Cordell jumped out of the hackney before it had even come to a complete stop. He raced over the bridge toward the gardens, shoving people out of his way in his haste to get to Aislynn. He worried that he was already too late, that he would arrive to find a criminal scene and her prone figure lying motionless in the middle of the green lawn.
However, it didn’t take long for him to realize the breath leaving his chest in heavy pants was currently in vain. Having been to Vauxhall on several other occasions, he did not notice anything out of the ordinary. Performers were entertaining the guests and the wealthy moved about among the commoners. He spied several smooth pickpockets at work and realized that he might be getting a few messages tomorrow when the gentry discovered some priceless, family heirloom was missing. But until this murder investigation came to an end, that was all he intended to focus all of his interests on. He would not rest until Aislynn was safe.
He thought about how she had sent him away earlier that day and how he felt something had changed. When he’d left her before the play, she had been all smiles. Afterward, it was obvious that something weighed heavily on her mind. He had no doubt that if he were to return home right now there would be a letter waiting from Mary. He prayed that Aislynn wasn’t foolish enough to make her way to the Gardens without proper protection but he had to assume she was alone. Or with someone who intended to cause her harm.
It was that constant threat he’d been feeling ever since he’d taken his leave of The Wolf that made Cordell scan the faces around him. He didn’t think he would be lucky enough to see Aislynn but he did feel that his gut would send him moving in the direction he needed to go. It was one of his most notable traits and what had assisted him through many previous investigations. He had the instinct within him that others lacked. Reynolds had grudgingly complimented him on his foresight more than once.
He made his way beyond the supper boxes where wine was flowing freely and past the other elaborate structures set up for various entertainments. He skirted around performers trying to earn a reasonable coin for their efforts. But still, he could not see anything that might cause concern. He turned his head for another scan around the area, and in that moment, he happened to see the profile of a man who looked familiar. Cordell narrowed his gaze and immediately gave chase. While he did not know how often Viscount Alton frequented the Gardens, he decided it would not be amiss to involve another ally if The Wolf’s sources were correct and the villain was present this night. It could be that Aislynn’s life was in extreme danger.
The viscount was about to head down one of the Dark Walks in the heart of the Gardens. They were dimly lit by lanterns and offered a bit more privacy to those who didn’t want to be disturbed. Cordell passed one such couple in a torrid embrace. The woman was wearing fashionable clothes while the gentleman wore simple attire like Cordell had donned that night. But whereas Cordell had hidden his true identity for a purpose, it did not appear that these two lovers cared for convention, as wrapped up as they were in each other’s embrace.
A few other guests were mingling about but Cordell kept his focus on the broad shoulders of the viscount. He reached out and grasped his arm, causing Lord Alton to spin around with a dark glance, prepared to defend himself. When he recognized Cordell, he released the breath he must have been holding. “Steele. Thank God.” He put a hand over his heart and then added, “I have lost sight of Miss Sims. Have you happened to see her?”
Every nerve ending in Cordell came to attention. “Why are you following her?” he demanded.
The viscount immediately put his hands in supplication. “It is not what you think. She asked that I pay a call at Spade’s this afternoon with a request that I join her this evening. I thought she was reaching out about the letter I have been inspecting.”
Some of Cordell’s suspicions relaxed slightly. “Why would she reach out to you, I wonder?”
“She claimed that she did want to put you in any further trouble, that you had enough to worry about without adding her list of grievances. Apparently, her mother approached her at the theatre and claimed she had information about the killer that Aislynn would want to know. She was attempting to extort fifty pounds as a generous donation.”
With a curse, Cordell asked harshly, “Why did you not tell me?”
“She promised me not to and I am a man of my word,” the viscount clenched his jaw. “But I did not leave without mentioning something to Mary. I am sure she wrote to you as soon as I left but if you did not receive it, then that must mean you have not been home to receive the notification.”
“No, I have not,” Cordell admitted harshly. “I had business with The Wolf.”
“The Wolf?” his companion snorted. “You do not keep very good company, Steele.”
