One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1) (20 page)

“I thought I had finished with this,” Luke growled. He tugged his collar up and hunkered deeper into his jacket when the morning chill swept down his spine. He followed Barnaby and Jeb into the park and was aware that as he walked that he was instinctively scanning the trees for the watcher.

Although he had left Marcus in charge of the safe house, and Poppy, he would much prefer to be back in bed with her. It irked him to have so many questions he had yet to find answers for, but this was the problem with being an investigator. Everything had to be resolved in time, with a lot of work and effort, and that meant that he couldn’t rest just yet, and savour some time alone with the woman in his life.

He was fairly certain now that he loved her. He just needed to spend some more time with her before he decided what to do next about their relationship. As far as he was concerned, their future together was definite. However, he would feel considerably easier about that once he had her acceptance of his marriage proposal. Unfortunately, he suspected that she still intended to go back to Cumbria as soon as the business with Clarence was all sorted out. He just had to find some way of persuading her not to.

“What?” Jeb asked, his face drawn into his habitual dark scowl.

“Walking around cold parks at the crack of dawn.” He watched his breath fog out in front of him in disgust. He had been heading out to see if he could find Toby when Jeb and Marcus had appeared at the back door with news; news that had brought him back to the park he least wanted to see again.

“It’s through here,” Jeb declared quietly and led them deeper into the woods. They had walked steadily toward the spot where Poppy had found the body on the path, but were nearly on the opposite side of the woods before Jeb drew to a stop and motioned to the ground before them.

The shoes were the first thing Luke saw, followed by the well-cut and very expensive breeches worn by many men of means.

“Thrown in the river again?” Luke asked as he studied the ground beneath the body. It was almost the exact same spot where Joshua Samson’s body had been dumped.  He stood and dispassionately studied the now mottled face of Rupert Balgravia. The stench of the rotting flesh made his empty stomach churn, but he quickly shoved his disgust aside and focused on what he was there to do. Apart from a thinning mop of chestnut brown hair liberally smattered at the sides with greyish white strands which bracketed large jowls and rather protruding fish-lips, there was very little in the way of distinguishing features – apart from the mottled damage visible around the throat.

“Strangled. Again.” Luke snorted. “Anything in his pockets?” He watched Jeb shake his head in confusion. “Do you have any idea how long he has been here?” He suspected it had been several days at least. From the look of it, this man had probably been killed the same day he had disappeared.

“Do you think he may have been kidnapped?”

Jeb shook his head. “There has been no ransom demand.”

“Does he have any known debts?” Luke looked at Barnaby who shook his head. “With the wealth this man has, he wouldn’t need to borrow anything from anyone.”

“Do you think he disturbed the burglar?” Jeb asked with a scowl.

Luke thought about what Poppy had said and shook his head. “Poppy is right. Nobody would get into a house the size of his without taking an incredible risk of being seen by numerous staff, especially so early in the evening when everyone is still awake.”

“So he left the house voluntarily with the painting?” Barnaby asked.

“He may have been blackmailed over something” Luke reasoned. He was really thinking aloud but felt as though he was stumbling around in the dark rather than coming up with any credible answers.

“We need to keep an eye on the pawn shops to see if that painting appears,” Luke sighed.

“Already on it. I have Joshua doing the rounds, and he has a network of locals who need gainful employment to help him. If that painting turns up anywhere in this area we will know about it,” Barnaby assured him.

“Good.” Luke had already asked Toby to keep an eye out. It was only a matter of time before someone saw or heard some gossip.

Barnaby studied the bruises around the man’s neck. “Looks like he was killed by rope again.” He withdrew a single strand of rope from the folds of Balgravia’s cravat and laid it carefully on the man’s shirt. “Given Poppy’s attacker had a knife not a rope, it is safe to assume this killer is a different person. I also think it is safe to say that the killer is a man.”

Luke nodded. “The killer of this man has to be big, solid and strong. No weakling could carry a sodden dead man from the river to here, and Joshua Samson was no lightweight. This man is even heavier.” Everyone studied the dead man’s ample girth. “Do you think he was killed here?”

“Nope,” Jeb replied, pointing to scuff marks across the forest floor. “He was left here.”

“The same spot he left Joshua Samson in,” Luke sighed. “Hidden from view for now but eventually discovered when the body begins to smell.”

“Do you think he is sending us a message?” Barnaby asked.

