The Troublesome Apprentice (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 1)

by Liza O'Connor

  Xavier asked Jacko to describe the room in detail and he drew in the back wall of the library and filled in the detail. A large, built-in credenza stood in the center portion of the wall. Jacko had not observed any apparent breaks in the wood paneled walls on each side.

  He measured the length from the credenza to the window. “If this is the door, it’s not a swinging door, for there is insufficient space for it to swing in or out. Thus, a sliding door must roll behind the center panel.”

  Vic nodded in agreement. “Given the width of the space, unless Conrad has a long arm span, I would expect the latch to be on the right side.”

  “He’s short in height and wide in girth.” Jacko drew a line and declared the latch could not be beyond six feet.

  With additional observations, they had the potential location of the latch narrowed down to a five-by-four foot area. Jacko rose. “Thanks to Vic’s cleverness in realizing what we searched for and how to discover its position, I assure you I can locate its entry.” He patted Vic on the back and smiled at Xavier. “I may have to steal him away from you.”

  “Steal my pup? You’d soon regret it. He’d drive you to distraction with his constant need to be fed and his propensity for showing up to work late.”

  Vic opened her mouth to disagree.

  “Not to mention he objects to everything you say,” Xavier added.

  Forced to remain quiet to prove all his comments untrue, Vic glared at him.

  “Even if he is half the trouble you claim, I see why you keep him.”

  Xavier smiled at her. “Yes, despite the pup’s bad habits, he possesses a fine brain between those furry ears.”

  “And incredible tolerance,” Jacko added.

  Vic smiled. “Thank you for noticing, Jacko.” In the pretense of tidying up, she accidentally slammed a ledger down on Xavier’s hand.

  “So sorry, sir,” she declared and scurried out as he cursed a blue streak.

  Chapter 40

  Vic was making tea for the ten o’clock appointment when Xavier wrapped his arms around her waist. “After this appointment I will be visiting Albert Finn. Do you wish to accompany me?”

  She frowned at the thought. “Albert Finn and I did not hit it off in our first meeting.”

  Xavier kissed her neck. “No doubt, Albert thought you were Aaron’s young lover and was eaten with jealousy.”

  She stared up at him. “Why would Albert think Aaron is interested in men?”

  “Because he joined Lady Anne’s club,” Xavier replied and laughed. “Your brain truly does get scrambled when we make love.”

  “I know Aaron joined, but I did not think he had actually participated in…you know…”

  “No, I’m certain he did not.”

  “And now he is searching for a wife…”

  “Well, perhaps Albert Finn is not always logical in his conclusions, perhaps his skills are in the artistic area…”

  She smiled. “I read his new play last night. He truly is a gifted playwright.”

  “When were you reading? I don’t recall a book involved in our lovemaking.”

  “Before you finally came home from doing whatever you were doing with Claire.”

  He froze. “What makes you think I was with your sister?”

  She wiggled out of his arms and poured the tea. As it steeped, she hurried downstairs to await the client. His denial hurt almost as much as his betrayal.

  ***

  The moment the client left, Xavier ordered Vic to the carriage.

  She remained focused on her typing as she responded. “I don’t think Albert wishes to see me. You may go alone.”

  “I’ll deal with Albert, but you and I need to have a talk.”

  When she continued tapping on the keys, he snared her arm and dragged her to the carriage.

  Vic fought for an air of nonchalance as she stared out the window. She didn’t want Xavier to see her pain. Everything had been going so well, until last night when he returned home smelling of Claire’s perfume.

  “Vic, please. We need to discuss this matter.”

  She turned and met his intense sad eyes. Did he plan to break if off with Claire…or her?

  “You do not have to worry about anyone taking your place in my heart. You possess me body and soul.”

  Clearly not. Fighting back her tears, she returned to staring out the window.

  “Damn my orders to hell,” he whispered and pulled her into his lap. “I was with Claire last night. As you have observed, she is incredibly intelligent, and right now, the government has a scientific mystery that no one has been able to solve. Since the solution may be of a chemical nature, I asked and gained permission to discuss the matter with your sister on a theoretical basis.”

  “Why would they think Claire could help?”

  “That is what we were discussing the day you ‘caught’ us in the garden. “Your sister is a well-published and respected chemist, albeit under an alias. I was testing the waters to see if she might be interested in solving scientific mysteries for me. When she agreed, I took the matter to the First Minister and when I mentioned the name she publishes under, he agreed at once. She is unaware she is working for External Affairs. And so you know, another agent is questioning Professor Rutherford from Oxford for electrical or mechanical solutions.”

  “Should I not be involved as well?”

  Xavier sighed. “I fought for it, but the First Minister did not appreciate the value of your intuitive skills. He is certain hard science will solve this conundrum.”

  “So this is what you and Claire were discussing last night?”

  “Yes. For her protection, no one, other than me and now you, knows she is working for the government. To the attentive eye, I might appear to be having a love affair, but nothing more serious, nothing which might result in her death. However, you must believe me when I tell you nothing exists between us except respect. You are the only person I will ever love, Vic.”

