A Despicable Crime

by Liza O'Connor

  “I believe she is physically healthy, but if you send the guard to a doctor, I will pay the cost.”

  “I cannot do anything with her in her current state. Was it absolutely necessary to put her in the trunk?”

  “Before we returned home, Claire had burned down her own house, simply because she could never be the true owner of it. Never mind, that in all other ways, it was entirely hers. Then she shows up at my house. Tubs and Jacko kept watch over her as she sat in the parlor and watched her daughter paint the doors on the impressive castle the children had built.”

  “When we arrived home, we learned about Claire setting her house on fire. Thus, I had my staff begin preparing for trouble. I moved my mother and great grandmother into the library, then told the children it was time to go to bed. Once the children were out of the room and sent to the safe room upstairs, we searched Claire.”

  Xavier paused, “May I assume you know the danger of Hydrogen sulfide?”

  Frederick nodded.

  “Well, Claire has discovered a way to place the gas into a Rupert’s Drop.”

  “Dear Lord! Where would she learn such a thing?”

  “Claire is brilliant, and a highly experience chemist. It is possible she taught herself. What we already knew is that she had already killed once using this method, so we needed to make certain she didn’t have any drops on her person.”

  “I’m assuming she didn’t,” Frederick replied.

  “Turns out she had come there to murder us all, including herself and her child. At great risk to our lives, we removed sixteen drops from her skirt that were cushioned with sponges and then three in her hair, which were far more dangerous. Fortunately, Tubs kept her from moving her head while Vic cut away the center of the wig Claire wore.”

  “That explains the short stubs of hair on her scalp,” Frederick stated. “This is far worse behaviors than what Vic and David presented.”

  “Unfortunately, she evidently decided she didn’t want to live and she tried to kill over twenty people in my house. I have yet to determine if any servants were harmed when she burnt her own home down.”

  “It will take me several weeks to attempt Vic’s suggestion,” Frederick warned.

  “I’m surprised you would even try it now.”

  “Well, I won’t if my life is in danger. However, if she realizes she can only harm herself, she may regroup and accept my help.” Frederick rose. “You both look exhausted. Go home. I will leave a message with your butler if I make any progress. However, given her current state of mind, it could take me years before I make any progress.”

  Chapter 16

  Xavier, Jacko, and Casey were exhausted when they arrived home. Everyone was asleep except for Tubs, David, Vic, and Gregory, who were seated around the kitchen table drinking cocoa.

  Gregory asked them if they wished cocoa or something stronger. All three chose the latter. Vic and David asked for a bit of rum in their cocoa as well.

  Once all were seated and enjoying their drinks, Gregory spoke. “Today has been a brutal day for us all, but we rise above our defeats, because we must. Everyone in our family needs us, Scotland Yard needs us, and our country needs us. This is not a house of ordinary men and women. We are all extraordinary and vital, so we will overcome our pain and sorrow, and tomorrow we will go to work and keep our country strong.”

  Gregory focused on Vic. “David has finished the blueprints for the changes to the printing shop. Vic, you will see that they are approved first thing tomorrow. Tubs will assist Luke in the removal of the offices, so you will be done by nine.”

  “I can help out as well,” Jacko said.

  “Excellent, Thank you, Jacko.

  “David, I have determined you need to return to your office. Several of your clients are in need of dental care.”

  “How would you know that?” David asked.

  “I took the liberty to have your office checked out. I feared Claire might have set it on fire as well. The good news is your office appears in fine shape. However, there were several messages taped to your door.” Gregory pulled the papers from his pocket and handed them over.

  “Why didn’t you tell me this earlier? I could have attended them at once!”

  “For two reasons. First, you and Vic needed time to grieve. Secondly, Pete had to work until five before he could check out your dental office.”

  “Thank you, Gregory. To be honest, I had not given my office a single thought. I will go to work early in the morning.”

