The Darkest Days (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 6)

by Liza O'Connor

  Xavier desperately wished to grasp at the possibility but recalled the maid Vic inexplicably shot. “Explain how those high ethics allowed him to shoot a young woman?” Xavier challenged.

  “If you refer to Nora, the murderess arrested today, honestly, after an hour in her presence, Meyers pondered how Vic had controlled himself to only shoot the creature in her leg. Do not allow her lovely face to lessen her deeds. She brutally murdered a sweet, young girl. Despite her pretty face, Nora Jones is as evil as any murderer we’ve arrested. Fortunately, she doesn’t follow orders well. The other criminals blamed her for all the mistakes that brought them to ruin. If you gave them a chance to shoot Nora, I assure you, they wouldn’t have aimed for the leg.

  “However, I understand how you reached your current state. Once you locate one apparent act of betrayal, it is all too easy to revisit history and pluck evidence to other betrayals. I have done this on several occasions with your people, and I have been wrong every single time.”

  Xavier stared at him in shock. God’s above! Stone was right. Upon discovering Vic had known about Tubs’ secret brother, he had set about searching for other misdeeds, such as her shooting Nora. However, Connors had called it a flesh wound. Given Vic was an excellent shot, the only reason she would have caused Nora no lasting harm was because she had not wished to. She’d only wanted to give her a warning. And while she aimed her gun at Nora’s head when he dismounted, Vic more than likely wished to terrify the creature sufficiently so she wouldn’t try to escape. And her determination not to share Tubs’ secret was very similar to her refusal to tell Stone about what the Prime Minister had lost and he’d been proud of her stance with Stone.

  His friend rose from Vic’s chair. “I believe you are presently making my mistake. Connors is enjoying dinner at your table. Perhaps you can share your concerns with him. I have found the doctor to be both logical and trustworthy.”

  Xavier rallied himself. “I will do as you suggest. Thank you for coming and providing me additional information.”

  After seeing Stone to the front door, he entered the dining room and sat down by Connors. As he waited to be served, he asked the one issue that had yet to be resolved. “Why doesn’t Cannon have a larger nose?”

  The good doctor paused in eating. “All babies have similar noses when born. Hawk-noses won’t show up until they are older. And if Cannon is lucky, he may inherit Vic’s nose.

  Just then Gregory entered and placed a dish of food before him. He turned to leave, but Xavier spoke up. “Gregory, before you hired Samson as Vic’s driver, how much did you know about him?”

  The butler’s eyes rounded, clearly offended by his question. “I knew a great deal about the young man. I would not hire a person otherwise.”

  “So you would know where he was and what he did the year before you took him on?” Xavier challenged.

  “He was in prison for stealing a chicken to feed his family.”

  “And when did he get released?”

  “A month before I hired him.”

  “And when precisely was that?”

  Gregory released a heavy sigh. “I will need to check my books for the exact date, but I asked Tubs for references soon after Vic was nearly killed by your former employee. Using a rented carriage was not working. Vic lacks the patience for hired cabs.”

  “Nor would they stop for Tubs,” Connors muttered.

  “That is, unfortunately, true,” Gregory agreed.

  “That will do, you may leave now,” Xavier declared. Since Gregory’s response put Samson’s hire after Cannon was born, he was clearly not the boy’s father.

  Gregory stiffened, turned, and marched from the room.

  “And now you’ve taken up insulting Vic’s servants.” Connors lowered his voice. “You could not possibly think Vic was unfaithful,” he whispered. “Xavier, the boy is unquestionably yours.”

  “Give me one trait or behavior that is not Vic’s,” Xavier challenged.

  He faced Xavier and barked, “Ha!” in a perfect imitation of Cannon.

  Xavier frowned. “That’s hardly proof. I’m sure most babies say that.”

