Free Steps to the Gallows by Edward Marston

sounds very much like the person that Jem followed.’
    ‘What about the other, Gully?’
    ‘Quint had a better look at him. He was somewhat older and had the air of the sailor about him. The fishmonger spends all his time among sailors so I’d rely on his judgement. The man had a flat face, a broken nose and a rough beard. He was wearing an old coat, dark breeches and a battered hat.’
    ‘At least, we know something about the two rogues.’
    ‘We may know enough to put a name to one of them,’ claimed Ackford. ‘When you came in, I was just about to go through Charlotte’s record book.’
    ‘Don’t let me stop you,’ said Paul with rising interest. ‘When she first suggested keeping it, I wasn’t at all sure of the value of that book, but Charlotte’s rogues’ gallery has proved its worth time and again.’
    The record book contained a description of every criminal with whom they came into contact. In some cases – where Charlotte had seen them in court – she’d even been able to draw a sketch of them. Her portraits of some villains adorned the book. When they were hunting for particular characters, Gully and the Skillen brothers frequently made use of the record book. As well as a physical description of someone, it often contained a list of his favourite haunts and criminal associates. Had the man served a prison sentence, it was duly noted. While the book was predominantly a male preserve, there were some female malefactors as well.
    ‘Let’s have a look,’ said Ackford, sitting to the table and opening the book.
    Paul watched over his shoulder. ‘We must have dozens of sailors in there. When they come ashore after a long voyage, they always get drunk and search for women or start an affray.’
    ‘I know. One crew wrecked the Hope and Anchor in Thames Street. The landlord turned to us for help. We rounded up the ringleaders next day and hauled them before a magistrate.’
    ‘Charlotte made a sketch of them somewhere.’
    Ackford turned over a page and ran his eye down the list of names. Charlotte might be no artist but she had enough talent to catch the salient features of a person.
    ‘Ah,’ said Ackford, jabbing a finger down, ‘here’s our first broken nose.’
    ‘You’ll find plenty of those among sailors, Gully. Who is this fellow?’
    ‘It doesn’t matter. We can discount him straight away. He died years ago. We even know where his funeral was held.’ He looked up. ‘That raises the question of Leo’s funeral.’
    ‘Someone has already volunteered to pay for that, Gully. It’s the lady who runs the print shop where Mr Paige sold his wares. She told Peter that she would meet all the expenses.’
    ‘That’s uncommonly kind of her.’
    ‘Evidently, she was very fond of him.’
    Ackford grinned. ‘A lot of women were, Paul. In his younger days, Leo had great charm and, like any soldier, he took his pleasure where he found it. If he’d ever written his life story, most readers, I fancy, would have been scandalised.’
    ‘From what Peter said about her, the lady who sold his prints is far more likely to cause a scandal than to be upset by one. He described her as a woman of the world,’ said Paul. ‘Well, you canmake up your own mind about her. Mrs Mandrake has put herself forward as our assistant.’
    Ackford was startled. ‘Our assistant , did you say? Would she willingly place herself in jeopardy?’
    ‘Nothing would deter her, by all accounts.’
    ‘I don’t like the notion. I have grave doubts about relying on a woman.’
    ‘Yet you’re doing so at this very moment,’ Paul pointed out. ‘When you picked up that record book, you were relying on Charlotte. Without it, we’d have gone from case to case without building up an archive. In listing all the villains who’ve crossed our paths, Charlotte has given us a useful weapon. Let’s use it to the full. As for Mrs Mandrake,’ he continued, ‘we can leave her to her own devices.’
     
    Diane Mandrake had just