‘I ain’t lying,’ Spears said feebly. ‘Two pies would be better than one, miss. I got to keep body and soul together.’

Kate walked past him and went into the kitchen, where she and Ivy used to make the vast batches of soup for the needy. It was, as she expected, filthy and there were rodent droppings everywhere, although what they found to eat was a mystery. She plucked a chipped china jug from one of the shelves and hurried back into the shop where Spears had slumped down on the only chair in the room.

‘I’m going, Spears, but I’ll be back as quickly as I can. Let me out, please.’

He stumbled to his feet and staggered to the door, leaving her in no doubt as to his weakened state. Kate knew the area quite well and she walked to the Brown Bear pub where she had the jug filled with ale. She went on to a nearby pie shop where she purchased three pies – two for Spears and one for herself. She had not bothered to have breakfast before she left home that morning, and the cold weather, together with the long walk, had given her an appetite.

She returned to the shop and Spears let her in. He grabbed one of the pies and returned to his chair, stuffing the food in his mouth as if he had not eaten for days.

‘Give us the ale,’ he said through a mouthful of pie. ‘This tastes so good. You can’t imagine what it’s like to starve, miss.’

Kate passed him the jug and he drank from it, gulping down the ale and belching loudly. Kate nibbled her pie, but she was no longer hungry and she gave it to Spears, who downed it in seconds.

‘I’ll save the other one for me supper,’ he said, grinning and exposing a row of blackened and broken teeth. ‘That went down well, and the ale. Thank you, miss.’

Kate moved closer. ‘I’ve done my part, now tell me what you know. Where can I find Harry?’

‘He’s lying low, miss.’

‘Yes, I understand that, but where will I find him?’

‘He moves around so that Monks never knows where he’ll be next, but the last I heard he was lodging at the Town of Ramsgate pub, next to Wapping Old Stairs. But it ain’t the sort of place you should go to, miss.’

‘I want to find Harry. I need to know what’s happening and why he hasn’t returned home. If it was up to me I’d have left Monks to the police.’

‘If you say so, miss.’ Spears lifted the jug to his lips and drank deeply once more.