  Connors arched his right eyebrow. “None that I’ve met. I could also point to his early crawling and talking, but delayed walking, all of which are indications of great intelligence.” He held up his hand to prevent Xavier’s objection. “Yes, that could be from Vic as well. However, Cannon’s ability to smell like a bloodhound is not a skill Vic possesses. Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to get home. But before I leave, let me remind you of the extraordinary person Vic is. He’s put his life at risk more times than I can count. He found where Seth Sojourn had tucked you away when no one else could. He identified the Mesmerist. And from what I hear, on his first day on the job, he sneezed at just the right time to prevent you from being shot.

  Xavier smiled at Connors’ last comment. Even before the pup had grown to love him, Vic had never failed him when it mattered.

  “Given your occupation, you naturally challenge a great many beliefs claiming to be facts. But you should never doubt your partner. Vic is the finest young man I’ve ever met. He deserves your complete faith in him, regardless of uncertainties that may crawl into your thoughts.” Without waiting for Xavier’s response, Connors headed to the front door.

  Xavier recalled the day his son had tracked down Vic seconds before Barnacle shot her. His son was not just gifted with a great nose, he was brave and determined like Vic. He was the best of them both. Thank God the madness in his mind, which had brought him to the brink of losing both Cannon and Vic, had finally cleared.

  He pushed himself up from the chair and rushed to the front door. “Connors!” he yelled as he opened it.

  The good doctor was about to climb into his carriage, but stopped and turned.

  Xavier came down the steps and gripped his hand. “Thank you for extracting me from a most painful madness.”

  Connors released his breath and smiled. “Welcome back, my dear friend.”

  “It’s good to be back.” Xavier breathed, enjoying the absence of pain. “I can trust you never to mention to Vic my doubts?”

  “It is not my secret to share,” he then turned and climbed into his carriage.

  As Xavier watched Connors leave, the doctor’s words echoed in his head. Vic had said the same. Tubs’ brother had not been her secret to share. Her resentment and anger had not come from a belief she was above the law, but because Xavier refused to understand she held the same code by which he also lived.

  He turned and stormed back into the house calling for Davy.

  Gregory arrived at once. “Is there something you require?”

  “Yes, my driver. I won’t sleep a wink without Vic, so I wish to return to Jacko’s house. Then we will return together in the morning.”

  A faint smile touch Gregory’s lips. “Very good, sir. Shall I pack you an overnight bag?”

  “Shouldn’t you let Davy know first? He might object to my request.”

  Gregory sniffed. “I dare say Davy will have the carriage ready before I can pack a bag for you.”

  Xavier chuckled, happy to have such a well-run household. “Then you better get to packing. Don’t bother with bedclothes. I just need a clean suit for tomorrow.”

  Gregory hurried upstairs, shaking his head.

  Realizing one other thing he needed, he yelled up at his butler. “It appears my gun has inexplicably gone missing while I was out of my mind. Please locate it. God only knows what trouble the pup will draw to the carriage.”

  Chapter 18

  Xavier stood by Vic’s bed and watched her toss about, grumbling beneath her breath. He could not imagine she was getting any rest whatsoever.

  He quickly undressed, still horrified by how close he had come to destroying everything good in their lives. Had Vic known where his mind had gone, the betrayals he’d imagined, not even she could have forgiven him.

  The moment he slipped in beside her and pulled her to him, her eyes opene
d in shock and then a happy smile spread from ear to ear.

  How had he ever doubted her?

  “You came back to me,” she exclaimed and covered his face with kisses. “Thank you. I know Davy is no doubt out of sorts, but I’ve been having the worst nightmares imaginable, where you accuse me of all sorts of things and then shoot me.”

  She pressed her cheek against his chest as he tightened his arms around her. “I could never shoot you,” he promised. If it ever came to that, they would have to find someone else to do so. Vic was his, and no matter what, he was keeping her.

  “I’m sorry I shot Nora. It’s just she was encouraging Tubs to run and save himself before her people came. It sounded so much like what I said to him the night of Dragon’s Cloud, and her cheapening my sincere concern made me mad.”

  He pressed his lips to her temple. “Connors said it was a flesh wound, and Meyers said he was tempted to shoot her himself before he finished with the interrogation.”

