On a Night Black

by Cherie Mitchell

  Elliot bit back a retort to the contrary. Jerome didn’t need to know that Jack the Ripper himself had been mingling with the punters here for most of yesterday. He could only imagine the chaos and panic such an admission would cause.

  “I know you have a job to do,” Jerome continued, “But it would help if you were a little more discreet.”

  “Point taken,” Elliot said curtly. “I’ll make sure to take more care in future. Now if you don’t mind, I’d like to get on with that little job you’ve just mentioned.”

  Jerome nodded his large head and stepped aside to allow Elliot to pass. Elliot scurried away and disappeared into the crowd before Jerome could call him back and read him the riot act once more. However, after three quarters of an hour of studiously checking every display, aisle, and exhibit for the Knave without finding him, he decided that perhaps the man wasn’t visiting the carnival today. Elliot opted for his Plan B, which was to return to the laneways where he’d lost sight of the Knave yesterday afternoon.

  He left the exhibition hall without incident. The man in the ticket office didn’t glance up and Jerome didn’t step out through his door to apprehend him. Elliot set off down the street under the mantle of the gloomy rain that had set in while he was inside, following the path he remembered taking yesterday. He walked until was deep within the narrow network of alleys in the inner city. He reached the bricked archway of the street where he’d last seen the Knave and he hesitated, wondering if he should start knocking on doors and enquiring if the residents had seen anyone who matched his description. A group of grubby children in wet, tattered clothes looked at him curiously when he stopped to ask them, shaking their heads and chorusing, “No sir, we aint seem no one like that but do you have a penny to spare?”

  Elliot regretfully shook his head, frustrated with himself for once again forgetting to bring along a coin or two. The children called out a few childish insults and ran away, giggling and hollering as they ran to hide. Elliot walked up to the first door and was about to lift his hand to knock when he heard it – a whooshing, humming, vibrating sound that made the hairs on his arms stand on end and his teeth grind of their own accord.

  The noise was unmistakable and he recognised it immediately. That could only be the sound of a time machine departing. The Knave had gone and he’d missed him completely. Cursing his ill fortune in arriving just moments too late, he turned on his heel and retraced his steps just as the door of a small, innocuous house opened and a young woman timidly peered out. He’d already turned the corner and was out of sight when Annie Jones closed the door behind her, put her shawl-covered head down against the persistent rain, and hurried away in the opposite direction without looking back.

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Darcy pulled at his beard, looking grave and his work on the time machine postponed for the moment as he listened to Elliot’s tale. “I was worried that might happen. You have to get back to 2020 immediately. Lani Bancroft is now in terrible danger. I’ll call Ramona and warn her and she can set the wheels turning that end, as long as it’s not already too late.”

  “Why would Lani be in terrible danger?” He pictured the laughing young woman, with her plastic crown tangled in her messy curls as she acted out her Charades prompt at the party. “Is the Knave stalking her now? And why? Are her parents involved with the corporation too?”

  “Nothing like that.” His eyes shifted to meet Hortense’s gaze. She looked just as solemn and sober as the inventor did and Elliot had the sudden certainty that there was a whole lot more to the Lani situation than he yet knew.

  “Tell me what Lani has to do with all of this.”

  The sorrow on Darcy’s face was matched by the wretchedness in his voice. “Unfortunately, Lani was not as loyal and dedicated to the cause as the corporation had initially hoped. Her candidacy was thoroughly vetted before her application was accepted, as are all the corporation’s agents, but it seems she somehow managed to fall through the cracks. Either that or the Knave has greater powers of seduction than we have ever given him credit for. He pursued Lani and started a relationship with her before persuading her to give him access to the time machine that he eventually stole.”

  Elliot was sure his jaw would’ve fallen all the way to the floor if it wasn’t securely hinged. “Lani? She’s the traitor? That’s preposterous! I can’t believe she would do such a thing.” He thought of Ramona and how bad she must feel. She had counted Lani as one of her close friends, as had Amy.