  Jacko pulled out his watch and laughed. “You might want to make that late morning. It’s already early morning,”

  Gregory then turned his focus onto Xavier. “I believe you will be taking Lady Vivian and Charlotte to see three secure homes tomorrow.”

  “That is my intention,” Xavier replied.

  “You should take care of this task first thing in the morning while Vic retrieves the permit to remove walls in her printing business. Do not dally over the three homes. A client has been scheduled in for two in the afternoon.”

  Vic had expected Xavier to yell at Gregory for being so bossy, but to her surprise, he only mildly frowned. “It’s not a pet case, is it?”

  “No sir, The Westminster bank believes they might have a thief, for money is missing, but they cannot locate the culprit and have requested your assistance.”

  “That sounds fun,” Vic declared.

  “It does indeed,” Xavier agreed. “Thank you, Gregory,” he said, then smiled. “Will you be regularly assigning us our tasks?”

  “No, sir. I did so today, since this has been a hard day for all of us, and I just wanted to get us all back on track.”

  Xavier smiled at him. “You truly are the greatest butler I have ever known. You would have made a superb general as well, if you had chosen that path.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Vic stood up and wobbled as she raised her cocoa to Gregory. “Cheers to the finest butler in the world!”

  Jacko had to steady her with his hand on her back or she would have fallen backwards.

  Everyone one stood and said, “Hip, Hip, Hooray!”

  Gregory scowled. “Enough of this nonsense! Everyone to bed. I expect you all to be out of this house no later than eight o’clock!”

  “Bloody hell. That’s six hours from now!” Jacko complained, then passed Vic over to Xavier. “Keep a hold on Vic. He’s a bit wobbly.”

  Xavier wrapped his arm about Vic’s waist and helped her up the long flight of steps.

  Vic collapsed onto their bed, wearing not only her clothes, but her boots as well.

  “Vic! At least take your shoes off!” Xavier scolded. He stopped scolding when he realized she was already sound asleep. With a heavy sigh, he removed her shoes, her jacket, and her pants so she might be a bit more comfortable. He then undressed and climbed in beside her. She instantly snuggled against him and his heart swelled with love. As long as they had each other, they could survive anything.

  Chapter 17

  Xavier woke at six and rallied his mother and great-grandmother to an early breakfast. Then off they went to decide upon their new home. Davy drove them to the furthest house first.

  It was a rather narrow four-story house with fifteen-foot iron gates and a fifteen-foot stone wall around the house. The parlor was a bit dreary and small, and there was only room for eight servants.

  “Xavier, I would rather have my house upgraded, than live here,” Vivian complained.

  “Then let us leave and check out the next one.”

  Both women agreed the second house was acceptable, but they wanted to see the last one.

  The final house turned out to be directly behind Xavier’s and looked to be brand new. “Xavier, why didn’t you show us this one first!”

  “Because people tend to purchase their final choice.”

  “Nonsense! The reason why we like this house is due to its beauty and charm, not because it was the third one we saw.”

  “Xavier, the gate arou
nd this house appears to be brand new.”

  “Yes, I explained to the builder, that I would never purchase a house of this quality unless it had a gate to prevent the riffraff from breaking in night and day. The fellow gave it some thought, decided I might be right and put in the fence and gates.”

  He pointed out a very fine bedroom on the first floor. “This is a guest bedroom when you tire of climbing steps.”

  “I can still climb steps,” Vivian insisted.

  “Yes, you can. There are two magnificent suites, one in peach and the other in gold tapestry, upstairs.”

  “Xavier, did you have this house built for us. Because I love gold tapestries.”

  Charlotte laughed. “And I love peach.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek. “Thank you, son.”

  “You are most welcome.” He led them to the library, which looked exactly like his.

  Vivian laughed. “I was worried that I would miss your library, but it seems to have come with us. How long have you been building this?”

