A Dangerous Deceit (Thief-Takers)

by Alissa Johnson

  “As I said, not in pots and bowls.”

  “But unlikely. Are you going to waste your time on the unlikely? You’re certain the list has already been found. It could be getting farther and farther away even as we speak.”

  “Are you in a hurry for me to shoot you?”

  “I can’t stop you, if you’re determined. But I’d prefer you hire me.”

  Mr. Kray barked out a harsh laugh. “Hire you?”

  “I’m a private investigator,” Gabriel said smoothly. “I take on commissions.”

  “Even the treasonous variety? Isn’t that a bit…risky?”

  “Not when you have the right contacts.”

  “High down needle you.”

  “I beg to differ. There are only so many people who could have taken the list from whatever hiding spot you apparently found empty. Your men, or the residents of Twillins Cottage. You might be able to manage the former, but you’ll have trouble with the latter.”

  The list, Jane thought. Hadn’t Mr. Kray mentioned a list? Right after the yaks?

  A list like the one in her pocket?

  “The Ballenger woman?” Mr. Kray said dismissively. “She has less chance of selling off the list than you do.”

  “She’s in dire straits, and not very clever.”

  Even knowing he was acting, Jane couldn’t stop herself from stiffening at the comment.

  “So the villagers say,” Mr. Kray returned, and relaxed some in his chair. “But she’s pretty and a little bit mad, so what does it matter, eh?”

  “She’s also exceedingly wary of strangers.”

  “I suppose you charmed her in the first five minutes.”

  “Took nearly a full day.”

  Mr. Kray smirked and kicked out one leg, appearing to enjoy the conversation. “You’re losing your touch, Arkwright.”

  “Not so quickly as you. The culprit, I’ve little doubt, is among your men. One of them snuck inside ahead of you. However, on the slim chance it’s Miss Ballenger or her staff, it’s likely they don’t fully understand or appreciate the risk and value of what they have. They’ll be open to a bit of guidance.”

  “And what will this guidance cost me?”

  Gabriel looked down at something small and gold in his hand. “Fifty percent.”

  “God, when you ask for a bribe, you don’t do it half measure, do you? Ten percent.”

  “Shall we skip the obligatory back-and-forth and agree on twenty-five?”

  “Twenty.”

  “What’s your estimate of its worth?”

  Mr. Kray laughed again, and this time, it seemed to Jane that there was real mirth in the sound. “You really don’t move in my circles, do you?”

  “I really don’t,” Gabriel replied, and looked down again.

  “The price remains to be determined, but I can promise you that twenty percent, if you earn it, will be worth no less than ten of your commissions.”

  “Twenty percent it is, then.”

  “Very well. Why do you keep checking your watch?”

  “Miss Ballenger and the Harmons are expecting me at the inn in ten minutes. It’s a good thing you didn’t shoot me. Difficult to dispose of a body in under ten minutes.”

  “Not after a bit of practice,” was Mr. Kray’s ominous reply. “You’re asking me to trust you.” He rubbed his chin with the back of his hand. “I don’t like it. I want insurance.”

  “What do you have in mind?”

  “That watch. It’s your father’s, isn’t it?”

  There was a long moment of silence before Gabriel responded. “How do you know about that?”

  “I’m a spy, Arkwright. I deal in secrets. Do we have an agreement or not?”

  Gabriel looked down at his hand and muttered something she couldn’t hear, then said, “We have a deal.”

  He rose from his seat and crossed the short distance to Kray. He held the watch out by the chain, dangling it just out of the other man’s reach. “I want this back.”

  “Play your part and you’ll have it. Double-cross me, and I drop it in the nearest well. Right on top of Miss Ballenger’s corpse.”

  Mr. Kray half-stood, reaching for the watch.

  In one quick, clean movement, Gabriel swept Mr. Kray’s leg, knocking his feet out from under him. Mr. Kray fell backward into the chair. The jarring impact was too much for the old wood. It buckled and snapped beneath him, and before Jane knew it, the man was lying on the ground and staring up into the barrel of his own gun.

