The CrimeLords' War (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 7)

by Liza O'Connor

  A moment later, Sara returned. Her red eyes left no doubt she had been crying, but she quickly passed off the boys to Tubs, lifted Arroo onto the bed and tended to her beloved’s left leg.

  Gregory returned with cold towels and Vic and Sara wrapped Tubs’ legs. Tubs sighed and smiled as if he had the best life in the world.

  He asked Sara to bring him a cold glass of ice water and something to eat. While she ran to the kitchen he spoke while he played with the boys and pup.

  “Now I know how you feel—being over protected.”

  “Well, at least we’re loved,” Vic said.

  “We’ll try the carriage in three hours from now. I think I’ll be able to do it. In some ways, it should be easier than walking. No way I can fall down in a carriage.”

  She closed the door to prevent Sara from arriving unannounced. “If you can exit a carriage and walk to a chair, then you can join us for the interrogations. There is no one better than you at interrogating.”

  “Well, I’m not up to picking men up with one hand and dangling them, but most spill their guts upon sight of me now.”

  Vic chuckled. “This is one of those times when a bad reputation proves useful.”

  When Sara returned, Vic left them alone as she went to the library, frustrated by her inability to leave the house. As long as she stayed inside this house, hopefully Ariana and her spies would not realize her demise did not go according to plan. Thankfully Barns had been assigned to the case, so the only two people in Scotland Yard who knew she still lived were Inspector Stone and Barns. While Ariana no doubt had spies embedded in Scotland Yard, Vic would bet her life that Stone and Barns were not on her payroll.

  While that meant she wouldn’t be shot or stabbed to death, she was at grave danger of being frustrated to death.

  A soft knock on the library door occurred, which she couldn’t recognize. She grabbed her gun and aimed it at the door. “Enter.”

  Ben walked in with a single file. His eyes rounded with fear as he focused on her gun.

  She quickly put it up. “Sorry, I didn’t recognize your knock. It sounds different on this door. Not as loud.”

  “I was trying to be quiet, so Gregory wouldn’t know I’m disturbing you. And I wouldn’t disturb you, only I desperately need your advice on how to proceed.”

  Her mind filtered through the myriad of cases he had taken. Hopefully, he had the sense to go to her mentor if it was a question on the financial reports. That left the lost puppy and the missing husband.

  “Missing husband?” she asked, hoping he didn’t risk Gregory’s wrath on a puppy.

  He nodded.

  “Sit down.” She pointed to the chair on the other side of the desk. “I’m curious. If Gregory didn’t open the door, how did you get in?”

  “The door was unlocked.”

  His words sent her into a panic. Under no circumstances was their front door left unlocked. Ever! She scrambled for her gun and tossed it to Ben. “Guard the door!” She hurried to the safe and opened it, pulling out three more guns, quickly checking they were all fully loaded. She then switched guns with Ben, preferring her own.

  “Did I do something wrong?” Ben asked.

  “No, but as of now, we are on high alert. No way in bloody hell Gregory would leave the front door unlocked. That means someone who knows how to pick an unpickable lock has come a calling.

  She gave him one of the additional guns, placing the other in her boot holster. “Remind me to buy you a boot holster when this is all over.”

  Ben smiled as if it were Christmas.

  “Sober up. This is as serious as it gets. Make sure when you fire, that none of our family gets shot. And watch my back. There could be more than one.”

  Ben’s brow furrowed as he nodded.

  She led the boy out and through the back way to the servants’ hallway, listening at Tubs’ door. When she heard Sara laugh, she motioned for Ben to remain in the hall and pocketed her gun and slipped inside.

  They were kissing.

  “Sorry to interrupt,” she whispered.

  Sara almost fell off the bed.

  Tubs frowned at her.

  “Tubs, feel like taking another walk?”

  “Victor, it’s only been an hour,” Sara protested.

  “I know, but I need—”

  Tubs cut off her apology. “Sara get the boys and hide in the closet hole that I showed you. Now!”