“He knows Samson’s body has been found because it has been all over the broadsheets. He also knows Balgravia has been reported missing, and people are looking for him,” Luke reasoned.

Barnaby nodded. “He wants the body to be found – eventually.”

“He is toying with us.” Luke sighed and shook his head.

Disgusted, Barnaby shook his head. “So, we have an unknown knifer and a strangler on our hands, a missing drunkard desperate for money, and a woman clutching a veritable fortune donated by a relation she barely knows.”

Jeb coughed and smothered a laugh. “Don’t forget the pick-pockets.”

“The gang of thugs, the missing paintings, the jewellery thefts,” Luke growled. He dug out his pocket watch and cursed again. If he didn’t run he would miss the meeting with Toby, and he had to pick up the promised food along the way.

“I’ll come with you,” Jeb offered. He nodded toward the corpse and looked at Barnaby with raised brows.

Barnaby sighed. “Alright. I will deal with him while you two see Toby. When you are done we will meet at the safe house and decide what we are going to do next. I cannot help thinking we are not done with the dead bodies yet so time is of the essence.”

An hour later, Luke frowned as Toby slipped into the alleyway alone. “Where’s Lucy?”

Toby shifted uncomfortably and looked a little sad for a moment. “She isn’t well,” was all he said.

Luke studied the boy and knew there was more the lad wasn’t telling him. He squatted down so he could look up into the boy’s eyes. “Did the boss hit her?”

Toby nodded.

“Badly?”

“A bit,” Toby muttered. “She didn’t bring enough back.”

“Too busy working for us, eh?”

“She has a family and gave her mam the pennies to help feed them. The boss weren’t happy ‘cos she didn’t take enough back for him.”

Luke kept his face impassive but his fists clenched painfully with raw anger toward thugs who employed impoverished children to commit their crimes for them.

“Give me the name of the man you work for, Toby,” Luke growled. “Tell me where to find him.”

Toby looked wary. “Why? What are you going to do?”

“I am not going to do anything just yet. I have had another body turn up this morning and I need to work on finding out what’s going on.”

Toby’s eyes rounded. “Who are you?”

“A friend.” He handed Toby another penny.

“His name is Fred Bartlett, but we all call him Freddie.”

Luke nodded. “The pick-pockets?”

Toby nodded.

“Where is your base? Where do you meet with this Freddie?”

“At the back of the old warehouse, in the old dock worker’s houses.”

“What number?”

Toby shifted. “It is the one with the green door, but Freddie can get nasty. Please don’t tell him I am talking to you.”

The fear in Toby’s eyes fuelled Luke’s anger, and he quickly hastened to reassure him.

“I can tell you that another body was found in the park this morning. He was a nabob. A very valuable painting disappeared at the same time as he did. Now, more importantly, did you see any sign of the thin man who followed me and Poppy the other night?”

Toby nodded. “I saw him in Covent Garden. I avoided him but he kept popping up. In the end I left, but he asked Billy about me.”

“Billy?”

“My mate. One of the gang. Billy didn’t tell ‘im nawt but said the man weren’t nice,” Toby looked scared for a moment. “What does he want with me? Did he kill the man in the park?”

Luke wanted to say no, but then couldn’t with any degree of certainty. “Have you seen him since?”

Toby shook his head. “I have been lying low and working around The Tower. Its far enough out of the way and them’s richer pickings.”

“Good. Stay out of the way, Toby. This man wants Poppy, not you, but for safety don’t go anywhere with him. If he tries to accost you then scream and then come straight to me.”

“Whatcha gonna do ‘bout ‘im?” Toby asked with a frown.

Luke wanted to tell him that as soon as he had gathered enough evidence he was going to get Freddie behind bars, but knew the lad would probably stop talking to him so remained quiet. Instead, he kept the conversation focused on Poppy’s assailant.

“Did you get a good look at any of his features?”

“He has dark hair and is odd.”

“In what way?” Luke scowled. He thought of the almost childlike way the man had behaved when he had been captured last night.

“He mumbles to himself as he walks. The others find ‘im funny.” Toby touched the side of his head. “Like he ain’t right, if you know what I mean?”

Luke nodded. If he was honest he had already started to think the same thing.

Luke knew there was more Toby wasn’t telling him and dug around in his pocket for several more pennies. “Do you know who his boss is?”

Toby shook his head. “He aint’ one of anyone’s gang that one. I don’t know where he came from.”

