Page 69 of The Ambiguous Enigma of the Hunted Lady
“Bugger.” Riphook kicked back in his chair, planting his boots directly beside his plate of roasted duck. “I can't say I'm glad to see her go. Special woman she was.”
“Yeah boss, a real good thief.”
“Smart, too.” Riphook lamented. “I had high hopes for her, I did. She had to go and throw it all away, and for what? For some low-level fence who shared his bread with her? Maybe I was wrong along, maybe she never really had what it takes.”
“What it takes, boss?”
“To roll this rig along.” Riphook drained down a shot of alcohol and poured another beside his boots. “Now I'm starting to see, someone like you, someone like you might got what it takes.”
“I got what it takes, boss.” Nash could feel his heart pounding inside his chest. This was the most praise he'd ever received in his life. He felt suddenly as if his life had more of a purpose, like he had found new drive that he did not know he could ever hope to find. “I swear it.”
“We'll drink to her.” Riphook slid a stout glass of gin over the table to Nash. “To her memory.”
“To Leah, boss.” Nash held up the drink.
“To Leah.”
They drained the drinks – Riphook with the look of a well-practiced drinker – and slammed the glasses down with a resounding thud.
“Now there was a bit of talk about a reward there, weren't there?” Riphook mumbled, shewing another handful of grapes.
“Yeah boss.” Nash grinned ear to ear. “Yeah there were a reward.”
“I thought as much.” Riphook laughed, kicking his boots off the table and swinging his body forwards from his comfortable lean. “You still down in the cistern? Got a whole gaggle of critters down there don't yer? I noticed that cut you sending me getting' juicier.”
“Yeah we're down there.” Nash felt his face getting hot from the gin. It was a larger portion than he was used to, and he could feel it welling up excitement within him. “Got some orphans I'm lookin' after.”
“Orphans! Smart!” Riphook began rooting around in one of the many desk drawers. “Give an orphan a bed and they'll kill a priest for you in six years. Well done boy! A doctor and a horde of orphans!” Riphook was cracking himself up as he pulled out a heavy sack of coins and lumped it on the table beside his plate of food.
Nash found Riphook's logic a bit foul, but he took the compliment nonetheless.
“Thank you, boss.” His eyes were fastened to the heaping purse of wealth before him. It was far more money than he had ever seen.
“Yes, go on, that's for you and your orphans.” Riphook gestured to the coin purse as he resumed pulling apart the roasted duck.
“Thank you, boss, really, this is–”
“It's nothin'.” Riphook spat out a tiny bone. “I can be nice too, ya see? Now go on and take it.”
Nash picked up the coin purse and nearly fainted from excitement. He was astounded by its weight, and his arm buckled when he slid it from the desktop.
“Ha! Careful now! Don't lose a shilling!” Riphook began making himself laugh again and turned back to his bottle of gin.
Nash found himself laughing along with the wretched man as he turned to make his way out of the office. Nash gave a friendly nod to the doorman, who scowled back with a mean, unflinching face.
“Nash.” Riphook called to him as he reached the door.
“Yeah boss?” Nash looked back, sliding the coin purse into his ragged jacket folds.
“Don't you ever make me look like a bleedin' idiot like she did, or you'll wish you were in the ground.”
“I won't boss.” Nash said sternly, feeling the oppressive fear that Riphook radiated sinking back into his bolstered atmosphere.
“Good.” Riphook spat out another bone. “Now go and buy some new clothes, you look awful.”
“I will boss.” Nash grinned again, skipped his nod to the doorman, and left Riphook's office. He met Digby outside, and the two began maneuvering their way out of the Devil's Acre.
“How'd we do, boss?” Digby grunted, keeping a wary eye all around him.
