Xavier smiled at the shocked curator. “I’ve located a reliable driver for you. However, you will need to provide your own people to deliver the painting.”
“Are you certain you will not provide security? After what happened this morning…”
“He has a good point,” Stone said.
Xavier glared at him with annoyance.
Stone released a heavy sigh. “I’ll send two officers with the transport. One seated by the driver and one in the carriage.”
The curator shook Stone’s hand. “Thank you, Director Stone. I greatly appreciate it.”
Stone and Xavier headed back to the warehouse. Xavier chuckled. “Two men. Most generous of you.”
“Honestly, given the way this ‘exchange’ has gone I would like to send a brigade of men. Unfortunately, I lack the luxury to do so.”
“Two should do. I do not expect further trouble since all the would-be thieves are either dead or will be spending the day at Scotland Yard.”
“Why did you lock Powers in a utility room?”
“Because I needed to get to the carriage before Vic left without me. Besides, the man looked good for the Renoir theft and he seemed the type to run when plans get muddled.”
Stones sighed. “It is not like you to leave a case mid-stream. Are you angry because I stuck you with Barns? For the record, I have no idea how he ingratiated himself into your case. He wasn’t even listed to work today.”
“Actually, I was pleased when Vic invited him to play. He proved most useful. I am not leaving in anger. It’s just Vic has this ghost case and it will likely end in murder and I need to make certain it’s not Vic who’s murdered.”
“Go!” Stone stated. “We will manage from here.”
“I’ve no doubt. However, Barns has been privy to Vic’s thoughts on this matter…and mine. Given he has perfect recall, he could provide you our thoughts if you don’t lead him to believe that all you want are our findings. He’s a bit too proud to be a parrot.”
“I will keep that in mind. Get on to your ghost, and try to prevent anyone from getting murdered. I’ve exceeded my quota of deaths for the day.”
Chapter 27
Xavier breathed out a sigh of relief when Casey drove the vehicle from the warehouse. Never in his life had he been happier to leave a crime scene…with the possible exception of the last one that they had left.
“You do realize we’ll probably not be paid a dime since you allowed Scotland Yard to take over,” Vic complained.
“Our chances of being paid dropped to nil when I tossed Powers into the utility closet and locked him in.”
Vic cheered visibly. “When? Why didn’t you let me watch?”
“You were already in the carriage. Powers declared he’d given the matter more thought, and I had failed to do the job I was hired to do, so I was fired and would not be going anywhere with the Rembrandt.”
She settled in against his chest and muttered, “Stupid fool.”
“That he is, and once I speak to Thomas, I am hopeful he’ll be unemployed.”
Vic bolted upright. “He should be more than unemployed!”
He frowned, missing the feel of her body pressed against him. “Well, for him to be charged with a theft, Stone requires that pesky thing called ‘proof’.”
Vic huffed and crossed her arms. “Evidently not. They put poor Kendel in prison three times without that pesky item.”
Tubs grimaced. “The lower dock bizzies tend to create their proof. For a price, they’ll make it look like someone else did a crime. That’s what happened to Kendel.”
Xavier noticed the guilt in Tubs’ eyes. He no doubt had a hand in framing the man. Not that such a decision would have been his to make. Back then he followed the orders of Samuel Sojourn, and if he failed in a task, he would have been killed. Samuel allowed no disobedience in his ranks. And depending on when Kendel took his first fall, Tubs could have been very young himself, possibly no more than sixteen.
Wishing to move the conversation to matters they could impact, he asked, “So what is next on our busy agenda?”
“Food,” Vic declared.
Tubs smiled, evidently liking her response.
Xavier sighed in frustration. Why did everyone want to eat so often? “Well, once I drop you two off for food, I will attempt to speak to Thomas before he hears from someone else that the British Museum never opened today.
Vic took out her timepiece.
“God’s above! It’s only eight in the morning.”
