Free Fair and Tender Ladies by Chris Nickson

out.’
    The White Swan was crowded with sweating men drinking down their ale to cool off. Nottingham sat on the bench across from the deputy.
    â€˜Anything?’ he asked.
    â€˜Nothing more on Jem Carter yet,’ Sedgwick said. ‘I was thinking about his sister, though. Maybe she heard what happened to him and then killed herself.’
    The Constable pursed his mouth. It made as much sense as any other explanation he could imagine. Grief or guilt could have taken her into the water. It had happened before; he could understand it well enough. But something about the two of them dying so close together niggled at him.
    â€˜It’s possible,’ he acknowledged. ‘Tom Finer told Jem to go down to the Wades for the brothel opening. Maybe I’ll go down and ask.’
    â€˜Plenty of people went to that, boss,’ the deputy said with a shrug. ‘Doesn’t mean anything. If the meat in that stew’s fresh I’m having some.’
    The sun was at its peak as he made his way along Swinegate, sliding between the people, the clamour of trade loud all around him. Maybe Mrs Wade would recall Jem Carter. It would be one more pace along the path; God knew there were few enough of those. At the black door he knocked, and heard footsteps bustle down the hall.
    â€˜Good day, Miss Wade. I’d like to speak to your mother, if I may.’
    The girl led him through and once again he was waiting in the parlour with its thick Turkey rug and slowly ticking long clock. The minutes passed. He looked at the paintings, sat and stood up again, then Mrs Wade entered, expensively dressed in dark blue silk and crisp white lace, her eyes inquisitive.
    â€˜Constable, forgive me,’ she said in a rush. ‘I hadn’t expected to see you again. Is something wrong?’
    â€˜Not at all,’ he answered with a smile. ‘It’s just a question. Did your opening go well?’
    She laughed. ‘Very much so, Constable. There must have been half a hundred gentlemen here. I could hardly move through them all.’
    â€˜That’s a good start for you.’
    â€˜All I could have hoped,’ she agreed with satisfaction. ‘Did you come here just to ask me that?’
    â€˜Do you remember if any of them was a country lad, quite young?’
    She shook her head. ‘I honestly couldn’t say. There were so many I didn’t know. So many I didn’t even see. I’m sorry, Constable, but I can’t help you. Who is he, anyway?’
    â€˜Someone killed him Tuesday night.’
    â€˜I heard about that,’ she said with a frown. ‘It’s truly terrible. But I couldn’t tell you if he’d been here.’
    â€˜Thank you anyway. Has your business stayed good?’
    â€˜Excellent. The gentlemen of Leeds seem to like us.’ She looked around the room, smiling. ‘I think I made the right decision moving here.’
    â€˜Then I hope it stays that way. The last time I was here I asked you about a girl.’
    â€˜I remember.’ She cocked her head. ‘What was her name again?’
    â€˜Jenny. Small, fair hair. I wonder if she came looking for employment after we talked.’
    She bit her lip, thinking. ‘I’ve had a dozen girls looking for work. I saw them all myself. We have four here and I’ve been thinking of taking on another since we’re so busy. But no, there was no one calling herself Jenny.’ Mrs Wade eyed him. ‘Do you always take this much trouble over a missing girl?’
    â€˜We found her body in the river. The murdered man was her brother.’
    â€˜That’s a terrible thing,’ she answered after a little while. ‘I’m sorry if I seemed short with you. I only wish I could help.’
    On the way out he saw a young man climbing the stair, hands pushed into the pockets of his breeches. He had wide shoulders and dark hair. The son, Nottingham thought. What was his name? Mark? Then