Read Online Ashes To Ashes: A Ministry of Curiosities Novella (The Ministry of Curiosities Book 5) by C.J. Archer - Free Book Online
Authors: C.J. Archer
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his men would help him focus.
"She wants to restore the family name," he heard Seth tell Gus as the men approached the open door.
Gus snorted. "How, when she ain't go no ready to buy friends?"
"Try telling her that! She seems to think they'll accept her with open arms because she's a Vickers. That's not the worst of it. Once she has re-established herself, she plans on finding me a wife."
Gus was still laughing when he entered ahead of Seth. It quickly died, and he stood like a statue by the door. The joke wasn't to be shared with Lincoln.
It was a little early for liquor, but Lincoln poured two glasses of brandy and offered them to the men. Gus accepted but Seth crossed his arms. After a sigh, Gus handed the glass back. Resisting the urge to drain the contents himself, Lincoln set the glasses down on his desk.
"O'Neill wasn't killed because of his relationship with Ela," he told them.
"How do you know?" Gus asked.
"I just do." When both men exchanged glances, he added, "O'Neill knew about Buchanan and Ela, but his revenge took the form of a harmless joke. He made Buchanan slip over on the street then walked away, laughing. I have no reason to believe he was going to confront Buchanan, and Buchanan wasn't lying when he told me he didn't know about Ela and O'Neill."
"Again, how do you know?" Seth demanded.
Lincoln made his decision quickly. He didn't know if he could trust these men anymore, but if he was going to keep them at Lichfield in his employ, he needed to be someone they could trust. And that meant revealing something about himself he'd only ever revealed to Charlie. "I have some capacity to know when others are telling the truth or not. It doesn't work on everyone, but it did work on Buchanan. He told me no lies."
Seth lowered his arms and took a step forward. Gus's hand whipped out, stopping his friend from getting too close. What did he think Lincoln would do?
"How do you have this ability?" Seth asked.
"My mother was a seer. I seem to have inherited it from her, but in a limited capacity."
Seth didn't look like this revelation made him trust Lincoln more. Quite the opposite, in fact. Lincoln was no expert, but his stiff stance was decidedly hostile. "Can you tell when we're lying?"
"No."
Seth studied Lincoln, and Lincoln bore it until Seth gave up with a grunt.
"Seers can predict the future," Gus said. "Can you?"
"No. My powers only extend to…feelings."
Both men burst out laughing.
Lincoln could see how it would be amusing from their perspective, although he didn't think it that funny. "What I mean is, I know when someone new is in the house, for example, or when someone is missing." He didn't tell them that these "feelings" were strongest in regard to Charlie. Mentioning her name could prove volatile.
They both took a moment to digest this, then Seth said, "If a jealous lover didn't kill O'Neill, could there be another motive?"
"I haven't found one."
"Excepting the fact that he was a supernatural, and perhaps killed because of his powers."
"Excepting that." Lincoln waited while the men considered this. "Billy the Bolter's information is my—our—only link to the man who is hiring killers to assassinate supernaturals."
"But he didn't tell us much," Gus said. "Nothing we can use, anyway."
"Only that the fellow is a toff," Seth said.
"We can be almost sure that the person has access to our archives, or has records of their own." Lincoln waited as both men staggered under the weight of this news. He held out the glasses of brandy to them.
They both drank the contents in one gulp. Gus slammed the empty glass down on the desk and swore. "The committee."
"Will you confront them?" Seth asked.
"Not yet," Lincoln said. "Not until I'm sure."
"How will you be sure?"
"Through observation and investigation, beginning with attending Julia's Christmas ball tonight."
"You hate balls," Gus said.
"I didn't say I wanted to enjoy myself." Lincoln nodded at Seth. "You're coming. Bring your
"She wants to restore the family name," he heard Seth tell Gus as the men approached the open door.
Gus snorted. "How, when she ain't go no ready to buy friends?"
"Try telling her that! She seems to think they'll accept her with open arms because she's a Vickers. That's not the worst of it. Once she has re-established herself, she plans on finding me a wife."
Gus was still laughing when he entered ahead of Seth. It quickly died, and he stood like a statue by the door. The joke wasn't to be shared with Lincoln.
It was a little early for liquor, but Lincoln poured two glasses of brandy and offered them to the men. Gus accepted but Seth crossed his arms. After a sigh, Gus handed the glass back. Resisting the urge to drain the contents himself, Lincoln set the glasses down on his desk.
"O'Neill wasn't killed because of his relationship with Ela," he told them.
"How do you know?" Gus asked.
"I just do." When both men exchanged glances, he added, "O'Neill knew about Buchanan and Ela, but his revenge took the form of a harmless joke. He made Buchanan slip over on the street then walked away, laughing. I have no reason to believe he was going to confront Buchanan, and Buchanan wasn't lying when he told me he didn't know about Ela and O'Neill."
"Again, how do you know?" Seth demanded.
Lincoln made his decision quickly. He didn't know if he could trust these men anymore, but if he was going to keep them at Lichfield in his employ, he needed to be someone they could trust. And that meant revealing something about himself he'd only ever revealed to Charlie. "I have some capacity to know when others are telling the truth or not. It doesn't work on everyone, but it did work on Buchanan. He told me no lies."
Seth lowered his arms and took a step forward. Gus's hand whipped out, stopping his friend from getting too close. What did he think Lincoln would do?
"How do you have this ability?" Seth asked.
"My mother was a seer. I seem to have inherited it from her, but in a limited capacity."
Seth didn't look like this revelation made him trust Lincoln more. Quite the opposite, in fact. Lincoln was no expert, but his stiff stance was decidedly hostile. "Can you tell when we're lying?"
"No."
Seth studied Lincoln, and Lincoln bore it until Seth gave up with a grunt.
"Seers can predict the future," Gus said. "Can you?"
"No. My powers only extend to…feelings."
Both men burst out laughing.
Lincoln could see how it would be amusing from their perspective, although he didn't think it that funny. "What I mean is, I know when someone new is in the house, for example, or when someone is missing." He didn't tell them that these "feelings" were strongest in regard to Charlie. Mentioning her name could prove volatile.
They both took a moment to digest this, then Seth said, "If a jealous lover didn't kill O'Neill, could there be another motive?"
"I haven't found one."
"Excepting the fact that he was a supernatural, and perhaps killed because of his powers."
"Excepting that." Lincoln waited while the men considered this. "Billy the Bolter's information is my—our—only link to the man who is hiring killers to assassinate supernaturals."
"But he didn't tell us much," Gus said. "Nothing we can use, anyway."
"Only that the fellow is a toff," Seth said.
"We can be almost sure that the person has access to our archives, or has records of their own." Lincoln waited as both men staggered under the weight of this news. He held out the glasses of brandy to them.
They both drank the contents in one gulp. Gus slammed the empty glass down on the desk and swore. "The committee."
"Will you confront them?" Seth asked.
"Not yet," Lincoln said. "Not until I'm sure."
"How will you be sure?"
"Through observation and investigation, beginning with attending Julia's Christmas ball tonight."
"You hate balls," Gus said.
"I didn't say I wanted to enjoy myself." Lincoln nodded at Seth. "You're coming. Bring your
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