Pack of Trouble (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 5)

by Liza O'Connor

  “Good.”

  “Pup, you’re missing the big picture. She will tell her husband everything you said and he will bury us in a libel suit.”

  “I did not libel him.”

  “You will not be able to prove that, because he will have the one person who could give the courts reason to believe your accusation quietly removed.”

  “I did not accuse him. Nor does Lady Abigail think he’s guilty. She believes it is the artist who harmed Julia. And I told her we would address the situation.”

  The tension softened in his face as he sat down in her chair. Cannon, stretched out his arms to Xavier then leapt off Vic’s lap. Fortunately, Xavier’s reflexes came to the rescue, leaving Cannon laughing with happiness.

  “You’ve created a monster,” Vic warned.

  He pulled the boy to his chest. “Would that be Cannon or you?”

  “What did I do that was so wrong?” she demanded.

  “You have put the girl’s life in peril, and unfortunately, we have no idea where she is.”

  “Why didn’t you retrieve Cannon to trace the drop?”

  When he told her of his morning meeting with the First Minister, she was more outraged than ever.

  “Xavier, this has gone far beyond not naming our son after him.”

  “I agree,” he spoke softly as he held Cannon by his feet and dangled him between his legs.

  “Will you just drop him on his head so he no longer likes your game and focus on me!”

  Xavier laid Cannon on the floor and turned to her. “You have my entire focus.”

  “She was thirteen when she left the house. She sent her aunt a note six months ago telling her she knew she was not to blame. How does a thirteen year old, beautiful girl survive on the streets?”

  “I will search the hells tonight.”

  Vic passed him both pictures. “I expect she’ll look more like her angry photo.”

  Xavier placed it in his pocket and handed the other back to her.

  “Look for places that specialize in sadistic theatre. She may have been replaying the part of Justine until six months ago.”

  “When the black mail began.”

  “Yes. The only reason besides death to leave her job would be she is either sick or pregnant. How much was the First Minister sending the blackmailer?”

  “He wouldn’t say, but not enough to concern him. All he cared about was his damn book.”

  Xavier stepped over Cannon, leaned over Vic’s plaster body, and kissed her. “I take back everything I said. I am very glad you spoke with Lady Abigail.”

  “Then you don’t think she’ll talk to the First Minister.”

  “Oh, that is for certain. But I am confident Jacko and I can end this nonsense tonight.”

  Vic gripped his arm, ignoring the pain it cost her splint fingers. “She’s the victim, Xavier. Don’t lose sight of that.”

  “I won’t. If all goes well, I will be able to protect her, Stone, and you in one fell swoop.”

  ***

  Xavier’s first stop was to collect Jacko and his family from their day in the park. When he arrived, they appeared to have lost all interest in the post box. The two young boys continued to play, but he had no doubt Jacko, Alice and Pete watched him even as they paid attention to the younger boys. Jacko threw Pete a ball that went over his head and rolled across the road towards Xavier. Xavier stopped the ball with his foot and walked it over to Pete waiting on the other side.

  “Anything to report?”

  “The postman came and took a bunch of envelopes, but no packages.”

  He handed Pete the ball. “Did you have fun while you were here?”

  Pete grinned, showing his dimples. “We had lots of fun. Mom says we should do this even if there isn’t a crime to be solved.”

  Xavier was glad Pete was calling Alice his mom. It meant he’d moved on and accepted his place in his new family. “Good. I am glad the day wasn’t wasted. Will you tell your dad that he should go home to sleep now because I’ll be by at midnight to pick him up?”

  “May I come, too?”

  “Not this time.”

  The boy huffed. “Someday when I’m bigger.”

  “Absolutely. Now go deliver my message.”

  He was impressed when Pete ran to Alice, holding out his ball, and to all appearances seemed to be telling her of its adventure. Yet the faint nod from Jacko assured Xavier Pete had relayed the message.

