His Disobedient Thief Read online

  Then there was a story about the Eclipse Stakes. He needed to put a wager down on Bendigo. He’d been told that the bet would earn him a lot of money.

  He scanned a few more headlines, and one caught his eyes. Burglaries on the rise. Tristan pushed his plate aside and read the item carefully. Months ago, someone had been breaking into houses of fashionable members of society. They had taken jewels, silver and artwork, things that could be easily sold.

  After a hiatus of about five months, the police believed that person was back. Several homes had been burglarized, and many items taken. The Metropolitan Police Service was convinced this was the work of the same man as before, although a certain well-known burglar had been killed in Hyde Park, and the break-ins had stopped. Until now.

  “We had thought we had our man, but now we wonder,” said Inspector Brace Kelley. “It seems we were wrong, and have now reopened the investigation so we can get to the real truth of the matter. We will be speaking with residents who were victims in the past, and, hopefully, we will solve the problem this time.”

  Tristan put down the paper. He was one of those victims from the past. Seven months ago someone had broken into his home. They had taken some of Ava’s jewelry, things he’d wanted to give to Charity when she wed. They’d also stolen silver and two paintings that had been in his family for generations. His older brother, the new Baron, had almost become unhinged when he’d heard about the thefts, but he had calmed down since then. This news might just send him over the edge, though.

  He remembered speaking with Brace Kelley before. He should contact him again, before the officer came looking for Tristan. It was probably best if he did it this morning. True, he had planned to go on a ride with Shelia this afternoon, and possibly get his cock sucked, but that would have to wait a few days.

  As he started to stand, Mrs. Walker entered. “Milord, if I may?”

  “Yes, Mrs. Walker?”

  She crossed the room and opened her hand. Sitting in her palm was a key, a small silver one that looked as if it would fit into the lock on a box.

  “One of the maids found this, milord, under your bed. She was cleaning the floors.”

  He picked it up and frowned. “Under the bed?”

  “Yes, sir,” the housekeeper said. “She was a little befuddled because she’d never found anything like it before, and given what happened here last year, she was concerned that it could be something bad.”

  He picked up the key and studied it. “Could it be one of yours?”

  “No, sir,” the housekeeper said, even though she had a huge amount of keys and other sundries on the chatelaine around her waist.

  “I have no clue what it is, or where it comes from,” he said softly.

  If he’d had someone in his bed lately he might think she had dropped it. It couldn’t have come from the person who’d burgled him before. The house had been searched from top to bottom, and the maids cleaned the floors every day. It would have been discovered before now.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Walker,” he said. “I’m sure it’s something that dropped out of my trousers at some point. Please thank the maid who found it for me.”

  “But you said you’d never seen it,” the housekeeper said. “Should I send for the authorities?”

  “No, thank you,” Tristan replied. “But please tell the staff to be very careful about things. If they notice anything out of the ordinary they need to let me know.”

  “As you wish, sir,” the housekeeper said before she turned to leave.

  Tristan studied the key. Something was definitely happening. Had someone been in his house recently? And if they had, did that person have something to do with the earlier burglary?

  He was involved in no schemes, at least not at the present time. He had never broken the law, but then again he and his friends had raised trouble at different points in his life.

  And then there was The Club. They didn’t keep their club a secret. But was someone upset about it? Had he, at some point in his past, taken advantage of a lady and now her family was upset, and was coming after him for it?

  That he knew of he had no children except Charity. What if one of the ladies he’d been with in the past had become pregnant? If so, that would be enough to make her family angry, and they might come after him.

  But if that was the case, the pregnancy would have been quite some time ago. The only woman he’d fucked in the last few years was Amelia, and he’d seen her enough recently to know she wasn’t with child. But what if he did have a bastard around? If he did he needed to find out, and make things right with the mother and child. He needed to make quiet enquiries about town, to see if anyone was hiding a secret that might concern him.

  But if that was the case, why would the person sneak into his house and leave a key under his bed? It had to be some sort of message. Or maybe whoever left it did so by accident. If that was the case, whoever lost the key might wonder where it is, and come looking for it.

  He planned to be ready. Hopefully, whoever it was would have some answers for him.

  Carin saw him as she walked toward her rooms. She stopped in her tracks and considered turning tail and running, but it was obvious he was waiting for her. She wondered what he’d said to her landlady, and if that would have anything to do with her continued lodging.

  “Don’t act guilty,” her father had always said. She planned to follow that advice right now. This couldn’t be about the missing key. Even if Ellington had found it he would have no way of knowing that she’d dropped it. She wondered if he would know what it unlocked, or if it would baffle him as much as it did her.

  She started to walk again, being careful to keep her pace even and trying not look like the sight of him scared her half to death.

  “Inspector Kelley,” she said as she drew near. “I’m surprised to see you in this neighborhood.”

  “On the contrary, Mrs. Piper, I do a lot of work in this area.” He doffed his bowler at her. “I wonder if I might have a word.”

  “Have you found the man who murdered my father?” She glared at him when he didn’t answer.