Tubs scratched his head and stared out the window. “I thought it had to be noon by now.”
When the carriage pulled to a halt, Xavier remained inside.
He frowned as he listened to Vic ask Casey if he wanted breakfast. He moved across the seat and stared out the window. “Vic, I don’t have time for this.”
She turned to him, hands on hip. “Well, evidently you do have time. Because Casey is tired and hungry, so you need to leave my carriage and get your own driver and carriage. Otherwise, we will both be in bad moods all day…not to mention Davy.”
She was probably right about the latter. Davy was very possessive of his position. If Xavier used Casey to drive him around without Vic in the carriage, all hell would break loose.
Nothing was ever easy! He climbed out of the carriage and stormed inside. “Davy, I need you!”
Davy arrived at once.
“Get Marybell ready. We need to leave as soon as possible.”
A resplendent smile came to his driver’s face as he rushed off.
While Xavier waited for Davy and his carriage, he sat beside Vic at the breakfast table and stole food from her plate. Oddly, she didn’t object. However, Gregory did and placed a plate before him containing every type of item he’d been stealing from Vic.
Naturally, the pup retaliated and stole her favorite foods back. Gregory shook his head and left the room, muttering to himself.
A new servant entered and declared Davy was outside and waiting.
Xavier ruffled Vic’s hair, resisting the desire to kiss her with this new servant in the room and hurried out.
***
Gregory returned and attempted to remove Xavier’s plate, but Vic took possession of it. “Mine.”
“Stop that! You sound like Cannon. He has begun declaring everything his.”
“Let me know if he starts raising his leg and sprinkling things.”
Gregory’s black eyes glowered with outrage. “Rest assured, if such an appalling act should occur, I will stop the behavior at once.” He glanced down at the floor with a scowl. “At once, do you understand?”
Vic stared up at him. “Of course, I understand, and I give you free reign to stop him, preferably before he sprinkles.” She then noticed the focus of Gregory’s glower. Cannon and Arroo were beside her chair, staring up at her in adoration.
Vic fed each a bit of egg.
Arroo wagged his tail, Cannon wagged his butt.
Since she had their attention, she went through some of their hunting commands. She held out a piece of ham. “Smell.”
Both sniffed the meat, Cannon licked it as well. “No,” she warned him. “Find,” she commanded. The pups headed straight to Tubs, who happened to have half a pig on his plate.
“Well done, pups,” she declared. “Return.”
Both hurried back, Cannon crawling with amazing speed. She fed them each a chunk of ham.
Gregory sighed heavily and shook his head. “Do you have work to do?” he asked.
“A great deal,” she replied and jumped up. “Tubs take the food with you.”
“Hold,” Gregory demanded, causing Vic, Tubs, and the pups to freeze. He took Vic and Tubs’ plates. “I will prepare you a basket you may take with you.”
Vic was about to yell they didn’t have time, but seeing the happy smile on Tubs’ face, she changed her comment to “Thank you, Gregory. You are most thoughtful.”
Having more time to play with her pups, she dropped to the floor
and nuzzled them both. “Where’s the rest of your pack?” she asked.
“I’m here,” Richard’s muffled voice replied. She looked around the room but couldn’t see him. She looked at Tubs and he shrugged.
She focused on her pups. “Find Richard.”
The pups turned and headed to the swinging door to the formal dining room. There they took their ‘located’ pose.
“Richard, why are you hiding behind a door?”
“I was scaring some of the servants.”
Vic rolled her eyes. “Nonsense. Gregory!”
Richard shook his head eased inside the room. “Please don’t complain…I like living here.”
“Well, you will like it a great deal better if you are not having to hide behind doors. Gregory!”
“One call is sufficient…or better yet, use the bell,” Gregory scolded as he entered the room.
She picked up the bell and rang it until he snatched it out of her hand.
“Stop that,” he chided.
“Why is Richard hiding behind doors?” she hissed in a soft whisper.