  Sara’s eyes rounded in fear for a moment then grabbed the boys and rushed into the back room.

  He pushed himself up and fought through the threatening weaving. “Any chance you have a gun?”

  “I do and Ben has an extra one for you,” she added.

  “Good. What are we looking at?”

  “Don’t know. The front door was open when Ben arrived.”

  “Open or just unlocked?” Tubs asked as he walked to her without the walker.

  “Unlocked, I think.” She opened the door and motioned Ben inside. “Was the door open or unlocked?”

  Ben’s eyes turn on a pained look. “Unlocked. I would have known something was wrong if the door stood wide open.”

  Now fully informed with the little information available, Tubs had one last comment. “If I go down, just leave me and continue on.”

  Normally, Vic would argue with such an outrageous request, but in this case, Tubs would more likely go down because he lost his balance, not because he was shot and needed medical assistance.

  Vic opened the door and hurried out with Ben at her heels. When she glanced back, she realized Tubs walked considerably slower. His face twisted with anger as he waved her onward.

  She nodded and hurried on. Poor Tubs hated being slow. Before taking her bullets he had been incredibly light and fast on his feet. He could catch anyone in less than thirty seconds, even if they had a five second head start.

  She held out her hand as they arrived at the closed kitchen door. The kitchen door was never closed.

  She pressed her ear to the door. She could hear voices inside: a very irate butler-parent and another male, an arrogant, socialite to the sound of the fellow. However, socialites did not know how to pick locks, particularly not Xavier’s, which the locksmith who made them had claimed unpickable.

  By this time Tubs had arrive. She pointed to her ear then held up one finger. She then pointed to herself and Ben and motioned they’d go around. She held her hand palm out and then splayed her fingers wide.

  Tubs nodded.

  Glancing at her watch, she remembered the time so they could coordinate their entrances. She then led Ben through the servant hall to side of the house where the barn resided. She pointed Ben to the kitchen window that was opened and stood by the back door of the kitchen as she waited for five minutes to pass.

  At five, she opened the door, yelling, “Move and I’ll blow your head off.” Her voice had far more power and resonance than normal, with deep deadly base tones.

  The man holding a gun on Gregory dropped his weapon and raised his hands. As he turned to face the owner of the resonating deep base voice, Vic realized she’d seen this man before and called out, "Tubs don’t shoot him. It’s Barns’ father.”

  When Tubs stopped pointing the gun at him, the External Affairs minister focused on Vic. “Is it really wise to be standing in a doorway? Just because they failed the first two times doesn’t mean they won’t try again.”

  Vic motioned Ben into the room. “Keep a watch on the back door.” She noticed Casey and Fagan glaring at the man from the corner. “Did you take their guns?” she demanded.

  “Just as a precaution,” he replied.

  “Well, give them back. They need to secure the front door which someone evidently left unlocked after he entered.”

  Ben raised his hand when she nodded, spoke. “I locked it when I came in.”

  “Excellent. That means we only have to search the house top to bottom to ensure no one else came in between Barns’ father and you.”

  She then frowned at
the arrogant fellow who still had his hands up, probably because she still pointed a gun at him. “Any reason you didn’t lock the door after you came in?”

  “Do you know who I am?” he demanded.

  “Other than Barns’ father. Yes, you are the Minister of External Affairs. Do you by chance know where Xavier is? I’m very worried about him.”

  “Why would you think I know that?”

  Vic shook her head in disgust. “Only that the last time he ran off and nearly got himself killed, the man who held your office was working very hard to find him…not that he could, but at least he knew Xavier was missing and tried. But clearly you either don’t know or don’t care where Xavier is, so what caused you to— Do you have a key to my house? There is no way in hell you picked my lock.”

  His eyes narrowed. “You have no idea what I’m capable of.”

  Barns could testify he was a horrible father, and he didn’t seem a very good minister, so she couldn’t argue with his statement. “Tubs frisk him.”