  “We have more than enough proof that it was her,” Darcy confirmed sadly.

  “So why is she in danger? I know she has betrayed the corporation but I guess they’ll be doling out their own form of punishment. Why would the Knave want to harm her when she helped him to get to the time machine?”

  “There’s the small matter of… erhmmm…” Darcy darted a bashful glance at Hortense. “Pillow talk. The word is that the Knave is probably already regretting some of the details he shared with her. With the Knave being the kind of man that he is, the corporation expects that he’ll want her silenced as quickly as possible.”

  “I still don’t get it. Why didn’t the Knave kill her as soon as he’d taken what he wanted from her? Isn’t that how he usually works?”

  “Perhaps he didn’t think that the corporation would pinpoint her involvement as quickly as they did. Who knows? I would never presume to climb inside the man’s dastardly mind.” Darcy turned back to the time machine. “I’m almost done. Prepare yourself for a trip back to 2020.”

  Elliot eyed the machine, which gleamed dully back at him. “Uh… Darcy, I’m really not feeling too keen about climbing back inside that contraption. I don’t think it’s safe.”

  “You can ride inside the main capsule,” Darcy said encouragingly. “You don’t need to squeeze yourself into the sidecar.”

  “No, it’s not that. I’m wary about the entire device and with good reason, I might add. The dratted thing exploded not so long ago and you still have faint traces of soot in your beard.”

  Grandly, or at least that’s how it seemed from Elliot’s standpoint, Darcy offered a compromise of sorts. “I could send Hortense along with you if you would prefer to travel with a companion.”

  Hortense blinked, apparently taken unawares by this kind gesture made on her behalf. “Uh…”

  “It’s ok,” Elliot said quickly. “I’ll go alone.” If he was about to plummet to his death in Darcy’s blasted machine there was no need for Hortense to forfeit her life for the second time.

  “Good-o.” Darcy beamed and gave the machine one of his affectionate slaps. “Go and grab your things while I tighten a few nuts and then you can be on your way.”

  By the time Elliot collected his mobile phone and tablet and returned to the front room, Darcy was grinning like a maniac and clearly ready to get this party started. Elliot stared dubiously over Hortense’s shoulder at the machine as she hugged him goodbye, unable to let himself relax. He shook the inventor’s hand and then climbed onto the table.

  “Wait!” Darcy’s hands flew into the air and Elliot, on edge and jumpy, nearly shrieked in fright. Darcy hurried from the room and returned a few seconds later with Elliot’s coat from the stand in the entranceway. “You can’t forget your coat this time around.” He waited until Elliot had squeezed into the machine before shoving the garment through the door after him. “Oh, and Elliot?” Darcy pressed his face close to the door gap and his green eyes glittered a warning. “Remember what I told you. Don’t expect everything to be exactly the same when you return. There are more things on heaven and earth than there are explanations for them.”

  Before Elliot could reply, the door slammed shut and he was again locked inside the tiny space. He wrapped his arms around his knees and buried his face into his coat. This was it. In just a few seconds the outcome would be clear – he would die, he would land somewhere unknown and possibly highly dangerous, or he would arrive back where he needed to be. He squeezed his eyes shut and pushed his
nose deeper into the folds of his coat to block out the choking stench of fuel.

  “So long, old chap! I’ll let Ramona know to expect you!” Darcy’s far too cheerful voice boomed around the interior of the capsule, the familiar humming noise began, and then everything exploded in a violent burst of light.

  Elliot waited for the vibrating hum to stop before he cautiously lifted his head. He seemed to be stationary again, but where was he? He leaned forward to open the door, careful this time not to buckle it as he let himself out. He could see a few stems of grass waving in the breeze, which was surely a hopeful sign. Gripping his courage in both hands, he rolled out of the capsule and looked around, breathing a sigh of relief when he recognised the sun-baked fallen log he’d sat upon while Ramona fixed the machine all those eons ago.

