The Cheater's Game: Glass and Steele, #7

by C. J. Archer

  I wouldn't have known she'd done it except that he jerked away and glared up at her. She picked up her skirts and moved off in the direction of the door that led to the side alley.

  He stood and buttoned up his jacket. "Duty calls," he said to the other players, who laughed. He followed his wife.

  I followed him but didn't exit through the same door. It was too obvious. They'd see me. Instead, I left through the door leading to the courtyard. It was quieter outside, and the only light came from the moon and a lamp hanging beside the outhouse door. There was no sign of Matt. The hum of voices from the public bar sounded muffled and distant, whereas the voice of May Draper from the other side of the wall was much clearer.

  "You're a fool!" she snapped. "A dang fool, Danny Draper!"

  I dearly wanted to see but the brick wall was too high. I could climb onto one of the barrels, but it wouldn't be easy with my skirts. I hitched them up with one hand and sat on one of the barrels then swung my legs up onto another. From there I was able to lever myself to my feet.

  I remained in a squatting position and peered over the wall. The moonlight was just strong enough for me to see May pacing back and forth in the alley while Danny sat on a crate, his head in his hands.

  "I can't believe you," May said, stopping in front of him. "You're hopeless."

  "I can win it back," he whined. "I'm sure I can, darlin'."

  "Based on past experience, you won't. And don't call me darling. I'm furious with you."

  He stood and went to put his arms around her, only to receive a shove in the chest.

  "Don't," she growled. "I can't keep doing this just so you can lose it all. You have to stop now."

  "Not yet. I know I can win it back."

  "How many times are you going to say that?" She shoved him again and he took a step back.

  "I mean it this time. I lost my touch because I didn't need it with Emmett, but I reckon I'm getting it back now. My luck'll change, you'll see."

  "Don't mention that name to me again. If you hadn't let him cut you out, we wouldn't be in this situation."

  "I didn't let him," Danny said.

  "That's the whole damned problem!" she cried.

  "What does that mean?"

  She didn't get a chance to answer. He suddenly ran toward me. Before I could move away, he'd jumped onto something out of my line of sight against the bricks, and clamped his hands over both of mine, holding onto the top of the wall. My heart exploded with fright and my stomach plunged. His face filled my vision, all bared teeth and wild eyes.

  "Well, well," he snarled. "If it ain't your friend listening in to a conversation that don't concern her."

  Chapter 10

  I tried to pull my hands away but his grip was too firm. His mouth twisted into a teeth-clenching grin as he ground my palms into the bricks.

  "Let me go!" I cried, struggling to free my hands.

  Something thudded beside me. "Let her go," Matt growled. How long had he been here?

  He reached over the wall and grabbed Danny's collar.

  Danny released me and put up his hands in surrender. "She was spying on us!"

  Matt shook him so violently, Danny lost his footing and almost fell off the barrel he was standing on. I stood straighter. The top of the wall came to my chest. Behind Danny, May stood with hands on hips. In the pale moonlight, it was difficult to tell if her glare was directed at Danny or me. With a click of her tongue, she stormed off down the alley.

  Danny pushed against Matt.

  Matt punched him in the jaw, snapping Danny's head back. "That's for frightening my fiancée."

  Danny rubbed his face. "She was spying!"

  "I heard an argument," I told him. "It sounded heated, and I was worried for May's safety."

  He snorted. "And I'm the fucking queen of England."

  Matt punched him again. "That's for using bad language in front of my fiancée." He must not have hit him too hard because the punch didn't draw blood. "I'll let you go when you answer some questions."

  "What questions?" Danny whined.

  "I'm getting to them. Have some patience." He shook Danny.

  Danny pressed his teeth together and looked as if he wanted to hit Matt. But he did not. He stood there, hands in the air, and waited.

  "First of all, a statement," Matt said. "You were in a cheating scheme with Emmett Cocker."

  "No!"

  "That's a quick denial, considering you don't know what scheme I'm referring to."

  "I can guess," Danny spat. "You think we cheated at cards together. You think I lost on purpose to reel in other players. I didn't. We didn't cheat."

