Page 48 of The Swan Detective (The Swan Syndicate #2)
Beckworth gripped Stella’s hand as they ran down the dark, foggy street.
He stopped before he reached the warehouse and tugged the hood of her cloak over her head where it had begun to slip down.
She’d dressed in one of her East End day dresses, and no one would suspect her to be Lady Swan as long as she kept her hair and face hidden.
He glanced around and noted the old man who stepped out from an alcove, nodded to him, and stepped back. All was clear. He opened the door and pushed Stella inside, closing the door behind them. Two lanterns glowed bright enough to reveal the staircase to the upper level.
“This is spooky.” Stella refused to let go of his hand as he climbed the stairs. “Is this an abandoned warehouse?”
“Just unused for now.” He led her to the dark office, but as he entered, the sound of pistols being cocked stopped him. He pulled her behind him, though he didn’t stop her from poking her head around his shoulder.
“Welcome, Lady Swan.” Jamie bowed his head and put the flintlock away.
Lando simply grinned before shoving his into a leg holster and turning back to the window.
“That was rather theatrical.” Beckworth released Stella’s hand, and she tugged her hood down.
“I would have checked when the door opened, but we have a lot of activity this evening.” Jamie waved Stella over. “Come see.”
Beckworth stepped next to Stella and scanned the street. He wasn’t too surprised by the number of people, even at this hour. “I’ve noticed two new ships since yesterday.”
“Aye.” Jamie brushed off the desk that had been dragged closer to the window to give the watchers a place to sit. Or at least, lean against. “I’ve had a few men keep an eye on their crews, but they don’t seem interested in the Nighthawk .”
“So, no new smugglers.” Beckworth was relieved. After juggling Cheval and McDuff, one smuggler at a time was enough while in London.
“I didn’t say they weren’t smugglers. I expect one of them is, but they’ve made no contact with anyone on the Nighthawk . We’ll keep track of those who meet with Leclair. If anyone goes back to this new ship, we can take a deeper look.”
“Fair enough. Any activity at the clubhouse?"
Stella leaned against the desk, her gaze never leaving the street below, but after a few minutes, she straightened. Beckworth shifted his gaze from her in time to see two men exit the clubhouse. The men scanned the street, then pulled their hats low as they hurried away.
“That’s the third group of two that have left in the last fifteen minutes,” Lando said.
“A meeting that ended?” Beckworth asked.
“Most likely.” Jamie put away his spyglass. “It’s difficult with the limited lighting, but I haven’t seen Leclair leave.”
“Did you see him enter?”
Lando nodded with a grunt. “He had two big men with him. Most likely bodyguards.”
“Any sign of André?”
Lando and Jamie shook their heads.
“Are we expecting André?” Stella asked.
“Not really,” Beckworth answered. “Didn’t Fitz say André has spent most of his time talking with the man pouring the drinks?”
“Aye.” Jaime peered through the spyglass before setting it down. “We’ve seen him speaking with the men at the back table. He’s been able to confirm they control who’s invited to the clubhouse, so he’s getting closer.”
“Hey, isn’t that him?” Stella asked, pointing to two men coming out of an alley.
“It looks like André.” Jamie pulled up the spyglass. “I don’t recognize the man with him.”
“This seems too easy.” Beckworth had hoped for a quick result, expecting it to take at least a week for him to earn more attention, not a couple of days.
“Maybe they need the men,” Lando suggested.
“André mentioned a couple of men his father worked with who had access to firearms. He didn’t know if they were smugglers, but he thought it might be helpful if anyone asked him.”
“And there’s Fitz.” Jamie moved the spyglass from one point to another. “He’s staying just inside the alley.”
They waited another thirty minutes, but other than a handful of more men leaving, no one else entered.
“I never asked…” Beckworth put an arm around Stella, who leaned against his shoulder but never took her eyes off the street. “We did confirm there’s no back door, right?”
“Not one that’s obvious.” Lando pulled an apple from his pocket and used his dagger to slice off a piece. “There could be a tunnel that exits at some other point.”
Beckworth rubbed his chin. “I know of a couple, but not on this street. I’ll check with Chester.”
“Here we go.” When Jamie uttered the words, everyone stood and gathered closer to the window.
Two men exited, one of them André, and a few words were exchanged.
