An Unlamented Death: A Mystery Set in Georgian England (Mysteries of Georgian Norfolk Book 1) (24 page)

Mr. Wicken smiled at this. ‘It should not surprise you, doctor, to find we are also of the same mind in this area. Your motives are purer and more worthy than mine, but we reach the same point by our different routes. To make public what Mr. Harmsworthy told you would serve only to alert our enemies to the true extent of our ability to keep watch on them. I wish to avoid that, for obvious reasons.

‘Let me tell you what I have done already. I could not wait to speak with you in detail, for which I apologise. Some actions must be taken on the instant for them to stand any chance of success.

‘You showed great presence of mind, doctor, in not identifying yourself at the inn in Holt. That has helped me a good deal and I thank you for it. Your little game with the innkeeper and the contraband in his cellar was also perfect. By the time I arrived, the man was so frightened by the prospect of a visit from Revenue officers that he was ready to agree to anything I asked – only let him have the time to hide the evidence! He has already begun to spread abroad the story I told him. Indeed, he is saying it so often and so loudly that I do not doubt he will, in time, come to believe it is the truth. Much of it is, of course. I have found that a strong mixture of truth with the lies and distortions makes for a better result.

‘Here is the tale then. As before, a trap was being planned for more smugglers along this coast. Men in the service of the authorities were moving about in small parties, spying out the land and judging where the smuggling trade was most active. It was one such group that came last Thursday night to The King's Head, bearing a severely wounded man.

‘That man now has a name. It was Mr. Henry Harmsworthy, a well-known and respected magistrate in these parts. It seems Mr. Harmsworthy had been overseas, visiting old friends and conducting some business (which is true, in a way). His man had left a horse for him at Lynn, where he was due to return. (No mention of Ireland, you see. It is best if certain people do not know we ever traced him there.) His return to Lynn must have been later than he thought, for he was nearing his home only late in the afternoon. Thus it was that he was set upon by several thieves or ruffians. In the melée that followed, he suffered a severe wound to his chest from the discharge of a pistol.

‘Hearing shouts and a shot, a party of government men hurried towards the noise, but were too late. The ruffians had fled at the sound of the approaching horses and poor Mr. Harmsworthy was lying where they left him. At once, most of the rescuers bore him away to the nearest town, where they found him a room at the first inn they came to. Others rushed to summon an eminent physician, a specialist in battlefield wounds, who had been asked to spend a few days in the vicinity. Since men had been killed in the last seizure of smugglers, the authorities wished to be prepared for the next.

‘The physician came and did his best – none could have done better – but all was to no avail. Mr. Harmsworthy died. Now a substantial reward is being offered for the apprehending of his killers. It is also likely that a troop of dragoons will be billeted in Holt in the near future. The extent of smuggling along the coast between Wells and Cromer has reached such a point that the Revenue men alone cannot cope.

‘Well, doctor, does my story seem a good one to you? Will it convince people?’

‘I am sure it will,’ Adam said. ‘You have done this before, Mr. Wicken. That is plain. Lies there are, but remarkably few. A few things are made to seem otherwise that the reality. Yet all will convince, since nearly all is simple truth. I am amazed.’

‘In the work that I do,’ Mr. Wicken said, not bothering to conceal his pleasure at Adam's words, ‘it is as often necessary to explain public events away as it is to conceal others. Yet you gave me a good start, doctor. Without that, I would have needed to lie more and thus take a greater risk of the truth becoming known.’

‘I do have one complaint,’ Adam said.

Mr. Wicken frowned. ‘Tell me,’ he said. ‘I will put it right if I can, I assure you.’

‘Your tale includes an eminent physician, well-experienced in dealing with woundings. That, sir, is the most blatant falsehood I ever heard!’

‘Not at all, good doctor,’ Mr. Wicken replied, laughing now. ‘ I have done nought but bring forward what will sure to be true one day. I have no doubt of your future eminence. In what precise field … there I might, I own, be somewhat wider of the mark.’

Since there was no more to discuss after that, Mr. Wicken said that he must take his leave. He was, as always, needed back in London as quickly as possible. He might even be there by late that same evening, if he went at once.

As Adam was walking to the door with him, Mr. Wicken stopped. ‘My good doctor,’ he said, ‘I had almost forgot your fee for attending our patient, and I brought a banker’s draft with me expressly for that purpose.’

Adam took the document Mr. Wicken gave him and would have set it aside until after, had not Mr. Wicken urged him to check that it was all in order. What he opened was a banker’s draft, drawn on The Bank of England, no less. The amount startled him and he looked up at once, only to find Mr. Wicken smiling happily.

‘But sir,’ Adam protested, ‘this is far too great an amount!’

‘For such an eminent physician? I think not. Besides, it is well below the worth you have been to me,’ Mr. Wicken replied. ‘Hush, doctor. I will not take it back. Now, I must go, leaving you with my thanks as always and a certain belief that we will meet again – maybe sooner that you think.’ And with that, he stepped quickly out through the door to where his chaise, coachman and a discrete escort were waiting, leaving Adam standing open-mouthed in surprise.

