“Useless wench.” With those kind words, he opened the door and strode away.
“Useless rakehell.” Curse him for breathing.
Still annoyed at Oliver, I ran towards Norton’s office. The least I could do was offer Rennie an alibi.
I knocked on the door. “Detective Norton? It’s Miss Fitzwilliam.”
He opened the door and welcomed me into his office with a bow. “Miss Fitzwilliam, please take a seat.”
Jaw tense, Rennie rose from his chair when I entered. The emerald in his eyes had a stormy quality that spoke of poorly concealed wrath.
Norton clasped his hands behind his back. “Perhaps you can help me convince Mr Steele to cooperate.”
“Why? What’s the matter?” I asked, sitting next to him.
“You shouldn’t be here.” Rennie gave a nod towards the door.
I guessed he meant I should be chasing the lamia? But I wasn’t going to leave him alone.
“I apologise for the straightforwardness of my question,” Norton said, adjusting his glasses. “But can you confirm Mr Steeles has been with you all evening?”
Oh, bother. Was that all? Had Rennie refused to confirm he’d been in my cabin to protect my honour? “Yes, he has been in my cabin all evening.”
“Thank you, madam.” Norton shot a glare at Rennie. “I was just saying to your... cousin that?—”
“Sir.” A member of the staff barged in. “Sir, I’m sorry, but it’s the Morrisons again. Mr Morrison said a man tried to enter his cabin.”
“Good gracious. What’s happening today?” Norton wiped his forehead with a handkerchief. “Please wait here.” He shut the door with a thud.
“The lamia?” Rennie asked.
“Oliver went after it. He very rudely refused to help you and preferred going to find Mrs Morrison. I guess he’s the man who tried to enter their cabin.”
“What a mess.” He rubbed his forehead. “I didn’t want to involve you.”
“That’s very kind of you, but what’s the point of protecting me if Oliver can fix memories in a heartbeat?”
A muscle in his jaw ticked. “That’s true. Still, I don’t like it. Especially after what happened today. Between us.”
I took his face and forced him to stare at me. “I hope what happened today will happen again.”
His Adam’s apple bobbed up and down as he swallowed. “So do I.”
The door was flung open, and Norton strode inside. A sheen of sweat covered his forehead. “Mr Steele, Miss Fitzwilliam, I’m afraid you’ll have to follow me.”
What now? I fell into step next to Rennie as we left the office and headed towards the back of the ship. Norton led us below deck, past the second-class cabins, and towards the engine room. I’d inspected theSS Florentiaso many times I had a pretty clear idea of her layout. And bother! I was even starting to address the ship as ‘she’ as sailors did. One couldn’t be more intimate than that with a ship.
“Where are we going?” Rennie asked as we climbed down another ladder.
While the upper levels were pristine and fresh, the bowels of the ship were dark, smelly, and noisy.
“The cargo hold,” Norton replied. “There’s something I wish to show you.”
The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end. There was a note of sheer excitement in Norton’s voice that started a chill in my body. And there was something else. Something I couldn’t place. A high-pitched ringing I’d never heard before in Norton’s voice.
I took Rennie’s hand and paused. “I don’t like this,” I whispered.
“Neither do I.” He pushed me behind him. “Norton, what is the meaning of this?”
