“You should have known better.” She winked.
He chuckled, then abruptly cut it off as his eyes narrowed on her. “There’s a scuff on your cheek. What have you been up to, Daughter?”
More like once a sergeant, always a sergeant. Leave it to him to notice yesterday’s injury despite her liberal application of stage makeup. Her lips twisted into a smirk. “I had a bit of a chase, that’s all. Nothing too dramatic, really. It’s only a scrape and well worth it.” She drained the rest of his tea. “Mr. Baggett and I hauled in one of the fleet-foots after Mr. Coleman. Hopefully Jackson is even now getting him to squeal on who hired him. It could be the breakthrough I need, leastwise I hope it is. I’m on my way to the station to find out.”
“And what about this one?” He squeezed one of Bella’s chubby legs, prompting another scream-laugh from her. “You cannot seriously be thinking of bringing her down there.”
“I’m not.” She waggled her eyebrows.
“Oh, no you don’t. I love Bella, but I am currently tied up working my own dead end. Featherstone wasn’t much help.” He stabbed a finger towards a file on the tabletop.
Kit glanced at the wall where a few leftover strings dangled, the only remains of his earlier crime diagram. “What happened? You seemed to be making such progress.”
“I was—” He gently batted away Bella’s fingers that were busily exploring his ear. “Until I wasn’t.”
“That is rough.” Another yawn overtook her, and though she probably didn’t appear very sympathetic, she had no choice but to clap her hand to her mouth and ride it out. “Truly, Father, I would help you were I not hip deep into my side of the investigation.”
“Mmm,” he rumbled. “Perhaps we should work more closely together on all sides of this case. Either we are a team”—he peered down his nose—“or we are not.”
“You’re right…which is exactly why you should watch Bella for me while I nip on down to the station. Thanks, Father. You’re a dear.” Rising to her toes, she pecked him on the cheek, gave Bella a squeeze to her leg, and took off.
“Hold it right there, young lady.”
The words were steel, leaving no quarter for refusal. Curving her lips to an innocent smile, she turned back. “Yes?”
“I am no nanny.” Her father slid Bella off his shoulders and held her out—which she thought a great game with her kicking legs and ba-ba-ba giggle.
“No, but you are her grandpapa, and—”Drat these yawns!She covered yet another. “I should think you’d be glad of some time with your granddaughter.”
Her father’s bushy brows gathered into a thundercloud as he studied her. “You’re weary.”
Wasn’t every mother with a babe? Then again, not every mother was also scamping about town trying to unearth a missing man. “Bella didn’t sleep well last night, did you, darling?” She stepped near enough to run her finger along her girl’s cheek yet did not take her into her arms. “Every time I tried to put you down, you turned into a red-faced badger, aye little one?”
Bella laughed.
Her father shifted his hold on her, cradling her in one big arm. “Can you blame her?”
Kit angled her head. “What do you mean?”
“She’s parted from you all day. A babe needs its mother.”
“Don’t be silly. She’s got Martha. Well, except for today. Martha’s got her own boy to tend.”
Bella made a grab for his beard, and he captured her fingers in his big hand. “Martha is not a replacement for you, Daughter.”
Oh boy. Here came the being-a-housewife-is-a-virtue lecture. And yet…Well. Not only was she lacking at home but she was failing to solve her first case as well, leaving her virtuous at exactly nothing. She rolled her shoulders, vainly trying to work out some of the strain. “You think I should trade my detective hat for a white-sashed apron and stay home?”
“Would you listen to me?” He chuckled. “But since you asked, what I think is that you should do some soul-searching. There is no shame in trying something new, and then when finding out it doesn’t work, admitting it.”
That struck a chord, one that vibrated all the way through her. She bit her lip, pondering it for a moment. Maybe it was time to see if there was another way she could put her skills to use, one that didn’t involve being away from Bella so much. “Perhaps you are right. But first I’ve got to check on a criminal who by now has hopefully ratted on the one who hired him. Please, Father.” She laid a hand on his free arm. “Will you care for Bella just until I return? You’ll be a good girl, won’t you, sweetums?” Bending close, she rubbed her face into Bella’s tummy then pulled back. “It shouldn’t take me long. And you said yourself I ought not bring her to the station.”
“Stabbing me in the back with my own words, eh?” He frowned.
“That’s a harsh way of putting it, but…” She grinned. “Is it working?”
“Fine,” he huffed. “Hie yourself out of here but make every haste to return.”
“Of course, Father. It’s just a quick pop in to ask Jackson the results of his interrogation, and I’ll be back in a trice.”
