“I might know someone who would want to adopt him.”
Meyers nodded and left the room.
“Vic, who are you planning to give the boy to?” Xavier asked.
“David. I think he’d like a little boy to father. Claire barely lets him touch Maddy in fear her dress will be wrinkled.”
Xavier sighed. “I have no idea why David adores your sister.”
“Well, as you observed, he doesn’t spend that much time with her. But she is very brilliant and he loves to be around brilliant people.”
“What if this boy proves to be dumb as a post?”
“Well, I’m embarrassed to admit, that’s why I asked to see him first.”
Meyers returned with her students and a normal size infant. Vic took the baby and laid it on the table. “What can you tell me about this baby? Cotter?”
Cotter shared what he knew of the boy and that it had been brought two days ago to the baby farmer and someone paid the fee for it to be killed at once.
Vic smiled at him. “What is the baby farmer’s name?”
“She says her name is Amelia Charm, but the name might have been created to support her illusion of goodness,” Cotter replied.
“Did Dr. Connors say how old the baby is?”
“He thinks the child is about a month old.”
“Has he been fed today?”
“Yes, I had my sister nurse him,” Cotter replied.
“Well, that explains why he’s so contented. Babies get cranky if they aren’t fed and then burped properly, and that matters if you are trying to rescue one.”
Cotter nodded. “That’s the truth. I thought the boy was crying because he’d been poisoned, but Dr. Connors checked him out and handed him to me and told me to find a nursemaid. I had no idea where to find one of those, so I just took him to my sister and asked her if she had enough to feed another baby. She assured me she did and I handed him over. To be honest, he smelled like the Thames and the whole backside of his sleeping gown was soiled. So, she made me remove the gown, wash the boy off, then wrap him in a blanket before she would feed him. He cried loudly until I washed and rinsed him off.”
“Do you know why?” Vic asked.
“Not really,” he admitted.
“Fecal material has hydrogen sulfide in it. It will burn and blister the skin. In higher concentrations, it will kill you.” She rolled the boy over and exposed his tiny red butt. “Now this is a good-natured baby.” She reached into the large satchel she’d brought and pulled out a container of activated charcoal.
She acquired the powder puff and coated the baby’s butt, back, and legs. Once done, she reattached the diaper with a safety pin and pulled down the gown. She glanced at Cotter. “Are these the clothes he wore when you found him, or did your sister give him new clothes?” she asked.
“The maid washed them, but those were the clothes he was in.”
“Excellent! Today, I planned to match you in pairs, so let’s do that now. Choose whoever you think you’ll work best with.”
She then turned and spoke to Xavier. “Would you find something soft for the baby to lay upon. Then call Gregory and ask for a bucket, more diapers, and to hire a nursemaid to feed this little guy.”
He shook his head and left the room.
Returning the boy to the center of the table, she studied the men. She was pleased to see Darby and Cotter had teamed up. She then pointed to two of the other men. “Switch partners.”
“We always work together,” one of the young men complained.
“That’s because you think alike, and thus you never disagree or argue. Am I right?” Vic challenged.
They both nodded.
Vic turned to Barns. “Do you want to share our first matchup?”
Barns laughed, “Not really, but for the benefit of my men, I will. We argued over everything at first. But eventually we managed to arrive at the same conclusion, and I know for a fact, I am better for it.”
“As am I,” she replied. When she turned back to the young men, she was pleased to see they were matched properly now. “The reason I asked you to change is because I had determined who is more analytical and who is more intuitive. The best results come with a matching of an analytical with an intuitive. This allows your team to have all the abilities to solve a crime.”
“So, what do we know about the mother?”
“She wished to murder him, so we know she’s a bad mother,” one of the analytic replied.
“Do we know that for certain?” she asked team three.
“Well, asking someone to kill your baby—”
“But we don’t actually know if the mother gave away the child. She could be a young girl, ruined by a married man. What do you see when you look at the boy?” She needed to give the boy a name so he didn’t remain an object in the officers’ minds. She wanted David to have him, but she dare not call him Davy Jr. Xavier’s driver, Davy, would not like it at all. “Let’s call the boy, Danny,” she suggested.
“He seems a happy child,” one of them admitted.
“He does. And alert. See how his eyes follow my finger?”
Danny reached out and grabbed her finger, stuffing it in his mouth.
“As Cotter noticed, his night gown is only recently worn and of high quality. Note the lace is not manufactured, but hand sewn beautifully. However, the style is perhaps fifteen years old. Which probably means it was originally bought for a child being born by the girl’s mother. Given Danny’s birth had to be kept secret, the girl’s mother could not be seen buying baby clothes, so Danny received a gown fifteen years old that had been bought for another child, perhaps one she miscarried.”
“How do you know so much about babies and their clothes?” one of the analytical fellows asked.
“I have a sister who has a baby and is very much into fashion.”
“Well, I have a sister and didn’t know any of this.”
“Then pay better attention.”
“This is interesting, but you don’t know it’s what happened,” another analytic complained.
