Ada shuddered, trying to erase the images. “How awful,” she whispered. “How perfectly awful.”
“I’m sure Detective Burke’ll be on the case,” Nelly said. “He’ll see to justice, won’t ‘e?”
Meena smiled at the girl. “I have no doubt. Our Inspector Burke is an extraordinary detective.”
Nelly nodded, as if eager to stress the positive. “‘E’s all right. For a crusher.”
Before anyone could respond, Edison and Spencer rushed up to the table.
“It was him.” Edison kicked a leaf down the pavement. “Damn it, he got in right under our noses.”
Behind him, Spencer ran a hand through his thick hair. He looked as discouraged as Edison was angry.
“How could it be?” Meena asked. “We had the place surrounded.”
Edison and Spencer shared a long look.
“Found this underneath the body.” Spencer slapped a small card down on the table.
Once white, it was now smudged and water-stained from laying in the damp alley. Though she was intimately familiar with the printing, Ada glared at the card as if she could will the thing away.
The furrow in Meena’s brow grew deeper as she studied the printing. “Oh dear.” She met Ada’s gaze, clearly puzzled now. “How did she come to have your calling card?”
Ada sank back in her seat. Her head whirled, her surroundings spinning about at a sickening pace.
That poor woman was dead because of her.
“However she got hold of Ada’s cards, my guess is she was trying to pull a con on whoever wrote that advert,” Edison said.
Spencer nodded in agreement, as did Briar.
“But how did she get Ada’s cards?” Briar repeated her cousin’s question.
Oh no.
A vision of her handbag laying on the floor, bits and bobs strewn across the carpet sprang to mind.
Ada struggled to her feet. “We have to find him!”
Edison gripped her shoulders, forcing her to still. “Slow down.” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms as if calming a spooked horse. “Find who?”
“That boy. He stole my cards.” Ada forced herself to take a breath. “If that woman told her killer where she got them…” She stared into Edison’s eyes, willing him to comprehend the danger.
“He’ll go after the boy,” Edison finished. He gave her arms one last squeeze. “We’ll find him, but we need to keep our heads on straight. Won’t do him any good if we go charging into a trap.”
Ada tried to swallow, tried to slow her mind and think clearly. “You’re right. Of course.” The image of the body in the alley intruded again, making her heart pound. She didn’t want to find another at the mansion.
She shifted from foot to foot, finding the crowds too close, the whole space too confining. “We need to find him. We need to—”
Edison gripped her arms, stilling her. “I’ve never lost a client yet. We’ll find him, but I can’t do two things at once. I want you and Nelly to go back to our offices. We have a telegraph there. She can contact Detective Burke.”
“But—”
“You’ll be of more help there. We’ll find the boy. You have my word.” He tried to smile. “I’ll pick up your things while we’re at it.” His lips curved up in a small smile, as if he were trying to coax her out of her fears. “Unless you prefer onions and cabbage to French perfume?”
Ada stared down at her dirty apron. “I do look a fright.”
“Your perfume doesn’t impress, but that outfit has its possibilities.”
Edison was staring down at her. With the top buttons on her old dress long gone, the valley between her breasts was perfectly open to view.
Despite her agitation, Ada flushed.
“That’s better.” Edison took her chin in his hand, raising her head until their eyes met. “I’m quite good at this sort of thing. We’ll find the lad, then we’ll find whoever did this.”
Ada nodded. Of that she had no doubt.
Edison rushed off with his companions. Arms folded across her chest, she hugged herself tight as he disappeared across the street.
Seduction, passion, and now murder. All in less than twenty four hours.
Damned if this entire escapade hadn’t gone spinning out of control.
She was out of her depth now, farther out to sea than she would’ve imagined possible.
Chapter 16
Night didn’t so much as fall as sneak through the streets on the heels of a choking, tea-colored fog. Edison watched the vile mist grow from the ground up until it obscured even the few stars bold enough to outshine the city lights.
It was shaping up to be a foul evening.
He folded his arms across his chest and stretched out his legs, taking up more than his share of the limited legroom in the brougham.
The boy in question sat on the seat opposite, sullen-faced, but with a wariness in his light eyes.
Once they’d cornered him in the library of White’s mansion, he’d come along more or less willingly. Though the boy had readily admitted taking Ada’s things and selling her cards, his helpfulness did nothing to reassure Edison that the boy would be safe.
On the contrary, the lad had known the woman. They had to assume the killer now had a name—and a good description—to follow.
Which meant he now had one more person to guard.
Edison sank down in his seat and rubbed a hand over his face. Damned if this case hadn’t gotten to him more than any other.
Of course, he’d never bedded a client before.
He winced. Not the most prudent move, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret it. On the contrary, he was very much looking forward to doing it again.
“I’m hungry,” the boy announced.
“So am I.” Edison crossed his legs and slouched down in his seat, letting his eyelids droop until he imagined he looked like he was napping.
Briar kicked him in the ankle.
“We’ll be at our destination soon,” she said to the boy. “Plenty to eat once we get there.”
“I won’t go to jail,” the lad muttered.
“It’s a good thing that’s not where we’re going, then, isn’t it?” Edison responded.
The lad opened his mouth just as Crane pulled the carriage to a stop.
As Briar and Meena stepped out of the carriage, Edison gave their charge the full force of his stare. “I’m faster than I look, and those ladies are quicker still. If you want to sleep with a full belly tonight, don’t make us chase you down.”
The boy’s eyes widened in fear, but he managed a disdainful sneer. Edison liked the show of spirit. He grinned as he waved the lad out into the street.
The main office was warm and smelled faintly of tea. Which made his own stomach rumble.
Briar and Meena waited outside the door, careful to stay on each side of the boy. Though she held it casually, Meena kept her umbrella sword at her side. His sister would have a throwing knife or two tucked up her sleeves. Should their young charge make a run for it, she’d pin his sleeves to the wall before he could turn the doorknob.