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"I don&039;t know"

"Did you hear that, leeful "Your investigator doesn&039;t know Corbett, I&039;ll give you some free advice, and pay heed to it Return to your role as clerk and give up this ah constable You&039;ll be ever so much the better for-"

"One moment," Matthew interrupted "Repeat that, please"

"Repeat whati"

"You said, &039;I&039;ll give you some free advice, and-&039;"

"I have no idea what you&039;re going on about now"

"&039;Pay heed to it,&039; is what you said," Mrs Deverick spoke up She looked quizzically at Matthew

"Yes Would you repeat that phrase, Mr Pollardi"

Pollard grinned and frowned and grinned "Has your brain gotten too much suni"

Mattheatched hie, the Masker&039;s ht Pay heed to it "Just speak it Won&039;t youi"

"I&039;ve said it once, why should I say it againi Because you de"

"For the mercy of Christ!" scowled the"Say it, Pollard!"

"all right then, what do I care if a lunatic dei Pay heed to it, pay heed to it, pay heed to it! Does that send you into a rapturei"

Matthew had been listening for soht re recognizable in tone or cadence Still, the voice being so uised behind a cravat pulled up over theor not Inconclusive, he thought, but he still kept a watchful eye trained on the et out here," Matthew said, as the carriage reached Hanover Square Micah Reynaud&039;s shop was only two blocks away, across froue on Mill Street With a coe was at the curb Matthew retrieved his bag, clicked open the door, and stepped out

"Do get a shave, Corbett," Pollard said "a bath o well for you, also"

"Thank you, sir" Matthew paused on the last carriage step before easing down onto the paving stones He wanted to try one last time with the lady "Mrs Deverick, can you think of any trip your late husband ht have takeni Not in recent memory, perhaps, but within the last few yearsi"

"This interview is over," ca voice "Mr Deverick&039;s trips have no bearing whatsoever on-"

"I&039; to find aPlease, Mrs Deverick any infor, Mr Corbett" She glowered down at hin of weakness"

Matthew felt his ht He&039;d done his best, but this seemed to be a dead-end "Thank you for your tirimly, and stepped down onto the stones

Her powdered face with its thin arched eyebrows leaned toward him "If it would be helpful," she said, "there were the trips to Philadelphia"

Matthew froze where he stood

"Madaain his authority now that Mattheas out of the carriage "I don&039;t think you are obligated to-"

"Hush," she snapped, and he hushed Then, to Matthew, "Pennford h I do know that our fire duties for taverns there, as well"

"Oh, I see How did that coive his two pence "Mr Deverick bought a Philadelphia brokerage firoes"

"You handled the papersi"

"No, it was a few ed by Charles Land May we go on our way nowi"

"and," said Mrs Deverick, "Pennford did take the trip to London I think that wasearly autuued "Did you accompany himi"

"I did not"

"So you don&039;t knoho he visitedi"

"It was business, I&039;m sure Pennford would not have made such a journey as that for any other reason When he came back, his stomach pained him so much Dr Ede firm," Matthew said to Pollard "What was its titlei"

"It bears Mr Deverick&039;s name"

"Yes, I understand it bears his naht iti"

Pollard laughed harshly "Clerk, what are you driving ati That there is some connection between Mr Deverick&039;s ht as well accuse theWho owned the firht iti"

"Dear God, you&039;re an arse-pain! Excuseto grind the man down "Why won&039;t you answer my questioni Do you know, or don&039;t youi"

"It was a man named Ives, who is still eer there So what does that tell youi"

"That I&039;d hate to perforery on you, sir, as the extraction of your teeth would have to be done with explosives"

Pollard&039;s face had reddened His thoughts, Matthew reckoned, must have been equally as crimson The lawyer sat back in his seat, and Matthe that Mrs Deverick had enjoyed this little co wickedly

"I have to say," she coelse, theni"

"No, but I appreciate your candor and your tiement still stands," she said "I&039;d like to pay you the ten shillings, if only to see youmore suitable than a dairyhouse"

"I intend to collect the money," Matthew replied, "but the dairyhouse will suit me for a while"

"as you please Good day, then" To the driver she said crisply, "Drive on!" and the carriage pro Hanover Square with histoward the Queen of Bedla, he pondered, how the Queen had been placed in the asylum by a Philadelphia lawyer, and now cae firm in the Fount of Brotherly Love He doubted that there was as much money to be ht the fir Robert had said, answering questions about his dead father in McCaggers&039; cold room: Here he had no competition

Deverick had obviously ah for hiain in Philadelphiai

The London trip Pennford did not care to travel, as he had digestive probleone for a sea voyage of many weeks to Londoni Businessi What kind of business was it that would call for Deverick toof healthi

Interesting, he thought

Matthew believed now more than ever that all roads led to the Queen of Bedlam She sat there in her sublime silence at the center of all mysteries It was his task to so, he started toward Micah Reynaud&039;s shop, looking forward to a keen razor and a cake of sandalwood soap