A
dam had been
absent a good deal from his practice and patients of late. It behoved him to remember that he was, first and foremost, a doctor. Not a servant of the Alien Office, nor a rich man able to spend his time freely on whatever he wished. He thus devoted two full days to business and medical matters, ignoring all distractions. Only after that was done, and order restored to his life and work, would he allow himself some leisure. Thus it was Wednesday morning before he came at length to visit Lassimer's apothecary shop nearby.

Luck was with him. His friend was not visiting patients, nor was the shop full of customers. As soon as he entered, Lassimer pointed to the door of his compounding room, saying that he would take but a moment to finish his current task and close the shop for a while. Then they could speak in private and at length, for there was much news.

Lassimer did not join Adam quite as soon as he had promised. That was explained by the arrival of the lovely Anne, bearing a jug of good ale and a beaming smile for the doctor. Quite why she proved so disconcerting to Adam when she did this he did not know. It was plain though that she was well aware of the effect she could have on him at will and enjoyed seeing him flustered and embarrassed.

Coming into the room behind her, Lassimer saw what was happening in an instant and came to Adam's rescue.

‘Be off with you, you baggage,’ he said to her. ‘I will not countenance such shameful behaviour under my roof … save with me, of course. Our good doctor's mind is on higher things. You must not expect him to notice a servant-girl's charms, however pleasing.’ Then he gave the lie to his pretence of disapproval by fetching her a sound slap on the backside. She went, as ordered, but she was still smiling.

‘Ignore her, ’ he said to Adam. ‘She is all too knowing of the effect she produces in unwary males – especially those who deny themselves the proper exercise of their masculine nature on a regular basis. Now, what have you been doing, my friend – other than going out late at night in the company of a group of desperate-looking men?’

He laughed at the startled look on Adam's face. ‘Come, doctor. You must know by now that everything that happens in this little town is soon reported to my shop, sometimes within the hour.’

‘I was called to a patient in need,’ Adam said, thinking furiously. ‘As to the messengers who came to me, my patient had been entertaining a group of friends. They came together partly for protection and partly because none knew the road well.’

Adam need not have worried. Lassimer was far too eager to impart his own news to inquire too deeply into anything else.

‘Well,’ he said, ‘unless you were in Holt, you missed all the excitement. Our Mr. Harmsworthy – that same magistrate whose actions we so suspected – is dead! What do you think of that? No, I see you are not surprised. You knew already! But you have scarcely been out of your house since Friday. Maybe that strange gentleman who visited you on Sunday morning brought you news.’

This was all tending uncomfortably close to the truth. Fortunately, Adam had brought with him a simple way out of the problem.

‘I suppose I should be flattered that the town deems my coming and goings so important,’ he said. ‘In reality, I find it tiresome. Still, the answer to your question is simple. I know about the matters that took place last week in Holt because I received a long letter from Capt. Mimms only this morning. He seems as excited as you are about what took place there.’

Lassimer was crestfallen. ‘I had forgotten Capt. Mimms,’ he said. ‘Now, I suppose my news is stale.’

‘How shall I know until I hear it?’ Adam said. ‘What Capt. Mimms wrote seems incredible enough. Detachments of dragoons. Highwaymen on the road beyond Letheringsett. Pistols fired in a desperate melée. The local inn thrown into confusion in the middle of the night. I think he has taken too much of his own excellent wine.’

‘Then you are wrong,’ Lassimer said, once again excited at the opportunity to share his own knowledge of the events. ‘All that is true … aye, and more!’

‘Capt. Mimms writes that Mr. Harmsworthy was killed by footpads,’ Adam said. ‘Then a group of men happened upon him lying by the road and brought him to Holt seeking medical help. A physician was called, but it was too late. Mr. Harmsworthy died before dawn came.’

‘Hah!’ Lassimer said. ‘Capt. Mimms is a dull old stick indeed. He has left out much and reduced the rest to the most boring recitation of facts. He has even made serious errors in his relation. My own information comes from those who were close to being eye-witnesses.’

‘How close?’ Adam asked, but Lassimer seemed not to hear.

‘Listen,’ he said. ‘I will tell you how things really went.’ Thus he launched into his own tale.

A
ccording to this
, the authorities had planned another significant assault on the smuggling gangs, much as before. It was to involve detachments of dragoons, Revenue Riding Officers and others. A group of local magistrates had also been summoned to assemble in Holt, ready to dispense immediate justice. All those captured would thus be on their way to prison in Norwich without delay.