“If I actually wished to find the mother of little Danny, I dare say I could do so before the day’s out. But that would only put him in danger. Can any of you tell me why?” All six raised their hands.
She nodded at one.
“They’d just send him to another baby farmer.”
Vic sighed. “More likely have someone, like a trusted servant, kill him. After the botched job, they wouldn’t trust another baby farmer. Now, let’s get to the reason he remains alive.”
“Cotter saved him,” suggested one of the analytics.
“He was supposed to die the day he arrived. Right, Cotter?”
“That’s what she said.”
“So why was he still alive?’
Darby spoke up. “She might have been planning to blackmail the mother.”
“Mother’s rarely have money, let’s focus on the men in the young girl’s life.”
Xavier entered the room and put her requested items on the table, then resumed his seat.
She smiled at Xavier. “Danny and I thank you,” she said as she placed the boy on the cushion and placed the small blanket over him. He quickly rolled to his side and fell asleep. Vic softened her voice. “And how was Danny treated during his first month of life. Was he loved or abused?”
Every one of them agreed he appeared to be healthy and happy.
“I agree. I would even say he was well-loved. So what happened? Why would any of you think that a mother, who so clearly loved her child, suddenly decided to have him murdered?”
“You’re right,” Cotter said. “The person who turned the child over to the baby farmer wasn’t the mother.”
“I will go so far as to say the true mother is very young and had no say whatsoever in what happened. Nor does her mother.”
“No offense, but how do you know that?” the other analytic asked.
Darby answered. “Because young girls are raised by their mothers, not
their fathers, and we can deduce by the loving, happy boy, that, the young girl was just as loving, and thus so must the mother be. The person who brought the boy to the baby farmer was either the girl’s father or the gentleman who took advantage of her.”
“Well done, Darby, and I will lean towards the gentleman who got her with child. If he were married, he would have a strong reason to want the boy killed. Especially, if his wife is the one who possesses their wealth. Even more so if that wife has a domineering father who controls the gentleman’s every action.”
“But you’ve no proof,” protested one of the analytics.
“That is true. But what we do know is whoever arrived with Danny, did so in a grand enough fashion to turn the baby farmer’s thoughts from murder to blackmail.”
Cotter spoke up at once. “We could canvas the area. It’s only been two days. Someone might recall a fancy carriage.”
“I’m sure they would. And then we would know who the father was and have to give Danny over to him and this sweet child would die soon after.”
“Couldn’t we just arrest him for attempted murder?” Cotter challenged.
Barns spoke up. “Sadly, no. Vic is correct. If the gentleman is a man of wealth, he can claim the boy, and even if the child dies soon after, it would only be called an unfortunate accident.”
Vic was amazed at how much Barns had grown up since his father died. She liked the new Barns very much! She turned her attention back to her unhappy young men.
“So, this case will remain unsolved and I’m giving Danny to a good family where he will be loved and adored.”
“Is that legal?” one of the analytics asked.
Barns answered. “It is not illegal, so leave it at that. I would prefer no mention of Danny be made to your fellow officers. Let them assume he went to the orphan’s home, where he probably would have died in a few months anyway, since they prefer older boys who can work for their food and shelter. This is a better ending for all.”
Xavier gave Barns a nod of approval.
Vic smiled. “Now let’s return to the exciting ending of yesterday’s case.”
As she shared the tangled tale in which the first wife’s sons were stolen and replaced with girls, all of the young officers looked to Barns for the truth.
“As crazy as it sounds, the story Vic created to get us into the house turned out to be true. And to be honest, when she insisted we go to a new address and search for the alleged boys that we had no proof even existed, I’ll admit, I lost my temper. But when we arrived and found four boys of the appropriate ages, in the worst conditions imaginable, the youngest one dead from arsenic poisoning, I was shocked. It was then I realized how vitally important paying attention to details and reading people matter. It is an entirely different level of thinking, and there is no one better than Victor, and if you can grasp half of what he knows, you will excel in your occupation.” He then looked at the three analytical guys, all showing signs of stress.
“There’s no need for you guys to worry. When it comes time to charge a client with a crime, you need actual proof that a crime was committed. And that is why you’ve been paired with an intuitive partner. The combination is stronger than either expertise alone.”
Vic nodded in agreement. “That proved true in this case. While I was certain that the wasp lady and the bigamist husband had both been involved in the attempt to kill the first wife, and in doing so killing one of the sons he never knew he had, I had no proof. They had been clever enough that only the wasp woman’s sister went to jail.”
She noticed the furrowed brows. These men were not happy that two criminals got off. “Which is why I said this case has loose strings. Turned out the man had no occupation and was as poor as a church mouse. He had been living off his wife’s fortune for the five years he had been trying to poison her. And since she never complained when he sold her fine paintings, he foolishly believed they belonged to him. But she had never signed her property over to him.”
“Could he not be charged with theft for selling the paintings?” one of the analytical officers asked.
Barns sighed. “Technically, yes, but no judge would side against him. While the laws have changed, the attitudes of most judges have not.”
