An Unlamented Death: A Mystery Set in Georgian England (Mysteries of Georgian Norfolk Book 1) (20 page)

Adam sent the letter by the first available post to London and was gratified to receive a reply within less than four days. Amidst flattering words on Adam’s clarity of thought, Mr. Wicken stated that he would at once see what could be done to ascertain Mr. Harmsworthy’s current whereabouts. Once found, the man would be called upon to clarify his situation on many points and not just regarding the archdeacon.

‘Mr. Harmsworthy is clearly a person of much interest in this case,’ Mr. Wicken wrote. ‘Had it not been for you, sir, I believe we would all have missed that fact, which was perhaps what the man intended. I myself took his assurances at face value, when he said that he had no knowledge of the circumstances surrounding Dr. Ross’s death. That is, I assure you, something I do not do often – and will be diligent to make sure I never do again.’

T
hat Mr. Wicken
had devoted all available effort to finding Mr. Harmsworthy was proved by a second letter Adam received on Wednesday, 15 August, barely a week later. This one came via a special government messenger sent for the purpose.

‘When Garnet was taken,’ Mr. Wicken wrote, ‘the Frenchman taken along with him proved to know little. The Irish traitor refused to speak and so has already received his just reward via the hangman’s noose. So I took care to obtain a source of intelligence on Garnet's conversation with those who shared his cell in the prison. My informer has been moved from Newgate to the county gaol in Norwich. He is supposedly awaiting transportation to a prison settlement in Australia. In reality, he will be taken from the gaol and quietly allowed to escape. His continued stay in prison is purely to verify that he will keep his mouth shut about the deal we made. I always have need of suitable spies. In this man’s case, there is a further advantage. He can always be retaken and sentence of death imposed again, if he fails to do as he is told.

‘His name is Josiah Osman and my intermediary has instructions to take you to him. Will you consent to speak with him? The messenger bearing this letter will return for his answer tomorrow. If you agree, he will arrange conveyance to Norwich at once.’

When the messenger came, Adam indicated his agreement and the meeting with the informer was set for Monday of the week following.

E
arly that morning
, Adam dressed as simply as he might. He had been asked to hide his status as a gentleman lest anyone seeing him where no gentleman should be became suspicious.

He assumed that he would be taken within the castle at Norwich, since it now served as the county gaol. It was not a prospect he thought of with pleasure. All he had heard of it suggested conditions within were squalid. The accommodation for prisoners had, for many years, been a series of fetid shacks and rooms within the ruins of the Norman keep. Of late, the architect Sir John Soane had been engaged to carry out some rebuilding. Whether this had improved the place much, he supposed he would discover.

Promptly at eight, a plain chaise of the kind used by all the inns drew up outside Adam's house. The driver, a faultlessly polite young man called Mr. Henry Gamelion, explained what he could. The man Adam was to meet was a 17-year old thief by the name of Josiah Osman. He, his elder brother, father, and uncle had all been convicted of having entered a house at Costessey in the owner's absence. Once inside, they had, Gamelion said, been remarkably thorough. First they took the clothing left folded in various chests and the linens from the beds. Then they removed all the cutlery, crockery and other household goods. Finally they had stripped the larder of foodstuffs and helped themselves to the householder's ale and a small tub of gin. In total, the value of the goods taken was estimated to be more than ten pounds. That was ample to see them all condemned to death.

From this unhappy family, only Josiah now remained. The judge had, as was customary, petitioned the King for clemency on account of his youth. The rest had already perished on the gallows outside the castle walls.

Since no one must know Josiah Osman was anything but an escaped felon with a price on his head, the meeting was to be held at a secret place. Adam would be denied his visit to the gaol itself, but thus it must be. Osman's future value as a spy depended on it.

Osman had been woken at dawn, Gamelion said. Last evening, the turnkey had been told the prisoner was to be taken at once to a prison hulk at Portsmouth. That would occasion no special interest. From time to time, spaces became available on the next passage to the penal colony of New South Wales. When they did, all the prisons in a given area would be told to supply a certain number of those condemned to death. Some might wait years for a passage. Others could be transported almost as soon as sentence was passed. This morning, a typical cart for prisoners had come to the gaol to collect the boy. It was hoped the turnkey would not even suspect that those who drove it were anything but what they seemed. In reality, they were all Wicken's men.

Once outside the city and away from prying eyes, the cart conveying Osman would leave the highway at an arranged spot. There it would wait, hidden amongst some trees by the river, until the doctor arrived. When he was finished, Osman would continue along his path towards Portsmouth. Whether he would ever get there was not for them to know.

Thus the two set out on the road to Norwich. As their chaise neared the centre part of the city, Gamelion steered it away from the main road and stopped beside the river bank below the cathedral. There Adam was to transfer to a wherry to go down the river to the meeting point. The boat’s crew were, Gamelion assured him, all naval men. Today, of course, they dressed in the typical garb of those who plied the river taking goods between the city and the docks at Yarmouth. To any who watched, it would seem some local merchant was taking the most comfortable route to inspect an incoming shipload of goods.

