THE BARONET'S DAUGHTER

CHAPTER NINETEEN

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Having been informed by the landlord of the Pig and Thistle that Jake wanted to meet, Quipp made his way there that evening.

Jake's glance held a whisk of suspicion when he saw Quipp looking clean and respectable. What had been necessary for a visit to the relatively dangerous Phoenix Club was unnecessary for the quaint but fairly decent Pig and Thistle.

'Gone up in the world, guv?' asked Jake.

Quipp smiled as he ordered some drinks. 'I go in many guises in my line of work, Jake.'

'What is your line of work, guv?

'Knowledge,' Quipp said promptly. 'Knowledge is money, as you are finding out, eh! Jake.'

Jake squirmed in his seat. 'I dunno.'

'You are two and a half sovereigns better off since we met,' Quipp said. 'And all because of knowledge, your knowledge.'

Jake grinned, showing some blackened teeth. 'I gotcha, guv.'

'If you are wise you'll not flash that loot around,' Quipp advised. 'I am thinking of bringing you into my business, Jake, but only if you are discreet.'

'Eh?'

'Can keep your trap shut.'

'I can do that. Have to,' Jake said. 'Else I'd end up in some back alley a corpse.'

Quipp smiled. Jake, young as he must be, already had the appearance of a corpse, which made him so valuable an employee. Quipp had spotted his potential as soon as they met.

Quipp took a long swallow of his beer. 'Let's get down to business,' he said, after smacking his lips. 'Have you found her?'

'Yes.' Jake told him the address of Mrs Possimer. 'Still in Shoreditch,' he observed. 'Hers got one room now.' Jake sniffed. 'On the bone of her ar...backside, she is, and her so high and mighty with the likes of me.'

'You've done well, Jake.' Quipp nodded. 'Next, I want you to find out the connection between Frederick Granville and the Phoenix Club.'

'Oh, I knows that already,' Jake said. 'Granville is the landlord.'

'What?' Quipp exclaimed. 'He owns the Phoenix Club?'

'No, guv, not that,' Jake explained. 'He owns the building and Slasher Stubbs, him as keeps the club and runs the fist-fight boxing matches, pays him rent.'

Jake glanced over his shoulder warily.

'I heard, though,' he went on in a low voice. 'That Granville takes a cut of the profits as well. Those must be high, 'cos I've seen your lords and your nobles clustering around them fights. I've seen fat purses of guineas change hands.'

'Now that's more like it,' Quipp said quietly.

'Have I earned my sovereign, guv?'

'Ah, Jake, you can't expect to get a sovereign each time we meet,' Quipp said easily. 'What I had in mind is that you work for me. I'll pay you five shillings a week, regular, on the barrel. But only if you can button your lip.'

'I'm mum, guv, I'm mum.'

'Good man!' Quipp passed over five shillings. 'Now meet me here this time next week and every week until I tell you different. If you hear anything special, the landlord here will contact me.'

Quipp was amused when Jake touched his forelock.

'Count on me, guv.'

'Do you know your letters, Jake?