  “I beg your pardon. What right do you have to frisk me?”

  “You break into my house and refuse to tell me how you did so. If I don’t find out how you managed that feat, then poor Gregory will no doubt stay up all night with the staff guarding the doors. Now I am absolutely positive you lack the skill to pick the lock so…” She stopped and shook her head as the only possible answer came to her. “You do have a key to my house!” she yelled.

  By his startled, then worried response she knew she’d hit upon the truth. “May I see it please?”

  “I did not admit to having a key.”

  “Do you really wish to be turned upside down and shaken? Because Tubs will do it on my orders.”

  “You wouldn’t dare!”

  “You break into my house, leave the front door open so an assassin can enter and kill me with ease, and hold my staff hostage, making my murder even easier…”

  “You are misreading the situation!” the minister yelled.

  “Am I? Or do you work for the same person who attempted to kill me and wished to goad the two most powerful crime lords in London into war that would continue until both depleted their ammunition and men. At which point this person would take over both territories to support whatever ill deeds they plan upon England.”

  His outrage disappeared. “Is that what your intuition says is happening here?”

  “Yes, and while I do not know the Russian woman I saw in Samson’s casino with a blond aristocrat who had Xavier’s eyes, I suspect you do. So you can either hand over the key to my house and give me her name and address, or Tubs will shake both out of you. If later, I discover I am wrong about you being a member of her group, I will heartedly apologize to the Queen, after I explain the solid reasons I had to suspect you of treason.”

  All arrogance was gone now. “I am not your enemy, although I understand how you could conclude that.” He handed over a key. She walked over and tested it on the backdoor. It didn’t work.

  She glared at him in outrage.

  “I came through the front door.”

  “Tubs, if you drop him on his head, I’ll forgive you. He's almost certainly a spy.”

  Tubs stepped forward.

  “All right, damn it. Here is your key.”

  He tried to pull a key off a rather large ball of keys. Vic grabbed the ball and searched through them. “Damn it you have several of my keys. This one is to the office, and this is for the back door…and this is to Claire’s house. I should bloody well shoot you now.”

  “No, you should not. This country needs you, and if you kill me, they will have no choice but to hang you. I apologize for the mishap today. The truth is I have only recently taken charge of this ministry and I leave field work to those who are highly skilled and trained.”

  “Yes, I understand you are claiming innocence, the proof being your utter incompetence as a spy, but that does not explain why you have a key to my sister’s house.

  “I cannot explain that.”

  “Well you’d better, because you aren’t leaving until you do.”

  “Since you do not work for me—”

  “Thank God, for small miracles,” she snapped.

  “We are in agreement there. While I find Xavier difficult to deal with, you are beyond pale. Why my son enjoys working with you, I cannot imagine. You clearly must have a more appealing side.”

  Evidently, Gregory had enough. “While Victor may be out of sorts and short on patience at the present, given the attempts on his life and you putting him at great danger yet again by leaving the door unlocked while you hold the staff hostage, I believe he has shown great restraint. Far more than Mr. Thorn shall once he learns of this matter.”

  The minister glared at Vic. “Are you going to allow your butler to speak to me like that?”

  Vic chuckled and patted Gregory’s back. “You’re right. This will be the last straw. Until we get a new Minister of External Affairs, Xavier will never work for them again.”

  “Victor,” the minister stated softly.

  “Do you know where Xavier is?” she demanded.

  He sighed. “No, we lost him and his mark yesterday.”

  “Can you give me any clues where to look?”

  “I’m sorry, no.”

  “Then you are wasting my time. You may leave through the side door. Gregory needs a soothing cup of tea before he returns to work, so there is no one available to escort you to the front door.”

  Vic then smiled at the cook getting water for the kettle. “We all need a cup of tea. Tubs, take a seat. Ben go get the case notes and we’ll review the missing person case here. I’ll go let Sara know she can come out of hiding.”

  Tub gripped her arm. “Not until Casey and Fagan have cleared the house.”