Mr. Gamelion, as the driver of the chaise, would stay behind to await their return. Adam’s new guide was the wherry’s captain. This was a solid, cheerful man who introduced himself as Captain Smith, though the broad wink he added made clear that this was far from being his real name. Adam, as instructed by Mr. Gamelion, replied that he was Master Miller of Helmsby. Thus wrapped in their aliases, they proceeded down-river in silence.

B
y now the
sun was warm and the hour not far short of eleven in the morning. So it was not unusual to see a wherry tie up at a riverside inn and the sole occupant make his way within to seek refreshment. Nor would any watcher have considered it odd when two men, labourers or draymen, also made their way to the door. One was carrying two small casks and the other a leather bag with the tops of several bottles showing above the brim.

Once inside, these men were directed to the kitchen with their loads, where they placed them on a table before turning back the way they had entered. Here, however, both made a sharp turn down a narrow passage and entered a small storeroom, empty but for two chairs. Adam was already seated in one and his visitor immediately took the other. The second man, one of those Mr. Wicken had sent for the purpose, remained outside on watch.

Josiah Osman bore an uncanny resemblance to some species of weasel. He had a narrow face and gingery hair. He also had a nervous habit of licking his tongue over small, sharp teeth. If Adam had not known the details of the crime that had ended in a death sentence, he would have been sure it was something furtive and sly. This young man had not the stature for a highway robber, nor the weather-beaten face and sturdy build of a smuggler. Indeed, he looked younger than his seventeen years. No matter, he was here now and Adam had no wish to prolong this meeting beyond what might be necessary. Osman might be away from the gaol, but the smell of it clung to his clothes and was filling the whole room.

Adam got straight to business. ‘Tell me of Garnet,’ he said. ‘Did he speak freely to you?’

‘Indeed ‘e did, sir,’ Osman said. His accent did not come from Norfolk. Maybe he was a Londoner. ‘I couldn’t stop ‘im. Mortally afeared of the drop ‘e was. Not a man cut out for villainy. ‘E convinced himself ‘e was secure from the law because of ‘is position as constable. Now that had failed ‘im, ‘e was as great a coward as any. ‘E would talk to anyone, so ‘e would, just to stop ‘isself thinking of what lay ahead.’

‘Truthfully?’

‘Aye, there’s the question, sir. At first there was several who gathered around to hear ‘is tales of smugglers and the like. ‘E liked to boast, that Garnet. Make ‘isself out to be stronger and more important than ‘e was. A prison’s a poor place to play such a game, sir. Too many within ‘as seen worse crimes and stronger men. Before long, those who ‘ad listened to ‘im at first drifted away, for ‘is tales owed more to ‘is imaginings than to anything ‘e might ‘ave done. Garnet’s gelt ran out too. A bed in that hell-hole costs two shilling a week, if you like to lie alone. Good food costs that and more. No one came to see Garnet and bring him vittles or more gelt. By the third week, ‘e was living mostly on bread and water and sleeping three to a bed for sixpence – when ‘e did sleep. Nightmares ‘e had, sir, right fearful ones. ‘E’d wake up screaming and set everyone by the ears.

‘After me brother and me old dad … went … one of the turnkeys told me as I could earn my freedom if I did as I was told and kept me trap shut. I won't pretend I liked the idea at first. No one wants to be a squealer. But, well, dead is dead and going to Australia as good as, they says. You ‘as to take your chances in this world, me poor old man told me. Not that ‘is words did ‘im any good. Nor the rest of us neither.’

‘Is your mother left alone?’ Adam asked.

‘She died when I was born, sir,’ Osman replied. ‘Never thought as ‘ow I would be glad of such a thing, but better she didn't see all ‘er menfolk served like they was. We was starving, we was. No work anywhere. What else could we do but steal?’

Adam brought the boy back to the point. ‘Did they keep Garnet long before they executed him?’ he asked.

‘No, sir. You misunderstands me. All this was afore ‘is trial. ‘E still seemed to have some ‘ope of being transported or the like, though the rest of us could never see it. ‘E was a murderer. Worse, ‘e had murdered a soldier or some such, while trying to get away. There’s no chance in ‘ell for one such as that. No, ‘e was always destined to be turned off and, deep down, ‘e knew it.’

‘So you took your chance,’ Adam said.

‘That’s right enough. I’d been told I could buy my way out of the passage to Botany Bay, if I would befriend Garnet enough that ‘e would talk to me truthfully. That’s a powerful reason to do anything, sir. Trouble was, at the start there was always so many around ‘im that ‘e barely noticed I was there. Besides, if ‘e started saying more than ‘e should, someone would be sure to stop up ‘is mouth. My chance came when the rest were tired of ‘im and angry that ‘e disturbed their sleep.’

‘What did you do then?’ Adam asked. He longed for Osman to get to the point, but realised his best hope of hearing all was to allow this wretched boy to talk as he wished. Too much haste now might mar everything.

‘I ‘ad some money, you see. Those who ‘ired me gave me just enough to make my life a mite better, without seeming too flush, if you get my meaning. A woman who said she was me mam would visit me each week with good food and a few pennies.’ He laughed. ‘As I told you, me real mam died seventeen years ago, but none knew that. Whoever played ‘er part did it real well and I wasn’t about to let on neither.