André ended the conversation with a nod.
He glanced around, not once looking up, stuck his hands in his pockets, and shuffled away, passing the alley and continuing down the street that would take him back to the docks.
The other man watched him for a solid minute, then, as André had done, scanned the rest of the street before disappearing back inside.
“That’s it for the night.” Jamie turned his back on the window and followed Lando out of the office.
Beckworth took Stella’s hand, guiding her back to the staircase.
“We’re not going to wait for the captain?” Stella asked.
“No need. André will tell us what he’s discovered, and we’ll determine our next steps from that.”
“What about the thief? Have you been keeping an eye on him?” Stella would want to know. She might be willing to continue her role as Lady Swan, but her reason for being here was to retrieve the stolen jewelry.
“We didn’t get a good look at the two men you followed to the clubhouse, other than a general size and shape.” Jamie gave Beckworth a glance, but he shook his head.
“I didn’t see enough of either man’s face.”
Lando doused the lanterns as the group hovered by the door.
“I noticed that one of the men who followed the women that night came from the Nighthawk . The question is whether they were originally watching the thief, or did they just happen to come across the women and decide to follow for some other reason.”
“Let’s see if the thief keeps regular rounds at the pub.
” Beckworth considered the players. The man they wanted Lady Swan to get close to was Leclair.
If André found a way into the clubhouse, he might be able to tell them who the other men in charge were and what Leclair was doing in London.
They had assumed the group was raising money or possibly picking up a shipment, but they had no evidence of either.
The thief had entered the clubhouse, leaving one to believe he had some connection to Leclair or their business.
He didn’t like it, but he only knew of two people and a couple of street urchins who could identify the thief.
He gave Stella a glance, though it was impossible to see her features in the darkness.
“Let’s see if we can put the thief in play.”
T he following evening, Stella picked at her sleeve and tugged at the breastline of her dress as Libby added finishing touches to her hair. When Stella continued to fidget, Libby tapped her hand with the brush before pulling thin tendrils of curls from her updo.
“Stop that. Why are you so nervous? You’ve walked into dangerous situations before, and Beckworth has plenty of men in place to make sure you’re safe. It’s not like you’re in a port where you don’t know all the players. Even Chester has men on the streets.”
Stella touched the side of her head where the thief had almost knocked her senseless. “None of that will help me much if the thief decides to throw a punch in the middle of the pub.”
Libby winked at her. “He might get one in, but a pub full of drunken sailors won’t let that pass, especially with how nicely you’re dressed.”
Stella grinned. “Do you think the dress is too much?” Beckworth had selected the emerald-green day dress that showed off her auburn hair and green eyes.
It was one of her best day dresses, and he’d insisted it reflected a prosperous smuggler.
If something similar had impressed McDuff, it should make the thief take notice.
“No, I don’t. And I would never bet against Beckworth’s suggestion when it comes to fashion.”
She snorted. “You’re right about that.” She released a sigh. “Then I guess it’s best we get this over with.” She stood and picked up a shawl.
“Do you have your dagger?”
Stella patted her pockets. “Yes.” She was grateful that Beckworth had insisted upon an afternoon training session to brush up on her close-contact fighting. She grinned, remembering how the three-hour session had turned into more intimate pursuits.
“What about your pistol?”
“Beckworth said to leave it. My bodyguards would be expected to carry the pistols, and my dagger shouldn’t be surprising, considering my role.”
Libby shrugged. “I suppose that makes sense.” She gave Stella a long perusal. “Do you have your swans?”
Stella snapped her fingers. “I can’t believe I forgot them.” She rushed over to a side table and pulled open a drawer. Dozens of paper swans had been stuffed inside. She pulled out several and shoved them in both pockets of her dress.
On her way to the door, she squeezed Libby’s arm. “What would I do without you?”
“Your life would certainly be more dull.”
They laughed their way down the hallway, and though Beckworth would have no idea what they were giggling about, he grinned at them just the same.
Libby gave Beckworth a fierce stare. “You better bring her back the same way I’m leaving her with you.”
Beckworth’s grin drained away, and his tone turned serious. “I promise.”
Libby nodded and picked a piece of lint off Stella’s shawl before turning back toward the bedroom to finish her nightly duties.