  Vic huffed. “She is horrible, blaming others for her inability to follow orders, and then when she thought you could be swayed with her flirtation, I wanted her to think I’d shoot her again…only Tubs stopped me. But I really hated her, for murdering Daisy and kidnapping Elwood, but mostly for holding you at gunpoint and then not four hours later, trying to seduce you to let her go.”

  “She was flirting with me? I didn’t notice. I found her voice so irritating I stopped listening two minutes into our ride.”

  That earned him a bone breaking hug of happiness. And while his reply was only half true—he had heard her flirtation, but it missed its mark—the assurance made his pup happy.

  “I would like to apologize as well,” he said.

  She pushed herself up and stared at him. Without question, she wanted to put their fight behind them.

  “You were correct that sometimes I am told secrets I cannot share, not even with you. However, because Tubs is our employee, I felt his secret was in a different category.”

  Her happiness dimmed

  He chucked her chin. “I was wrong. This was simply not your secret to tell. It was Tubs who should have told me.”

  Her smile was back wider than ever. “Thank you for understanding. The moment I got Tubs alone, I intended to convince him you needed to know, only he confessed without prompting.”

  He stroked her soft cheek. “Be warned, I do plan to lecture Tubs tomorrow.”

  “He was ashamed of him,” she explained. “Evidently, even when Tubs was a criminal he had much better ethics than Sean.”

  “I don’t doubt that at all.”

  “Can we not just let this dog lie?”

  “No, there is a lesson to be learned here. Had Tubs mentioned having a brother, we would have investigated the matter and uncovered the truth, thus preventing Daisy and forty-eight young people from being murdered.”

  Vic gasped at his statement. “Sean has killed other young girls like Daisy?”

  “Yes, their dead bodies are worth more in the black market for cadavers.”

  “Oh…Tubs will be devastated, but he has to know. He knew his brother was bad—”

  “Sean Williams is not his brother. He is an excellent liar, so much so that he convinced Tubs he spoke the truth. Not an easy thing to do. Tubs can normally spot a lie a mile off. However, had Tubs mentioned this supposed brother, we would have investigated and possibly stopped Williams before he began his current career of murder and extortion.”

  “Should we not investigate matters first?” she asked, her soft voice sad and miserable.

  “We can if you wish. Meyers has already done so. Perhaps we can first assess his work in the matter. But I know for a fact that Sean is not Tubs’ half-brother.”

  “How?” she asked.

  “Because twenty years ago when I was a young pup of eighteen, I, as many a young man did, spent a great deal of time in the lower docks. Unlike most, who were attracted by the women and card games, I was drawn by the crimes. I could stand in a shadow and within an hour see fifteen crimes occur, most so cleverly done no alarm was raised at all.”

  Vic settled her cheek upon his chest again and toyed with his nipple, which meant he needed to hurry this story along.

  “One night I witnessed a horrific murder in a second story window. I watched this brute of a man stab a woman over and over. A part of me wanted to run in and stop the man, but the sane part of my brain kept me frozen to my spot. Had this beast known I’d witnessed him killing his wife, he would have killed me as well. Physically he resembled our Tubs, only he was pure evil.

  “When he came out of the building carrying a heavy knapsack, I was so afraid he’d see me in the shadows that once he left, I emptied my stomach in the alley. I stayed away from the docks for several months afterwards, but eventually, the call of crime pulled me back in.

  “Tubs was only three at that time, but he was already over four feet tall and two feet wide. By the age of six, he did the work of a man. And when he turned fourteen, Samuel Sojourn forced him to join his enforcers. His first assignment was to kill his own father, which he did without any argument. That impressed Samuel a great deal. Within six months, Tubs became his top man.”

  Xavier stroked Vic’s short silky hair. “When Seth Sojourn took over the crime organization from his father, he failed to appreciate Tubs as anything but an intimidating giant who brainlessly followed commands.”

