Lawless and The Devil of Euston Square by William Sutton Read Free Book Online

him none the wiser, but his eyes lit up when I described the clock with its workings removed.
    “Churching jack, we call that,” he said nostalgically. “Common ruse. Remove the ticker’s insides. Some rum clocky gives it a fresh ridge – that is a new casing – then you can lumber the thimble – pass on the goods – without fear that some charpering feint will sell you up the flue. Quality loge will fetch a fine price any day of the week.”
    Walking home that night, I considered dropping by the Free Hospital. I could check the ward book, send Wardle more details. It might be significant who had brought Shuffler in, or who had removed the corpse. Yet it seemed a kind of desperation, and I kept my peace.
    When I finally mustered the courage to ask the warden about the injustice of Josiah’s imprisonment, he burst out laughing. Josiah Bent was inside because he had beaten and robbed an old widow. Somewhat ashamed of myself, I stopped visiting.
    THE THEFT
    A matter of days later, I sat on the early watch, head in my hands. It had been foolish to leave Edinburgh; I had given up my solid career as clockmaker’s apprentice for a vapid dream.
    Then the constabulary gate creaked.
    My old home in Edinburgh had an iron gate just like the constabulary’s. My father hated to be distracted; it was for my inability to concentrate that he was always upbraiding me. After my mother died, it fell to me to peek out the window whenever the gate creaked. Were it a customer, I would make myself presentable, quick as a flash, and invite them in. It was a task I hated, and I grew to hate that creak.
    It was a taller, leaner Worm who summoned me that morning, swinging the gate in that irritating manner. He had grown up an unreasonable amount in those six months, and he seemed more guarded – or perhaps just weary. “Long time, no vader, Watchman.”
    I enquired after his company, the Euston Square Worms, thinking he’d be pleased I had remembered his patter.
    “We don’t call ourselves that no more,” he frowned. “Sore point, but thanks for asking. Companies is old hat, you see. Co-operative ventures, that’s where the future lies. Anywise, you’re wanted at the Yard. The old cove.”
    “Wardle?”
    “The same,” he grinned.
    I nodded slowly, trying to overcome my surprise. “One thing, Worm,” I said. “How was it you that knew me, that first night?”
    “Simple. All those watches you fixed? It was me delivered them.” He doffed his cap as if to take his leave, then thought better of it. “Before you charper off, old cove, I’ve a query of my own. That hydrollah-rolical gaff, mind. What did the old crocus have to say about the corpuscular, if you get my word?”
    “What business is that of yours? Off to study medicine?”
    “Just asking,” he shrugged. “No hoffence hintended, hofficer.”
    “None taken, wee man.” A thought struck me. “You didn’t know him, did you? Club foot, name of Shuffler?”
    “Merely hinterested, hofficer.”
    “Hmm. You’d make a good detective, young Worm.”
    “Give us a job, then.”
    I laughed. “Put it this way, it wasn’t the spout that killed him.”
    “That what the doc said?” He peered at me, eyes flashing with the same old light. “Full of bluff and flam, these apothecaries. A Scotchman at Scotland Yard, eh? Fit in nice, you will. Shift your crabshells now, or you’ll get an earful.”
    The dullard at the front desk in Scotland Yard stared at me like I was speaking a foreign language. I repeated myself, as slowly as humanly possible.
    “Wardle? He’s ahhht,” he shouted, and went back to his illustrated magazine. I stood my ground and light finally dawned. “Aoh, Wardle’s new man, is ya? It’s a theft, isn’t it?” He passed me a slip of paper marked with a Lambeth address. “You’ll want a cab. Nelson Square traffic’ll be somfink terrible this time of day.” He contemplated the fiendish puzzle. “Parliament Square worse, with the works on the