“Not to mention, he had no money to return,” Vic observed. “Instead, his first wife wisely took the three boys and moved back to her family estate, in the loving arms of her parents.”
“What happened to the boys?” Darby asked.
“With the assistance of tutors, the boys can now speak, and are kind and polite young men, but they will always require a caretaker.”
Darby tilted his head. “So the husband never found out about the boys?”
“No, he believes the four girls born by the drunken mother are his. The reasoning as to why they had kept the boys alive at all was not rationally sound, but their mother was a drunk. While she insisted they keep the boys for future use, she treated them so badly that it was a miracle that three of them were still alive.”
“So, they got away with it?” Cotter asked.
Vic released a long sigh. “When the lady’s father threw the ex-husband out of the house so he could sell the London house and furnishings that remained, I had hoped the Wasp would kill her new, but now impoverished husband. Then I would have the honor of proving her guilty of a murder that a judge would care about. Only the husband came into money, so she had no reason to kill him.
“Due to their greed, they recently invested into a stock that had been soaring, then crashed to the floor, leaving them in dire straits. Consequently, I expect a murder to occur in the next week, and finally, I will be able to close this case.”
Darby raised his hand. “You’ll need help from Scotland Yard, won’t you?”
She smiled. “Yes, I plan to invite all six of you to find the evidence to prove she killed her husband. But be warned. The woman is beautiful, and appears to be able to mesmerize young men.”
“That’s just a wives’ tale. No one can mesmerize you,” one of the analytical fellows assured her.
“Not all people are susceptible to a mesmerist, but just because you are intelligent doesn’t mean you are safe. I’ve seen mesmerist get into the heads of very fine men. But not to worry, I will bring Tubs. He has proven even with the strongest of mesmerists, he cannot be controlled.”
Suddenly Vic realized she had lost something important. “Where did the baby go?”
Xavier spoke from behind her. “When the nursemaid arrived, I gave the baby to her and gave Casey the address. I wrote a letter to David. All the same, when you are done here, we should go over and ensure all is well. It wouldn’t surprise me if Claire doesn’t want a baby boy.”
“Well, it’s not her decision,” Vic snapped and then looked back at the young men. “You were far more open-minded today.” She turned to Barns, “Call me if you hear about the man’s death.”
Barns grinned. “I will, but before you run off, I believe Cotter wishes to speak for all the men.”
“Make it fast,” Xavier warned.
“We just want to thank you for helping us see how to do our job better. It is not good enough to ask questions and take notes. We need to listen and note exactly what they said and test our assumptions to see if they actually make sense. And just so you know, upon doing this, we do not understand why the second wife came to you at all to find her husband.”
Vic was very proud of her six officers for asking that question. “Ah! Excellent question. We were puzzled as well until she used the fact she had hired us as her proof of innocence. She convinced the judge she would not have done so had she been involved with her sister’s diabolical plan. The judge believed her and she went free. The Wasp is very clever, so keep your wits about you when we are called in to investigate the husband’s murder. I guarantee you, the guilt will point to an innocent person.”
As Vic and Xavier rode to Claire and David’s home, Vic cursed the ceiling of the carriage. Xavier looked up. “Forget somethi
ng?”
“No, I just realized who is going to take the fall, and we’ll get called to the stand and forced to help the Wasp get off.”
“I cannot imagine such a thing,” Xavier assured her.
“That’s because you still don’t appreciate how clever she is.”
“Evidently not.”
“She plans to frame Ben for the murder. He’s probably been rude to the servants and the master, so the servants will paint a bleak picture of the boy.”
Xavier huffed. “Very clever, because our picture of him wouldn’t be much better.”
Vic kicked the other bench. “No, it wouldn’t. But I’ll be damned if I let her use us again.” Sticking her head out the window, Vic yelled, “Davy turn around, we are returning to Scotland Yard.”
“So what is your plan?” Xavier asked.
“To take him to that doctor who likes to play with people’s heads.”
Xavier frowned. “Ben isn’t a split personality.”
“Well, he’s become an entirely different fellow, so that’s like a split personality where the mean dominant voice won’t let the nice Ben out to play.”
“That would probably interest him. And it would keep him secured, someplace the Wasp could not rescue him from.” He breathed out and ruffled her hair. “She may be clever, but not as clever as you.”
Barns was shocked when Vic ran into his office. “Has she already killed him?”
“No, but we need to move Ben right now. I’ll explain on the way.”
Barns grabbed his coat. “The jail is well guarded.”
“Not against a mesmerist, it’s not,” Vic assured him.
“Why do you care about Ben anyway? I thought you’d given up on the fellow when he tried to burn your office down. He’s expected to go to court tomorrow. It will be most embarrassing to have him disappear from my jail.”
“Then pick up your pace!”
“Vic, I need you to stop and tell me the plan.”
“Unfortunately, we don’t have time. The Wasp is here!”
Vic took off at a run and knocked a young gentleman down to the floor.
She watched Xavier run past her, which made no sense at all, but fortunately when the Wasp attacked her, Barns came to her rescue.
Toxic Diamonds (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 8) Page 17
