‘Jeffrey has hanged himself,’ said Harry. ‘If there is a chance he did not do the murder, who would?’

‘Blessed if I know. The only nasty piece o’ work in that girl’s life was her father.’

‘What about this Tim Jones?’

‘Oh, him. He got a haberdashery down the Mile End Road. But I heard he’d sold it and moved uptown.’

‘You don’t know where?’

‘Haven’t a clue.’

‘What about your wife? Would she know?’

‘My Sarah’s been dead this past five years. But you could try round Breem Lane, where he used to live. Maybe someone there would know.’

The fat woman in Breem Lane shouted down to Harry and Becket, ‘Everyone wants to find Jones today. There was two young ladies asking. Come in a cab.’

‘What were they like?’ asked Harry.

‘There was a cheeky Cockney one and the other was pretty but didn’t say a word. I told ’em Jones had moved up to Notting Hill – Chepstow Mansions.’

‘That must be Rose and Daisy,’ said Harry. ‘We’ll need to hurry.’ He called back up to the woman, ‘When was this?’

‘Must ha’ been a couple o’ hours ago.’

‘Let’s go,’ said Harry urgently. ‘They could be in danger.’

CHAPTER TEN

Come away; poverty’s catching

Aphra Behn

Rose and Daisy located Chepstow Mansions. It was new building of redbrick off the Portobello Road.

‘He must have done well out of the sale of his shop to move all the way here,’ said Rose.

Inside the hall of the flats, a porter was on duty. Rose asked for Mr Jones. ‘He won’t be in at the moment, ladies,’ said the porter. ‘You’ll find him at his shop. You can’t miss it. It’s right on the cross.’

They paid off the cabbie and walked up to the cross and there it was: Jones Haberdashery, a double-fronted shop.

‘Looks prosperous,’ said Rose. ‘Let’s go in.’

‘I’m hungry,’ complained Daisy.

‘We’ll eat as soon as we’ve seen him.’

Rose pushed open the door of the shop and Daisy followed her in. A stout women in a black dress approached them. ‘We are just about to close.’

‘We’ve come to see Mr Jones. Here is my card.’

The woman took Rose’s card and retreated into the back shop. She returned after a few moments, looking flustered. ‘I am afraid Mr Jones has left for the night.’

‘I’m sure he’s in there,’ said Rose when they walked outside.

‘You went the wrong way about it. We should have asked about ribbons or something.’

‘If he’s an innocent man, the sight of my name wouldn’t frighten him. Oh, look, there’s a tea room across the road. We can have something to eat and drink, and watch and see if he leaves.’

They ordered tea and buttered muffins and sat at a table in the bay of the window. A boy came out and started to put shutters up over the windows. After some time, the woman who had spoken to them left with two other women.