  Xavier smiled and returned to his carriage. That boy would someday make an excellent spy for his country.

  ***

  Before returning home, Xavier had Davy stop at the First Minister’s house. The butler let him in at once, requiring no explanation. He had not even declared his name.

  He led Xavier to a god-awful parlor. “I will let Lady Abigail know you are here.”

  A haggard, but well-dressed old woman entered and closed the door behind her. “Has something happened to Victor?” she asked.

  Her question took him off guard. “Vic is fine. He filled me in on his conversation with you. I need to reiterate one point. It is vital you do not tell your husband that Vic was here.”

  “I already gave that promise to Vic, but may I ask why the possibility I might do so made it worth your trouble to come here?”

  “Your husband’s involvement could prevent a successful conclusion.”

  She frowned. “Have you spoken to him since you returned from Spain?”

  “I have had several conversations.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Does his logic seem somewhat…I don’t know how to say it, other than nonsensical?”

  “Very much so.”

  “Is it possible he has had a stroke?”

  “I will make inquiries into the matter and let you know.”

  She breathed in. “I would greatly appreciate that because I have no idea how to proceed. Clearly, he is no longer rational and should not be First Minister, but he thinks he is fine and everyone else is being unreasonable.”

  “I am sorry. I will make inquiries at once and let you know tomorrow.”

  “Thank you. I ask that you do not reveal the party of interest when discussing the matter with the doctor.”

  “You have my word. It is a great honor to meet you, Lady Abigail.”

  “The honor is all mine,” she assured him and walked him to the door.

  ***

  Xavier had Davy drive him straight to Connors office. Since he could not reasonably declare his question a state of emergency, he waited impatiently in the lobby along with the minister of national security, Deacon Weiss.

  The man leaned towards Xavier and whispered, “I’m glad you’ve returned. Matters became unsettled when you left.”

  “Have you problems as well?” Xavier asked, suddenly regretting staying once he’d noticed the fellow.

  “Nothing my staff can’t handle. However, our new First Minister is claiming his house was ransacked by spies.”

  Xavier shook his head. “Highly improbable.”

  “Glad to hear it. Can you let the Queen know?”

  “If I happen to see her, I shall. But generally speaking we rarely run with the same crowd.”

  Deacon chuckled. “I do miss you, Xavier. I hear you’re claiming to have brought back a child from a mission that went too far. What mission would that be?”

  “Not one of yours,” he assured him.

  “Nonetheless, I take it to heart. I thought I trained you better.”

  “You did. But don’t expect an apology, because someday England will need my son to save the day.”

  “Shows promise, eh?”

  “Tremendous promise.”

  Deacon patted his back. “Then I am happy for you and my country.”

  Just then Connors stepped out. “Deacon, would you mind if I handle Xavier first. He says he only has a question.”

  Deacon pulled out his watch. “Not as long as he takes no more than five minutes.”

  Xavier thanked him and entered Connors of
fice. “What are the signs of a stroke?”

  Connors brow furrowed. “Xavier, if you think there is any chance Vic has suffered a stroke, you should have declared it an emergency!”

  Xavier grabbed his arm before he ran out to save Vic. “It’s not Vic. It’s a Parliament member. His logic is completely irrational.”

  “Are you speaking of the First Minister, by chance?”

  “I promised the man’s wife I would not identify him, but Vic would be proud of your intuitive skills.”

  “I visited him today on the request of the Queen and I believe he has suffered a stroke, a rather severe one.”

  “And what is to be done?”

  “Nothing at this point.”

  “Is there any chance he’ll regain his reasoning?”

  “That’s very unlikely. In fact, it is more probable he will suffer further damage to his logic.”

  “And you relayed this information to the Queen?”

  “I did, as well as to key Parliament members. I believe they are meeting tomorrow morning to address the matter.”

  “Any idea what he was talking about that alerted the Queen something was wrong?”

