Christopher had to go through the formalities of being signed out by the prison sergeant then taken through a series of doors. When he was finally allowed to leave the prison altogether, light rain was falling but it nevertheless seemed like a glorious spring day to him. Having lost it for two intolerable hours, he found that freedom was a heady experience. As they were standing near one of the main gates into the city, they were caught up in swirling traffic but Christopher didn’t mind in the least. He had been liberated.
They slipped into one of the first taverns they came to and found a table in a quiet corner. Unlike Tom Warburton, Bale did not as a rule drink on duty, but he accepted the offer of a tankard of beer on this occasion. Christopher treated himself to a cup of Canary wine. Bale sampled the beer.
‘Strong stuff,’ he opined, ‘but not as good as the beer that my wife makes. Sarah has a real gift as a brewer.’
‘I know, I’ve tasted her beer.’ Christopher sipped his wine. ‘That tastes like nectar,’ he said. ‘All they served in prison was black, brackish water. It made me feel sick just to look at it.’
‘Let’s make sure that you don’t have to go into Newgate again, sir, nor into any other gaol.’
‘How do we do that, Jonathan?’
‘The first thing we have to do is to find Mr Villemot,’ said Bale. ‘It was him that got you into this trouble. If you were to be involved in catching him, it would stand you in good stead with the magistrate.’
‘There must be officers already out looking for him.’
‘But they don’t know him, sir — you do. You’ll have a much better idea of where he’s gone to ground.’
‘I’m not sure about that,’ confessed Christopher. ‘Besides, I’m not at all convinced that Monsieur Villemot had anything to do with the murder. What could he possibly hope to gain by killing Sir Martin Culthorpe?’
‘That’s not the way to look at it, Mr Redmayne.’
‘Why not?’
‘Innocent or guilty,’ said Bale, solemnly, ‘the gentleman avoided arrest by taking to his heels. That’s a crime in itself and he’ll have to answer for it. The longer he’s on the loose, the worse it is for him.’
‘I suppose so.’
‘The only place where the truth will come out is in court.’
Christopher was rueful. ‘I beg leave to doubt that,’ he said. ‘Nobody showed much interest in the truth when I was arrested. The magistrate had the nerve to call me deceitful.’
‘Be that as it may, sir, Mr Villemot must be found.’
‘Oh, I agree, Jonathan. We need this whole matter sorted out as quickly as possible or a lot of people are going to be hurt.’
Bale frowned. ‘A lot of people?’
‘Yes,’ said Christopher, ‘and you’re one of them. Do you want to spend all that time making a model of house that will never be built? I certainly don’t want to design one that stays on a piece of paper. If Monsieur Villemot is convicted, we all stand to lose — you, me and Sam Littlejohn, not to mention all his men.’ Christopher shook his head in dismay. ‘Because it was in the French style, Sam was really looking forward to building this house.’
‘I know, sir. I spoke to him this morning.’
‘Did you meet him on the site?’
‘Yes,’ said Bale, ‘he was very pleased to have got this contract. It will be a terrible shock if he suddenly loses it.’
‘Then let’s try to ensure that never happens.
‘It’s bound to, if Mr Villemot is guilty of the murder.’
‘I still believe he’s innocent,’ said Christopher, loyally.
‘Then why did he run away from the officers?’
‘I’ve been thinking about that, Jonathan. We have to remember that he’s French and, as such, viewed with suspicion by people who are unable to see beyond their own prejudices. If I were in a foreign country,’ he reasoned, ‘and were accused of a crime I did not commit, I fancy that my first instinct would be to do exactly what Monsieur Villemot has done. That’s not to excuse it, mark you,’ he emphasised. ‘What he did was wrong and he must be held to account for it. Our job is to help him clear his name.’
‘Only if he is innocent,’ warned Bale.
‘Quite so.’
‘Where do we start looking, Mr Redmayne?’
‘At the obvious place,’ said Christopher. ‘His lodgings.’
Elkannah Prout stared at him in utter disbelief. He was bemused.
‘Are you serious, Henry?’
‘Deadly serious.’
‘You saw this happen with your own eyes?’
‘I can call on a second witness,’ said Henry Redmayne, ‘for Jocelyn was standing beside me. Two officers banged on the door of the house then went inside. When they came out again, I asked them what was afoot and they told me they were hunting Villemot.’
‘Do they really think he was the killer?’
‘Yes, Elkannah.’
‘But he’d have no reason to murder Sir Martin.’
‘He’d have the best reason in the world,’ said Henry. ‘He’s infatuated with Araminta.’
‘He’s only known her for a few days,’ argued Prout.
‘I only saw her for a few minutes before I was ensnared, and the same goes for the rest of us. We all saw her from afar. Think how it must have been for someone who was allowed to look upon her at close range for long periods of time. The most telling thing of all, Elkannah, is that Villemot is a Frenchman.’
‘So?’
‘He comes from a nation of uncontrollable lechers.’
Prout blinked. ‘You think this crime was driven by lust, then?’
‘The only way he could possess her is by getting rid of her husband,’ said Henry. ‘That’s another aspect of the French. They are prone to impetuous action.’
They were in a coffee house in Holborn, oblivious to the stream of chatter all around them. Henry was still amazed by what he had learned, eager to accept Villemot’s guilt because it served his purpose. If the artist were arrested, he would not be able to mount guard over the portrait of Araminta. The holy grail of art was suddenly within Henry’s reach. Elkannah Prout seemed less ready to believe in the artist’s guilt. He sipped his coffee thoughtfully.
‘No,’ he decided, putting down his cup, ‘it would be madness. Who could possibly expect to endear himself to a woman by killing her husband? That’s sheer lunacy.’
‘Villemot expected to get away with it. In time, he must have hoped, Araminta would turn to him for comfort and wed him.’
‘But the fellow is already married.’
‘So is Jocelyn,’ said Henry, ‘but that hasn’t stopped him from having wild thoughts about a future with Araminta. The same goes for Sir Willard. It was less than two years ago that we attended his wedding yet he already behaves as if the ceremony never took place.’
‘My only interest at the moment is in Villemot.’
‘So is mine, Elkannah.’
‘How could he imagine that he would escape detection?’
‘The French are a peculiar breed.’
‘Even they do not think they can murder at will, Henry.’
‘A warrant is out for his arrest, that’s all I know. Unless there was strong evidence against him, he would not be being pursued with such vigour. The law does not often make mistakes.’
Prout smiled. ‘I wonder that you should say that.’
‘Why?’
‘Because you were once wrongfully arrested and imprisoned.’
‘Do not remind me,’ said Henry with a shiver. ‘There’s no more harmless creature on this planet than me, yet I was accused of foul murder. But for my brother, I’d have been hanged for the crime.’
‘I was just thinking about your brother.’
‘What put Christopher into your mind?’
‘Has he not designed a new house for the artist?’
‘Indeed, he has,’ said Henry, snapping his fingers. ‘I’d forgotten that. It was a lucrative commission. Poor Christopher! When his client is convicted, my brother will lose a large amount of money.’
* * *
‘You must be able to tell us something,’ said Christopher, urgently. ‘We’re trying to help your master, Emile, but we can’t do that unless we can find him.’