Lay Down Your Hand

by Cherie Mitchell

  Amy gave a shout of laughter and Elliot took a surprised step backwards. “He wasn’t any cut of gentleman. He was a waste of my time. I’m starting to think I’m better off staying single.” She glanced at the cars swishing past on the street. “I guess we’re done here. I’m going to get an Uber home. If you’re talking to Ramona, tell her I’ll give her my report later this evening.”

  “Your report?” He looked at her uncertainly, wondering if she was making a joke at his expense. No one had warned him that his prowess was under scrutiny. Wasn’t this supposed to be trial run?

  “Yes. You have to appreciate the operation from the corporation’s point of view. There’s been a lot of money poured into the project and they want to get it right before moving forward with the next step.” She pulled out her phone and stared down at the pale blue light of the screen. “I have to go. Enjoy the rest of your evening.” She spun away from him and hurried down the street, her heels tap-tapping decisively against the pavement.

  Elliot stared after her, at more of a loss now than he was before their conversation commenced. What corporation?

  Chapter Fifteen

  He called Ramona from the train on his way home. She answered on the first ring, her voice taut with panicked urgency. “What’s gone wrong? Where are you?”

  “I’m on the train. Why do you think something is wrong?” Had Amy already contacted her? Had he failed his first test?

  “I didn’t expect to hear from you yet. I guess the date didn’t go well.”

  “Amy didn’t like him. She called him a stupid man and left the wine bar.”

  “Oh dear, but I can’t say that it’s too much of a surprise. Amy does have very high standards. Did you wait until she got on her train before you left?”

  “Uh…” He stared at the scrawled and illegible graffiti on the back of the seat in front of him, considering the right way to phrase this.

  “Elliot?”

  “She spotted me,” he admitted. “She saw me following her and she asked me what I was doing.”

  Ramona tutted loudly. “That’s not ideal.”

  He felt the need to defend himself. Had she already forgotten that this was his first assignment? “The street lighting in the city is much improved from the gas lamps we had back in my day. A man could easily be walking around in broad daylight when it’s in fact the blackest hour of the night.”

  “We’ll have to work on this. Stealth is essential to the plan. Did you speak to her?”

  “Yes, we talked for a brief few minutes.” He didn’t tell Ramona that Amy was less than impressed once she realised who he was. Some things did not bear repeating, especially when a man’s pride was at stake.

  “Come to my place now,” Ramona ordered. “I’ll get to work now on setting up the link with Darcy for your debrief. I’m going to need all that time to make the connection.” To his annoyance she hung up, obviously expecting no argument from him just when he was poised to ask her about the corporation.

  Elliot frowned down at the phone in his hand. All of these women telling him what he should do were becoming tiresome. Just days ago, he was a free man who answered to no one and now women were offloading their thoughts onto him from all directions. He needed to talk to Darcy about his concerns and he would do it tonight, as long as Ramona allowed them some privacy during their conversation.

  Ramona nodded approvingly when she opened the door to let him in. “You look the part of a dashing man about town. I was wrong about the coat. It looks as if it were made for you.”

  “Who are the corporation?” He wasn’t going to let her side-track him. He’d decided on that as he made his way over here. Tonight was a night for answers, otherwise he might have to reconsider his acceptance of the task. He’d tell Darcy the same. It was time to put his foot down and assert himself.

  The welcome faded from her eyes as soon as he mentioned the corporation. She hurriedly closed and locked the door before peering through the spyhole and turning to face him. “Who told you about the corporation?”

  “Amy. She said the corporation has spent a lot of money on this operation and they want to be sure before they move to the next step.”

  “And that’s all she said?”

  I guess I pictured you as someone taller and broader. “That’s all she said,” he replied stiffly. “Who are the corporation?” he asked again, preferring not to think of Amy’s uncensored comment.

