Page 70 of Dark Tidings on the Thames
“He does,” Niall agreed, wholeheartedly. “Let’s go see if the police have him.”
Chapter Fifteen
Kara was surprisedwhen Beth slid onto the bench next to her in the carriage. The girl pulled Rob in to sit on her other side when he would have climbed onto the top with the driver. She clenched Kara’s hand, and they all sat in silence as they rumbled their way toward Scotland Yard.
Traffic was light this late. They made good time. Dread settled in Kara’s chest as they drew closer, but her nausea did not return, thank goodness. But the question rattled in her brain. What if the police did not have Royston? What would they do then?
Niall had been right—Scotland Yard bustled with activity, despite the late hour. When they asked for Wooten, they were told he was in his office, trying to snatch a quick nap.
“Should we wake him?” Kara wondered aloud. “He must be exhausted.”
“Is Frye here?” Niall asked the constable.
“No, sir. He went home after they failed to find the suspect at the charity house.”
“There’s one question answered,” muttered Niall.
“Why didn’t Wooten go home?” Gyda asked sharply. “Is there something else afoot?”
“I believe Inspector Wooten sent some of his men in search of a charity employee. He’s waiting to hear back, but he took the chance tograb a bit of sleep.”
“We’ll have to wake him,” Niall said. “We have news.”
They waited where the constable left them, then they all trooped through to the inspector’s office when the officer came back to fetch them. Wooten, in his shirt sleeves, was yawning and stirring a cup of coffee. “Come on, come in,” he said. “Royston was not at the charity, nor were his records included in the files in the office. But I recalled what you said about his secretary, so I sent men to find Chambers and ask if he might know where Royston is staying. They have yet to return. Poulter said you have news, though?”
“We know where Royston has been spending some of his time,” Niall answered. “Although I suspect he has another space of his own. This was more in the way of a love nest.” He paused. “We found something there.”
“Something you should see,” Kara added.
Taking turns, they told Wooten about everything they had heard and found.
The inspector had paled a little by the time they finished. “If what you believe is true…” He grabbed paper and started to scribble. “We need to make enquiries in the places he lived and worked before Manchester, as well.” He looked around at the lot of them. “You should go home and rest. You all look knackered. We’ll check out the rooms you found, as well as his others, once we track down Mr. Chambers. I’ll send word as soon as we hear anything.”
Kara felt too tired to argue. “We should spend the night at the rooms on Adams Street. Send any messages there.”
“I’ll stop by Stayme’s in the morning. He might have turned something up,” Niall said with a yawn.
Gyda stepped up. “Kara, we need to see Mary in the morning. Tell her about the necklace we found.”
“And what it means,” Beth said savagely. “She’ll want to know.”
In the silence that followed, they all heard the pounding offootsteps in the passageway, drawing near. “Sir!” The constable, Poulter, threw open the door. “Come quickly! There is word.”
“Royston?” asked Wooten, reaching for his coat.
“No, sir. It’s word from Wapping. They have found the body of a girl in the river. She washed up at the Wapping Old Stairs. They’ve got her at the Town of Ramsgate.”
*
Fear had chasedaway all signs of Kara’s fatigue. After a short but fierce disagreement, Wooten had agreed to let them come along,for the purposes of identifying the body, as he explained to the constables accompanying them. Niall had sent off the jarvey and his tired horse, with his returned lantern and a fat purse in payment for his long night. Now they were squeezed into an open police wagon with Wooten and his men, on the long, bumpy, chilly ride to Wapping.
Rob had tried to convince Beth to go home instead, but her response had been colder, even, than the night air. The sky started to lighten as they rumbled by the Tower of London, and the shore birds had begun to call by the time they turned onto the Wapping high street.
“I’ve been to the spot before,” Niall told Kara quietly, referring to the pub known as the Town of Ramsgate. “It’s old. Very old. It’s one of a few spots that claim to be the location of the Execution Dock, the place where pirates, smugglers, and other thieves and criminals were hanged or staked out to drown.”
Kara shivered. “Not exactly a charming claim to fame.”
“But better than no claim at all,” Niall said with a shrug. “At least for a business.”
