“Why would they be in the same place?”
“Because Edeen has been looking into a man by the name of Crookes for over a week. She heard he was kidnapping girls and selling them. She believes he took one of her classmates at Mrs. Dash’s School for Young Ladies. She asked me about him and his warehouse. At the time, I didn’t know he was the same scaly cur responsible for the fire. I suspect Edeen and Violet decided to check it out.”
“Why didn’t you tell us this before now? I would have sent for more backup.”
Robbi winced. “I didn’t want Caillen to know how much trouble Edeen could be in. I didn’t think about backup.”
“A good spy always thinks of backup. It could mean a matter of life and death. Specifically, the spy’s.” Payne returned to loading the pistols at his side. “Luckily, I happened to plan on needing some help, and sent word to Sir Williamson.”
“How is that possible when you don’t know where we’re going?” Robbi asked as she studied Payne’s actions.
“I overheard you talking to the driver and sent a street rat straight there.”
“That’s cheating!” Robbi exclaimed.
“It was brilliant,” Simon gave Payne a nod of approval.
“But he went behind my back. You said we were a team.”
“Achilddoesn’t always recognize when she should let theadultsknow the truth of the matter before they all get their bloody heads blown off.”
The brutal truth of Payne’s statement left Robbi speechless, and her lips pursed together. Simon glared at the man.
“My apologies. I should not have eavesdropped on the young miss’s conversation, nor should I have spoken out of turn in the manner I did.”
“You were absolutely correct in eavesdropping and we all know it. I have much to learn about the business of spying.” Robbi turned and looked out the window. Her body shrinking into itself with her admission. Her confidence disappearing like a trail of dust in their wake.
“Very well,” Simon said. “We will both bow to Payne’s expertise and allow him to dictate how we shall proceed once we arrive.”
Robbi’s chin lifted as she searched his face trying to determine if he was mocking her or attempting to soothe herdamaged pride. He tried to convey the truth in his statement. He was just as much a novice as she was.
Payne didn’t hesitate to ask Robbi for more information. “What can you tell us about this warehouse?”
Robbi’s countenance changed as if she were a soldier taking orders. “I only made a quick study of it yesterday. There were too many people milling around to do much more.”
“What kind of people?” Payne asked.
“Shady characters who would just as soon as box me ears, then answer any questions. They wouldn’t let anyone get close to the warehouse. I saw them push one old lady to the ground when she approached a guard at the side door. I did notice that there were fewer workers about after dark. It was almost as if they were going out on assignments at night. Unfortunately, I didn’t have time to see what exactly that entailed. I had to be back at Harding House for dinner.”
“Did you pass this on to Edeen?”
She sighed. “Over breakfast I told her I’d try to get back by this evening, but then I got distracted by this business with Sir Williamson.”
Robbi relayed what she had seen with surprising detail. The entrance on the front of the building was boarded up; however, a smaller side entrance was used by several men exiting the building just after dusk. At that time, the guard on the exterior of the building went inside. The door appeared to have a small window to communicate with people outside the building without opening the door.
There were no windows on the front of the building or the side alley entrance. The opposite side was attached to an adjacent warehouse, but it appeared to be a separate business from what she had been able to see.
Payne discussed the best tactics for handling what they were up against, while Simon argued for Robbi to stay in the hackney.
Payne disagreed. “She’s safer with us than with a driver we don’t know in the East End. The plan will work if the guards thin out at night like she said.”
“There will be hell to pay, if she is injured,” Simon warned.
“I can take care of meself,” Robbi replied with the brass bravado of a street rat.
“You just stay in the shadows, little one.”
Robbi crossed her arm and remained silent the rest of the way.
