Jacko thought that a very bad plan. “And how, other than procuring a customer, can a whore protect a lady down on her luck from harm?”
A low growl came from Xavier. Jacko raised both hands in surrender. “I take it back. I am sure you have contingencies galore.”
“I do. However, I used my get-out-of-having-sex card last night with a decent fellow who propositioned ‘Jane Eyre’. I was hoping Vic just planned to tell him to bugger off. Instead, the foolish pup jumps directly to the ‘kill him’ option, so I had no choice but to intervene and insist I would be more fun.”
Jacko couldn’t resist. “And were you?” he asked while managing to keep a straight face.
“Not really. I led him through four alleys to the foulest corner of hell imaginable and then asked four times the going rate for a blow job, coughing several times to assure him I had some contagion he didn’t want.
“He changed his mind and hurried off. I then did door checks on all the rooms on the fourth floor. “You’d be amazed at how many people don’t invest in a lock.”
“I hope Vic did.”
“Vic is staying in Maggie and Pete’s old room. It has a lock and the bolt was engaged. I listened at the door and could hear Vic’s soft grumbles of discontent inside.”
“If you know who ordered the kill and who carried it out, why don’t you pull Vic in and have Tubs take care of the matter?”
Xavier rolled his neck and glared out his window. “Two reasons. First, I have no idea if Vic is correct. The pup has no proof. This is just one of his fantastical leaps of intuition.”
Jacko smiled at Xavier’s continued reference to Vic as a fellow. Even though they both knew Vic was a woman, he had a strict rule about always referring to Vic in masculine gender.
But regardless of Vic’s gender, Jacko was not about to discount her intuitive skills. “Yeah, he is prone to leaping. I remember him coming in my store, demanding a map of doctors who don’t report gunshot wounds to the police. He was convinced you’d been shot, your wound was infected, and you’d been moved to a doctor’s office somewhere west of Dragon Clouds. Pure speculation.”
Except it all proved to be true.
“If you thought it ‘pure speculation,’ then why did you sell Vic my map?” Xavier growled.
Xavier clearly remained outraged that Jacko had charged Vic five pounds for a map Xavier had drawn. But he couldn’t regret doing so. The map helped them find and rescue Xavier before he died of his infected gunshot. “Think of it this way. You helped save yourself.”
Xavier scowled and learned back in his chair.
“So what’s your second reason for leaving Vic at the docks after he’s discovered all we need to know?”
“It’s not that simple. Conrad is a policeman with surprisingly high connections. And the proprietor of the apothecary shop appears to be the string between those connections. Whatever he is about is much bigger than Maggie’s death, so we can either pursue this fully, or risk Tubs being charged and put to death for an attempt at private justice.”
Jacko groaned. Damn, why was nothing simple? If the wealthy were involved, the risk and danger increased a hundredfold.
“The third reason Vic remains incognito is because I need this resolved through the courts, so Pete can see justice can happen.”
Jacko frowned at that reason. “Not sure that’s a realistic quest if people of importance are involved.”
“Until we know how they’re involved, I can’t determine that. Thus, our plans remain in flux. Stone is getting his collar yanked from above, so we’re losing Scotland Yard on this.” He leaned forward. “I am not comfortable with Vic standing on the front line alone. Thousands of things can go wrong. Dressed as a woman, she seems…”
“Vulnerable?”
“Too much so. Which is why I need you to play your part in her cover.”
“Which is?”
“You are her unreliable lover. She gave up everything to be with you, but then Alice and her fortune came your way and you tucked ‘Jane’ into a small house, promising to return soon after the honeymoon. Only you didn’t. A month ago the landlord kicked Jane out because you had failed to renew the lease. Jane’s life has been going down ever since. She recently sold her hair and now wears a wig. She refuses all advances, because she still pines for you, certain someday you’ll return.”
Jacko almost choked at the story. “Vic is playing the role of a victim?”
A faint smile came to Xavier’s lips. “Not a big jump. Vic believes all women are victims and that the field is skewed entirely in the man’s favor. And to be fair, that’s true.”
“Still, I don’t think this is a good role for Vic to play. Somebody’s gonna get killed.”
Xavier nodded. “That somebody was almost a harmless fellow needing a woman last night. Which is why I’m asking you to return to London, only to discover your payment for the lease was never received, and now after a month of searching you have word Jane’s living in the docks. Tonight as she comes out of the apothecary, you finally discover her. You will, of course, insist upon setting her back up in a better part of town, but she refuses to trust you again. So you pay penance by being the dotting fellow who sees her home each night.”
Honestly, this assignment had disaster written all over it, but Jacko couldn’t refuse to help. Xavier had to be worried sick over Vic’s safety. And in a roundabout way, he owed Vic for his current happy life. Vic had discovered where Alice’s mother was being held and engaged him to rescue the woman while she caused a riot in Bedlam. And when Jacko took the rescued woman to a country estate, he’d met Alice. It was love at first sight…for both of them.
“I’ll take that happy smile as agreement you’re doing the job?” Xavier snapped.
“Sorry, I was thinking about the night I met Alice. Yes, I will follow after your trouble-prone pup and try to keep him safe.”