“It is not as though I showed up for tea,” Cordell snapped in returned. “He had information that I needed. He claimed that word on the streets is that murderer would be here this evening so I came here with the hope that Aislynn would not be attending, but I can see my fears were not unwarranted.”
“You should know she is a strong woman,” the viscount murmured. “She is not like the rest of society. She chooses not to rely on a man’s protection when she feels she can take care of herself.”
I am no damsel in distress… Her words came back to haunt Cordell, and while he did not doubt she believed that was true, there were times when it was not wrong to ask for assistance when you are up against insurmountable odds. The man who was targeting her fellow actresses did not have any other objective in mind other than murder. While Cordell had not yet discerned the purpose behind the killings, they were done methodically and with careful consideration. They were not random, nor were they committed by a sane individual. Thus far, the Earl of Parkson and Lord Wrexville were his prime suspects, but they were almost too obvious to be guilty. Besides, he wasn’t certain they would be able to stomach the sight of a body once the life was snuffed out of it.
Cordell was about to ask where the viscount had last seen Aislynn, but suddenly a definitive pop! split the temporary silence. “That was not part of the display,” the viscount muttered.
“No, it was not,” Cordell concurred. Together they two of them rushed in the direction of the discharged weapon.
She hadn’t wanted to use the only shot she had but Aislynn had no other option. She did not like the scenario she had been thrust into, nor did she care for the man who appeared from the bushes along the Dark Walks and intercepted her and Imogen. When she had withdrawn the weapon and pointed it in his direction and he did not seem fazed by it, she knew that she had to act. She might very well be facing down the man who wanted her dead.
The smoke was still escaping the barrel as the man clenched his thigh in obvious pain. “Aislynn! What on earth—!” Imogen sputtered in obvious outrage.
She turned the derringer on her, and although the bullet had already been spent, the older woman’s face paled considerably. “It is time to end these games and tell me what I came here to learn.”
“How dare you threaten me!” Imogen wailed. “I spent hours on the birthing bed and gave you the talent that you now showcase on that blasted stage! If it were not for me, you would have nothing! And this is how you would repay that generosity? All I wanted was some coin to make it through the winter! You have plenty of it, and I think it rather selfish of you not to share with your own flesh and blood!”
The almost maniacal way that her mother spoke made Aislynn wonder if she wasn’t the true murderer. She certainly looked the part at the moment, her eyes wild and crazed as she moved to help the injured stranger rather than assure her daughter that this had been nothing more than another empty attempt to gain monetary funds. But as Aislynn saw the woman fawn over the man, likely her latest paramour, the truth became clear. She took a step back, stunned. “You lied to me. Again. I cannot believe I was so naïve to trust you might have actually been in earnest and could care about someone’s welfare other than your own.” She waved a dismissive hand. “Or your latest lover.” She shook her head. “Goodbye, Mother. I hope you understand that should you wish to gain an audience with me after this, the door shall be barred to you.”
“Ungrateful brat! Worthless hussy!” The insults peppered Aislynn as she turned away from the bloody scene and began to stalk back toward the brighter lights of the Gardens. She should have known that this had been a foolish endeavor to begin with, but she could not take the chance that it was all a lie. It was time for this nightmare to end, but unfortunately, it was not to be so soon.
Caught up in her own distress, Aislynn did not notice the shadow that separated itself from the rest. One moment she was stalking down the path and the next, she was pressed up against the coarse hedge, a strong hand pressed over her mouth and a dark, concealing cloak surrounding her captor.
“Miss Sims. It is about time we were formally introduced.”
The soft, harsh way he spoke sent chills traveling up her spine. She did not have to speak to know that this was the one who had killed four women and was now pursuing her.
His face was close to hers, but a concealing mask covered his identity, all except for the piercing blue eyes that shone through. They seemed to strip her bare of everything, straight to her very soul. Terror that she had never known before shot through every limb and she started to tremble. A wicked knife appeared, glinting in the soft lantern light. “I shall savor my time with you, fileting your gullet until my knife glows red with your blood.” He ran his tongue along the silver blade. “I can already taste you.”
