Quicksilver - Amanda Quick [20]
“Will you assist me, Miss Dean?” he asked after a while.
“Someone has murdered two glass-readers in the past two months,” she said. “Yesterday I was lured to the scene of a rather spectacular murder that involved a mirrored room. And then there is that clockwork curiosity that we encountered in the tunnels beneath the Hollister mansion. All in all, there is simply no way to explain any of those events by invoking coincidence. Yes, Mr. Sweetwater, I will assist you in your investigation.”
“I am very pleased to hear that.”
“Before we begin, I trust you will understand when I tell you that I have some concerns for my reputation in this affair.”
Out of nowhere, cold outrage flashed through him. “I assure you, Miss Dean, the men of my family may be hunters, but we consider ourselves gentlemen. I have no intention of harming your good name.”
She blinked in surprise, and then smiled. “Thank you for that assurance, but it is unnecessary. It is not my personal reputation that matters to me. At my advanced age and given the nature of my career, I need no longer worry about that sort of thing.”
“What the devil are you talking about? You are hardly elderly.”
“I am twenty-six, sir. That puts me well and truly on the shelf, as I’m sure you are aware. I will not be looking to contract a respectable marriage. It is my professional reputation among my colleagues that concerns me.”
He frowned. “I don’t see the problem.”
“Really, sir, you are being quite dense. Let me spell it out for you.”
People had called him a great many things, but dense was not among the words that were typically used to describe him.
“Please do,” he said.
“It is imperative that none of my associates conclude that I am assisting you to expose other practitioners. That is the sort of rumor that would ruin me.”
“Of course.” He really had been quite dense, he thought. “I had not considered that aspect of the matter.”
“It must be very clear to one and all that I am allowing you to study and observe my work only because I am convinced I can prove to you that I really do possess some talent.”
“Yes, Miss Dean. That was my plan.”
“If there is any gossip to the effect that I am betraying my colleagues, I will soon lose all of my friends and the connections I require to conduct business in my world.”
“You have made your point, Miss Dean. I will do everything in my power to make certain that your colleagues believe that I am devoting all of my attentions to you and you alone.”
“Excellent.” She sat back in her chair. “In that case, let us discuss your plans. I can advise you whether or not they are viable. I expect you will have to make some modifications. After all, we will be operating in my world, not yours, sir. I am the expert.”
He wondered just when he had lost control of the discussion. If he was not extremely careful, Virginia Dean would take charge of the entire investigation, and that would put her in even more danger than she was in already.
An oddly disturbing shock of awareness whispered through him. He had embarked upon the investigation because his talent had compelled him to accept the case from J & J. There was a monster preying on the paranormal practitioners of London, and he had been called to the hunt. It was what the Sweetwaters did. It was in the blood.
But somewhere along the line the driving force behind his decision to find the killer had altered. Now he hunted to protect Virginia. The only way to do that, it seemed, was to put her at risk by involving her in the investigation. Be careful what you wish for, Sweetwater.
“I have one more question,” Virginia said.
“Only one?”
“What do you intend to do if we are able to identify the killer?”
He set his cup and saucer aside, propped his elbows on the arms of the chair and put his fingertips together. “Caleb Jones informs me that J & J has developed a policy that it applies to situations such as this.”
“What is J & J’s policy?