“Don’t ask anyone any questions that are likely to get you in trouble, or raise anyone’s suspicions. There is a lot going on at the moment, and a lot of dangerous people are involved. With that in mind, if anything happens, or this man gets too close to you, come to me at my place, but don’t tell anyone else the address. Do you hear me?” Luke tried to keep the urgency out of his voice but failed miserably and watched alarm grow in Toby’s young face. “Tell Lucy to do the same. You don’t have to take beatings from the likes of Freddie.” His temper began to boil. He wanted to do something to help the boy’s situation and dug around in his pocket. He handed the boy three shillings and watched his eyes pop wide. “Keep these in case anyone doesn’t get what they should. Break it up and tell me when you have used them up. Now, promise me you will come to me if you ever need help.”

Toby nodded and took the coins off him with such reverence that Luke wanted to punch the wall at the unfairness of the lad’s situation.

“Stay safe. I will see you same time tomorrow,” Luke replied. He handed the lad several packages of food and watched him stuff them into his seemingly bottomless pockets.

“I am always safe. I am the best pick-pocket in the whole of London, me,” he declared cockily. “See ya’.”

Luke watched the young lad leave the alleyway and tear off down the street without a backward look. Hopefully, the earnings from today would go some way toward making the young lad’s life a little easier for the next couple of days. He rather suspected that the small gang-of young urchins who had taken to a life of crime within London’s city streets were going to be a valuable source of information to the Star Elite; and crucial to the arrest and prosecution of the older gang of thieves and cut-throats. If at the end of this the Star Elite was successful in getting them off the streets and into better lives then that was the least they could do.

Satisfied that he had done everything he could for now, Luke made his way back to the safe house.

Luke’s earlier determination to keep his mind on his work for the Star Elite and off the delectable temptation of Poppy was a brilliant idea, and something he was confident he could manage to do with ease. Right up until the moment he stepped through the kitchen door of the safe house and saw her sitting at the table laughing and chatting amiably with Marcus.

The surge of jealousy that swept through him made him slam the kitchen door with more force than necessary, and glare at them darkly. He slapped the broadsheet down on the table without saying a word.

“Bad morning?” Marcus asked. He leaned back in his chair, amused by his colleague’s blatant jealousy.

Oh, how the mighty have fallen
, he mused as he watched the somewhat avid way his friend studied the beautiful young woman opposite. He had known Luke for a long time now and had never seen him this smitten with a woman before. He would have made light of the situation too if it wasn’t for Luke’s apparent ill-temper. Deciding not to take a punch on the nose, he smiled at Poppy and winked.

Feeling decidedly surly now, Luke contemplated kicking his friend’s chair back but turned his back and yanked his jacket off instead. His anger vanished in an instant when he turned back around and found Poppy watching him with something akin to adoration in her eyes.

“Good morning,” he murmured. He picked her hand up and pressed a tender kiss into the palm. Their eyes met and held.

“Good morning.”

“I hope my colleague here hasn’t been making a pest of himself?” His voice was husky with emotion.

Poppy threw a beaming smile at Marcus which made him smile in delight, and Luke’s frown darken.

“No, we have just been chatting,” she assured him, oblivious to his jealousy. “He has been a delightful companion.”

Marcus studied his colleague questioningly. From the look on Luke’s face he began to wonder if his friend and colleague had recently been bitten by the romantic bug.

“I have been regaling her with some of your more questionable exploits,” Marcus smirked.

“Oh?” Luke helped himself to a mug of ale and sat at the table. He threw a curious look at Marcus and waited for him to explain. “Nothing about yourself then?”

“No.” Marcus shook his head and winked at Poppy. “My exploits aren’t anywhere near as hilarious as yours.”

Poppy coughed and shifted in her seat. She rather suspected that Marcus was baiting Luke for some reason but she couldn’t think why.

“What exploits are those then?” Luke drawled. He helped himself to a mug of ale.

“Like the time you were chasing that pick-pocket down an alley and were beaten up by an elderly lady for running into her washing line. You came out black and blue after that one,” Marcus drawled on a sigh. “Then again, it wasn’t half as funny as the time you were chasing someone across a farmyard, skidded on some silage and landed face-first in the middle of the manure pile.”

“Yes, well, at least I don’t get drunk on an investigation, and in a dimly lit tavern make a pass at a man dressed as a woman,” Luke challenged. “And a colleague at that.”

