The Girl and the Clockwork Cat (Entangled Teen)

by Nikki Mccormack

  “Don’t worry. I’m not planning to abandon you.” She gave him a teasing grin, recalling their first escapade escaping JAHF when she had considered just that.

  “You better not.” He smiled.

  She gave him a very serious look then, hoping he would take the gravity of her manner as enough reason to commit the location to memory. “If we get separated somehow, I want you to keep looking for the detective and take her there. No matter what happens, she needs to talk to him if your family is going to get out of this mess.”

  His smile vanished and he nodded, willing to take her seriously in that light. “I’ll remember.”

  “Brilliant. It’s getting on toward evening. If we’re going to find her today, we should split up. We can talk to the local vendors and cover more ground that way.”

  He nodded, his expression sober now. She wanted to hug him for not going into this with the spirit of wild adventure that Chaff tended to take into all his endeavors. Then again, now that she thought about it, she could use some of that lively spirit to keep her going.

  “You take that side.” She pointed across the street. “I’ll take this side and we can meet up at the far end. And Ash,” she called when he started to turn away. Whatever she meant to say slipped away before his attentive gaze. Blast those pretty eyes! “Just… Ganbatte.”

  He looked confused.

  “It means good luck, sort of.”

  “Ah.” He grinned. “Good luck.”

  She watched him stride away.

  Ganbatte. Such a habitual phrase, that private something she and Chaff said to each other before they engaged in their less than upstanding livelihood each day. Ash didn’t know that. He hadn’t shared that past with her. They were so very different.

  Suddenly yearning for the comfort of the lean street rat, she exhaled heavily and started down the street alone. She hadn’t reached the door of the first business on her side when a shout from across the street drew her attention. She spun to see Ash shoved up against the cold brick wall of one building, his arm twisted up behind his back by none other than foul tempered Officer Tagmet. Pedestrians along the pavements either hastened away or stopped to stare.

  The Literati officer glanced over his shoulder and his eyes met hers across the street through a break in traffic, narrowing with hatred. His gaze darted away then, skipping a short distance down the street from her.

  “Grab her, Wells!”

  She didn’t bother checking to see if Wells heard the order or if he were even there. She turned and ran, cursing under her breath in a fashion most contrary to the ladies’ blouse she wore.

  If only she had refused to let Ash come. Now he was in Literati hands and she couldn’t even hold it against him. She’d been so intent on searching for Em that she hadn’t noticed the officers either. With a sharp snarl of irritation, she darted down the nearest side street and ducked in alongside a building behind a group of dapper young toffs in suits. One of them glanced over his shoulder at her, giving her odd attire a quizzical look, but a roar of laughter from his companions drew his attention back to them.

  She held her breath when Wells came around the corner and ran past, stopping a few feet from where she stood. He stared down the street at all of the people who weren’t her and punched the air in frustration, cursing under his breath.

  She pressed back against the wall, watching him until it occurred to her that he might be of help. I must be madder than a March hare. “Officer Wells,” she called.

  He turned and tensed, his hand sinking to the club at his belt. He took a step toward her and hesitated, his eyes darting around as if searching for a trap.

  “I need your help.” She infused her tone with a hint of desperation. It didn’t require much acting at this point.

  The wary expression remained, but he took a few more steps, his hand still hovering close to the club. He looked her up and down once then nodded. “It was you both times, wasn’t it? You slipped out between the bars.”

  “Yes.”

  His expression hardened. “You killed two good officers.”

  The young man glanced at her again and stepped closer to his companions.

  She moved a few yards away from them. Wells followed at a careful distance.

  “I didn’t kill anyone,” she said.

  “But you did let Dobson out, didn’t you?”

  She cringed. He was right. She might not have done the deeds, but she made them possible. “I never meant for anyone to get hurt, but at least you’ve got him back now.”

  “How do you know that?”

  “You heard a woman scream last night, right?”