  Panting, Mr. Kray shoved a jagged bit of wood from his chest. “What the dev—”

  Gabriel leveled the gun at his head. “Stay where you are.”

  “We had a deal, Arkwright.”

  “Yes, it’s irritating, isn’t it, to be stabbed in the back by an ally? Makes a man wonder just whom can be trusted. Who sent you? Was it Jones, or are you here on someone else’s orders?”

  “Go to hell,” Mr. Kray spat. “You won’t shoot me. Hiding a body in broad daylight takes experience, Arkwright. You don’t have it.”

  “Don’t I? You’re not privy to all my secrets, Kray. At any rate, I don’t need it. You attacked me. It’s self-defense.”

  “No one will believe that.”

  “Of course they will. I’m a Thief Taker. Better yet, I have a witness.” He turned his head, just a bit. “Jane, love, you can come out now.”

  She hesitated, afraid she might have misheard. Had he really told her to come out? Perhaps he’d said to get help.

  “Jane,” he said more forcefully. “Come along.”

  The impatience in his voice rubbed against her fearful nerves like glass. She stepped out from her hiding place and cautiously made her way toward the men. The scraping of her boots against the cobblestone seemed unnaturally loud echoing in the alleyway.

  The first thought that struck her as she neared Gabriel was that he no longer looked like the easy, charming man who had strolled through the woods with her yesterday. This wasn’t the courteous gentleman who’d gently steered her around a set of tree roots in her path and disposed of a bee in her parlor window, nor the rakish flirt who had made her blush and laugh. Neither was he the man she’d just witnessed cavalierly strike a treasonous deal with Mr. Kray.

  Those men were gone, replaced by a complete stranger with a sharp smile and emotionless eyes. His entire countenance had changed, as if he’d shrugged off one persona and donned another as easily as trading hats.

  To Jane, he looked cold, dangerous, and more than a little frightening. But he still appeared a lesser threat than Mr. Kray, whose face was had turned a reddish purple in his anger.

  She sidled a little closer to Gabriel, and his palm brushed the small of her back.

  “It’s all right,” he said softly in her ear. “He can’t hurt you.” He turned to his captive again and dipped the barrel of his gun in a prompting manner. “What’s on the list, Kray?”

  “Go to hell.”

  “Just as soon as…” He trailed off and tipped his head to the side as if listening. Then he pulled a second pistol from somewhere under his coat and pressed it into her hand. “Jane, take this. Point it…” He cupped her elbow and brought her arm up so she was aiming at a pile of refuse farther up the alley from where she’d been hiding behind the crates. “Right there.”

  She shook her head. She was a fair shot with a rifle, but she had little experience with a pistol. It felt heavy and awkward in her hand. “Why—”

  “Just do as I say. Don’t drop your aim.” He turned to Mr. Kray. “I thought Fulberg wasn’t one of yours.”

  Mr. Kray said something she didn’t understand. Something disparaging about this Fulberg from the sound of it.

  Gabriel lifted his voice. “Then I have to ask why he’s pointing a gun at my head!”

  There was a strange, tense pause. Then a figure slowly rose from the behind the pile, and Jane’s hand began to shake. She hadn’t been aiming at refuse. She was aiming at a man.

  Gabriel shifted a little closer to h
er, and spoke softly in her ear. “Steady, Jane. Trust me.”

  Steady?Steady? She was pointing a gun at another human being. A human being who was, indeed, aiming a gun at Gabriel’s head.

  “How long have you been hiding there, Fulberg?” Gabriel asked as the man made his way to join them.

  “Long enough.”

  “You don’t have to do this.” He jerked his chin toward Mr. Kray, who’d managed to get to his knees. “He’s a traitor.”

  “From what I just heard, you both are. Now, I don’t much care who sent either of you, or for what. I won’t stand by while you endanger innocent lives. So, here’s what we do. Miss Ballenger, you can come with me.” He sent her a smile that was almost reassuring. “I’ll take you and the Harmons to safety. And the two of you”—he waved his weapon between both men— “can sort out the rest between yourselves.”