  She glared at the minister. “Why are you still here?”

  “I need my key fob returned.”

  She threw the ball of metal at him, expecting him to catch it. Instead it hit him in the chest. “Take the bloody thing. We’ll just change our locks.”

  He flinched in pain and hurried out the side door.

  “And good riddance,” the cook yelled at the door.

  “Yeah!” Ben seconded.

  “Enough!” Gregory scolded. “Ben, go get the case folder Vic requested. Wait! Is it in the library or in the office?”

  “Library,” Ben replied.

  He waved the boy off as he went to the cabinet and acquired cups and one giant mug for Tubs. He then acquired a second kettle, filled it with water and set it to boil.

  Finally, he sat and focused on Vic. “Do you really believe the minister works for this person trying to kill you?”

  “No. He’s guilty of incompetence, but not treason.”

  “I will have the locks changed today,” Gregory promised her.

  “Actually these are really good locks. Even Jacko couldn’t break in. So I want to keep them.”

  “Then why did you give him back the ball of keys?” Gregory demanded.

  She reached in her pocket and showed him an assortment of keys. She placed them on the table and sorted through them. “I was removing them by feel, so I ended up confiscating more than ours. I’ll let Xavier return the ones that don’t belong to us once we bring him home. It’ll give him an opportunity to hopefully quit.”

  “Do you think Xavier knew he had these keys?”

  Vic picked up a small key. “This one is to our library safe.”

  Tubs snorted. “No way Xavier shared that one.”

  “Why would the minister have these?” Gregory asked.

  Vic shrugged. “My guess is that he has people who sneak in to verify his agents are not working for someone else. And he foolishly thinks that by holding this ball of keys in his possession, he’s preventing the keys from falling into enemy hands.”

  She and Tubs rolled their eyes in unison.

  She pulled out her vest pocket notepad and wrote a name and address, handing it to Gregory. “Call this gentlemen and tell hi
m we need the locks altered to a new key. Try to get him to come today. I won’t feel safe until they are changed.”

  “I can put dead bolts on all the doors until the locks are fixed,” Tubs offered.

  She leaned into Tubs. “I’m so glad you’re back.”

  “I still need to get better,” he muttered. “I couldn’t have picked that fellow up, you know.”

  She patted his arm and laughed. “I know. But he didn’t.”

  Chapter 19

  Ben returned with the Missing Husband file and sat down at the table. Gregory gave him a cup of tea.

  “I went to the house of Mr. Hudson’s friend. The butler said he was in Italy. When I asked for his address, he demanded to know why. I explained I was looking for Mr. John Hudson and I hoped Mr. Kensington might have some idea where he is.”

  “Well done,” Vic stated.

  Ben smiled for a moment then his brow furrowed. “The butler asked why I wished to find Mr. Hudson. I wasn’t sure what the rules of disclosure were, but I was quite certain if I didn’t say something, he planned to toss me out of the house. So I told him Mrs. Hudson had hired me to find him. That she is very worried.” Ben grimaced as if expecting to be scolded.

  “Did he become more helpful?” Vic asked.

  “His expression turned to one of concern as he told me Mr. Hudson had received a message from his wife two weeks ago that said the birth of their child was imminent and she needed him to come home.”

  Vic frowned. “You never mentioned Mrs. Hudson was pregnant.”

  “She’s not…or not that I could tell. She had a very small waist and a pleasing hour-glass figure.”

  Discussion of the lady’s waist caused the boy to blush. He fingered the file before him. “I asked him if the letter sent to Mr. Hudson still existed. He first said no, but then asked me to wait as he went off. He returned a short while later, handing me the letter. The content was substantially as the butler remembered. However, the signature was of someone named Charity while our client is Angie. I have no idea if the butler is playing me for a fool or if Mr. Hudson has two wives.”

  Vic sighed. “More likely the latter. It’s not that uncommon for men to do stupid things, especially with women who have unnatural body shapes.”