  He draped his coat over his shoulder and started to make his way to the edge of the woods, expecting to see Ramona burst through the trees at any moment, but she did not appear. He carried on until he reached the street that separated the group of trees from Ramona’s apartment building, wondering where she could be. Darcy had said he would let her know he was coming, but what if he couldn’t reach her? Everyone knew how unreliable the Com-Dec app was. Cars rushed past, reminding him of this city full of people who thought they were busy and the odd reliance on time in this century, and he longed for the reassurance of the era decoder. But where was Ramona?

  He waited for a break in the traffic and hurriedly crossed the road. He would push the button for Ramona’s apartment and she would hear it and let him in. She was probably still in the middle of her call with Darcy, he reassured himself. She was probably trying to extricate herself from the call now, anxious to come out and greet him.

  He stabbed his finger at Ramona’s apartment number on the keypad and waited for the doors to swing open. After a few minutes of waiting, he pressed the number again. Something was wrong. This was not how his return to this century was supposed to begin. He’d just lifted his hand to press the button again when the automatic doors opened. Grinning, he went to step inside but Jason and Ramona were already walking out. And they were holding hands.

  He stared dumbly at the couple, lost for words. This couldn’t possibly be what Darcy had meant when he said to expect changes. His heart beat a hollow thud against his chest and he struggled to paste a smile on his face while Ramona gazed grimly back at him. “Hi Elliot.”

  No smile accompanied her greeting. She released Jason’s hand and passed Elliot the era decoder, which he mutely strapped onto his wrist. Jason was chattering away now, welcoming him back as if Elliot was his nearest and dearest friend but Elliot could not respond. Not yet, not when he knew his voice would come out cracked and broken.

  “Something has come up and we have to go out. Take my keys and let yourself into my apartment.” Ramona pressed her keys into his hand without allowing her skin to brush against his. “We’ll be back in a few hours and I can brief you on everything then.”

  He found his voice at last. “Is this what Darcy meant when he warned me to expect subtle changes in the future?” he asked dully.

  “What?” Ramona flicked him one of her impatient looks. She’d already taken several strides away from him, her attention elsewhere, and Jason was close behind. “We’ll be back soon. Help yourself to anything you need while we’re gone.”

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  This was a nightmare. Elliot paced around Ramona’s empty apartment, unable to avoid seeing the multiple signs of coupledom – the two used coffee cups on the coffee table, a pair of Jason’s shoes sitting by the door, and the two plates and two glasses by the sink. Ramona’s greeting had been cool and restrained without any note of excitement, as if it didn’t matter to her whether he was here or not. This was a cruel and unfair situation to come back to. Darcy’s warning hadn’t been enough – he should have at least hinted that the changes were in regards to Ramona’s relationship situation.

  He was sitting morosely on the couch when Ramona returned, having worn out his pacing an hour ago. He jumped up as soon as she opened the door, his mind set on what he needed to do. Before she’d barely set a foot inside the apartment, and as soon as he saw she was alone, he was talking. “I’m not losing yet another woman from my life. There have been too many lost, far more than any man should ever have to bear.”

  Ramona looked startled as she pressed the door shut behind her. She remained standing where she was, plainly confused. “Elliot? Where did that come from?”

  He marched determinedly across the room to stand before her, a man with his mind made up. “How serious are things between you and Jason?”

  Ramona glanced at Jason’s shoes before shaking her head and skirting around Elliot to walk over to the window. “Jason and I are good friends,” she said stiffly.

  He followed her over to the window. She stared pensively out across the city, her eyes an enchanting royal blue in the light and for the first time, Elliot saw the wet smudge of tears on her cheeks. Without hesitation, he grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around to face him. “What’s the matter? Why are you crying?”