Xavier’s anger softened. “I forgot the connection. Vic saved Alice’s mother.”
“Actually, it was I who rescued the lady.” Why did people always give Vic the credit?
“Yes, but Vic is the one who discovered where she was being hidden.”
“That is correct.”
“And Vic caused the riot.”
“That is also correct.”
“While you basically crawled through the ceiling, opened a jail cell with a key Vic had pinched, and had the lady follow you out to a carriage which Davy had left for you.”
Jacko forced a smile to his face. “Yes.”
“And if I recall, you later told me it was the easiest rescue you’ve ever done.”
Jacko should have never told him that.
“And for your part, you were richly rewarded with a grateful and lovely wife who came with a sizable fortune.”
“I did not marry Alice for her fortune,” he growled.
“As of now, you did.”
Jacko pushed himself out of the chair. “If I’m going to play the simpering sop, I best find myself a tolerable room near my begging grounds.”
“Yes, you should, because Vic will no doubt be too angry to let you stay in her room. You can’t just leave for a year and expect to come back without some penance.”
Jacko slammed out of the office, got on his horse, and galloped off, angry with the way Xavier had lessened his part of the rescue.
The man could be an intolerable ass at times.
Chapter 8
Xavier regretted his words the moment Jacko left. Yes, he had reason to be angry. After all he had done for Jacko, he’d never thought his friend would just up and leave like he did a year ago.
So the man was in love. Xavier had been very much in love for years, but it didn’t mean he ignored his friendships and responsibilities.
Unfortunately, Xavier allowed his resentment to taint their first meeting. Now he wasn’t even certain Jacko was going to take the assignment. He might very well be riding home now, leaving Vic unprotected.
He pushed himself up and stormed to
the door. “Ben, come with me.”
The young man jumped to his feet.
“You are going on your second assignment. This will be a long and potentially dangerous one. Bring your gun.”
Ben’s eyes sparkled with excitement. “Shall I ask Davy to take appointments?”
“No…Tubs!” Xavier bellowed.
The giant scampered down the stairs on amazingly light feet.
“Tubs, since I can’t use you on this mission, given people in the docks know you work for me, I need you to sit at the desk and take appointments.”
Tub’s face flushed and for a moment Xavier thought him angry, and his grimace didn’t alter that interpretation, but then he spoke. “Sorry, I’m no good at disguises.”
The giant then looked at Ben’s desk chair with a great deal of worry etched upon his face.
Ben also stared at it with great sadness, almost as if he was mentally saying goodbye, knowing it would soon be crushed to pieces.
“I’ll go get my chair from upstairs if you don’t mind,” Tubs said.
Xavier nodded his consent and watched the seven-foot giant hurry upstairs to retrieve the chair Vic had commissioned a carpenter to build specifically for Tubs. Vic had done a great job with the employees she’d hired. They both had the best attitudes he’d ever seen.
He patted Ben on his back. “Your chair will live to serve you upon your return.”
The young man beamed from ear to ear as he followed Xavier out.
Upon giving Davy the address, Xavier and Ben climbed into the carriage.
Once seated across from Xavier, the boy asked, “Can I know something about my assignment?” His excitement reminded Xavier of Vic when she first came on.
“I’m sending you out in disguise to help protect Vic. The pup’s a magnet for trouble, so it is possible you’ll have to shoot someone during this mission. Are you able to do that?”
“To save Vic, yes, sir!” Ben replied without hesitation.
“Don’t bother trying to wing them. That will only result in a criminal running about who wants you dead. If you have to intervene, then shoot to kill.”
He provided the boy with as much useful advice on blending in and disappearing from view that he could cram in the short ride to his safe house. The housekeeper let them both in, eyed Ben and then disappeared, shaking her head. Once in the basement, Xavier found Ben clothes appropriate for the task.
Wide-eyed, the young man turned slowly around, taking in the basement. “This is fabulous! Will I be wearing a disguise?”
“Only clothes. I don’t want you distracted by makeup getting in your eyes or a wig tumbling off.”
Ben covered up his disappointment, but not before Xavier saw it. Once the boy was dressed warmly with an overlay of a shabby coat and pants that looked too thin to keep a person alive, he wrapped Ben’s good boots in rags.
Satisfied with the boy’s impoverished appearance, he led the fellow to the mirror and turned on several gas lights. He tousled the boy’s hair, added a handful of hair gel, and then sprinkled some dirt in it so his hair looked like it hadn’t been washed for years. As a final touch, he smudged dirt on Ben’s happy face.
“Once you hit the streets there will be no further smiling.”
The boy’s face dropped to one of misery. Xavier wasn’t sure whether Ben was upset he’d gotten scolded or presenting the face expected.
“Don’t look too distraught, or people will focus on you. You want to blend, which means you need to have the same level of misery the rest of them do. No more. No less.”
Ben lessened his facial contortions.
“That’s good.” Xavier patted his newest apprentice on the back and led him upstairs. He handed the boy a key when the carriage stopped ten blocks from the start of lower London. “Once Vic gets to his room, you may retire to yours, which is two doors down from Vic’s. Under no circumstances speak to Victor.”
