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Authors: Laura Kinsale
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marched in followed by
Sergeant MacDonald bearing some teapot-sized object wrapped in a paisley shawl, and then the others poured in after; suddenly the police office was full of men, all talking, all trying to shout questions above the sound of the baby's screaming. Leda was herded back against the wall until Sergeant MacDonald squeezed next to her and gave her his hand, boosting her up to stand on the bench.
"
Gentlemen
!" the inspector's voice roared. "Order, if you please!"
The crowd fell silent, leaving only the howls of the baby. Inspector Ruby ignored the infant, conferring briefly with his superior and then stepping up to his podium.
"We'll make a statement," he said, speaking in a loud singsong above the baby's cries. "At quarter past eight P.M., officers of this division proceeded to the house known as Oxslip's in Jacob's Island. We found there what we expected to find, that is, a crown of foreign manufacture, believed to be Siamese and stolen from the premises of the Alexandra Hotel. The crown is secure and undamaged and will be returned to the party what owns it directly. That is all, gentlemen."
"Any arrests?" someone demanded.
"Mr. Ellis Oxslip and a woman known as Frying Pan Sally have been taken for questioning."
"Where to?"
"Headquarters at Scotland Yard, sir."
A general groaning broke out. "Why there? Why'nt you bring 'em here?"
"As you may have observed, gentlemen, we have a certain amount of disturbance in this office tonight."
"The note!" someone yelled above the grumbling and wails. "Read us the note, Inspector! What did the note say?"
"I am not authorized to read any note."
"Did it say Oxslip's is a house of resort for perverts?"
"I am not authorized to give any information in that regard."
Another man pushed forward. "Is it true the statue came from Oxslip's—the statue left in place of the crown at the hotel?"
Inspector Ruby glanced at his superintendent. The other officer nodded slightly. "We believe that to be the case, yes."
The pads and pencils rustled madly. "So it
is
a flagellation parlor! Is that right, Inspector Ruby?"
"I am not authorized—"
"Cut line, Inspector!" A man in the back, just in front of Leda, raised his voice in disgust. "This is your territory, isn't it? Don't you know what goes on here?"
"What of the young boys we saw?" someone else yelled. "Did you take 'em in as suspects?"
"The minor inhabitants of the house are not suspected in the robbery. They will be questioned as to what they may know that relates to it."
"Then what'll you do with 'em? Give 'em back to Oxslip and Sal?"
The inspector's jaw worked. He frowned fiercely and did not answer the question.
"What's the point of it all?" the man in front of Leda demanded. "Is it blackmail, or an attempt to shut down Oxslip's? Did the police arrange it?"
Inspector Ruby hesitated, and then said, "I cannot speculate on that point."
"Good job if they did fix it," the man said, and got a round of approval while the baby howled. "If you can't catch 'em in the act, root 'em out as you can, I say! Those boys-it's foul, by God!"
The inspector seemed to recall Leda for the first time. He looked up at her directly, and then raised his hands, brushing away the flood of questions. "That will be all, gentlemen! There are ladies present. Take yourselves to the Yard and ask what you will. We've police business to attend to here."
"Don't you, though!" a young man cried, cocking a thumb toward the cell where the baby still wailed and sobbed, muffled now as the maternity nurse swaddled it in linen. But the inspector and Sergeant MacDonald began shoving reporters out the door. Some left, followed by more evidently eager to keep up with their rivals, but others lingered, still trying to ask questions.
Mrs. Fullerton-Smith brought the infant out of the cell.
As Leda climbed down from her perch on the wooden bench, she found the tiny bundle pushed into her arms. "The cloth is donated by the Ladies' Committee of Marylebone
Sergeant MacDonald bearing some teapot-sized object wrapped in a paisley shawl, and then the others poured in after; suddenly the police office was full of men, all talking, all trying to shout questions above the sound of the baby's screaming. Leda was herded back against the wall until Sergeant MacDonald squeezed next to her and gave her his hand, boosting her up to stand on the bench.
"
Gentlemen
!" the inspector's voice roared. "Order, if you please!"
The crowd fell silent, leaving only the howls of the baby. Inspector Ruby ignored the infant, conferring briefly with his superior and then stepping up to his podium.
"We'll make a statement," he said, speaking in a loud singsong above the baby's cries. "At quarter past eight P.M., officers of this division proceeded to the house known as Oxslip's in Jacob's Island. We found there what we expected to find, that is, a crown of foreign manufacture, believed to be Siamese and stolen from the premises of the Alexandra Hotel. The crown is secure and undamaged and will be returned to the party what owns it directly. That is all, gentlemen."
"Any arrests?" someone demanded.
"Mr. Ellis Oxslip and a woman known as Frying Pan Sally have been taken for questioning."
"Where to?"
"Headquarters at Scotland Yard, sir."
A general groaning broke out. "Why there? Why'nt you bring 'em here?"
"As you may have observed, gentlemen, we have a certain amount of disturbance in this office tonight."
"The note!" someone yelled above the grumbling and wails. "Read us the note, Inspector! What did the note say?"
"I am not authorized to read any note."
"Did it say Oxslip's is a house of resort for perverts?"
"I am not authorized to give any information in that regard."
Another man pushed forward. "Is it true the statue came from Oxslip's—the statue left in place of the crown at the hotel?"
Inspector Ruby glanced at his superintendent. The other officer nodded slightly. "We believe that to be the case, yes."
The pads and pencils rustled madly. "So it
is
a flagellation parlor! Is that right, Inspector Ruby?"
"I am not authorized—"
"Cut line, Inspector!" A man in the back, just in front of Leda, raised his voice in disgust. "This is your territory, isn't it? Don't you know what goes on here?"
"What of the young boys we saw?" someone else yelled. "Did you take 'em in as suspects?"
"The minor inhabitants of the house are not suspected in the robbery. They will be questioned as to what they may know that relates to it."
"Then what'll you do with 'em? Give 'em back to Oxslip and Sal?"
The inspector's jaw worked. He frowned fiercely and did not answer the question.
"What's the point of it all?" the man in front of Leda demanded. "Is it blackmail, or an attempt to shut down Oxslip's? Did the police arrange it?"
Inspector Ruby hesitated, and then said, "I cannot speculate on that point."
"Good job if they did fix it," the man said, and got a round of approval while the baby howled. "If you can't catch 'em in the act, root 'em out as you can, I say! Those boys-it's foul, by God!"
The inspector seemed to recall Leda for the first time. He looked up at her directly, and then raised his hands, brushing away the flood of questions. "That will be all, gentlemen! There are ladies present. Take yourselves to the Yard and ask what you will. We've police business to attend to here."
"Don't you, though!" a young man cried, cocking a thumb toward the cell where the baby still wailed and sobbed, muffled now as the maternity nurse swaddled it in linen. But the inspector and Sergeant MacDonald began shoving reporters out the door. Some left, followed by more evidently eager to keep up with their rivals, but others lingered, still trying to ask questions.
Mrs. Fullerton-Smith brought the infant out of the cell.
As Leda climbed down from her perch on the wooden bench, she found the tiny bundle pushed into her arms. "The cloth is donated by the Ladies' Committee of Marylebone
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