  ***

  Vic entered Albert Finn’s house almost glowing with happiness. Even Albert’s frown as she arrived didn’t alter her mood. Nothing could disturb her joy because Xavier loved her. He had declared his love many times before. However, knowing he continued to see Claire behind her back had made his proclamations impossible to believe. Understanding the truth, a sense of contentment had settled in.

  Xavier and Albert stared at her, waiting for a reply.

  “Pay attention, pup! Mr. Finn asked if you wish a drink?”

  “Yes, thank you,” she said from her dreamy euphoria.

  Xavier handed her a glass of brandy and whispered, “Do not drink this or I’ll have to fire you for imbibing on the job.”

  She smiled at him and took a sip, instantly sputtering as the liquid burned her lips, mouth, and throat.

  He retrieved her drink and downed it. “Over in the corner and be quiet,” he barked.

  She moved to the corner and stared out the bay window. His gruff barks and Albert Finn’s glares could not shake her from the glorious feeling inside her.

  ***

  Albert stared at Vic for several seconds. “I’ve seen your young man before, I think.”

  “Yes, at Oscars. Victor mentioned he had met the greatest playwright of our times.”

  “Really? He can read? I thought him just a pretty face.”

  “No, he’s an avid fan of yours. Stayed up half the night reading your latest play.”

  “Did he like it?”

  Xavier turned to Vic staring out the window. “Pup, did you like Mr. Finn’s play?”

  Vic didn’t answer for a several seconds. “What?”

  “Mr. Finn wishes to know if you enjoyed his latest play.”

  “Very much. It not only kept me laughing, but it gave me hope for a better world.”

  Albert’s jaw dropped. “Thank you. That is the nicest review I have ever received.” When Vic remained focused on the street, he returned his attentions to Xavier. “How may I help you?”

  ***


  They had barely stepped out of Finn’s house when Vic spoke with excitement. “I just witnessed a crime.”

  “Did Albert lift my watch when he hugged me?” Xavier asked as he ensured his gun, watch, and wallet remained.

  “No, but I believe he would like me to go away again. This time, however, he will not get his way. The crime I spoke of occurred here on the street. A paddy wagon had stopped before the bank and men in uniforms carried out bags.”

  “Yes, this is a branch office, so most of the money is moved to the main office. However, a theft would be unlikely, for two men remain posted at the wagon at all times.”

  “Yes, they did, and they performed a count before they closed the doors, but I believe one of the bags they counted will no longer contain money.”

  Given this crime appeared to be theoretical and improbable, Xavier herded her into the carriage. However, once inside, he encouraged his pup to continue her story.

  “When the wagon was almost full and several bags rested near the edge, a very attractive, provocatively dressed woman attempted to cross the street. To avoid being run over by a horse and wagon, she had to leap out of the way. In the process of saving herself, she dropped most of her bags, which she rescued by placing them on the back of the wagon, all the while crying tearfully everything was ruined.”

  At the mention of her bags resting on the wagon, Xavier perked up. “What did the men do?”

  “One helped her gather her bags while the other watched the money most carefully.”

  “And…”

  “And she gathered up her purse and shopping bags and left.”

  “Did the men take count of the bags?”

  “Immediately and they seemed satisfied.”

  With a huff he leaned back. “So why do you believe a theft occurred?”

  “Because I recognized the man driving the wagon as my butcher, and the pretty woman who he almost ran over as his wife.”

  Xavier stared at her waiting for something more tangible in the way of evidence.

  “Oh, yes, you lack one piece of historical information. The butcher is a clever thief.”

  “Well, that does give color to your story. Tell me more about this butcher.”

  “Do you remember the day I came to work and left to solve my own case?”

  “I do.”

  “Well, the case was given to me by our cook. She was certain the butcher was shortchanging her on the weight of the meat. Claire procured a scale, reweighed the beef, and confirmed the weight was less than the butcher claimed. However, when the cook accused him of altering his weights and challenged him to place a pound of weights on his scale, he did so and they showed exactly a pound.”

  “At which case you were brought in…”

  “Yes, and I expected it to be a simple case of a heavy thumb or some lever that pulled the scale down farther than the weight would warrant.”

  “And it wasn’t?”

  “Be patient,” she chided. “My cook entered and purchased two pounds of bacon. The butcher weighed the slab he cut to be slightly overweight and graciously sold it for the price of two pound. I came in with my own scales, reweighed the bacon, and determined it was only one and a quarter pound.”

  Xavier smiled.

  “I declared him a thief and threatened to call the police. He assured me my scales were faulty and invited me to inspect his.”

  “And what did you find?”

  “There appeared to be nothing wrong with his scales, and had I not dropped my one pound weights while pulling it from my pocket, and had my foot not been stepping rather far beneath the counter I would have failed at my mission.”

  “And his trick?”

  “A large steel plate in the floor which turned out to be magnetized when a lever in the floor boards was pressed.”

  “It must have been a very strong magnet…”

  “Magnets created with electricity are incredibly strong. I could not pull my pound weight off the plate until I found the lever beneath my foot and turned it off.”