  To his surprise and delight, she collapsed against him and buried her face in his chest. His arms went instinctively around her, holding her tight as she sunk into him. He rocked her gently, hoping to soothe her tears away while at the same time not wanting her to pull away too soon. To hold her like this, even if she was weeping, was blissful. At last, she heaved an enormous sigh and tipped her head back so she could look up at his face. For the moment, she did not step out of his arms. Sorrow had dragged her mouth down at the corners and yet more tears were welling up in her eyes. “Lani.”

  “I’m sorry. I heard that she’d turned traitor and betrayed the corporation. It must’ve been an enormous shock for you to deal with. I know she was one of closest friends and I myself find it hard to believe that she would do such a thing.”

  Ramona was shaking her head before he’d even finished speaking. “She’s dead,” she said quietly. “I’d only just found out when you landed.”

  Elliot froze. He felt as if someone had suddenly opened a trapdoor beneath him and he was about to crash through into the nothingness that lay below. He’d arrived too late to save her. “Was it the Knave? And how?”

  “It may have been the Knave but the corporation is still looking into it. The incident took them by surprise and the senior committee doesn’t take kindly to surprises of any kind. Her body was found this morning in the Thames, down near St Katharine Docks.” Ramona swallowed hard and made a small, scared sound in the back of her throat. “She has a head wound but it’s still unclear whether she died of the injury or whether she drowned. I for one believe the Knave was responsible.”

  “I’m so, so sorry. I had hoped to get here in time to prevent it.” He tightened his arms around her again, taking comfort himself now from the warmth of her slight form. This wasn’t news he’d wanted or needed to hear.

  She pressed her face back against his chest for a brief, wonderful moment before stepping away. “I feel sick. Tired and sick.”

  “I’ll get you a glass of water.” Disappointed that she was no longer in his arms but anxious to do something to help, he hurried across to the kitchen to fetch two glasses of water. He pointedly ignored the dishes and glasses on the bench. Now was not the time to bring up Jason.

  He took her the water, noticing how pale her face was and how her hands trembled as she held the glass. “You should sit down.”

  She gave him a brave, tremulous smile. “I think I should.”

  She chose one of the armchairs and he pulled up the other one to sit close beside her. “What happens now?”

  “I’m waiting for my next instructions. The Knave is back here in 2020, we know that much. Somehow, we have to find the time machine he’s been using and defuse it. Can you imagine the chaos we’ll be dealing with if he has the freedom to travel wherever he chooses and continue his murderous rampage?”

  Elliot pictured the man’
s smug, cruel face and his arrogant, knowing manner. “He thinks he is invincible.”

  “No one is invincible,” Ramona said firmly. She swiped irritably at her damp eyes. “I hate feeling so vulnerable. I hate him for making me feel like this.”

  Elliot was immediately on alert. “Are you still in danger? Is he still stalking you?”

  “We don’t know yet. Obviously, he hasn’t been here over the past few days. He was too busy making other people’s lives miserable in 1889.”

  “I followed him through the streets after he left a carnival at the Olympia. He’d offered to escort two young women home and they did get there safely, although I don’t know if I could say the same if I wasn’t there.”

  “There’s something else…” She briefly closed her eyes and when she opened them again she was different, practical and efficient Ramona once more. “Anyway, that part can wait. I don’t think I’m supposed to be the one to tell you.”

  “Tell me what?” After his conversations with Hortense and Darcy, he couldn’t imagine what else there was for him to know.

  Someone knocked at the door then, the rap of knuckles on the wood quick and sharp. Ramona seemed relieved for the interruption. She was on her feet in a heartbeat and hurrying across to the door. “That will be Amy. She said she was on her way over.”

  Amy rushed through the door on a wave of grief as soon as Ramona pulled it open. The other girl barrelled into Ramona’s arms, sobbing about the awfulness of it all without noticing that Elliot was standing in the background. Ramona gave her friend a sympathetic squeeze, agreeing with her wails and laments before gently extricating herself from the embrace. “Amy, Elliot is back.”

  “Oh.” Amy sniffed loudly and struggled to compose herself before giving up and flinging herself at him. “Elliot!” she wailed, “Have you heard about Lani?”