task has proved far beyond the scope of my small agency. Do you have any notion of how many establishments there are in this town that sell medicinal potions, herbs and spices? There are literally hundreds, if not thousands.”
She smiled ruefully. “I recently had a similar discussion with Inspector Spellar. The number is in the thousands, sir. And you must not forget the patent medicine dealers. Some of them sell some very rare and exotic tinctures and elixirs. To say nothing of the herbalists.”
His jaw hardened. “As you no doubt suspect, thus far I have had no luck spotting a pattern of purchases that would point to Hulsey.”
“Why are you so sure that this Dr. Hulsey is the one who stole my fern?”
“It is possible that I am grasping at straws. But there is a very satisfactory logic about this entire affair. Whoever stole your fern had to be aware of its unusual psychical properties. He also must possess a great deal of scientific knowledge. In terms of probabilities, there cannot be a great many men of that description running around London at the moment. And the timing is right. It has been a little more than eight weeks since Hulsey disappeared. He has had ample opportunity to sell his services to another patron.”
“I suppose that is true.”
Caleb pulled out his pocket watch and frowned at the time. “Damn.”
“What now, Mr. Jones?”
“I have a great many more questions for you, Miss Bromley, but they must wait until tomorrow. There is another extremely urgent investigation which requires my attention tonight. Preparations must be made.” He dropped the watch back into his pocket. “When that affair is concluded, I will be free to concentrate on Hulsey.”
He started toward the door without any pretense of a polite farewell.
Alarmed, she leaped to her feet. “One moment, if you please, Mr. Jones.”
He turned, his powerful hand on the doorknob, and elevated an impatient brow. “Yes, Miss Bromley?”
“Let us be clear on one very important point, sir,” she said firmly. “I am hiring you to investigate the theft of my fern. If it so happens that your mad scientist, Hulsey, is the one who stole it and prepared the poison that was given to Lord Fairburn, well and good. But I am most certainly not employing you to apprehend some crazed alchemist who is trying to perfect the formula. Your task is to keep me out of prison. Do we have an understanding?”
He gave her the first full smile he had bestowed upon her.
“We do, indeed, Miss Bromley,” he said.
He opened the door.
“Furthermore, I insist that you make frequent and regular reports on your progress to me,” she called after him.
“Never fear, Miss Bromley, you will hear from me again. And soon.”
He went out the door into the hall.
Her heart sank. I’m doomed.
There was no doubt in her mind but that, as far as Caleb Jones was concerned, the Arcane Society’s interests would always come first. She could only pray that her desperate attempt to avoid a murder charge would coincide with Caleb’s plans to capture Hulsey. If he was forced to choose between the two objectives, she knew she would come second.
SIX
THE STENCH OF UNWHOLESOME EXCITEMENT RISING from the ranks of cowl-draped men was so thick that it seemed to darken the very atmosphere inside the ancient stone chamber. The shifting shadows cast by the lanterns appeared to Caleb’s heightened senses as living, breathing entities that pulsed and throbbed in terrible rhythms, strange beasts of prey waiting to gorge on the blood that had been promised.
With an effort of will, he suppressed the imagined monsters. It was not easy. The ability to perceive dangerous patterns and dark connections where others saw only random chance was his gift. It was also his curse. While his ability to make huge intuitive leaps on the basis of only a few vague hints or clues was certainly useful, it had some unfortunate side effects. Lately he had begun to worry that the dazzling,
She smiled ruefully. “I recently had a similar discussion with Inspector Spellar. The number is in the thousands, sir. And you must not forget the patent medicine dealers. Some of them sell some very rare and exotic tinctures and elixirs. To say nothing of the herbalists.”
His jaw hardened. “As you no doubt suspect, thus far I have had no luck spotting a pattern of purchases that would point to Hulsey.”
“Why are you so sure that this Dr. Hulsey is the one who stole my fern?”
“It is possible that I am grasping at straws. But there is a very satisfactory logic about this entire affair. Whoever stole your fern had to be aware of its unusual psychical properties. He also must possess a great deal of scientific knowledge. In terms of probabilities, there cannot be a great many men of that description running around London at the moment. And the timing is right. It has been a little more than eight weeks since Hulsey disappeared. He has had ample opportunity to sell his services to another patron.”
“I suppose that is true.”
Caleb pulled out his pocket watch and frowned at the time. “Damn.”
“What now, Mr. Jones?”
“I have a great many more questions for you, Miss Bromley, but they must wait until tomorrow. There is another extremely urgent investigation which requires my attention tonight. Preparations must be made.” He dropped the watch back into his pocket. “When that affair is concluded, I will be free to concentrate on Hulsey.”
He started toward the door without any pretense of a polite farewell.
Alarmed, she leaped to her feet. “One moment, if you please, Mr. Jones.”
He turned, his powerful hand on the doorknob, and elevated an impatient brow. “Yes, Miss Bromley?”
“Let us be clear on one very important point, sir,” she said firmly. “I am hiring you to investigate the theft of my fern. If it so happens that your mad scientist, Hulsey, is the one who stole it and prepared the poison that was given to Lord Fairburn, well and good. But I am most certainly not employing you to apprehend some crazed alchemist who is trying to perfect the formula. Your task is to keep me out of prison. Do we have an understanding?”
He gave her the first full smile he had bestowed upon her.
“We do, indeed, Miss Bromley,” he said.
He opened the door.
“Furthermore, I insist that you make frequent and regular reports on your progress to me,” she called after him.
“Never fear, Miss Bromley, you will hear from me again. And soon.”
He went out the door into the hall.
Her heart sank. I’m doomed.
There was no doubt in her mind but that, as far as Caleb Jones was concerned, the Arcane Society’s interests would always come first. She could only pray that her desperate attempt to avoid a murder charge would coincide with Caleb’s plans to capture Hulsey. If he was forced to choose between the two objectives, she knew she would come second.
SIX
THE STENCH OF UNWHOLESOME EXCITEMENT RISING from the ranks of cowl-draped men was so thick that it seemed to darken the very atmosphere inside the ancient stone chamber. The shifting shadows cast by the lanterns appeared to Caleb’s heightened senses as living, breathing entities that pulsed and throbbed in terrible rhythms, strange beasts of prey waiting to gorge on the blood that had been promised.
With an effort of will, he suppressed the imagined monsters. It was not easy. The ability to perceive dangerous patterns and dark connections where others saw only random chance was his gift. It was also his curse. While his ability to make huge intuitive leaps on the basis of only a few vague hints or clues was certainly useful, it had some unfortunate side effects. Lately he had begun to worry that the dazzling,
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