“He promised, if I got a result,” Daniel corrected me. “Which I did not. Something is brewing, Kat. All the signs are there. Peyton, I am willing to believe, had nothing to do with it. His friends might have, but so far, they all seem to be exactly what they appear to be. And now Peyton is dead. Very suspiciously.”
“Inspector McGregor said he wasn’t pushed.”
“True, but there are ways to kill a man without touching him. I will have to look at the postmortem results.”
“Inspector McGregor also told you to stay out of it,” I reminded him.
Daniel sent me a grim smile. “I don’t answer to McGregor, remember? Or his superiors. I advised Monaghan, when he stopped raging long enough to listen to me, not to pull all his watchers from that house. There is something…”
I knew there was something amiss as well, of which Lord Peyton’s death was part, though I had no details as to what. “Hannah is still there. She can have a nose about.”
Daniel shook his head. “Send word to her to go. Two people have been killed. If anyone tumbles to the fact that your Hannah is not actually a maid, she will be in grave danger, and I’m no longer there to protect her.”
“She actually is a maid,” I said. “At least, she was, years ago. She is also the best confidence trickster I have ever met, even beyond you and Mr.Fielding. I will warn her, of course, but if she chooses to stay, she would be of invaluable help.”
Daniel blew out a breath of exasperation. “I can’t stop her doing anything she likes, I suppose. Or you, apparently.”
“My dear Daniel.” I slid my arm through his and rested my head on his shoulder. “You never could.”
* * *
Daniel did not accompany me inside when we reached Mount Street. We shared another kiss in the hansom, which I insisted let me off around the corner, and once I’d descended, Lewis took Daniel on.
I hoped Daniel would heed Inspector McGregor’s advice and stay home for a bit while Monaghan cooled his temper, but I knew Daniel well. He might rest for a few hours but be out again trying to find answers.
For my part, I had my own resources and fully intended to use them. Monaghan held enmity for Daniel, and I wagered he’d not be satisfied until Daniel died to assuage Monaghan’sgrief and anger. There was no way I’d sit back and let Monaghan take his vengeance. If my efforts could help release Daniel from his bargain, then I would act.
Once I’d resumed my work dress, I took up a basket of scraps from the day’s cooking and went back out into the now dark evening.
I found Mr.Fielding’s lads straightaway. They approached when I beckoned, and I handed them a tea cake each—Tess had baked a nice batch this afternoon.
“Do you know the boy who sometimes seeks me?” I asked them. “Scruffy clothes, dark red hair, blue eyes. Goes by the name of Adam, though I do not believe that is his true name.”
“Yeah, we knows ’im,” the black-haired boy said. “Slippery little eel, but we’ll catch ’im.”
“Politely,” I said. “He is the son of a friend of mine. Please bring him to me—I need him to deliver a message.”
“Right you are.” The second boy touched his cap and sped into the darkness. The first paused long enough to shove an entire tea cake into his mouth, then he sprang after his friend.
I shook my head, handed out the rest of the scraps to the men and women who gathered, and returned to the kitchen.
“I might have to change me day out to Wednesday,” Tess told me unhappily when I joined her at the work table. “Caleb thinks that will be his day off, but he’s not certain. He might not be able to take any time at all, at first.”
“Who will he be working under?” I asked, as though offhandedly. “Inspector McGregor?”
“He won’t tell me.” Tess scowled at the bread dough she kneaded. “He’s gone all secretive.”
“It could be he doesn’t know. Those higher up in the police don’t impart information to one and all.”
I meant to comfort Tess, but I wondered anew if Monaghanhadn’t clamped hold of Caleb. I hoped Inspector McGregor or perhaps someone like Sergeant Scott could make certain Caleb didn’t work in this special Irish branch Daniel had told me about.
The work they’d been set up to do was important, I recognized. I was all for stopping explosions in railway stations and on streets—but I did not want Caleb to forfeit his life for it. Tess hadn’t had much happiness in her years on this earth, and losing Caleb would crush her.
Tess continued to be sullen, and I left her alone. I couldn’t tell her all would be well when I had no idea if it would be.
I sent Tess to bed early, as I usually did when I took my days out, and finished up sitting alone in the kitchen, making notes in my book.
Culinary problems did not occupy me tonight. Instead, I jotted more thoughts about the deaths of Lord Peyton and his secretary, the blackmail letters, and the list of those who’d purchased the ink bottles. I also spent time wondering how on earth Daniel would go about finding out what the anarchists were up to.