Gregory sighed heavily. “Sara hired a new girl to watch her baby and the lass is not yet accustomed to Richard. If she has not calmed by the end of the day, I will fire her.”
“Sara!” Vic yelled, wanting her opinion on whether the new girl should be fired or not.
Sara entered with a large basket filled with clothes. Tubs ran to her rescue and took the basket, stealing a kiss as well.
Gregory cleared his throat and glared at them.
“Let them kiss if they want to. They are young and in love.”
His right eyebrow rose in outrage.
“Or not. You’re the butler,” she capitulated.
“However, I am the master of one of them.” She suspected Xavier took claim to the title as well. “And I should have some say in my staff.”
“And what ‘say’ do you wish to have?” Gregory challenged.
“I’m not certain. Sara, may I see you in the library?”
She could feel Gregory’s glare burning into her back as she hurried from the room.
Once inside the library, she turned and studied Sara’s worried eyes. “Do you like the girl you hired?”
Sara nodded.
“Do you think if given time, she’ll become accustomed to Richard?”
“I do. She only screamed because he was standing in the shadows. Delia was attacked by a man in the shadows last year.”
“What happened?”
Sara shrugged. “She isn’t ready to tell me. She just breaks down in sobs if I push.”
“Then don’t push, but continue to gently nudge. And tell her, if she knows who the man is, or can give me some clues to find out who he is, I will make his life a living hell.”
Sara smiled as if offered a million pounds.
“So you don’t believe Richard needs to hide behind doors?”
“No.”
“Good. Now, why isn’t she helping you care for all the pups?”
Sara brushed imaginary lint from her skirt.
“Sara…” Vic growled.
Sweet Sara sighed. “I’m keeping Ham away from the pups. One of them bit him, only he didn’t cry, so I didn’t notice until later when I was giving him a bath.”
“Bloody hell!” Vic stormed from the library back to the breakfast room. “Richard, come in here, now.”
Richard eased into the room, trying his hardest to blend into the wall.
“Richard, the new girl…What’s her name?” she asked Sara.
“Delia.”
“Delia was not frightened by your furriness. She was frightened because you were lurking in a dark corner. Please refrain from shadow lurking while in the house. You are in no danger here and everyone on my staff should be open-minded enough to accept anyone who is kind and helpful.
She then turned to her pups. “Now which of you bit Ham?”
Both heads dropped in guilt.
“Well, let me be clear. Ham is a member of your pack, and someday you will be very glad he is since he will be much bigger and stronger than either of you. No more biting anyone, do you understand? It is unacceptable and if Richard has to punish you for bad behavior, then he has my permission to do so.”
They both looked back at Richard and crouched submissively. “A swat on the rear is appropriate if they bite again.”
Richard nodded solemnly.
She breathed out with satisfaction. “Well then, come along, Tubs. We have a mystery to solve.”
Chapter 28
Vic sighed heavily as she collapsed onto her carriage seat and stared at Tubs seated opposite her. “Being a parent is hard work.”
“I think you’re doing fine,” Tubs said.
She frowned at him. “Why didn’t you tell me my pups bit yours?”
He shrugged. “It didn’t even break the skin. Boy’s got to be tougher than that.”
“Well, I don’t wish him to have your childhood,” she muttered.
“Not even possible living with so many happy, good people. Ham will grow up to be a good man.”
The carriage pulled to a stop a half block down from Lady Haughton’s home. Vic remained in the carriage.
“We going in?” Tubs asked.
“No, we’re stalking. I’m sleepy, so you take the first shift. But wake me up at noon.”
At noon, Tubs woke her up. “We should probably eat the meats so they don’t go bad.”
Vic chuckled and they dived into their food basket.
As she savored a thick chunk of ham, a horrible thought crossed her mind. “You don’t think they bit Ham because they thought he was ham do you?”
