Sadie's Secret: 3 (The Secret Lives of Will Tucker) (21 page)

She held her mother’s gaze. No, she did not understand.

“There is no need to make two trips to New Orleans when you could let me off at Madame Theriot’s and then come back for me after making your calls. Or I could do the same for you. Really, either is fine.”

Her mother rose with a polite smile. “Hurry with your breakfast, then,” she said as she whisked out. “I would like to get the day started, and it feels as if it’s already half over.”

A glance at the clock over the mantel told Sadie it was not yet nine. What in the world was wrong with Mama?

Jefferson walked past the Presbyterian church and then Barton Academy to step inside the bank and complete his first errand of the day. With money in his pocket and a bank draft securely deposited in his account, he could tackle the more important mission of sending a telegram to his superiors back in London.

His carefully worded message cost a fortune to send, but the knowledge that it would arrive at Scotland Yard well before the letters he’d posted yesterday made the price slightly less painful.

A check of his pocket watch told him it was not yet ten o’clock, although the time was late afternoon in Britain. He should alert his parents of the situation now that he had been freed. However, not knowing
whether they had been informed of his false imprisonment, Jefferson decided a letter of sufficient length to explain his absence was in order.

How to explain the situation with John was a much trickier proposition. The man had been caught committing several inexcusable crimes, and if Agent Russell was correct, his brother had also been indirectly responsible for a woman’s death. There was no good way to tell a mother and father awaiting news of sons on the other side of the Atlantic this kind of information.

Jefferson returned home with these thoughts trailing him. Kyle met him on the porch, his smile noticeably absent.

“Why didn’t you tell me your brother was here last night?”

“Good morning, Agent Russell,” he said, as much to buy time as to decide exactly how much he was willing to admit.

Kyle reached out to grab him by the arm, stopping his progress across the porch. “I asked you a question, Tucker.”

“I heard the question,” he said as he yanked free of Kyle’s grasp. “Yes. John showed up outside the library window after you went upstairs.”

“Convenient.”

“Think what you want, but I was not expecting him and you had already gone upstairs to bed.”

“Nor did you awaken me to inform me of his visit, which brings me back to my original question.”

Jefferson shook his head and then looked the man in the eyes. “I doubt you would believe me if I told you I simply didn’t think of it.”

Not when he’d spent most of the night trying to figure out how John knew anything about Sergio Valletta. No one knew about his connection to the man except his superiors at Scotland Yard and his contact at the British Museum.

“You’re thinking about something,” Kyle said.

Jefferson leaned against the porch post with a frown furrowing his brow. “It was something John said before he ran. And to be clear, I was making the attempt to capture him when he fled.”

When Kyle said nothing, he continued. “He mentioned the name of a man I had been investigating.”

“And?”

“That’s all. He asked for my help. I refused. He made a threat and then ran.”

He left off the part where John specifically stated that Valletta thought Jefferson had betrayed him. That claim was the source of much of his lack of sleep. The possibilities for what John had done were endless, but he had been able to narrow things down to several options.

None of them appealed.

“And this man you’ve been investigating is here in Mobile?”

“No. Or at least I can’t imagine why he would be.”

Kyle removed a small notebook and pen from his pocket. “I will need that information.”

“Sorry, but I can’t tell you that. Until I hear otherwise, the investigation is still ongoing, and I’m enjoined not to give any details unless specifically ordered to do so by my superiors. I’m sure you’ve been under similar orders on the cases you’ve worked.”

Kyle looked as if he might argue. And then, slowly, he put away the pen and notebook.

“I will remind you, Tucker, that the case I am currently working—at least until my replacement arrives—is the one where I put your brother back into prison.”

Jefferson straightened and offered Kyle his hand. “And I give you my word I will help you in any way I can. Once you are replaced by another agent, I will extend the same courtesy to him.” He paused and then added, “Or her.”

Kyle took his hand, albeit grudgingly. “Then we have no further quarrel, unless I hear that you have once again gone without telling me about a meeting between you and your brother. And I will have to inform the chief of police when I meet him shortly.”

“Of course.”

“Perhaps you should accompany me and tell the chief yourself.”

“All right, though I won’t be telling him about John’s mention of the subject of my investigation.”

“Fair enough. For now anyway.”

A welcome breeze blew past, ruffling the leaves in the trees and sending a cat skittering after a limb that fell onto the lawn beyond the house.
Jefferson watched the orange tabby paw at the leaves and then lose interest before he returned his attention to his guest.

