Read Online Scotland Hard (Book 2 in the Tom & Laura Series) by John Booth - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: John Booth
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down the last of the red wine and escorted Jane to the door. She knocked for the guard to let her out. When the door opened, Tom swung the girl into his arms and kissed her passionately out where the guard could see. Jane bustled out of the room a minute later with a bright red face. The guard chuckled as he rebolted the door.
“I know you are watching me, Laura,” Tom said quietly as he turned towards the tapestry.
“I assume you tupped her,” Laura said, anxiety clear in her voice. “That kiss had far too much passion for any other cause.”
“No, we merely talked while I ate my luncheon.” Tom saw Laura visibly relax at his words. “Did they feed you?”
“I finished my meal a short while ago and knocked at my door so they would retrieve my tray. I came through the passage just moments before your passionate goodbye kiss.”
“It was so the guard would think exactly as you did,” Tom said wryly. “I can only hope he was as taken in by it as you.”
“We have to get to the children,” Laura said urgently. “I know what it feels like to be severely beaten and it bothers me greatly that they are suffering because of us.”
“I know where they are and how to get to them, courtesy of Jane.”
Laura grinned at this news and held the tapestry to one side so Tom could lead the way.
It took Cam, Daisy, and Arnold the best part of an hour to travel across London to the house where Charles Drake had died. The cabby took them through narrow lanes packed with people and passed markets where stall holders shouted out their wares. Daisy found it exciting as it was her first time in the capital city.
Cam and Arnold had been to London many times before though neither had lived there. All three were completely lost the moment the driver turned off the main road and drove into the warren of side streets and lanes.
“Here we are then, Miss,” the cabby shouted down as they turned into Linden Lane and he pulled his horse to a stop. There was no sign that there had been a recent murder as they looked down the narrow passageway that passed between the houses on both sides.
“Thank you, cabby,” Daisy said primly as she stepped down onto the cobbles. This did not look a prosperous place to her and she was beginning to realize that the life of a spy did not generate great rewards. She had imagined Drake would live somewhere far grander, given the impressive service record Trelawney had provided.
The driver encouraged his horse to trot down the lane. Cam looked around her in disgust.
“What a dump.”
“There are far worse places to live than this,” Arnold said and shrugged his shoulders. He tugged at a pair of tall wooden gates leading to the back of the house. They creaked as they opened, revealing a large muddy yard beyond. “This is where he must have brought his cab, though I’m surprised he could get a cab and horses in and out of here.”
The yard was criss-crossed with deep ruts caused by cab wheels. It was just big enough for a cab to turn around in, and judging by the wheel marks, Charles Drake had done it many times.
“He cared about his horse’s welfare,” Daisy pointed out. Beside the gate stood a cast iron water pump and below it was a trough filled with water. A bale of hay hung down from a large hook fastened to the side of the fence.
Daisy sighed. Her boots were getting covered in mud and she longed to be out of this place. The smell of horse dung hung rather too fragrantly in the air for her liking.
Cam took the lead and strode over to the back door of the house. A number of bell pulls were arranged in a line with numbers stamped on a brass plate beside them.
“Not much point in ringing Drake’s bell is there?” Cam opined.
“Try the one below,” Arnold offered. “According to the information Trelawney gave us, Mr. Emmanuel Cohen found the body and that’s his flat number, right there.”
Cam heaved on the bell pull. The brass mechanism moved stiffly and they were
“I know you are watching me, Laura,” Tom said quietly as he turned towards the tapestry.
“I assume you tupped her,” Laura said, anxiety clear in her voice. “That kiss had far too much passion for any other cause.”
“No, we merely talked while I ate my luncheon.” Tom saw Laura visibly relax at his words. “Did they feed you?”
“I finished my meal a short while ago and knocked at my door so they would retrieve my tray. I came through the passage just moments before your passionate goodbye kiss.”
“It was so the guard would think exactly as you did,” Tom said wryly. “I can only hope he was as taken in by it as you.”
“We have to get to the children,” Laura said urgently. “I know what it feels like to be severely beaten and it bothers me greatly that they are suffering because of us.”
“I know where they are and how to get to them, courtesy of Jane.”
Laura grinned at this news and held the tapestry to one side so Tom could lead the way.
It took Cam, Daisy, and Arnold the best part of an hour to travel across London to the house where Charles Drake had died. The cabby took them through narrow lanes packed with people and passed markets where stall holders shouted out their wares. Daisy found it exciting as it was her first time in the capital city.
Cam and Arnold had been to London many times before though neither had lived there. All three were completely lost the moment the driver turned off the main road and drove into the warren of side streets and lanes.
“Here we are then, Miss,” the cabby shouted down as they turned into Linden Lane and he pulled his horse to a stop. There was no sign that there had been a recent murder as they looked down the narrow passageway that passed between the houses on both sides.
“Thank you, cabby,” Daisy said primly as she stepped down onto the cobbles. This did not look a prosperous place to her and she was beginning to realize that the life of a spy did not generate great rewards. She had imagined Drake would live somewhere far grander, given the impressive service record Trelawney had provided.
The driver encouraged his horse to trot down the lane. Cam looked around her in disgust.
“What a dump.”
“There are far worse places to live than this,” Arnold said and shrugged his shoulders. He tugged at a pair of tall wooden gates leading to the back of the house. They creaked as they opened, revealing a large muddy yard beyond. “This is where he must have brought his cab, though I’m surprised he could get a cab and horses in and out of here.”
The yard was criss-crossed with deep ruts caused by cab wheels. It was just big enough for a cab to turn around in, and judging by the wheel marks, Charles Drake had done it many times.
“He cared about his horse’s welfare,” Daisy pointed out. Beside the gate stood a cast iron water pump and below it was a trough filled with water. A bale of hay hung down from a large hook fastened to the side of the fence.
Daisy sighed. Her boots were getting covered in mud and she longed to be out of this place. The smell of horse dung hung rather too fragrantly in the air for her liking.
Cam took the lead and strode over to the back door of the house. A number of bell pulls were arranged in a line with numbers stamped on a brass plate beside them.
“Not much point in ringing Drake’s bell is there?” Cam opined.
“Try the one below,” Arnold offered. “According to the information Trelawney gave us, Mr. Emmanuel Cohen found the body and that’s his flat number, right there.”
Cam heaved on the bell pull. The brass mechanism moved stiffly and they were
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