The mention of what he knew was one of Marcus’ most embarrassing moments was enough to make the man lose some of his mirth. On the night it had happened, Marcus’ yelling could be heard up to a half a mile away. Jacob had only managed to get half-way down the street before Marcus had caught up with him. Nobody had told Marcus that Jacob had been forced to dress as a woman out alone in an attempt to lure a mugger to attack him. He had been so appealing to Marcus, who was albeit in his cups at the time, that he had vowed never to disguise himself as anyone ever again. Both men had been in for significant teasing for quite some time afterwards.

“Look, I made a mistake, alright?” Marcus protested. “It was dark.”

“You need to get yourself some spectacles,” Luke challenged wryly.

Now that he knew why Poppy had been laughing, he didn’t feel half as surly as he had a few moments ago. Maybe it was the way Poppy’s eyes sparkled when she laughed, or the sheer joy that lit up her porcelain features that made him want to say, or do, something else to make her laugh. For the first time since he had met her, the shadows had gone from her eyes, and she was relaxed. She looked almost carefree as she laughed helplessly as she listened to Marcus detailing numerous rather humiliating exploits all the Star Elite had gotten themselves into over the course of time.

Nearly an hour had passed when they were interrupted by the arrival of another member of the Star Elite; Jeb. Poppy watched him stalk into the kitchen just as angrily as Luke had. Jeb, however, had a somewhat more sinister appearance. He was tall, although not as tall as Luke, with powerful shoulders and a commanding presence that was just as captivating as Luke’s. However, Jeb had more nondescript features that warned her he could melt into any crowd and never be remembered. She rather suspected from the coldness on his somewhat stern features that he could be harsh when crossed. She was suddenly glad that Luke seemed more amenable, just like Marcus was.

“What do you know?” Luke asked, pushing a mug of ale at his friend when he had taken a seat.

“There was another burglary last night.” Jeb took a long swig of his drink.

Poppy wondered if she should leave. This was, after all, Star Elite business, but Luke had a hold on her hand and she didn’t want him to let go, so she sat and listened, pleased that the men were happy to include her in their conversation.

“What was taken?” Marcus growled with a sigh.

“Jewellery. Not all of it, mind. Just one or two of the most expensive items that were worn a couple of nights ago at someone’s ball somewhere. I dunno.” Jeb shook his head. “The victim was an acquaintance of Balgravia.”

“They haven’t vanished like Balgravia did?”

“No. They are very angry,” Jeb replied. “Sir Hugo is smoothing things over and picking out faults with the house security. As always though, nobody appears to have seen or heard a blasted thing.” He paused and threw Poppy an apologetic look. “Sorry.”

“It’s alright,” she replied with a smile. Frustration hung over the table to such a degree that she wished she could help them in some way. 

“Barnaby wants you, Marcus, to go help him. Joshua has news about a couple of items that have appeared in one of the shops. I don’t know what yet, so don’t ask, but that’s your job, Luke.”

Luke nodded. Poppy watched them and felt a little left out. She wasn’t entirely sure what she
could
do with her day. She could hardly go out shopping, and wouldn’t even if she could. Not with Clarence and his accomplice hanging around somewhere. That left her with little to do to occupy her time except think of the man seated beside her and wonder where the future would now take them.

“You need to stay here,” Luke said. He looked at her as though he had read her thoughts, and she felt a guilty flush stain her cheeks even though she had done nothing wrong.

“I am going to,” she replied, determined to do just that.

“I can stay here for a bit,” Marcus added. “I have some paperwork to go through before I leave.”

“I will go and meet with Joshua then. I should be no more than a couple of hours,” Luke replied.

Poppy tuned out while the men discussed their arrangements for the day. She wanted to assure them that she was perfectly capable of being by herself but then hated the thought of having to rattle around this huge house all by herself. Although Marcus was going to be busy at least there was someone she could talk to if she needed to; and someone to answer the door if anyone knocked.

“Right, well I will be off then,” Luke said once Marcus had gone upstairs, and Jeb had left to look for anyone watching the house. “You stay inside and keep warm. I will see you later.”

“Be careful,” she whispered. “You were gone this morning before I –” her cheeks blushed prettily.

Now that they were alone, Luke wasted no time letting her know just how important she was to him. By the time he let her up for air she was gasping and leant limply against the table while she watched him leave the house. Once the door was closed behind him she hurried toward it and slid the bolt across, a soft smile of delight on her face.