  Ramona’s laptop fizzed wildly from the table. “That’s Darcy.” She strode over to the table to pull out a chair, looking back at him expectantly when he didn’t immediately follow her. “Come and sit down. We have to make the most of the good connection.”

  He sat in the chair directly in front of the screen filled with Darcy’s beaming face. The picture was clearer tonight, less fuzzy around the edges with fewer blurred lines.

  “Elliot! How did your trial run go?”

  “Well enough but Amy saw me following her. The streets here are well lit and clear of rubbish and hazards. It’s not so easy to hide.”

  Darcy crinkled his face into an expression of considerate sympathy. “Yes, that is a problem but I’m sure you’ll find a way around it.”

  Ramona, who was still standing beside Elliot’s chair, stooped down so her eyes were on level with Darcy’s image. “He knows about the corporation. Amy told him.”

  Now Darcy looked pained, as if he were the one who deserved the sympathy. “How much did she tell him?”

  Elliot took charge of the conversation again. “She spoke of the large amount of money spent on this operation but that was all she said. Who are the corporation? Am I working for them or am I working for you?”

  “Both. Me. Them.” Darcy exhaled loudly. “This is a bother. You didn’t need this information so early in the piece. I’ll have to have a word with young Amy.”

  “I don’t have any information,” Elliot pointed out. He knew sounded brusque but he didn’t care. “I’m starting to feel as if I was foolish to accept your offer without thinking it through properly.”

  Ramona started to say something but Darcy stopped her with a pointed stare. “If you don’t mind Ramona, I’ll like to talk to Elliot on his own for a few minutes.”

  Ramona remained where she was and Elliot thought she was about to start an argument with Darcy. However, after several seconds of silent stalemate she sniffed and walked on heavy feet across to her room. The door slammed behind her, leaving the men facing each other on either side of the computer screen.

  Darcy pulled a rueful face. “I had the feeling she’d take it the wrong way.”

  “The women of this era are very opinionated.”

  Darcy chuckled. “The women of every era are very opinionated. It’s just that these ones have found their voice and they’re not ashamed to use it.” He leaned forward so that his face filled the entire screen in bigger-than-life-sized detail. Elliot could see a small scattering of shallow, crater-like scars at the edge of his whiskers, perhaps the remnants of a childhood illness. “Tell me truthfully. How are you coping?”

  “Truthfully? The truth is that most things fascinate me. The level of comfort in this era is incredible but I do admit that I’m struggling with the roles women hold here. I’m not used to being told what to do by the fairer sex and it’s beginning to chafe.”

  “I can’t do anything about that one, old chap. I think you’ll need to change your perspective if you want to stop it from rubbing you up the wrong way. Try thinking of women as men with prettier faces and a different point of view. It also helps to remember that we’re all human and we’re all doing our best. It’s a shame the gender equality function failed on your era decoder. These changes wouldn’t feel like such a slap in the face if you had some help to ease yourself in.”

  Elliot looked down at the strap on his wrist. He was growing used to its occasional hum and he’d forgotten it was there in all the excitement of the evening.

  “Why haven’t you asked us about compensation or payment?�
�� Darcy asked suddenly. “I know we’re expecting a lot of you, but you haven’t mentioned a wage. You can’t do it for nothing.”

  “It’s not for nothing. I’m doing it for Annie. Anyway, I don’t need payment. I have an apartment with a view of the Thames, I have warm clothes and delicious food, I have a car, and I have a credit card for anything else I might need. Do you really think a former chimney sweep needs more than that? I already feel as if I have riches beyond measure.”

  “Well, if you change your mind at any time you must tell me.” The screen crackled and faded to black before Darcy flickered back in again.

  “I think we’re losing the connection.” Elliot glanced over at Ramona’s bedroom door but it remained firmly shut.

  “Are we? Everything still looks ok at my end. Is there anything you want to ask me while Ramona is out of the room? I know she tends to take over but that’s why we placed her in that role.”