  "I don't believe you," I said. "I heard you tell May that you didn't need any luck with Emmett. Why wouldn't you need luck?"

  "Because I sometimes won against him. A lot, as it happens. You just didn't see it."

  "That's not what everyone else says." Matt jerked his head to the pub's rear entrance.

  "You can't trust gossip."

  "In the conversation you had with May," I said, "it sounded as if you are having money difficulties."

  He shrugged one shoulder.

  "May said Emmett cut you out. She was referring to the cheating scheme, wasn't she?"

  "I don't know what you're talking about. Why are you asking these questions? None of this has anything to do with you. You're winning tonight, Glass. You ain't being cheated."

  "You cheated my cousin," Matt said. "You and Emmett."

  "Emmett probably did, it's true. But he's gone now, and if he did, it ain't my fault. I never saw him cheat, and he's never been caught. Not once."

  Matt merely smiled, a wicked slash of white teeth in the night. "It was you, wasn't it? You killed Emmett."

  "No! I ain't no murderer!"

  "You weren't home at the time of his death. You lied to the police."

  Danny's jaw slackened. "Who are you?"

  "We're private agents assisting the police to catch Cocker's killer. I have Detective Inspector Brockwell's permission to do whatever it takes to get to the bottom of the mystery." He smiled as his fingers curled into Danny's collar, pulling it tight around his throat.

  I couldn't see the color of Danny's face in the poor light, but I could see his eyes bulge.

  "I lied," he choked out. "I admit it. I lied to the inspector about that night."

  Matt loosened his grip. "You weren't at home the night Cocker died?"

  "No." Danny swallowed heavily. "I went for a walk to clear my head."

  Matt barked a laugh. "You expect us to believe that?"

  "Believe it or not, it's the truth. I was out walking with May for hours. London's peaceful at night, and it wasn't cold. We were just walking and talking."

  "Where did you go?"

  "Nowhere in particular. Here and there."

  "Did anyone see you?"

  "I don't think so. Maybe just a drunk or two. They wouldn't remember us."

  "What about the constables on watch duty?" I asked. "Ever since the Ripper murders, the police have had a strong presence at night."

  "Didn't that happen in the East End?" Danny asked, all too innocently. "We didn't see anyone who'd remember us. Now, can I go? I've got to find my wife and sweet talk her into forgiving me. She's mad on account of you beating me at poker tonight, Glass."

  "Just tonight?" I asked. "Or is it the accumulation of losses?"

  "Can I go?"

  Matt released him and Danny jumped off the crates. He stuck a finger down his collar and stretched his neck. With a final glare at us, he headed down the alley with an exaggerated swagger.

  "I suspect he's lying," I said.

  "Your instincts are most likely correct." Matt jumped down then put his hands at my waist and lifted me off the barrel. "Are you all right?" he asked once my feet were settled on the ground. "Did he hurt you?"

  "It was more the shock and my annoyance at being caught. I thought I was safe in the low light."

  He put his arms around me and drew me close
. "What would you have done if I hadn't come?"

  "I would have questioned him, just as we did. He would have lied, just as he did. So really, nothing would be different."

  "That's quite a convincing argument, but I wish you'd brought Duke, Willie or Cyclops with you."

  "I knew you were out here, Matt." I took his hand and led him to the door. "You took a long time in the outhouse."

  "I didn't go into the outhouse. I was waiting in the shadows for a suitable length of time to return when you showed up."

  I spun around. "You were there the entire time I was watching them?"

  His eyes shone in the darkness, two glittering orbs of reflected moonlight. "I was going to reveal myself to you. I really was. But then I thought about how enthusiastic you would be telling me what you'd learned, and I didn't want to deny you that feeling."

  I studied him, but he seemed genuine enough. "That is quite sweet."

  "Also, I just like watching you. I'm only a man, after all, and from behind, you're…delightful."

  "That's not sweet at all." I squeezed his hand hard, and he chuckled as I led him back inside.

  We were at a loose end the following day. Willie and I weren't going to the lecture at the New Somerville Club until later, and we didn't want to question the Drapers any more. Duke and Cyclops had asked after the blonde mystery woman at the pub, but no one knew where she'd gone, although several had seen her before the murder. Three had even seen her in Emmett's company, both in America and England. It seemed they'd been a couple, but no one could explain why she'd been happy to see Duke punch Emmett. It was looking more and more likely she'd left the city—perhaps even the country. Hopefully we'd uncover some useful information at the lecture tonight.