  Connors repressed a smiled. “He wished to have you and Stone fired. Said neither of you could find a book of his.”

  “And how did he think I could be fired?”

  “The Queen never mentioned that point of illogic. She simply declared it insane for anyone to fire a man of your value over a bloody book. And I agreed with her, wholeheartedly.”

  “Thank you.” Moments like this gave him reason to keep trying to make England a safer place.

  Connors stopped him before he could leave. “Now, do me a favor and tell Gregory not to buy baby bottles from any chemist. They are impossible to sanitize and will poison our future miracle worker.”

  “I will let him, the nanny, and Vic know.”

  As he stepped into the lobby, Deacon was staring at his watch. “Twenty seconds to spare. I am amazed.”

  “Then my day is done,” Xavier replied and left.

  Chapter 20

  Jacko and Xavier stepped out of their carriage, wearing black suits and top hats, looking like two gentlemen out for a night on the town. “You take the left side, I’ll take the right. First one who locates the actress, Justine, gives a whistle.”

  Jacko frowned. “How about we just go to the marquis stating “Justine in the Flesh.”

  “Better yet,” Xavier agreed.

  When they arrived to buy their ticket, the gentleman before them was demanding his money back. “This girl is terrible. What happened to the other one?”

  “She’s indisposed.”

  “Well, give me my money back and keep looking for a replacement.”

  The young man returned half his money and then sighed as Xavier leaned in. “I suppose you want your money back too.”

  “Actually, I’d like to know where the girl who left is now?”

  “She got knocked up. Can’t work.”

  “It is possible that I’m the father, so I need her address.”

  “You? Then where the hell you’ve been?”

  To Xavier’s ear, this man sounded more involved than a clerk selling tickets. “I have a reputation to protect. However, if the child is mine, I’ll make this right.”

  The young man seemed on the verge of providing the address when his eyes narrowed. “What did you say the last time you saw her?”

  “I don’t remember.”

  He snorted. “Sorry, I can’t help you. Next?”

  Xavier stepped back and looked around for Jacko. Unable to locate him, he returned to his carriage, planning to move it around to the back where more than likely the young man would exit from. He really needed Jacko to watch the front, but he didn’t dare wait about. This young man might ditch his job and go home early.

  When he opened his carriage door, Jacko waited inside. “I’ve got an address.”

  “And I’ve got a young man to follow. Let’s see which gets us to the girl.”

  “Twenty pounds for the winner?” Jacko asked.

  “As long as you don’t cheat by losing the pigeon.”

  Jacko jumped out of the carriage. “Deal.” He then glanced down the street. “Damn it, you knew the fellow was going to run.”

  Before Xavier could reply, Jacko had disappeared down the road after the young man.

  After glancing at the address scrawled on the scrap paper, Xavier called out, “Davy, head to Fleet Street unless I tell you to pull over.”

  He passed Jacko trailing the young man and had Davy pull over a few blocks ahead. When he saw the boy a block behind them, he had Davy drive on. He continued the drive and wait, knowing the boy would never suspect a carriage in front of him was actually tracking him.

  Davy dropped him off at the address and drove a block down while Xavier waited in the shadows. The young man looked about and then entered the building. A moment later, Jacko spoke behind him. “You owe me twenty pounds?”

  Xavier paid him at once. “It’s time to retrieve a special edition of de Sade’s Justine.”

  “The First Minister’s a bastard. Why are we getting his book for him?”

  “We aren’t. We are securing the book to ensure the First Minister steps down.”

  “In that case, count me in.”

  “I brought chloroform if you want to use it. The book will no doubt be hidden in the room they sleep.”

  “Hopefully, my skills have not fallen to the need of crutches.”

  “Better than being shot. You have a family now.”

  Jacko huffed. “Give me the chloroform. But just for the record, I plan to get this book without making a sound.”

  “I have no doubt you will, but I will feel better if you let prudence come before pride. You have a great deal to live for my friend.”