“I’m curious. How did you find out John was here?”

“A deduction, really. I was out indulging my passion for astronomy last night by watching a bit of the Lyrids meteor shower and happened to see you looking around as if you’d lost something. I went to investigate, but you were already in your bedchamber.”

“It was dark. How could you possibly see me?”

Kyle grinned. “Apparently you have no idea of my penchant for inventions.”

“Inventions that allow someone to see in the dark? I would think that could come in handy for a man working on a criminal investigation.”

“Absolutely.”

Jefferson shared his grin. “Tell me more.”

“Actually, it is easier to show you. Perhaps this evening after the sun goes down I can offer a demonstration. Unless you’re expecting your brother to return.”

“I’m not expecting anything of John. However, wouldn’t it be easier to track him with a device like you’re describing should he decide to run again?”

“It would.” Kyle leveled him a serious look. “I want to be perfectly clear on this. Should I have the occasion to arrest your brother, you will not stand in my way?”

“Should you have occasion to arrest my brother, not only will I help, but I’ll be the first in line to testify against him. In fact, I cannot promise to be responsible for my behavior in the event he is captured, so it’s probably best that you find him instead of me.”

Again Kyle gave him an appraising look. “Yes, I suppose you have as much reason to be angry with him as I do. More, perhaps, considering he stole a year of your life from you.”

“Eleven months and a few weeks,” Jefferson supplied. “And possibly my career as well.” That he would know with more certainty once he received a response from London.

“When my replacement arrives, there will be at least one vacancy at the Pinkerton Agency. If you were considering relocating to the States, that is.”

“You’re leaving the Pinks?”

“Between my wife, her charity work, and the inventions, I have plenty to occupy my time.”

“I envy you that.” The words slipped out before Jefferson could reel them back.

“I wasn’t always an advocate for marriage, but now I find it suits me well. Or, rather, Mrs. Russell suits me well. We are hoping to expand our family soon, and that also suits me.”

“Good for you,” Jefferson said genially.

“Spoken like a confirmed bachelor.”

“Indeed.” Jefferson had no need of any further argument. For while he envied the happiness Kyle had found in hearth and home, he knew all too well that this sort of arrangement would never work for him.

“A word to the wise, then,” Kyle said. “Those men who are certain they will never find the right woman are just the ones the Lord likes to use to prove otherwise. I speak from experience.”

Sixteen

U
sing the back door, Sadie left Madame Theriot’s Dressmakers and then doubled down Royal Street to slip around the corner to find the meeting place Henry Smith had indicated. She was early, but only by a quarter hour, and she was famished. And though no genteel lady ate beignets in a public establishment without benefit of the proper table setting and well-placed companion, she ordered two.

After all, in the disguise she had donned at her favorite—and very discreet—dressmakers shop, no one would mistake her for Sarah Louise Callum of the River Pointe Callums.

Unfortunately, the rather plain garment she chose was black, befitting her disguise as a widow in mourning, and it only took a slight wind off the river to create a mess with the powdered sugar before she’d had more than one bite of her tasty treat.

When a gentleman handed her his handkerchief, she glanced up through the black net of her veil expecting to see Henry standing there. Instead, she looked up into the smiling face of the very man Daddy had mentioned yesterday.

Gabriel Trahan?

“Hello, there. Ethan didn’t mention you had returned to Callum Plantation.”

So he knew who she was. She tried to put a neutral face on what was an unfortunate situation. “It’s so good to see you again, Monsieur Trahan.”

He joined her at the table. “That would be Dr. Trahan, Miss Callum. You may not recall, but I’m a Tulane man. Newly graduated.” He paused
as if assessing her. “And I know we are grown now, but shall we dispense with the Mr. and Miss and use the names we’ve always used, Sadie?”

“Yes, of course. Gabriel it is.” She dabbed at the sugary mess she’d made on her bodice, smearing the sugar more than removing any of it.

He lifted his hand, and a waiter hurried to them. “Water or seltzer, and do hurry.” He returned his attention to Sadie, his dark eyes studying her with humor.

She recalled her brothers’ friend, the hopeless tagalong with a shock of dark hair and a slight stutter who spent countless hours trying to best anyone who would take him up on his outrageous adventures. Gone was the gangly boy and in his place was a surprisingly handsome man.

“You have grown up,” she said as her hand stilled. “You’re so tall. And well spoken.”