I headed home, my mind reeling over the possibilities. “What if Justin’s son wasn’t that unusual? What if there were others hidden? With the number of home births, it would be easy enough to hide away a child that might be less than normal. I had never seen someone with gears other than Buster, but if his theory was correct, there could be dozens hidden from the public eye. Did that mean they had their own ways of getting around the city, or did they just hide when amongst the public? A metallic hand would be easy to cover with a pair of gloves. Most parts of a body could be disguised without a problem and people would never suspect otherwise. I certainly wouldn’t have before Buster.
I needed to talk to Justin about this. Returning home, I found the man of my thoughts lounging against my front door. At my raised eyebrow, he shuffled his feet. “You said I could sleep here if I wanted.”
“So I did.” I tried to temper my excitement. I hadn’t thought he would take me up on my offer. If I lived in a mansion, I wouldn’t trade it for a shabby, tilted purple house.
“If you changed your mind…”
“No, I wanted to talk to you anyway. Did you know the magistrate is trying to bury your son’s kidnapping? He told me if I didn’t get you to drop it, he would impound my business.” I unlocked the door and motioned him inside.
“What? He can’t do that!”
I spared him a pitying look. “You don’t understand what it’s like for the rest of us even when I explain it to you. He can do whatever he wants. No one ever steps forward to stop him.”
“I can’t believe we’ve been so wrong about him. The other Lock Lords are too new to corral them to vote against the magistrate. I can’t remove him from power by myself.”
“Why not? I thought the Lock Lords had all the power.”
Justin shook his head. “It has to be a unanimous vote when it comes to someone at the magistrate’s level. It’s to keep us from firing the appointments of the other lords for petty reasons.”
“That explains how he’s gotten away with things for so long. He probably bribes one of the lords to refuse to fire him.” It wasn’t as if they were above reproach.
“More than likely.” Justin ruffled his hair as he paced in jerky motions. I hid my smile at his rumpled appearance. It was a rare look on him. Dukes didn’t do rumpled in public. They did it very well in private though. “I will have to persuade the others to let me fire him. If he won’t try to find a kidnapped baby, what other crimes would he allow?”
“A lot. I think Oss has a list.” I was positive Oss had a list. He’d been compiling one since our youth. I wanted to be there when Justin got a glimpse of its length.
Justin sighed. “I’ll get it from him when we next speak.”
“It’s not all bad news. I might have a lead on other mechanicals. I’ll get a pot of tea ready.” As we took off our coats and headed to the kitchen. I told Justin of my encounter.
“She could’ve lost her hand in an accident and had it replaced.”
I closed my eyes. “I hadn’t considered that. I just assumed it was natural because of Buster’s experiences.”
“We have to think about this. If she had her hand replaced, who in the city could create a functional mechanical hand?” Justin mused, rubbing his chin as he thought. “You would be the most logical choice, and since no one approached you, we have to assume it is real.”
“I think you are overvaluing my abilities,” I countered. “There could be others out there I am unaware of. Like you said, people hide their magic. Or at least they used to.”
“I doubt it.” Justin’s confident smile twisted me up inside. “Your skill is unparalleled.”
I ducked my head to avoid the proud expression in Justin’s eyes. I had never had a single person express their confidence in me before. Oss wasn’t the best source for moral support. He kept me physically whole, not emotionally fit.
I huffed out a sigh and rolled my eyes. Deflection is my friend.
“Fine. Let us assume her condition is natural. The question is, where would she run to? Do you think she’ll go back to that restaurant, or is it some place she’ll avoid from now on?” I had so many questions I wanted to ask. About her life, about her experiences, about the people around her. My scientific brain spun with the implications of an entire hidden culture. Who was looking out for these people?
“Good questions. We will eventually get our answers.” Justin scratched his chin, highlighting his ridiculously sharp jawline. “If we both put out the word that we’re looking for her and offer an incentive, someone will step forward with information.”
“You think so? We didn’t get any results when we did the same thing for Buster, and he was easier to spot. Besides she hasn’t escaped notice for this long by accident.” I hated taking away Justin’s hope, but he had to be realistic. I held up my hand to stall any protest. “We will do our best. I’m not saying we won’t put the word out. I just want you to be clearheaded about our chances.”
Justin jerked a nod, his jaws tight and eyes shiny. I set down my tea, walked over, and wrapped my arms around him in a rare hug. I didn’t often offer physical contact outside the bedroom. After a childhood of abuse, I had a slight touch aversion. I suspect Justin had similar issues for very different reasons.
“Maybe her employer will be more forthcoming if I talk to him.”
I choked on my laugher. “I doubt it. He wasn’t the friendliest fellow, but you can do your best. I suspect she isn’t a legally registered employee.”
“If the owner won’t speak, a bribe to a fellow employee could be just as efficient.”
“True.” I moved to step back only to have Justin grip me tighter.