  Finally, he said, “No, we have not.”

  “That is because you have not been looking,” she said. “To you Gerald Accord was nothing more than a thief who deserved to die.”

  He didn’t correct her and she intensified her gaze. “He was my father, Inspector Kelley. He may not have been the most honest of men, but I loved him.”

  “I am sorry for your loss,” he said.

  “Don’t patronize me,” she said. “Why are you here?”

  “Have you seen today’s newspaper?” he asked.

  “No, there is nothing in print that interests me,” she said. “I work from dawn to dusk at making dresses so I can pay my landlady.” That is, unless I’m out breaking into houses, trying to do your job and find out who killed my father.

  “May we go inside and talk?”

  “Mrs. Fisk does not allow me to have men in my rooms,” she said.

  “Even a police inspector?” he asked.

  “I will knock on her door and see if she is there,” Carin said. “Whatever you have to say to me you can say in front of her.”

  “As you wish,” Kelley said.

  Once things were settled, and Mrs. Fisk had set out a pot of tea, Carin said, “Well? If you do not have news of my father’s death, what do you have to tell me?”

  Unless he was here to arrest her. But she didn’t think that would be possible. She didn’t take things from the houses she entered. She was just looking for information.

  “There has been an uptake of burglaries,” he said. She could tell by the way he paused and studied her that he was studying her reaction very carefully.

  “What does that have to do with me?” she asked. “I hardly think someone is going to break in here and steal my silver, since I don’t have any.”

  “The burglaries are very much like the ones your father committed,” he said.

  Carin’s heart almo
st came to a stop. Could it be her father was innocent? She asked as much, and was disappointed when the inspector shook his head.

  “We did not find all the items your father took, but we found quite a bit,” he said. “I’m sorry to tell you that your father was guilty.”

  Carin glanced at Mrs. Fisk, who frowned at her. Hopefully, the landlady would not kick her out for bringing the police to her doorstep.

  “We believe your father was working with someone, someone to whom he taught his skills.” Again Kelley paused and watched her, as if he expected her to confess that she was the one breaking into houses and stealing things.

  “Inspector Kelley, I know nothing about my father’s work,” she said. “I am sorry that you were wrong about him being the one breaking into all those homes.”

  “We were not wrong,” Kelley said. “He had a partner. That partner laid low for a while and has started back up.”

  “If that is true, perhaps the partner killed my father,” she said. “Of course, you didn’t look very hard, did you?”

  “He, or she, might be your father’s killer,” Kelley said. “That means if you know anything you should help us find this person.”

  “I have no information that could help you,” Carin said.

  “I hope you’re not keeping things from me,” Kelley said.

  “Not in my house you don’t,” Mrs. Fisk said. She set her teacup and saucer down so hard Carin worried it would break. “Mrs. Piper is a wonderful woman. How dare you accuse her of these horrible things?”

  “I’m not accusing her of anything,” Kelley said. “I am simply seeking information.”

  “Which I don’t have,” Carin said. “I am sorry to disappoint you, Inspector.”

  He finished his tea and stood, grabbing his hat from the floor where he’d placed it when he came in. “I’m sure I’ll be in touch again.”

  “Not if you’re making accusations you won’t,” Mrs. Fisk said. She stood, and for a moment Carin thought she would scream at him to leave her house. Instead, she narrowed her eyes at him, her anger evident.

  “Good day, ladies.” He put his bowler back on. Carin couldn’t help but think it was very out of fashion, but she didn’t point it out. She wanted him to leave, as quickly as possible.

  “Mrs. Piper, if you think of anything that might help us in discovering your father’s partner I would appreciate it if you let us know.”

  “Don’t anticipate me coming to see you anytime soon, Inspector,” Carin said.

  He left and Carin stared at her teacup. “I am so sorry, Mrs. Fisk.”

  “We can’t help who we are related to, Mrs. Piper,” the landlady said. “I’ve got some nice boiled beef and potatoes, and I would love it if you would join me for supper.”

  “Thank you,” Carin said. “I appreciate it very much.”

  And then, Carin thought, after you’ve had your two glasses of sherry and fallen asleep for the night, I will sneak out and go over to Lord Ellington’s house. He should be at the Duke of Roth’s crush tonight, and she would be able to sneak in, retrieve her key and get out before she was discovered.

  She would go before ten, and hopefully, he would not be home early tonight.

  “You seem tense about something,” Mrs. Fisk said. “Is there anything you want to talk about?”

  “No,” Carin said. There was, but she didn’t want her landlady to know she was sneaking out at night and breaking into people’s homes.

  “I’m very sorry you’re having to go through this,” Mrs. Fisk said as they set the table for their meal.

  “Growing up with my father things were not easy,” Carin said. “I’ve faced the authorities many times. It makes me angry that they have done nothing to find justice for my father. No matter what a person does in their life, they do not deserve to be murdered and not have justice for their souls.”