Once outside, Luke met with Jeb. “What do you plan to do about her father?” Jeb asked with a nod toward the house they left behind. 

“I am going to take a look at that house in Camden. Then I am going to see the man who gave her that money. I want some answers. Then I will go and find Joshua and see what he has discovered about the jewels.”

“You can’t go to the house in Camden by yourself. If Clarence is still there with an accomplice you will need help.” Jeb grinned. “I am just in the mood for a skirmish.”

Luke sighed and rolled his eyes as he rubbed a particular sore spot on his chin. “You should have been there last night, you would have loved it.”

Jeb laughed. He had long since learned that a good brawl was a perfect way of divesting oneself of excess energy; that and, well, sex, but the last time he had indulged in any of that he had barely made it out of the parson’s trap with his bachelorhood intact. There was no way he was going down that route again so preferred a good scrap instead.

An hour later, they reached the house Poppy called the hovel. They studied the unwelcoming sight of the empty windows for a moment before they entered the alleyway at the rear of the property. They sidestepped past the worst of the filth piled into every corner of the litter-strewn yard and climbed up several stone steps to reach the back door.

“Damn it,” Luke whispered once he saw the damaged lock. “Someone has beaten us to it.”

The freshly splintered wood around the lock added to the abandoned atmosphere of the place. They entered the house cautiously. Once inside, they stepped around overturned chairs, and a dresser that had been literally pulled apart. The rest of the house was no better.

“It’s abandoned, but whoever is after that money wants it badly,” Jeb said once they were assured the house was empty. He kicked the remains of a spindle backed chair out of his way to study the gap in the floor where the floorboards had been yanked up. “Why here?”

“What?” Luke asked with a frown.

Jeb nodded toward the gap in the floorboards. “Why would they pull this particular part of the floor up?”

The rest of the floor in the hallway remained untouched. In fact none of the floors in any other part of the house had been yanked up as unceremoniously as this bit. Why?

Luke studied the distance to the front door and shook his head in disbelief. “There is no rhyme or reason to it, is there?”

The gap in the floorboards was about four feet away from the front door, right at the bottom of the stairs. There was no secret hiding place underneath. In fact there was nothing beneath the floorboards except for rubble and soil. It didn’t make sense.

“Whoever it was, I doubt they found what they were looking for,” Jeb drawled.

“I know. The bag is at the safe house,” Luke sighed and threw his colleague a look. The house was disappointingly empty and with no choice but to concede defeat, the men decided to leave. “I think it is safe to say that this isn’t Sayers’ work. He is the kind who would take someone off the streets and beat them to a pulp until they told him everything he wanted to know, or coughed up the cash. He wouldn’t resort to things like that.” Luke tipped his head backward to indicate the house they had just left and watched Jeb nod. “I cannot help feeling that destruction is staged.”

“Staged?” Jeb repeated. “Or torn apart by Clarence in his search for the cash? He would be angry she had deceived him. Maybe he was desperate?”

“He
is
desperate,” Luke retorted. “I think we can now safely say that Clarence is living somewhere else in London right now. I doubt he is in a tavern somewhere.”

“I hate to say this but I really don’t like the way my suspicions are going on this one,” Jeb replied. “I mean, a young woman in London is very vulnerable, even from those she considers the closest members of her family.”

Luke looked at his colleague and nodded. The very thought that Poppy might have been led to London to be just that filled him with disgust. She was warm, loving and gentle of nature.  It was horrifying to think of what might have happened if he hadn’t stumbled across her in the park.

Once they were far enough from the safe house to be sure they weren’t followed, Jeb took his leave and hurried off to work. Luke made his way to see Peter.

An hour later, Luke sat in the plush library in a huge mansion deep in the heart of Mayfair, and watched Poppy’s cousin take a seat opposite. He waved away the brandy the butler offered him and waited until Peter was settled before he leaned forward in his seat and braced his elbows on his knees. To begin with he explained that he was connected with the Star Elite and watched a flash of recognition and respect in Peter’s eyes. Assured the man was happy to talk to him, Luke explained what had happened to Poppy.

Peter frowned and studied the man seated opposite suspiciously for a moment. “What does an organisation like the War Office want with Poppy?”

Luke gave Peter a brief version of events, but made it perfectly clear that Poppy was under the Star Elite’s protection, not their suspicion.