  “I have so many questions. The serial killer, for one. Has he killed anyone yet? And why isn’t the law involved if you know who he is?”

  “No, he hasn’t struck yet. We found out about him by traveling to a time a few weeks ahead of where you are now. The killings were all over the news and we made the decision to try to stop him. The fact that a senior member of the corporation has a personal connection to one of the young ladies he eventually targets had a major impact on that decision, of course. The law isn’t involved because their esteemed members tend to deal only in facts, as tiresome as that is. Sadly, time machines aren’t accepted as believable conveyances in the year 2020. You’ll have to wait until 2093 for that.”

  “Are you going to tell me anything more about the corporation?”

  “To put it simply…” The screen spluttered and fizzed and Darcy disappeared. Elliot stared at the blank screen for several minutes but the connection did not restart. It was only then that he remembered he hadn’t mentioned the mysterious phone call from the man who’d introduced himself as Jack.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Ramona came out of her room soon after the call with Darcy dropped out, but she didn’t come out of her sulk. She stomped moodily around the apartment, cursing the bad connection and grumbling about whether she wanted to keep a job that cost her so much in time and trouble. She was starting to remind Elliot of cantankerous widow Marsden, who would stand in the doorway of Chaney’s Tavern and lament long and loud about her troubles until the men threw handfuls of sawdust in her direction and roared at her to be on her way.

  “I’m going home.” He was already halfway to the door, having given up on any further conversation tonight. “I guess I’ll hear from you when you need me again.”

  She stopped pacing and rocked back on her heels, as if his words had knocked her thoughts out of her head and reminded her of her role. “Tomorrow. Tomorrow evening is your second test run. I forgot to tell you. I don’t have all the details yet but I’ll email them to you later.”

  “Is it Amy again?”

  She shook her head as she patted her pockets, searching for her phone. “I don’t know where my phone is. It’s not Amy this time but I can’t remember anything else about it. Check your inbox in the morning.”

  “Ok. Goodnight, Ramona.” He shut the door but it wasn’t until he pushed the button for the elevator that he heard her muffled shout in response. “Goodnight, Elliot.”

  He took his time driving home, enjoying the music playing from the car stereo and the magical glow of the lights from the cars passing on the other side of the road. The haze of raindrops on the windscreen reiterated the fact that the weather in London certainly hadn’t improved over the centuries. All the same, he could happily drive in sweeping circles forever and never tire of it. What more could a man want in life? Annie. Her face was suddenly so clear in his mind that he automatically pushed his foot down hard on the brake and twisted the steering wheel, certain she was right there in front of him. The person in the car behind him leaned on his horn, sending the sound of his impatience through the airwaves. Elliot gasped and hurriedly righted the wheel before moving the vehicle back in line with the traffic in front of him. Annie was dead, a long time dead when he looked back from this minute and counted the years that had passed, and he needed to remember that. He needed to get himself home and get some rest. It was late and the day had been full of excitement, probably too much excitement for one day.

  He parked his car in the space beneath the apartment block and stood back a moment to admire it. Ramona had been scathing in her assessment of its battered looks but to Elliot, it was sublimely beautiful. The gleam of every horse’s coat did not have to appeal to every rider. He quickly looked around to make sure no one was watching on before tenderly stroking the car’s fender, as if his steed was a living, breathing creature. He added an affectionate pat for good measure and then strode off towards the stairs.

  He didn’t hear from Ramona until after midday the next day, although the promised email was waiting for him when he awoke. This too was a wonder, this ability to communicate on a whim, to write a small letter or message and send it in an instant. He was immersed in a century crammed full of genius and it was almost impossible to think that these inventions had arrived within a relatively short timeframe.

