“None of you are fine or upstanding, and we are going to discuss this further.”
“Do you think my aunt and uncle would allow their nieces and nephews to romp into danger?” Alex added.
“What you did that night outside the Hope and Anchor was not called romping.”
“Bramstone, Ivy, Teddy, Plummy, and Mungo,” the man Mr. Greedy called, interrupting their conversation.
“What is he doing?”
“Organizing,” Ellen said to Gray.
“Fred, Ellen, Bud, Mrs. Varney and Detective Fletcher—”
“Why was my name just called out?” Gray asked the woman at his side.
Ellen wore her coat but no bonnet or gloves. Her smile was genuine, as was the flash of excitement in her eyes.
“Take your places!” Mr. Greedy boomed.
“He has the loudest voice in the street, so it is always him who calls out instructions.”
“For what?”
“You had your chance to run, Detective Fletcher. You didn’t take it, so now you are an honorary member of Crabbett Close,” Ellen said. “Come along.” She took his hand and tugged. Her fingers felt small holding his, and he had the urge to close them inside his hand and never let them go.
Gray was fairly sure he’d follow this woman anywhere in that moment, and wasn’t that a terrifying thought for another day.
The mass of bodies surged toward the gate and through. Looking down the street, he saw they had set lamps on tables outside houses he hadn’t noticed before. The tables held glasses and plates.
“Ah, Ellen.”
“What?” She’d been speaking to a lady beside her who was wearing a turban. It was tall and the color of mustard and almost too bright to look at.
“What’s going on?”
CHAPTERTWENTY-THREE
Ellen had told him to stay where she put him and then left.
Apparently, Gray was the first to start this absurd event, which he had no understanding of. The others had dispersed and wandered off along the road. He wasn’t as yet sure where they’d gone or why.
Gray liked to know where he was going and what he would be doing at all times. His hands tingled at the uncertainty of the experience.
“There are five people in your team. You are number one,” Leo said from beside him. Next to him was Alex. Beside them was Bram and two other men who seemed as large. In fact, all those standing on a line to his right were on the bigger side build wise, even the single woman who wore a fierce expression on her face.
“I would rather be number two,” Gray muttered.
“Why?” Leo asked.
“Because then I’d be number two,” Gray finished lamely.
“Don’t tell me you’re one of those people like Mr. Greedy who favors even numbers,” Leo said.
“Of course he is.” Alex laughed when color filled Gray’s cheeks.
“What? No, I’m not.” Gray just resisted tugging at his necktie.
“You are.” Leo laughed. “Well, well, the contained Detective Fletcher is not quite so contained.”