  Our day looked quite free, and I worried that Miss Glass would want me to call on her sister-in-law or fuss over the wedding arrangements. I was saved such unpleasantness by something nastier—the arrival of Mr. Abercrombie.

  The master of The Watchmaker's Guild would not enter the house. He informed Bristow that he preferred to remain on the doorstep and would speak to me from there. "This is a house of sin, and I don't wish to set a single foot inside. You ought to be ashamed of yourself, working for such debauched people. It means you're no better than them."

  "Dear me, what will you say once Matt and I are respectably married?" I said as I came down the stairs. "You won't have any excuse to harass the staff and make a scene. I'm sure that will quite frustrate you." I'd heard him rail at poor Bristow from the landing and thought to rescue the butler.

  Bristow didn't look in need of rescuing. He seemed quite unruffled. He'd seen and heard much worse in this house. Nevertheless, I wasn't going to let Mr. Abercrombie get away with such ridiculous statements.

  Abercrombie's mouth turned down in distaste as he squinted at me through the pince-nez perched on the tip of his equine nose. "You may joke, Miss Steele, but you will get your come-uppance. Good wins over evil every time. God is watching."

  It would seem I was to be painted the villain and he the hard-working hero in his version of the story. As much as I didn't want his words to affect me, they took the wind out of my sails. I suspected much of the public would side with him if they were forced to make a choice between the artless and magicians.

  "You're making a scene," I hissed at him. "Come inside."

  His lips stretched into a thin smile and I regretted letting him see my irritation. "What I need to tell you won't take long. I'm here to tell you that you cannot circumvent the guild's rules. We're onto you. We on the Court of Assistants are far too clever for your ruse to work."

  "What rules?" I asked, feeling a little ill.

  "Section 6.1 under article four states no magician is allowed in the guild."

  "You made a rule just for me? I'm flattered. Perhaps you could name it." I tapped a finger to my chin in mock thought. "I like The Steele Ruling. Or what about The Steele Decree? Law of Steele has a nice ring to it too. There are quite a number of possibilities."

  Someone behind me snickered. Since it was such a strange noise for Bristow to make, I turned around and saw that Bristow was no longer there. Instead, Matt, Cyclops and Duke stood at the base of the stairs, each with his arms crossed over his chest. Matt nodded at me but made no motion to join me at the door.

  I turned back to Abercrombie. He didn't look quite so cock-sure anymore. I liked to think it was my joking and not Matt's presence that rattled him. "Why would I care to circumvent rules of an organization I do not wish to belong to?" I asked.

  "You do wish it. You wish to sell your watches and clocks and make a tidy fortune. Isn't that what you're really planning to do by putting the Mason children in your shop?"

  "She doesn't need to earn a fortune," Matt said. "I already have one, and it's entirely at her disposal."

  Abercrombie snorted. "Then you're a fool for allowing her free reign. She'll ruin you." He removed his watch from his pocket and checked the time. "I must be going. I simply came here to tell you that your plan won't work. The Mason boy won't be allowed into the guild."

  I knew what he'd been building up to, but hearing him say it so cavalierly made my blood boil. "That's not fair."

  "He'll never be admitted while he's working from your shop, under your direction."

  "He won't be working for me. He and Miss Mason are leasing my father's old shop, but I won't have anything to do with their business. I'll just be their landlady."

  "We can't be certain of that."

  "This is ridiculous. You can't stop a young man and his sister from making their way in the world independently of their father. How can you be so cruel to a family that have been members of the guild for generations?"

  "Not only that," Matt said, standing at my back, "but unless your constitution specifically mentions non-magicians renting shops from magicians, I'm afraid you can't legally ban them from the guild."

  Mr. Abercrombie merely smiled again. "I believe you're selling them the remaining stock. Section 6.2 under article four of our revised constitution states that the sale of goods made by magicians is a banning offence."