  Tears stung her eyes as she spoke. Justice. That’s what she was doing, trying to find justice for her father. But in doing so she was breaking the law. True, she wasn’t taking anything out of the houses she searched. But not for the first time, she asked herself what she would do if she found evidence that one of the four men was the one who had hired her father to steal from his friends.

  She couldn’t really tell the authorities. They would ask how she’d found the evidence. Now that someone was breaking into houses again, when she told them the truth they would accuse her of taking whatever items had been stolen. She wasn’t a thief. True, she wasn’t going about this in the best way, but she wasn’t a thief. She repeated those words to herself over and over. It wasn’t hard to believe because it was the truth. But still, she wondered if she should not do anything anymore. Maybe she should try to push her case on Inspector Kelley again.

  She crossed to the window and looked out. There was a man standing across the street; actually he was not standing, it was more like he was hiding in the bushes. But obviously he wasn’t doing a very good job of it since she’d seen him. Had Kelley sent him there to watch her movements? If so, that would make things harder for her tonight.

  There was only one way out of here, but there was someplace where she could sneak away without him seeing her.

  They ate, and sat and talked while Mrs. Fisk had her two glasses of sherry. When she was asleep, Carin hurried upstairs and stuffed the clothing she used for her illegal nocturnal activities into a sack. Then she grabbed her cloak and headed for the front door. She went out, making sure to secure it as she left.

  It was already dark, and she hurried along in the dark. She listened for footsteps behind her, and after a few moments they fell into place. When she was under a lamp she looked back. She couldn’t tell if it was the man from behind the bushes, but someone was definitely keeping pace with her.

  She was headed to the dress shop. There she would light a lamp and pretend to work. She didn’t like the idea of leaving the fire burning while she was gone, so at some point she would change her clothes, blow it out and leave through the back door. The building emptied into a dank alley where waste was deposited from their and other shops.

  She would make sure she was not followed, and then she would go to Lord Ellington’s house. It was, to her way of thinking, a perfect plan.

  Nothing could go wrong as far as she was concerned. Nothing.

  Chapter 3

  She hated doing something she hadn’t prepared for. Even though she’d been in Ellington’s house before, the disaster from the previous outing weighed heavily on her mind. He should be going to the Roth party tonight, but what if he’d changed his mind? What if he were in there, waiting for her? That was not very probable, but after visiting with Kelley today she was on edge.

  Kelley was suspicious of her. A thought formed in her mind and made her step farther into the shadows. What if he had more than one man following her? What if the other one was watching her, while she watched Ellington’s house?

  She thought of going home, of forgetting the whole thing. But then she remembered seeing her father laid out in the city morgue, and then buried in a communal grave because she didn’t have the money to bury him properly.

  Men like Ellington caused that. And the keys were the way to find the man who’d hired him. She was sure of that. And she’d be damned if she let Kelley stop her now. She’d gone too far for that.

  She waited and waited, and thought that maybe she should sneak in the back way, go for the bedroom and find the key.

  Just as she’d worked up the courage to do just that, the front door of the house opened and Ellington stepped out, dressed in his best for a party. His carriage pulled up and he got inside. When it was gone she moved to the side path, which was so close to the other house she always worried someone would see her.

  Once she was inside, other worries took hold. She stopped and waited. There was not a sound. Usually when she was in a house, Carin could hear something, a servant moving around, the bong of a clock.

  Ellington’s house was eerily silent, and she fought back t
he urge to flee. She needed that key.

  “Deep breath, deep breath,” she said. “Don’t even search tonight. Just get the key and leave.”

  She hurried up the back steps and stopped at the top. It seemed so odd that things were so very quiet. And then, as if an answer to an unspoken prayer, there was a loud knock, and the sound of a giggle.

  “You’re so clumsy,” a female voice said. Seconds later two maids walked by, one of them carrying a tray. “We’ll need to clean up the mess before Mr. Ellington comes home.”

  When they went by her she slipped down the hallway to his bedroom. She opened the door and hurried inside, shutting it quickly and quietly. Then she rushed to the bed and dropped down, remembering at the last minute that her head was at the bottom of the bed when she’d been here last night. She scooted down and put out her hand, patting the floor to see if she could find the key.

  “Looking for something?” Ellington’s voice, for it could be no other, stopped her cold. She didn’t lift up and try to run, because surely he was blocking the only exit.

  “Stand up, you little blackheart,” Ellington said.

  Still, she didn’t move.

  “I said, stand up!”

  “Sir, shall I send for the inspector who was here today?” A woman’s voice said, her anxiety obvious.

  “No, Mrs. Walker. I will handle this.”

  “Are you certain?”

  “I am certain. Please go.”

  Carin tried to think of a way out of the situation. She thought of the bed before her, and the man standing near the exit. There was one other way out of this room. She’d used it before, but that was when he’d been asleep in the chair.

  He definitely wasn’t asleep now. The solution she had might do nothing more than prolong the obvious, but she was willing to give it a chance.

  She rolled under the bed, making it to the center. She would be able to tell from the sound of his walking which way he was going, and she would roll the other way and bolt for the door.