  His lips pressed into a tight line and he shook his head. “That bloke covered for you?”

  “He didn’t know any better,” she said, relieved that he still didn’t realize who that bloke was. “I need to find Detective Emeraude. Please. It’s important.”

  “I don’t know where she is now, though she’s certain to come by JAHF in the next few days. She’s been checking in regularly to see if we have any new information on her case. She’s still looking for you and that boy too.” He gestured back the way they had come with a jerk of his head and her throat clenched. “Come with me now and you can talk to her when she comes in next.”

  Em wasn’t the only one checking in. She remembered Joel coming in the night she and Ash escaped. Was he still making stops by JAHF? What would happen if he found Ash there? “It can’t wait that long. I need to find her myself. Now!”

  Wells drew back from her and his small eyes narrowed. “Are you asking me to let you go? An accomplice to murder and you want me to stand back and let you walk away?”

  That didn’t sound promising. “Yes.” She nodded, pleading with her eyes. “Pretend you couldn’t find me.”

  His nose crinkled up as if he’d taken a bite of spoiled meat. He stared hard back out toward Cheapside. “After everything you’ve done… Tagmet would be livid, and I can’t say he’d be out of line.”

  “Please.” As much as she hated to do it, she clasped her hands together and held them up before her in a begging posture. “I have information Em needs to find Lucian Folesworth.”

  “You’re deeper in this mess than I thought.” He looked hard at her now, perhaps trying to decide if he could believe her. “Tell me what you know and I’ll find her.”

  “No. I can only tell Em. Mr. Folesworth’s life could be in danger if I tell anyone else.” He wasn’t going to go on her word alone. He struck her as a good man, and it was becoming clear she couldn’t pull this off alone. She had to take a chance. She had to do the unthinkable and trust a Lit officer. “There are Literati involved. I don’t know who I can trust. Do you, Officer Wells? Do you know who I can trust?”

  He clenched his jaw, torment rising in his eyes. He glanced down, his voice low and overflowing with distress when he spoke. “I wish I could say you’re wrong, but I know there’s something bigger going on. I can’t prove it yet, but I’ve seen enough to convince me there’s a deeper conspiracy here. Though how you figured it out is beyond me, unless…” He met her eyes then, searching. “You’ve talked to Folesworth, haven’t you?”

  She nodded, holding her breath.

  He clenched his jaw and kicked at the pavement with the heel of one boot. “I must be bleeding mad. Get out of here, but if I find out you lied to me, I’ll shoot you on sight next time.”

  For once, she believed he might. “Thank you. About Ash?”

  “Tagmet won’t let him go so don’t even ask. You’re pushing your luck already.”

  She hated to leave Ash behind, but she could see in the officer’s eyes that he wasn’t going to give any more. “You’ll take him to JAHF?”

  Wells gave a curt nod. “We’ll hold him there until Miss Emeraude shows.”

  “Make sure nothing happens to him.”

  “He’ll be locked up. What could happen?”

  “Just make sure.”

  He blew out hard and nodded again then
stepped to one side to give her a clear exit. “Chivvy on then, before I come to my senses.”

  She heard indecision in his voice and bolted past, putting as much distance as possible between them as fast as she could.

  “I’m sorry, Ash,” she apologized under her breath as she left Cheapside behind.

  She could only hope he would understand. If not, well, it would put an end to whatever relationship had started between them and save her from making a hard choice later. It wouldn’t work, not without him giving up his world to live in hers. He wasn’t a street rat and, if she could do anything about it, he never would be.

  Her shoulder protested every jarring step, so she boarded the first omnibus she saw, using it to get her further away from the area while she pondered her options. Someone climbed up behind her, squeezing into the last bit of space on the seat and she winced when they bumped her injured shoulder. Leaning closer to the person on the other side to keep her injury out of harm’s way, she stared out into the busy street and chewed at the inside of her lip.

