“Our contacts were good,” he said. “I believed them when they said that this is the gaming hell Cain usually frequents. But he must know to keep a low profile right now.”
Nathan practically snarled with anger. “I’m surprised that weasel of a man has the fortitude to resist the gaming hell. He doesn’t seem like the kind of man who can ever resist his temptations.”
“Well, the manager says he hasn’t seen him in a fortnight.”
“And we believe this man?” Nathan asked, his eyes narrowing. “Let me speak to him. I’m sure I can get a confession out of him.”
Grove held up his hands. “Careful, Your Grace. You don’t want to go accusing someone of lying to Scotland Yard. Especially Mr. Rilkins. He has been very helpful to us in rounding up illegal gambling rings, and we help enforce the debts when he comes collecting. We have a symbiotic relationship, and I trust him.”
Nathan turned away. He couldn’t hide the skepticism on his face, but he didn’t want Grove to see it. He knew he was being unreasonable, suspicious of everyone, and generally disagreeable. All week long, he’d been like this: unable to control his temper, paranoid that everyone was out to get them, and impatient. But it had been aweek!How long did it take Scotland Yard to find a wanted man?
This is like when Jebediah Crampton escaped from prison. They took forever to find him, also with disastrous results!
But he couldn’t fully blame them, either. It was easy to hide in the underbelly of London. There were so many dark, dangerous parts of the city where a person could slip away, unnoticed.
That’s why they were at Rilkin’s Casino in the heart of the underbelly of the city.
They had arrived at Rilkin’s an hour earlier, just as the place was at the height of its night of gambling. It was a Friday, and the floor had been crowded. When Scotland Yard had burst through the door, it was to find half of theton’swealthiestand most powerful men gambling, their looks of shock and embarrassment almost equal to Nathan’s certainty that he was about to find Lord Cain.
But Lord Cain hadn’t been there. Scotland Yard had torn through the place, upsetting the patrons, who had been forced to file out through the doors one by one so that they could be checked against the description of Lord Cain.
Once the place was empty, Scotland Yard had searched it high and low for any hiding places where Cain might be.
But he was nowhere to be found.
Now, Nathan looked around the empty casino, and he felt nothing but disgust; the smell of cigar smoke and sweat still lingered in the air, half-empty glasses of champagne sat atop gambling tables or were broken on the ground in their drinkers’ haste to get away from the authorities, and die and gold coins were scattered across tabletops.
“They call me the Beast of Carramere,” he muttered, “and yet even I do not frequent such places. Half thetondoes, but they aren’t given a villainous nickname for it.”
He couldn’t keep the bitterness at bay anymore. Not when he no longer had Rosalie. She had been a shining beacon of hope in his life. Without her, all the bitterness and anger he’d felt over the last two years had come rushing back. He knew that’s why he’d been so ghastly all week. He was angry at the world fortaking her from him, but most of all, he was angry at himself for pushing her away.
“Why don’t we head back to headquarters?” Grove asked. “Reed should be back by now from searching Redfield’s estate. It’s possible that Cain went there to hide out with his opium production.”
“You know I think it unlikely he returned there,” Nathan snapped. “It would be the obvious thing to do.”
“Well, we’ll know for sure very soon.”
Nathan stood still a moment longer, his eyes staring hard at the casino around him. “I want to speak to Rilkin,” he said. “I want to hear him say that Cain isn’t here.”
Grove sighed. “I’ve already spoken to him.”
Nathan turned his cold, furious eyes to the Inspector. It was a testament to Grove’s professionalism and bravery that he didn’t flinch.
“Now,”Nathan hissed.
Grove nodded. “Follow me, Your Grace.”
Upstairs in Mr. Rilkin’s office, they found him standing in front of the window that looked down at the casino floor, his hands clasped behind his back.
“Was the investigation not to your liking, Your Grace?” Rilkin asked as Nathan and Grove stepped inside. He didn’t turn to see them, but it was clear he knew who it was who had entered his office.
“Why do you say that?” Nathan asked.
Rilkin shrugged. “You’re still here, even after tearing apart my casino.”
“You’re lucky we left so much of it intact,” Nathan snarled. “Dens of iniquity such as these have no right to exist.”
“It is your people who keep them going,” Rilkin said, still not turning to face him. “Our best members are aristocratic. Without them, there would be no need for these ‘dens of iniquity’ as you put it.”