  According to the details in the email, his task for tonight was to oversee a date between Lani Bancroft and her chosen suitor, Ben. There was a photo attached of each of them, along with the address of the bar where they were to meet at 7pm. Lani was an almond-eyed young woman with a mass of tangled hair that briefly reminded Elliot of the unkempt hair of Crazy Beth, the mad woman who lived on the streets near his old tenement house. His era decoder assured him that the hairstyle was fashionable in the current year but Elliot had his doubts. In the other photo, Ben stared amicably into the camera through a pair of black-rimmed spectacles. He wore a small beard similar to Elliot’s own and his haircut was short and neat. The bullet points in the email, obviously meticulously written by Ramona, stated that Lani was aware of the ruse but Ben was oblivious to the true reason for their meeting. It seemed simple enough, as long as Elliot was able to keep himself hidden this time.

  Ramona was cheerful and upbeat when she called, her bad mood of last night apparently forgotten for now. “Have you read my email?”

  “Yes, I looked over it earlier. I’ll make sure to take more care to stay out of sight. Have you spoken to Darcy again?”

  The cheerfulness immediately dropped out of her voice. “No.”

  Elliot hurriedly moved on, loathe for her grim mood to return. “I forgot to tell him something. Someone phoned me the other night and the caller knew my name.”

  She was immediately alert. “Who was it?”

  Elliot recalled the strange phone call. “It’s probably not important but I was surprised that anyone else would have my phone number. It was a man’s voice and not a pleasant one. He said to tell Elliot Cinder that Jack called.”

  Ramona sucked in a breath. “What else did he say?”

  “That was it. He hung up straight away. I didn’t have the chance to say a word.”

  The other end of the phone went silent and for a few seconds, Elliot thought they’d lost their connection. “Are you still there, Ramona?”

  “I’m here.” He heard the rapid tap-tap of her fingernails clicking against the phone. “Ok, I’m going to have to let Darcy deal with this. It’s above my pay scale.”

  “Deal with what?”

  “Don’t worry. It’s not your problem and it’s certainly outside your current job description.”

  She’d reverted to her annoyingly condescending tone again but he pressed on. “So who’s Jack?”

  “Sorry, I can’t say anything more. I have to go. Phone me if you need anything, otherwise I’ll call you in the morning to find out how tonight’s stakeout went.”

  “Wait…” The phone was already dead in his hand. He shook his head, left frustrated by the entire conversation. Ramona was always quick to tell him to call if he neede
d anything but it seemed that whenever he did have a question, she suddenly had something more important that she needed to do.

  He circled the apartment, feeling restless and shut in. Long hours stretched in front of him before his assignment began. He glanced out the window at the thick misty rain that covered the city. Rain didn’t bother him, especially now that he had his coat. A Londoner needed to be stoic when it came to the inarguable matter of the weather.

  He walked into the bedroom to fetch his coat. He’d take his car out for a drive, allowing his steed to take him wherever it may. He grabbed the coat from where it lay over the back of the armchair by the dresser and as he did so, a small, torn piece of the lining fell back. An odd sense of déjà vu flowed over him as he stared at the tiny tear, along with a vivid memory of a long ago conversation he’d had with Annie.

  It was a Friday evening, if he remembered rightly. He and Annie had been stepping out for maybe six months at the time and by now, both had whispered their tender I love you’s as they walked the secret shadows of the laneways. Annie had stopped him just before they reached her parents’ house, tugging on his arm and pulling him back against the high, bricked wall behind them.

  “What are you doing?” He’d eyed her fondly, admiring the gleam in her eyes and the way her full, sweet lips parted in a smile.

  “I have something for you.” She’d reached into the scarf she wore around her neck to keep out the evening chill, her eyes never leaving his as she handed him a folded note. “I wrote it for you.”

  Her gift had thrilled him. It was a simple but sweet poem, the words professing her love for him and entwined with hope that their happiness would last for eternity. He’d vowed to keep the love note forever, slipping it into the tear in the lining of his overcoat to keep it close to his heart. He’d forgotten all about it over those terrible weeks following Annie’s murder and it hadn’t crossed his mind again until now.