Dirty Work Deep Waters, Part 11.

A solitary night‑watchman keeps the quiet river wharf company, his only companions the occasional fog‑laden barges and the rhythm of his pipe. He has long embraced the loneliness of his shift, preferring the calm of an empty dock to the chatter of daylight laborers. One evening, a frantic chase breaks the stillness when a thief darts across the wharf, dumping a stolen purse into the mud before disappearing into the night.

The watchman discovers the discarded loot—a modest sum of gold, a few peppermint lozenges, and a postage stamp—lying in the waterlogged mud. As the tide recedes, he faces an unexpected choice: hand the purse over to the authorities or keep it for himself. The episode forces him to confront the isolation that has defined his life and to weigh his own code of conduct against the lure of easy gain. This early confrontation sets the tone for a story about duty, temptation, and the quiet moral battles fought in the shadows of a bustling port.