  It would be too risky to return to Cheapside right away. That meant she needed to continue her search elsewhere, and the more she thought about the many options, the bigger the city seemed to get. She had to assume that Em was still hunting for Ash and his family and for Mr. Folesworth. Where would she go to look for them? The markets? The pubs? The slums over in Southwark? Whitechapel? The city docks?

  She ground her teeth. It was hopeless. There were too many options.

  “You care to explain how you got out of that predicament, Pigeon?”

  She turned and a wave of relief burst through her. “Chaff!”

  He chuckled. “Don’t think anybody’s ever looked that chuffed to see me.”

  “You have no idea.” She almost hugged him, but pain in her shoulder held her back. Things always felt like they would work out with him around. She needed that feeling now more than ever.

  “Nice work dumping the lout. That was slick.”

  “Ash isn’t a lout,” she snapped.

  “If you insist.” He responded with a dubious look, mischief sparkling bright in his eyes, and she silently reprimanded herself for letting him get at her. “I have to know how you got that officer to let you go. He had you cornered. Someone else might think you’d turned nark the way he just stepped aside, but I find that hard to believe.”

  “I begged.”

  Another dubious look, but he didn’t press. “Nice blouse, by the way. A bloke might almost think you were trying to pass as a girl.” His gaze dropped to her neck then and his face pinched with displeasure. “Though most the birds I know don’t go around getting into knife fights.”

  “I’d bet most girls you know actually do,” she countered. She decided to redirect the conversation before she gave in to the wild compulsion to kiss or kick him. “Where’s Benny?”

  “He got nicked when he helped you get away from that detective the other day. But don’t fret,” he added in response to her sharp inhale, “he wasn’t street material. He kept whinging over how the orphanage at least offered regular meals and passable beds. I think he wanted to go back.”

  “I hope he’s all right.”

  He glanced away, but not before she caught the flicker of regret in his eyes. “I heard the strangest rumor from some of the boys that you were trying to track down that woman detective. I told myself that couldn’t possibly be true.” He gave her a sideways glance. “My dodgy little Pigeon would never go searching for that kind of trouble.”

  She sat up, hope sparking her nerves to life like a lightning strike. “Have you seen her?”

  He stared at her now as if she had gone barmy and shook his head, assuming an expression of dramatic disappointment. “I thought I raised you better than that.”

  She put a hand on his arm. “This is important, Chaff. When did you see her? Where? You have to tell me.”

  He gave her hand a wry look. “I dunno, Pigeon. You’ve been askin’ for a lot lately and not offerin’ much back. Information’s expensive.”

  Her jaw dropped. She closed it and drew her hand back. “What? Why would…? This is about Ash, isn’t it? You don’t like him.”

  “Of course I don’t, but it isn’t about him.” He cocked his head and raised one eyebrow. “Well, not entirely. I have a reputation, and helping you like this when you ain’t contributing to the family jeopardizes that reputation. You see the problem.”

  She fought the sinking feeling in her chest. It was true. The streets were dangerous, more so if word got out that you were going soft, but was that all that mattered to him? She could tell he wasn’t being completely honest by the hurt in his blue eyes. If he cared, why didn’t he say so? For that matter, why didn’t she tell him she cared? Was it because she’d met Ash?

  “Tell you what. You tell me what you know and I’ll give you seventy-five percent of my street take for the next month. You know I’m good enough to make that profitable, and the other boys will think you’re right brilliant.” He still looked resistant. It wasn’t all about money and reputation then. She held back a smile. “And I won’t mention Ash.”

  “Ever?”

  They could renegotiate later. “Around you.”

  He laughed. “All right. It’s a deal.” His grin was wicked. “You know I’m a fool for you, Pigeon. I’d’ve settled for fifty.”

  “Well you’ll get forty now.” She punched him in the shoulder.

  He laughed and a man standing to get off scowled at them both.

  “Scamp,” she grumbled. “So where’s Em?”