  “What did you say to the butcher?”

  “Nothing, for he had run off, but his pretty wife was there trying to flirt with me. I told her to give her husband a message: If they ever cheated a customer again, I would report them to the police.”

  “And with that warning, you have now escalated them into perpetuating more serious crimes.”

  “It appears I have.”

  “We should perhaps work a bit on your warnings, pup,” he teased and leaned out the window to bellow a new destination.

  Chapter 41

  Inspector Stone smiled as Xavier and his secretary walked into his office. He shook Xavier’s hand and congratulated Victor for lasting nearly a month.

  “Yes, soon he will have to pay me,” Vic said.

  “If he doesn’t, come see me,” Stone replied.

  “Are you offering to collect his salary or provide him a job?” Xavier asked.

  The Chief Inspector smiled. “Both.”

  Xavier scowled. “For what I am teaching the boy, he should pay me.”

  “But that was not the arrangement you made,” Vic said. “In fact, you promised to pay me by the week, but I have made no attempt to enforce that, because until recently I had yet to train your clients to pay in a timely fashion. However, I believe now you should adhere to our agreement.”

  “No, damn you, I should not. Your aunt had just died, and I was suffering from the combination of remorse and guilt and you took advantage of me.”

  Vic rolled her eyes. “Hah! It is not possible to take advantage of you.”

  Stone laughed. “I have to agree with Victor. Now to what do I owe the pleasure of your company?”

  “What Stone is trying to say, however politely, is he’s a busy man and doesn’t have time to listen to your monetary concerns. Fortunately, Stone, the boy does have a more useful reason for wasting your time. He wishes to solve a crime you may or may not yet be aware of.”

  “Well, that is certainly helpful.” Stone smiled at Vic. “Do I get to select the crime or have you already one in mind?”

  “Has the Barkley Bank reported a theft from their paddy wagon?” Vic asked.

  “As a matter of fact, they have, and we are presently interrogating the guards. We expect them to confess soon enough. How did you become aware of this? The bank is keeping it very quiet.”

  “Victor witnessed the crime,” Xavier said. “And you might as well stop pulling the nails off those poor guards. They were unaware of the theft.”

  Stone focused on Vic. “What did you see?”

  “Before you tell him about the bank robbery, tell him about your clever butcher. That story is far more interesting.”

  “Be that as it may, I’d like to hear about the bank robbery.”

  “Victor…be very careful as to your next action. The inspector demands you to tell him about the bank robbery, and I order you to tell him about the clever butcher. Now with your paycheck and future employment on the line—proceed.”

  She told the inspector about the clever butcher. Stone took a few notes and promised he’d have a man keep an eye on the fellow. With a glare to Xavier, he asked, “May we get to the bank robbery now?”

  “Stop wasting the inspector’s time and tell him about the robbery before the poor guards are tortured into confessing to crimes they didn’t commit,” Xavier chided. “And faster than your first rendition. To be honest it is a dull story with no ending.”

  Vic relayed the facts while Stone crossed his arms and frowned.

  Xavier sighed. “You don’t want to give up the guards because you know they are guilty of something. You can feel it in your bones.”

  “My instincts say they are guilty,” Stone said.

  “Your instincts are correct. They are guilty but not of the bank robbery. If Victor hadn’t rushed through his story and left out the minute details, you would have discovered the source of their guilt. They allowed the woman to place her bags on the back of the
truck, and one of the guards assisted her in picking up the sacks she had dropped.”

  “That will get him fired.”

  “It will get both of them fired,” Xavier corrected. “I wrote their protocol and the second guard is just as responsible for the security slip as the first. They are trying very hard not to mention a woman and her bags during their interrogation. They cannot conceive she is the thief because after she left, they counted the moneybags and had the proper amount. Thus, they have decided on a course of action to say nothing of their security lapses and trust you to find the real thief. Their plan is a grand testament to their belief Scotland Yard always gets the right criminal.”

  Stone sighed but shook his head.

  “Since you have idle time on your hands to entertain secretaries complaining about the possibility they might not be paid for their fine outstanding work, why don’t we take a ride over to the butcher shop. If nothing else, we can see the impressive contraption Victor discovered. What do you think? Should we write it up and send it to Doyle for his next novel?”

  “His stories usually have someone dying…” Stone observed as he stood up and gathered his hat.

  “Well, the pig had to die to create the slab of bacon that began the whole nonsense,” Xavier said and affectionately squeezed Vic’s shoulder as they left the inspector’s office.

  ***

  When they arrived at the store, Xavier suggested Stone enter the shop and purchase a pound of bacon and two pounds of glazed ham while he and the pup investigated the rooms above.

  Stone objected but Xavier cut him off. “The butcher will recognize Vic and know the game is up. And while he probably knows your face as well, if you stand in line and buy something he might just believe you are hungry.”

  “And what will the two of you do in the meantime?”

  “We will search for evidence of the bank robbery,” Xavier said. “If we cannot find anything, we’ll leave with the meats and Victor will have a hearty breakfast for the next week.”