  “Me? Vic and I could not possibly have done this. We have had a hectic month. However, Gregory clearly took note of what you like, and David had time to draw the blue prints and get them approved. Then I hired the builders who keep the Queen’s castle up to snuff to actually build the house. However, I didn’t know for certain if you would choose this house.”

  “Well, let me be clear on this matter. Both Charlotte and I love our new home. To be honest, we were in no hurry to be leaving your place, but given the close proximity to your house, I would have chosen this home even if it had looked like the first house you showed us.”

  “Then you are pleased?” Xavier asked.

  “Greatly pleased,” his great-grandmother admitted.

  “Your servants and guards should arrive by four. However, your butler is already here. Would you like to meet him?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “I should warn you, he is rather young for his occupation, but he was trained by the best. Then he decided to seek shelter in Boston from Claire, and now he has returned.”

  “Then let us meet him.”

  Before the ladies could search the house for him, Xavier pressed a button by the door. A moment later, a handsome tall fellow arrived. “How may I help you?”

  “Jonas, I would like you to meet your two mistresses. This is my mother, Charlotte, and my great-grandmother, Vivian.”

  He bowed and took each of their hands. “It is an honor to serve you. The rest of the staff will arrive in the afternoon. Would you like a cup of tea in the meantime?”

  “We are fine, thank you.”

  “Well then, I will leave you in the capable hands of Xavier.” He bowed again and left the room.

  “He is most charming, and I dare say good at his job,” Vivian said.

  “How would you know that?” Charlotte asked.

  “Well, he is clearly related to Gregory. A nephew, I expect.”

  Xavier kissed her hand. “On the money.”

  Vivian smiled at her grandson. “Xavier, you do not mind if we send you home, so we can assess our bedrooms?”

  “Not at all. In fact, Vic and I have a client arriving soon.”

  “Excellent! Then on your way!”

  Before Xavier reached the door, his great-grandmother spoke. “Xavier, thank you! I know I will be much happier so close to you.”

  “I as well,” Charlotte said.

  “Then all is as I hoped it would be,” Xavier stated and hurried off.

  ***

  “I am most impressed with how well-behaved Xavier has become,” Vivian said.

  “As am I. To be honest, I dreaded to speak to him when he was a child,” Charlotte admitted.

  “And why was that dear?”

  “Whenever Xavier embarrassed Daniel, he would declare it my fault, and I would be beaten.”

  Vivian hugged Charlotte. “That is in the past and you must set it aside. Xavier is a fabulous fellow now, and most generous. While I can afford this house, he has not yet asked me for a single pound. Nor, do I expect he will. And that is to your credit.”

  Charlotte shook her head. “I believe it is more to Victor’s credit. Xavier was always difficult for me to handle. You could make him behave, but I never could. However, I am very proud of the man he has become.”

  “As am I, Charlotte, as am I. Now I would like a nap before we meet our staff.”

  “The same for me,” Charlotte admitted. “I am quite exhausted.”

  Chapter 18

  Xavier left from the back door of the ladies’ new home and entered through the back door of his house, which, oddly, Gregory opened as he approached.

  “Was everything to their liking?” Gregory asked.

  “They seemed very pleased. Has Vic returned from his task?”

  “Not yet, sir.”

  Xavier huffed. “I hope he is not fighting with the building inspector.”

  Gregory chuckled. “One never knows.”

  “My mother and great-grandmother have taken a great liking to Jonas.”

  “He has seasoned well, and I am pleased to have him so close by. His past decision to move to Boston has turned out to be a good one. He has become a very fine butler, if I say so myself.”

  Just then Xavier spied Vic’s carriage rolling by the window. “Vic has arrived just in time.”

  A few minutes later, Vic ran through the kitchen into the dining room where she found Gregory and Xavier. “The forgery rooms are gone, but in the future, when I actually want something torn out, I won’t use David’s friend. He insisted the walls were well made and could remain as is. So, I tried to explain that we didn’t want them, yet he kept insisting they should remain.”

