty. But the one I favour is that the culprit was a customer who objected to his rough tactics – Wheler bullied dozens of folk every day. And now the Taylor clan is following in his footsteps. Personally, I think too much money sends men insane, so perhaps it is just as well that you are destitute, sir. You would not want to be like them.’

‘No,’ agreed Chaloner, although he thought there was probably a happy medium on the scale between obscene wealth and looming debt. ‘So you do not believe that Baron killed Wheler?’

‘He might have done, I suppose. But so might Taylor, who also gained from Wheler’s death. Or Joan. In fact, there are lots of people who wanted him dead, so I hope you do not intend to solve the case. You will not succeed, and you will make dangerous enemies in the process.’

That was an occupational hazard in Chaloner’s line of work, and he had learned not to worry about it. ‘What do you think of Baron?’ he asked.

Gram pondered the question. ‘A curious man. He is charming, kind to his family and loves animals – horses in particular. But woe betide anyone who crosses him. Then he is a monster.’

‘What else?’

‘He is ambitious and greedy, and even has his tentacles in White Hall. I escorted the mistress there yesterday and heard people talking: Buckingham, Shaftesbury, Rochester and Arlington have either bought stuff from him already, or have arranged to put in an order today.’

Good, thought Chaloner. That made five new customers with Lady Castlemaine, and if Swaddell did what he promised, there might be even more. Baron would have to fulfil his end of the bargain now. He nodded his thanks to Gram for the ‘breakfast’ and left.

He reviewed his investigations as he walked. The negatives were that he had failed to convince Randal not to publish a second book; he

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