  “She’s not coming with you,” Gabriel replied coldly. “Jane, shoot him if you like.”

  Before Jane could even take a breath to gasp at the horrific suggestion, Gabriel turned the gun in his hand, and brought the barrel of it down on Mr. Kray’s head.

  The man crumpled back to the ground.

  “Oh, my God,” she breathed. “Oh, my God.”

  To her further shock, Mr. Fulberg immediately lowered his weapon. And grinned. “Well, that ought to do it.”

  Gabriel responded with a smile of his own. “Well done, man. You missed your calling on the stage.”

  Mr. Fulberg nodded at her gun patiently. “If you would be so good as to point that elsewhere, please, Miss Ballenger?”

  “What…? I don’t…” She looked to Gabriel, to Mr. Fulberg, and back again. “What ishappening?”

  “A little play for Kray’s benefit.” Gabriel reached up and gently took the weapon from her hand. “I’ll explain later. Gag him, Fulberg. Your tie should do it.”

  While Fulberg removed his necktie and used it to muffle Kray, Gabriel pulled a set of manacles from his coat. With Fulberg’s help, he quickly dragged Kray over to the wall and shackled him to an exposed pipe.

  Gabriel nodded in approval of their work. “That should keep him occupied for a while. How many in town?”

  “I can’t be certain,” Fulberg replied. “I stuck with Kray. But there are at least two in the square and another outside the inn.”

  “We can’t sneak him out, then. We’ll have to leave him here. The Harmons?”

  “Safe. Here…” He backtracked up the alley to where he’d been hiding earlier, and returned with a large leather satchel. He tossed it at Gabriel. “Thought you might want this.”

  “Good man.” Gabriel slipped the satchel strap crosswise over his chest. “Right. You know the plan.”

  “Aye.”

  “Plan?” Jane echoed as Gabriel reached for her hand and began to pull her down the alley. Mr. Fulberg took up position on the other side, neatly boxing her in. “What plan?”

  “Fulberg and I will take you and the Harmons to safety,” Gabriel explained. “Out of Kray’s reach.”

  Dazed, she managed a quick, unsteady nod. “All right. Good.” She had no objections to that plan. She could stay with the Harmons in one of the shops while the men went for the constable. She glanced behind her. “Shouldn’t someone stay with him? What if he wakes and frees himself?”

  Both men shook their heads, but neither offered an explanation.

  “What about this list Kray’s after?” Mr. Fulberg asked as they rounded a corner.

  “Oh. Wait.” Jane stopped, dug out the papers she’d found in the oil lamp, and passed them to Gabriel. “Could this be it? Edgar sent it to me.”

  Gabriel quickly unfolded the pages, then swore under his breath. “Where did you find this?”

  “He sent it in an old lamp. Is it what everyone is searching for?”

  “What is it?” Mr. Fulberg asked.

  Gabriel folded the papers again and stuck them in his pocket.

  Jane shook her head at Mr. Fulberg. “It’s just a list of names and sums with—”

  “Jane,” Gabriel cut in. “That’s not information to be volunteered. The less people know, the safer they’ll be.”

  “Well…” She looked from one man to the other. “He knows now.”

  Gabriel gave the other man an assessing look. “True.”

  “Is it what Kray is after?” she pressed.

  “It must be.” Gabriel pulled the paperwork back out of his pocket and handed it to Mr. Fulberg.

  He looked at it with mild surprise. “You trust me with this?”

  “She’s already told you what’s on it. More or less. Get it to the rendezvous point.”

  Mr. Fulberg stowed the papers away, gave a single nod, and took off in the direction of Main Street.

  Gabriel took Jane’s hand again, and pulled her off in the opposite direction.

  Neither of them were headed where she expected. “The constable. He’s—”

  “He can’t help us.”

  “Of course he can. He’s paid to help us. He can arrest Mr. Kray and take the list.” Effectively removing all danger from the Harmons. That was all that mattered.

  “Kray’s men would have him out in under an hour.” He quickened their pace to a near run. “Your one constable is no match for twenty armed men.”