Tubs chuckled. “Actually, that is exactly what Sara thinks happened. However, Gregory was quick to set them straight. I don’t think now that you’ve scolded them as well that they’ll ever bite Ham again.”
“Company with flowers,” Vic exclaimed as she stared out the carriage window.
A man in his fifties, wearing an expensive suit about ten years out of fashion, hurried down the sidewalk and up the steps. He had a white-knuckled grip on the fresh bouquet in his right hand. He looked up and down the road before knocking. As he waited for the butler to let him in, he continued to study the street.
“Something’s not right with the fellow,” Tub grumbled.
Upon noticing their carriage, the flower man looked ready to flee, but the door opened and the man pushed inside. For a moment, the sun shone clearly on the butler’s face, twisted in pure hatred.
“That was odd,” Vic said. “Maybe I should go in?”
“Not without me,” warned Tubs.
Vic stared at the food. “Let’s finish the meats.”
There was nothing left in the basket when the fellow left the house three hours later. Noticing their carriage, his eyes rounded in fear and he literally ran down the street. The butler opened the door and soon a young man ran after him.
“I had better check on Mrs. Haughton.” Vic patted her vest to ensure her gun was there.
“Not if you want to catch the fellow, you don’t. She’s either dead or alive, but if we don’t start after him now, we’ll never find him again.”
She leaned out the window and ordered Casey to turn the carriage around and go after the man.
Tubs climbed out of the carriage and joined Casey on the driver’s bench. Refusing to be left out of the chase, she climbed onto the top and sat on the other side of Casey.
He shook his head and grinned as the two horses flew down the street.
“Hold up,” Tubs yelled, and Casey pulled the horses gently to a halt.
Tubs shook his head. “I don’t see him.”
“Damn it!” Vic cursed. “Well, turn around and I’ll check to see if our client still lives.”
“Is that him?” Casey asked and pointed to a small gray object moving across the bridge.
“It’s someone in gray who don’t want to be seen,” Tubs stated.
“Catch up and see,
” she ordered.
The fellow was over the bridge by the time they caught up with him. And then he was gone again, only this time, Tubs leaped off the carriage and followed him into an alley.
Vic started to follow, but Casey gripped her arm. “You can’t go after him. These are dangerous streets.”
“Who works for whom?” she demanded.
“I work for you, but if I let you go after him, Mr. Thorn will either kill or fire me, depending on whether you survive or not. And he’ll be right to do so. I swore to protect you to the fullest of my ability.” He breathed in and released her arm. “But you are my employer, so I can’t stop you if you want to get me fired and lose the fellow Tubs is after, because I guarantee you, Tubs will forget his quarry once he realizes you are on foot and in danger.”
She sighed and kicked the footboard. “So what do we do now?”
“We continue down the road. More than likely the fellow will return to this street once he thinks he has lost Tubs. While it’s by no means safe, this street is safer than the side roads.”
“Should I take my trouble magnet ass back to the carriage?” she asked.
“Actually, you’re safer up here if you put my coat over your fancy clothes.”
Vic grabbed Casey’s coat from the driver’s trunk and put it on. It swallowed her, but she refrained from complaining. Her staff was only trying to do both their jobs: Help her solve cases and keep her alive.
“So did Xavier actually say he’d kill you if I were to die on your watch?”
“No. But if it were my fault you died, in his grief, he probably would.”
Vic wanted to assure him that wasn’t true, but if Xavier were killed and someone was responsible, Vic knew she’d go after them.
“To keep you alive, I’ll sit here, like your grumpy little brother being forced to learn a lesson he doesn’t like.”
Casey chuckled. “I always wanted a baby brother. All I got was sisters.”
“I got one too,” Vic complained.
“Yeah, I’ve been warned to stay out of the notice of that one.”
“She’s better since I got her a baby…but I have to admit she can be rude to our employees. She’s pretty well-insulted everyone she’s met on our staff.”
The Darkest Days (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 6) Page 21