  Vic huffed, no doubt still mad at the way Tubs had been unappreciated by his prior employer. “I still don’t understand how Tubs could be fooled by Sean. He can read people better than anyone.”

  “Normal people provide small clues when lying and a few gifted people can detect those clues and know the person lies. Several of Stone’s interrogators have the skill and we have Tubs. However, there are some people who tell a lie exactly as if they speak the truth. According to Stone, Williams is one of those. Thus, he required no proof to convince Tubs, only the sincerity of his words.”

  “Wow…Do I have skills that can be fooled?” she asked.

  “I’ve no doubt someone could fool any of your skills. The lesson I need you and Tubs to learn is to keep no secrets from your family, and to share what you think you know so we may double check your reasons for believing it.”

  “Tubs will be devastated by his mistake,” she whispered.

  “I have no doubt. I hope to soften the blow by lecturing you two together.”

  She sighed heavily, clearly not looking forward to his scolding.

  “However, if you wish, we can first test the theory that sex is heightened after a fight.”

  Her eyes sparkled with delight. “Oh, we must test your theory…several times if necessary.”

  Chapter 19

  The next morning as they headed to the carriages, Vic nudged Tubs. “Why don’t you ride in my cab? I’ll be with Xavier in his.”

  Her sullen giant nodded his head and headed on. God, she hated to see him so down.

  Xavier helped her inside and followed, sitting next to her. “Are you certain we should leave Tubs alone just now?”

  Vic snuggled against him, hoping to sleep a bit more. They had stayed up most of the night making love.

  “I’m hoping he’s not alone. However, my carriage has two well-rested horses to carry Tubs’ weight. Poor Marybell looks ready to drop.”

  “Perhaps we should lighten Marybell’s load and join Tubs then.”

  She grimaced. “That might not be a good idea. Tubs isn’t ready to face you yet. He’s taken his mistake very badly. I’m going to ask Stone to reaffirm it wasn’t his fault for believing Williams.”

  He pressed his lips to her temple. “Excellent idea. Now, what did you mean when you said ‘you are hoping he wasn’t alone’?”

  She grimaced, worried Xavier would think she purposely withheld this information as well. “Yesterday, after you left, I talked to Richard, and upon discovering how hard life has become for him, I invited him to come home with us.”

  Xavier’s right eyebro
w rose in challenge.

  “I had to! The stupid farmers had torched his house and scoured the woods, wishing to kill him, even though they had been told Nora had killed Daisy.” Tears of guilt welled in her eyes. “When I let him out of Bedlam, he assured me anything was better than life inside, but I don’t think that was true anymore. He needs people who will treat him as a human, rather than a monster.”

  He sighed heavily as if disappointed. “And when were you planning to mention this?”

  “When we stopped at lunch and I verified Richard was in the carriage with Tubs. Otherwise, I planned to cry on your shoulder about how much harm I can cause when only trying to do good.” She looked up at Xavier, not wanting him angry at her yet again. “I have to save him if I can.”

  Xavier stroked her cheek and showered her with his adoring gaze. “If he had the good sense to come along, then we shall do just that. However, Gregory might slap you across the head.”

  She pressed against him and chuckled. “That is a punishment I will happily bear.”

  ***

  At lunch, Vic ran to the other carriage and opened the door. A moment later, she closed the door and ran back to Xavier, bearing a happy smile on her face.

  “Problem?” Xavier asked.

  “Tubs isn’t hungry and Richard is afraid to come out, so I’ll ask for a basket for four to be prepared while the rest of us eat.”

  Turned out Davy didn’t want to eat either. All he wanted was to nap in the carriage.

  Thus, it was just Casey, Xavier, and his pup seated at the table. Vic entertained Casey, telling him about the woman who used a magnetic bag to steal money. The young man gazed at her with adoration.

  Bloody hell! Must everyone fall in love with his pup?

  “Have you a lady friend, Casey?” Xavier asked.

  The driver’s face turned crimson, which clashed painfully with his orange bristly hair.