One such magistrate was Mr. Harmsworthy. He, it seemed, had only the day before arrived back at Lynn from the Netherlands, where he had been pursuing his business interests. By the time the summons reached him, the hour to assemble was close. He could not delay. In his haste, he was unwise enough to ride out alone to join up with the others. Either that, or he expected to meet with a suitable escort before he had gone far. Whatever the reason, he rode alone, protected only by a brace of pistols at his saddle. That was when he was set upon by a murderous band of those same smugglers he was expecting to commit to the assize. They had an especial hatred for him, for they blamed him for the capture and punishment of so many of their number.

‘They must have been watching his home,’ Lassimer said. ‘When he rode out, they knew at once that they could fulfil their design. All that was needed was to come upon him before others were about on the same road.’

‘I imagine they had been studying the methods of the people of Aylsham,’ Adam said. ‘Maybe they even had an apothecary in their number.’

Lassimer rewarded this witticism with a glare, but refused to be turned aside when in full flow.

‘However they accomplished it, they caught Mr. Harmsworthy alone on a deserted stretch of the road,’ he continued. ‘There followed a terrific chase, with many shots fired by both the pursuers and their quarry. The sounds of galloping horses and pistols being fired woke people from Field Dalling to Letheringsett and beyond. Of course, there were too many of them for Mr. Harmsworthy to fight off. They had come to murder him. Now they fulfilled their purpose.

‘As soon as they saw him fall from his horse, mortally wounded, they rode off, leaving him lying in the road. As luck would have it, a small detachment of Revenue men had also hear the noise of shooting and hurried to see what was going on. They found Mr. Harmsworthy, but it was too late. He was already dead.

‘Fearing lest the smugglers should return, these men took up the body and went as swiftly as they could to Holt, where they lodged the corpse in The King's Head Inn. The innkeeper, so I am told, is in excellent repute with the Revenue on account of his refusal to deal with smugglers in any way. Thus he was trusted to provide a secure refuge, should the smugglers be so bold as to come to carry the body off.

‘Just in case the Revenue men had been wrong, the innkeeper sent at once for a most eminent retired naval surgeon – a personal friend – who, alas, certified death.’

‘Doubtless they reasoned they did not have time to find an apothecary,’ Adam said. ‘To search the bedrooms of all the widows in those parts in hope of discovering where one might be would have occupied them to the morning.’

‘You are in a strange mood today, Bascom,’ Lassimer complained. ‘If I were not so fond of you, I would take such words amiss.’

‘Ignore me,’ Adam said at once, for he did not wish to upset his friend. ’I do not mean to mock you. It is just that your tale is so serious that I felt in need of a moment of levity.’

‘Hmm,’ Lassimer replied. ‘I judge you would be well-served by resisting such urges in future. Others might not be as understanding as I am.’

‘Your pardon,’ Adam said. ‘It was a most foolish and unnecessary remark and I withdraw it at once. Please continue with your tale. You are indeed telling me much I neither know nor could ever guess at.’ The worth of Wicken's remark about mixing a good measure of the truth into a lie was now proved in ample measure. Much mollified, Lassimer continued.

‘My story is almost complete,’ he said. ‘With Mr. Harmsworthy dead, the authorities called off their plan and turned at once to trying to secure his killers. To kill a magistrate is a most serious crime. The reward offered is thus in proportion. I do not doubt it will prove more than enough to persuade someone in the gang to implicate the rest.’

‘What is the reward?’ Adam asked.

‘A thousand guineas! Imagine that. Why, it is more money that most honest men would expect to see in seven years.’

‘It is indeed a princely sum,’ Adam agreed. Of course, Mr. Wicken could have offered even more, had he wished, since none would ever claim it. Still, he has calculated well, Adam said to himself. It is enough to provoke great interest and discussion, yet not so much as to occasion total disbelief.

‘Of course,’ Lassimer continued, ‘the worst of all – at least for us – is that we cannot now know what part Mr. Harmsworthy played in the death of Dr. Ross, the archdeacon.’

‘Indeed,’ Adam said. ‘I expect no more about that affair will ever be brought to light.’ Enough, he told himself, you are enjoying this too much. He had not realised how easy it was to speak the truth purely to mislead.

They sat in silence for a few moments, then Lassimer spoke again. ‘So, it is over at last. I am almost sad. I enjoyed puzzling over things with you – and setting you right on several occasions, as I recall.’

Adam smiled at this. He did not begrudge Lassimer his moments of triumph. What his friend said was true. Without him – and Capt. Mimms, Mr. Jempson and even Miss Lasalle at the end – he might well have failed to get anywhere.

‘All that you say is true, Lassimer,’ he said. ‘I too feel somewhat sad that our quest has ended. And I admit most readily that you found more solutions that I did. All of which proves, once again, that apothecaries have the most devious and calculating minds. Physicians, on the other hand, are much too honest and straightforward to do well in such murky waters.’

At once, the old sparring between them began again and they spent another hour in that amicable state of teasing that is such an important part of true friendship. It did indeed seem as if both of them should return wholly to their respective businesses and leave the solving of crime aside. Yet they were to be proved quite wrong about this before too many months had passed.