  “Where’s Tubs?” Xavier asked.

  “Oh, he went straight to his room.” She grinned. “I believe between last night and the aggravations of this morning, he wants some alone time with Sara. And I promised not to interrupt him.”

  Xavier pulled her into his arms. “I am pleased to see you so happy.”

  “I cannot wait to determine how the bank’s money is disappearing.”

  “That’s my pup!” Xavier declared. “Always ready to chew on a new bone.”

  They headed across the street to their office. Xavier had forgotten about Stone coming to work today and Vic’s renovations to the office. Thus, the changes startled him.

  Xavier stared about in shock. “This is much nicer than I expected,” he confessed.

  The door to Stone’s office opened and the damaged, but not dead, prior head of Scotland Yard stepped out to shake both their hands. “I love my new office.” He then nodded towards Pete. “This young man is worth his weight in gold and I am happy to say, Barns and I remain on good terms.”

  “Why wouldn’t you be?” Vic asked.

  “Often in the past, when an officer would decide to leave my service, they would take their ten minutes to share how much they hated me. So, I was very pleased when Barns declared I would be missed and he only hoped to do half as well as I had.”

  “Barns said that?” Vic asked.

  “Yes, he did. Do you think he was not sincere?”

  “If he said it, he meant it. But it’s not like him to belittle himself.” Vic smiled as she concluded why. “Without his father about, Barns must be growing up.”

  “I agree,” Xavier stated.

  Just then the door jingled as an older man with a frilly double-breasted suit entered.

  Pete stood up and approached him. “Mr. Roberts, thank you for being on time.”

  “My! I’ve got the big guns out today.” He hurried to Stone and shook his hand. “It’s a pleasure to see you, Stone. You’re a fine addition to this team.” He then turned to Xavier. “Nice to work with you, Xavier.” He then turned to Vic and gripped her hand with both of his. “And this is your secret weapon!”

  “Indeed, it is.” Xavier replied.

  Once he released her hand, Vic peeked into Stone’s office, then closed the door.

/>   “Perhaps we can grab a chair and head over to our home office. It will be more comfortable”

  “Excellent idea,” Xavier stated.

  “Nonsense, I’m sure we can all squeeze in here,” Mr. Roberts insisted.

  “The library will be better,” Vic replied. Only, she did not want her new chair broken going down the steps.

  Then she saw Tubs running to her, yelling “I got it.”

  No doubt Gregory had decided Tubs play time with Sara did not rank above missing cash from a bank.

  He lifted the chair and walked beside Vic. “Sorry about not coming sooner.”

  “Not a problem. Do you want to get back to what you were doing, or sit in and listen?”

  “I’d like to sit in if your customer doesn’t mind.”

  “Mr. Roberts. Do you mind if our associate, Tubs, sits in and listens? He has a great deal of knowledge about bank robberies.”

  Mr. Roberts stopped in the middle of the street and stared at Vic in shock.

  Vic gripped his arm. “Trust me, it is not safe to stop in the middle of this street! I’ve almost died several times already,” she admitted.

  “I apologize for stopping. I must say your request shocked me to the core.” He then whispered softly. “You do realize he has robbed a great many banks in his past.”

  “Yes, and that is why his input is so valuable.”

  The man shook his head.

  “Mr. Roberts. Tubs has reformed. Xavier bought his freedom from Seth Sojourn four years ago. He has been in our employment ever since. And he will be involved in this case, because his knowledge is too valuable to ignore. So, if you do not wish to know his valuable knowledge, then he will not come in, and later Xavier and I will share our information and then he will provide us his insights.”

  “I see,” the man stated. By his furrowed brow, he was clearly not happy. “I noticed he came from your house. Does he live there?”

  “Yes,” Vic replied, pondering why the man cared about where Tubs lived.

  Once they reached the front door, Xavier turned to face him. “I strongly recommend that we have Tubs join us. In fact, I would like Jacko to attend as well.”