  “I thought they wereyour men. You said—”

  “There was some miscommunication. The men at the cottage take orders from Kray, not me.”

  “But even if that’s true, the constable wouldn’t be alone. You’ll be there, and Mr. Fulberg, and—”

  “We won’t be there.” He pulled her around a corner into another long alley. “We’re leaving.”

  “Leaving?” Her heart, already racing, leapt straight into her throat. “Leaving for where?”

  Surely he didn’t mean they wereleaving, leaving.

  “We’re leaving town.”

  “Back to Twillins?”

  “No.”

  Oh, God. “No. Wait.” When he ignored her tug on his hand, she dug in her heels and yanked her arm free. “Wait!”

  “Jane—”

  “This is too fast.” Everything was moving much too fast. There was too much happening, and she didn’t understand any of it. “You have to tell me what’s happening. Where are we going? Where are the Harmons? Why did we just—”

  “The Harmons are coming. Fulberg’s just gone to fetch them. We are going”—he pointed toward a great puff of steam and soot rising above the rooflines—“wherever that train is headed. Provided we reach it in time. I’ll explain everything else as soon as we’re aboard. But we have to go now. You have to trust me.”

  She wanted to. She did, but… “I don’t know you. Not really.”

  And she didn’t want to leave.

  “I know, but you don’t have to trust me for the rest of your life, just for the next quarter hour. That’s it. Do exactly as I say for the next fifteen minutes, and Fulberg and I will get all of you to safety.” He pulled out the gun he’d taken from her earlier, and pressed it into her hand. “If I break your trust at any time, you can put a hole through me.”

  She looked down at the weapon in disgust. “I don’t want this.” She never wanted to take aim at another human being as long as she lived.

  “I know, sweetheart, but you might have need of it. Put it in your pocket.” He bent his head to catch her eye. “Fifteen minutes?”

  She glanced at the plume of smoke. It might take fifteen minutes to get them all out of town, but how long before they could come back again?

  A quarter hour to get the Harmons to safety. She pictured their beloved faces in her mind. They were her family, her responsibility. Nothing was more important than their well-being. Fifteen minutes or fifteen years, she’d do whatever it took to keep them safe.

  She stuck the gun in her pocket. “I’ll give you ten. If the Harmons aren’t safe in ten minutes, I’m going to the constable.”

  “Fair enough.”

  They followed the alleyways tow
ard the smoke, but rather than turn down one of the small side streets leading to the railway station, he steered them toward a busier thoroughfare. He stopped before they left the relative shelter of the alleyway. “I need you to smile and act as if everything is normal. Can you do that?”

  “Yes.” Probably. She didn’t really have a choice, did she? “But shouldn’t we take the back lanes and stay out of sight?” She glanced around him at a trio of well-dressed ladies gathered at the far corner. “I know those women.” Knewofthem, at least. “They’ll recognize me.”

  “Perfect.” He took her hand and slipped into the crook of his arm. “Chin up, Jane. Be friendly.”

  Before she could argue, they were strolling out onto the street as if it were a perfectly normal, perfectly respectable thing for a lady to come waltzing out of an alley on the arm of a strange man.

  She heard muted gasps, a round of tsking, a few mumbled words that may or may not have contained her name, and then a chorus of tittering that followed her down the street.

  “I’m ruined,” she whispered to him. It was a strange thing to say aloud. Stranger yet to say it through a smile. She ought to be horrified, but all she could muster was a bit of shock, and even that was buried beneath the terror and urgency of the moment. “You’ve ruined me.”

  He looked down at her. “You’re not ruined. If there’s damage, I’ll fix it later.”

  “You can’t fix it. They saw me.”

  “I can fix it,” he said firmly and mumbled something under breath, something that sounded suspiciously like, “Don’t shoot me yet.” But as she wasn’t sure, she didn’t respond.

  She kept her mouth closed and a pleasant expression on her face until they reached the railway station. To her relief, it was blessedly free of crowds. They were able to purchase their tickets without pushing through a sea of people. Most of the passengers appeared to be on board already. Only a small group remained gathered by the end of the train.