  "I won't sell them the stock then." I no longer cared about the money. I couldn't let this vindictive man destroy Catherine and Ronnie's dream. "I'll only sell them the tools and furniture."

  "I'm willing to give them an interest-free loan until they establish themselves," Matt added.

  Abercrombie's smile slipped before stretching again. He lifted his chin and peered down his nose and through his pince-nez at me. "Of course, the rules are irrelevant if the Mason boy doesn't pass the guild's entry test."

  "You'll fail him just to get revenge upon me?" I snapped. "Are you truly that cruel?"

  "Make no mistake, Miss Steele," Mr. Abercrombie said, voice harsh, "I know why you're installing your friends in the shop. You accuse me of going to great lengths for revenge, but you are the one who seeks revenge on us because you feel rejected by the guild."

  "I do not!"

  He scoffed. "Of course you do. Your father told me how bitter you were when your application wasn't approved. Indeed, he shouted it at a Court of Assistants meeting he burst into."

  Rage flashed before my eyes, blood-red and hot. "You are a petty, small man." I wanted to say more, but my mind was too fogged with fury and I couldn't think of the right words.

  Mr. Abercrombie smiled, all slick and supercilious.

  I shut the door in his face.

  Matt circled his arm around my waist from behind. His lips brushed my temple above my ear. "Want me to punch him?"

  I leaned back into his chest and released a ragged breath. "I know you're joking, but it is tempting." I drew in another deep breath and let it out slowly, releasing some of my anger with it. "I want you to think of a way to wipe that smile off his face in a non-violent manner."

  "The only way to do that is to get Ronnie into the guild."

  "Then we've got some thinking to do," Cyclops said.

  I'd forgotten he and Duke were ther
e. I pulled away from Matt and took Cyclops's hand. "Catherine will be upset to know the guild is trying so hard to thwart them."

  "So you don't want to tell her?" he asked. "That ain't a good idea, India. She should know."

  "They both should," Duke added.

  I sighed. "You're right. But let's not tell them today. Let them have another day of happiness. It'll give us time to think of what to do."

  The door opened and Willie strolled in, wearing the same clothes as the night before. Her hair was unbound, falling in tangles around her shoulders, and her neckerchief was missing. I didn't need to question her to know what she'd been up to.

  "Are you just coming home now?" I asked.

  "Sure am." She grinned. "That shock you?"

  "Not in the least. I've grown quite used to it. But do try to be discreet. The servants don't want to work in a disreputable household."

  "Ha!" she barked. "They'll work wherever they're paid the most, and Matt's a good employer." She slapped his shoulder. "Did you leave me any breakfast, Cyclops?"

  "There's plenty," he said. "I'll let the kitchen know."

  "Where have you been anyway?" Duke asked, walking alongside her to the staircase. "With Annie Oakley?"

  "Some of the night."

  "And the rest?"

  She pressed a finger to her lips and shushed him. "A girl never tells."

  He sniffed her. "You still drunk?"

  "Drunk on life, old friend."

  He groaned. "Sometimes I miss the miserable Willie."

  She hugged him and noticed Matt and I following them up the stairs. "You all coming to watch me eat breakfast?"

  "You have to help us think," Matt said. "There's been a situation, in your absence."

  "Sure." She threw her arms wide, and Duke just managed to dodge being smacked in the head. "I'm a great thinker after drinking a few beers. And liquor."

  "This will be interesting," I muttered to Matt. "Where do you think she went after leaving Annie?"

  "Scotland Yard, perhaps, to brush up on her investigative skills." He laughed at my gasp. "Or lodgings not far from there."

  The afternoon passed by in a dreamy haze. The day wasn't too hot, so Miss Glass and I went for a stroll through Hyde Park. Even though the weather was pleasant, and our walk slow, she found it taxing. We rested often on the many seats positioned in the shade and watched others enjoying picnics by the Serpentine, or boating on it. It was a nice way to spend the day in the middle of an investigation. Much nicer than visiting Lady Rycroft and her daughters. Thankfully, Miss Glass had received word that her sister-in-law was still at Rycroft Hall. The letter stated they planned to return to London in two weeks and regretted they could not attend our wedding due to pressing estate matters.