  “It wasn’t no more than an hour or so ago. She was asking around about you, that boy whose name we won’t mention, and some other folks. She even asked me, shattering my long held belief that I’m invisible to the rest of the world. Deeply disappointing, that.” He smirked when she shifted in the seat, impatient. “I told her I knew you and had seen you over at Covent Garden this morning. The duffer gave me sixpence for my trouble.” His eyes lit with the sparkle of a merry thief at that.

  She stared at him, absorbing the importance of his words.

  The omnibus driver pulled the horses to a stop, trying to keep them in hand while a steam powered ash collector hissed and clanked down a cross street, heading in for the night.

  She stood. “Then I’m going the wrong way.”

  Slipping past him, she pushed her way to the exit and hopped off.

  “You’ve gone daft!” He jumped off after her and caught her arm no more than two strides from the departing omnibus.

  Pain sparked in her shoulder. She spun around and opened her mouth to yell at him. There wasn’t time to argue. Then she clamped her mouth shut again. She had to find Em and she had to get back to Lucian in case Ash told someone other than Em where he was. There was only one way she could do both with any efficiency.

  She smiled and Chaff let go, taking a wary step back.

  “Don’t look at me like that.”

  “I need your help.” He took another step back and she held a hand up to stay him. “Please. I know I’ve asked a lot already, but I need to find Em and tell her where the bloke she’s looking for is. I also need to get back to him immediately. Since you already know where she is—”

  “No!”

  She stepped up to him and took one of his hands in both of hers, squeezing it gently. The glaring resistance in his eyes started to fade. “Please. I can’t do this alone.”

  “No.”

  “Chaff,” she spoke his name, intending it as a plea, though it came out more breathy and flirtatious than beseeching.

  He swallowed. His eyes tracked down to the cuts on her neck and he squeezed her hands. “This’ll finish this bollocks, right? It’ll get you out of danger?”

  When in her life had she ever been out of danger? She nodded. “It’ll finish it.”

  “What do I need to do?”

  She grinned, triumphant, and told him where to send Em. She had him repeat the location several times just as she had done wi
th Ash.

  “Got it?”

  He nodded.

  She grinned and popped up on her toes, intending to plant a grateful kiss on his cheek. At the last second, he turned and their lips met. His hand cupped the back of her head, holding her, though not so firm that she couldn’t pull away if she tried.

  Ash appeared in her mind and a twinge of guilt accompanied the image. She cared about them both, but she hadn’t expected this. This changed so many things.

  Rather than pull away, she closed her eyes, giving in to curiosity and a burst of longing. Her lips softened against his and warmth swept through her, tingling beneath her skin. Their breath mingled. His kiss was gentle yet demanding and her heart raced in response to him the way it did after a narrow escape from the Lits. She wasn’t so sure she shouldn’t be running now.

  Before the war between physical pleasure and mental uncertainty could resolve, he released her and she took a few cautious steps back, lightheaded. The flush in her cheeks burned hot.

  She turned to the familiar realm of teasing to get her composure back. “I thought you weren’t supposed to get attached to your mates on the street.”

  Chaff licked his lips. “My rules. I get to break them.” He winked and started to walk away, calling over his shoulder. “Ganbatte, Pigeon. I won’t let you down.”

  “I know.” Her voice sounded small and breathless.

  Chapter Sixteen

  Maeko watched Chaff walk away, his strides long and easy as if he hadn’t a care in the world, as if he hadn’t just turned her life upside-down. Questions raced through her mind. What did this mean for their working relationship? Did she want this? She touched her fingers to her lips. What about Ash?

  The delicious pleasure that had warmed her was slowly fading, leaving confusion and the evening’s chill in its wake. She shivered, glancing up at the darkening steel gray sky.

  Chaff would come through for her, she was confident in that, but what about everything else? If she could get Em to Lucian, that would end this fiasco, but what then? Would they all go back to life as usual?