  Gripping Xavier’s shoulder, Jacko corrected him. “We both do.”

  ***

  Vic woke to gentle kisses. “What time is it,” she grumbled.

  “A little past one,” Xavier murmured.

  Her eyes open, fearing what that meant. “Did I get the young woman killed?”

  “No!” he covered her face with butterfly kisses. “No, your intuition was amazingly accurate. “I have the book safely tucked away. I’ll let the First Minister know tomorrow morning, while you visit Julia and relay her aunt’s message. However, don’t be surprised if she decides to remain where she is. According to Jacko, she actually owns the theatre she normally performs in and the backstage hands he spoke to thinks she’s a goddess. In the hells where she lives, Julia is considered a great success. She might not wish to give it up.”

  “I’ll talk to her, but I won’t push,” Vic promised.

  “I also spoke to Lady Abigail, and you were right there as well. She will not mention anything to her husband.”

  “How can you be sure? Your logic was solid.”

  “Yes, and remember that for the future. However, in this case, Lady Abigail is aware her husband’s mind has become very faulty. That is why she had no issue promising not to talk to him. She believes he has lost his senses, and sadly that may be the case.”

  “At least it explains his irrational behavior.”

  “Yes, it does. He evidently went to the Queen, demanding I be fired for not finding his book.”

  “Fired from what?” Vic laughed at the absurdity.

  “It’s possible he recalls a time I worked for the Minister of External Affairs. However, Connors believes he has suffered a severe stroke.”

  “Surely he will be removed from office.”

  “Very soon,” Xavier promised.

  ***

  The next morning, Vic woke to an empty bed and happy gurgling from the corner.

  Sara sat in a chair on the far side of the room playing with Cannon.

  “Has Gregory banned him from the rest of the house?” Vic asked.

  “No, although Cannon was chewing on a book in Gregory’s room. Aunt said it was one of
the Sherlock Holmes series.

  “Yes, he’s inherited his father’s dislike of the stories.”

  Sara set Cannon on the floor. “May I help you dress?”

  “If you wish. Where’s Xavier?”

  “He left early this morning.”

  The girl glowed with joy, which seemed odd for the chore of dressing an ersatz young man. “And why does that make you so happy?” Vic challenged.

  “Because he returned Tubs.” Sara sobered a bit. “I’ve had trouble sleeping without my Tubs.”

  “Tubs hasn’t been coming home at night?” Vic asked in shock.

  “No. Xavier promised me he wasn’t in any danger. However, surly children required round the clock surveillance.” She grinned at Vic. “I was worried about what he was doing with children, but Tubs has assured me they were grown men acting like babies.”

  Vic chuckled. “Actually, Tubs is very good with real children.”

  Sara rubbed her stomach. “I cannot wait. Do you think Dr. Connors will cut me open if my baby is too large to come out?”

  “I will make sure of it,” Vic promised her. Given Tubs’ size and Sara’s, the need of surgery seemed most likely.

  Once Vic was dressed, Sara opened the door and Tubs brought in the wheelchair. He placed Vic in it and carried her and the chair down the stairway and to the kitchen. Mrs. Yarrows asked what she wanted for breakfast. “Oatmeal will be fine. Just throw some fruit in it.”

  When Gregory entered the kitchen he glanced to the footman at the table and frowned. “Samson, ready the carriage.” The muscular fellow jumped up from the table and hurried to the carriage house.

  Knowing Davy would throw a fit if Samson touched his horse, Vic called Gregory over and whispered, “You should be aware Davy doesn’t like anyone around Marybell or his carriage. I believe as a child he was never taught to share.”

  Gregory chuckled. “You may be correct, since he was loath to allow another two horses into the stable, insisting Marybell wouldn’t like them. However, Marybell likes the two stallions a great deal.”

  She stared at him, feeling as if Christmas had come early. “Gregory, are you telling me I have my own carriage and driver?”