Ben nodded and climbed out.
***
Vic was bored senseless. Not a single customer had arrived all morning. She found a ladder in the storage room and was dusting the corners when she sensed someone watching her.
She looked down to see Mr. Schnell standing at the counter, gazing at her with what she feared was admiration. She scampered down, not wanting to be caught on a ladder if he chose to go from admiration to lust.
“I found the ladder in the storage room. I hope it was all right to use it.”
A faint smile came to his lips. “Most ladies of society wouldn’t have.”
Damn it! She had forgotten how bloody useless society women were. “I was never high society and, over the last year, I’ve learned to do things on my own.”
He took in her words, then sighed heavily. “And still you wait for this sorry excuse of a man.”
She agreed with Schnell entirely. Why would any woman hold out for a man who ran off and married another? It was pathetic. But her character had burned her bridges by choosing Jacko over her family. Without family or a man, a woman had nothing.
She gave a quiet shrug. “I love him. I had no choice.”
“And now?”
Given Schnell’s previous look, she needed to handle this carefully. “I still love him,” she whispered and tried to walk past Schnell, only he grabbed her arm.
“Have you eaten?”
“No, if you don’t mind, I’ll go buy something now.”
“I’ve a better idea. The cook made pot roast last night. I’ll have her cut you a slice for a sandwich.”
Vic worried about where this might go, but she really needed to get into the parlor and search for clues as to what criminal acts had gotten Maggie killed.
Her lack of a response, caused Mr. Schnell to add, “It’s just a sandwich. Nothing more.”
With the appearance of great reluctance, she followed him through the storage room and into his palatial parlor.
He hurried her through the parlor to a far less impressive kitchen. While anyone from this neighborhood would think it very fine, it was not the kitchen of a grand home. Clearly, his clients were never fed while here.
A thin frail woman stared at them as if frightening creatures had just entered her haven. Instead of speaking to the woman, Schnell’s hands flew about making various shapes and actions while the woman stared intently. Finally, she calmed and hurried to the icebox.
His actions confused Vic until she recalled similar hand movements once between two deaf mutes. “Did you just speak to your cook with hand signals?”
Schnell pulled out a chair at the raw wood table and waited for ‘Jane’ to be seated. “Yes, she’s stone deaf, but a good housekeeper and cook, so I took her on when no one else would. She taught me her sign language so I could tell her what I wished to eat.”
Vic was impressed. His only servant couldn’t eavesdrop. She could still see what went on in the parlor, but either that would not set off alarms or Schnell knew she wouldn’t be able to talk about what she saw. If it was the latter, there should be caution, perhaps distress in her eyes, but now the woman seemed perfectly at ease.
“What has you so deep in thought?” Schnell asked as he sat down at the head of the table next to her.
“I…was thinking how kind you were to learn her language. I imagine getting a job had to be very hard for her.”
“It was. She weighed half what she does now when I hired her.”
Vic frowned. The woman looked to be skin and bones.
He chuckled. “I know what you’re thinking. How is that possible? Well, it was and if you will have lunch with me each day, you can watch Mrs. Eldels widen and grow fat before your very eyes.”
Vic suspected she’d have to stay here forever to see that.
His pudgy hand covered her left hand. “I am only offering you lunch, without strings attached. I am all too aware the cost of food.”
If that was the case, then why didn’t he offer her a better salary? However, she knew why. There were strings to the lunches, only he planned to t
ug them in so slowly that stupid Jane never noticed.
She wondered if he had done the same with Maggie.
“I’ve upset you,” he said. “I apologize. Join me for lunch or not. Your job is not at risk. I am very pleased with your work.”
“What work?” she blurted out.
He chuckled. “Most of my customers are a superstitious lot. The death of my prior employee has scared them off, but they’ll come back. They always do.”
“Would it be all right if I order some products before they do? We’re missing the main ingredients for almost half of what’s in the book.”
“Perhaps later, when the customers return.”
She refrained from observing it would be a poor reward for the ones who returned first.
As if reading her mind, he added, “Medicine helps because people believe it helps. To be honest, some main ingredients do more harm than good.”
He was probably right about that. A faint smile tugged at her lips. “I hadn’t intended to include arsenic on the items to reorder.”
He gave her another look of admiration before signaling his cook to bring him yet another giant sandwich.
Once they finished their meal, he led her into the parlor and motioned for her to sit upon the sofa. She would have preferred to roam freely about the room, but she’d take what she could get. “This is the finest parlor I have ever seen.
“Thank you,” he stated and sat down beside her.
“Do you entertain royalty in here?” she asked as innocently as possible, watching his face carefully, hoping for a tell.
His left eyelid fluttered for a second and then he laughed. “That would be the day! Royalty coming to visit little old me.”
Damn it all, he did receive royalty, or someone he considered equal to royalty.
“This must have cost a fortune. I remember my father carrying on about the two thousand pounds my mother spent redecorating our parlor and the results were not nearly as spectacular.” She stared up at the crystal chandelier. “Those sparkle like real crystals.”
Well Kept Secrets (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 4) Page 7
