“If someone paid a higher price, I’m fairly sure any one of them would sell us out. Just be on your guard.”
They entered the narrow lane and found the two men halfway down it. They’d stopped and were facing the Deville brothers.
“What do you want with us, Nix?” Gabe said, stopping a few feet away. Michael moved to his side.
“We’ve news, and it needs saying now.”
Gabe nodded for him to continue.
“He’s been approached.” Nix, a small weasel of a man, nodded to the man with him. He’d been one of the Deville brothers’ informants for five years.
“About what?”
The man was taller; in fact, next to Nix he looked a giant. Gabe couldn’t see much of his face, as his hat was pulled forward and it was dark in the lane.
“Tell them.” Nix nudged the man.
“I was called to a meeting with others.”
“Who was at the meeting?” Gabe asked.
“Most were loyal to France.”
“And yet live in England?”
“They cannot go back.”
“As they have committed crimes that stop their return?”
The man nodded.
“Why have you approached us with this information?”
Nix gave what Gabe guessed passed as a smile.
“You’ll match what was offered and more, or you don’t get the rest of the information.”
“Such loyalty, Nix. I’m touched,” Gabe said.
“I have six children, my lord.”
“Say no more.” Gabe pulled out money. “How much?”
A sum was named, and he handed it over, then Nix nodded for his companion to speak.
“Someone is to be killed, and it will be done a certain way.”
“Stiletto, presumably? Handkerchief over the face, body on its back, arms folded?” Gabe asked.
The man nodded.
“And I am that man?”
The man nodded again.
“Clearly he is too busy to kill me himself.”
“There’s more,” Nix said.