‘When Garnet was near the limit of what ‘e could take, I started to talk to ‘im. I even told ‘im I ‘ad just enough money for a bed on me own, but feeling sorry for ‘im like, I was prepared to let ‘im share it. I shared my vittles with ‘im too. I even gave ‘im a drink or two from a flask I kept about me. ‘E never seemed to notice I didn’t touch it meself. A dose of laudanum each night made ‘im sleep. That made me popular with the other prisoners, even if a few suggested I ‘ad other ways of making ‘im tired enough to sleep properly. If you're young and fair-enough looking, there are plenty in a place like that ready to ask you for certain favours, if you takes my meaning. No, sir, they left ‘im and me alone, glad to be rid of ‘im and ‘aving the opinion of me that I was ‘is Molly. It were as well for me I got away now, sir, or I would ‘ave ‘ad a worse time fighting ‘em off me than I did, once Garnet was gone.

‘I’d ’ad to suffer a deal of ‘is boasting before ‘is trial and nothing of use with it, so I reckon I ‘ad earned my fee right then. But once ‘e had seen that judge put the black cap on ‘is ‘ead, and knew ‘e would be on ‘is way to ‘ell in a day or so, ‘e changed. No more boasting of imaginary deeds, I can tell you. All ‘e wanted to do was to lighten the weight on ‘is conscience. No minister or priest to talk to ‘im about God’s forgiveness in there, sir. I ‘ad to do instead.’

‘Was he so ashamed of all his dishonest deeds?’ Adam asked.

‘Lord no, sir. None of that. I’d ‘eard all about that, again and again, afore ‘e went in the dock. No, ‘e gloried in most of ‘is life. What nagged at ‘im was another matter. It seems ‘e ‘ad brought about the death of a clergyman – not intending to, ‘e swore that over and over – but caused it just the same. That’s what ‘e believed had led the Almighty to see ‘im taken and brought to the ‘angman. ‘E ‘ad caused the death of one of God’s own. Maybe ‘e even thought that by showing remorse ‘e might still escape the noose. Who can say? If that was on ‘is mind, ‘e was mighty soon proved wrong. Just one night ‘e ‘ad, sir, to tell me all, then they took ‘im away and ‘e never came back.’

‘What did he tell you?’ Adam asked. If only he could end this wretched tale and get back to Aylsham. Osman’s flicking tongue and high, childish voice were driving him insane.

‘It was like this, you see,’ Osman began again. ‘I believes ‘e’d heard this clergyman preach somewhere. All ‘ellfire stuff it was, full of God’s wrath for sinners and fornicators. Made ‘im laugh, ‘e said. ‘E knew where the greatest fornicators was: sitting pretty in their grand ‘ouses and forcing themselves on any girl foolish enough to come within an arm’s length. Boys too. In fact, ‘e was making good money from just such a bunch of rich sodomites. They paid ‘im to smuggle ‘em lewd books and pictures from overseas. ‘E looked at a few before ‘anding them over and they was full of engravings of men being buggered by other men. Aye, and men strutting around showing off their great pricks and bollocks too. Some of them pictures was even hand-coloured, right down to the red knobs on their … well, I’m sure you sees what I’m saying, anyhow. Made ‘im laugh, Garnet said.

‘Still, Garnet was always on the look-out for new ways of making gelt. It took a while for the thought to come to ‘im, ‘e told me, but when it did ‘e could see it was one of ‘is best ever schemes. ‘E arranged somehow to talk in private to this parson-type and tell ‘im ‘is conscience was troubled by the knowledge ‘e ‘ad of wicked doings not far from the coast. Imagine that! ‘Im claiming to ‘ave a conscience! The parson-type fell for it though. Right excited ‘e was. Told Garnet ‘e could save ‘is soul by telling all ‘e knew.

‘Garnet weren’t such a fool as to go along with this. Instead, ‘e told the parson ‘e ‘ad ‘eard a group of rich men was meeting at a certain ‘ouse. They would eat and drink together, before getting down to the real business of buggering local boys who was paid well to stay silent. According to what Garnet said to the parson, ‘e didn’t know exactly where these meetings took place. ‘Owever, should the parson be able to provide ‘im with a certain amount of money, ‘e was sure ‘e could persuade those who did know to part with the information.

‘No sooner said than done, Garnet told me. The clergyman arranged to meet ‘im in a churchyard somewhere, late in the afternoon, and ‘anded over no less than five guineas. Rich pickings!’

‘But how was Garnet going to lead this clergyman to meetings he had made up?’ Adam asked.

‘Garnet said that was the best trick of all. ‘E went to ‘is customer for the dirty books and told him ‘e ‘ad ‘eard some churchman was on to what they was doing. That ‘e would make their names public, if ‘e could once find ‘em. What’s more, ‘e said, the clergyman had come to ‘im and offered ‘im five guineas to tell all ‘e knew. Of course, exactly as ‘e knew ‘e would, ‘is customer offered ‘im ten to stay silent. Garnet’s plan was to go on as long as ‘e could taking money from both sides, each time claiming the other had increased the size of the bribe.’