I wanted to argue further, except the shorter man with the rounded belly began to walk in our direction. His accomplice, a tall, thin man, followed in his wake.
“Fine, but don’t say anything.” I squared my shoulders and waited for his approach. Today had been fraught with drama, and I had a horrible suspicion it was about to get much worse. “Let me do all the talking.”
“Miss Namath?” the thin man asked, glancing from me to Eloise. My sister seemed to shrink at the scrutiny, and I wanted to shield her from further upset. It was my fault we were in this situation, and up to me to extricate us.
My feet leaden, I could answer in the affirmative or simply pretend I wasn’t who they thought I was. Putting off the inevitable wasn’t a wise course. “May I ask who is inquiring?”
“My name is Inspector Jinx, and this is my associate, Diggory.” The lanky constable was older, with sallow skin andcold brown eyes. I instantly disliked him and feared him in the same breath.
“May I ask what this is in regard to?” The jitteriness in my hands wouldn’t stop, and my knees shook. I stood my ground, chin up when I wanted to melt into a puddle.
His gaze flickered to Eloise before he turned his attention back to me. “Should we go inside and talk?”
“You will understand if I say no. I don’t truly know who you are. Therefore, I would rather have our discussion out here.” At least I’d have the opportunity to scream if they weren’t legitimate officers. Brown’s threat rattled me and I sensed that this call had something to do with that.
“Then you might wish to dismiss your servant. What I have to ask doesn’t concern her,” Diggory said, staring down his rather wide nose at me. Redness spreading across the bridge hinted at a fondness for spirits.
He thought Eloise was a servant and not my sister. I wanted to look at her but I kept my gaze locked with his. His ignorance would prove beneficial in shielding her from trouble. “She can stay.”
Hands on his hips, Diggory exhaled a long breath and nodded. “Fine. We are here to ask about your father, Baron Namath. It would seem nobody has seen him for a while.”
A soft gasp sounded from Eloise, echoing my own internal reaction. It required all my willpower not to react in a similar fashion. I had to keep a cool head and not let my upset lead me astray. I fought the bile rising in my throat and forced a smile. “That is because my father is taking the waters in Greece.”
“Can you provide proof that he is in Greece?” Jinx rocked back on his heels, jutting out his jaw in a bullish fashion.
“I have postcards from him postmarked from Greece.” I was glad to have saved the ones my father had sent us when he and my stepmother had been in Greece on holiday.
“Can I see them?” he asked.
If I said yes, he’d have an excuse to enter my flat.
“I will fetch them for you Miss,” Eloise said, moving past me. She kept her head down, a stray strand of hair blowing in the winter breeze.
I flashed her a grateful smile. “They are in the small wooden box on my vanity.
“Yes, Miss Namath.” she bobbed a curtsy and rushed inside.
I sent up a prayer of thanks that my sister had smarts. “Which station are you from? I don’t recall hearing your names. You see, I have a good friend in the Met. His name is Inspector Ashton. Have you heard of him?”
Brow furrowed, Jinx shook his head. “We are Mayfair. That’s where the disappearance happened.”
“As he hasn’t disappeared, that isn’t accurate.” If Brown hadn’t threatened me, I would be perplexed by their interest. His cryptic parting words made me suspicious and with good reason. What his end game was still haunted me. My romps with Ash and Moran were pleasant and despite my fallout with Moran, I still desired him. Brown was repulsive in many ways, most especially in his insistence that I allow him to bed me. I shuddered at the very idea.
“We haven’t established that fact yet.” Diggory settled his hands on his hips.
“Don’t you think I would report my father missing if that were indeed the case?” I had to maintain a clear head and sound reasonable when I wanted to give in to the hysteria.
“Why are you living in a boarding house on Milk Street in Cheapside?” he asked.
“Because my father rented out our house to pay for his stay in Greece, hence the reason I found employment.” Like Ash, the man asked tough questions. Luckily, I had rehearsed this scenario a hundred times in my head.
“You want me to believe that he left you and your sisters, booted you from your home, and went to Greece?” Jinx released an unconvincing laugh.
“He isn’t a very good father.” I issued a silent apology to my father. No matter his flaws, he had been a good father. He simply hadn’t been good with money. I had to be convincing and allowed some of my upset with him to come out in my tone. “Forgive me for sounding like an ungrateful daughter.Hishealth needs took precedence overourneeds.”
Eloise exited the front door, her head down. She held out the box of keepsakes I had collected over the years. “For you, Miss Namath.”
“I’ll take that,” Diggory said, snatching it out of her hands. Eloise gasped, a flash of defiance in her gaze before she lowered her head once more. Her years of being subservient to doctors at the hospital had stripped the pride from her and it pained me to see her acting the part so well.
