Our Mutual Friend

Mortimer and Eugene have dinner together in Mortimer’s office. It’s springtime in London. Eugene fantasizes about being a lighthouse keeper instead of a lawyer, but Mortimer thinks it would get lonely. Eugene mentions that his father has found a prospective wife for him, one who supposedly comes from money. Eugene doesn’t like having to do everything his father tells him.

A stranger comes by the law office and asks if Mortimer is in. He says he’s come to collect the reward that Boffin set related to John’s murder. The man reveals his name as Roger Riderhood. Roger says he is certain that the man who killed John is Gaffer—Roger knows because he used to be Gaffer’s partner. Mortimer is not convinced by the claim. But Roger says he has a witness: himself. He heard Gaffer confess to the deed. He says Gaffer confessed to killing John for money, then told Roger not to betray him.

Mortimer asks Roger why he didn’t come forward earlier, when the government was offering its own reward. Roger claims he felt troubled the whole time back then, but he doesn’t explain why he didn’t say anything. Roger says that hearing about the new reward (posted by Boffin) is what finally motivated Roger to divulge everything he knows.

Privately, Mortimer and Eugene discuss how they don’t trust Roger, but they agree to take him to the police and see if he says something useful anyway. Before going to the police station, they go by Gaffer’s house, but he and his boat are away. Only Lizzie is there, sitting by the fire. Mortimer and Eugene don’t disturb Lizzie and instead take Roger to the Inspector. The Inspector listens to everything and makes plans to arrest Gaffer when Gaffer gets back home.