Marietta went back to check the drawers in the desk and to search under the bed and under the pillow. She wiped her hands against her skirt. She felt dirty touching anything in the room. “I don’t see anything.”
Gabriel was still staring in the cupboard.
“What is it?” she asked.
He turned to look at her. “Nothing.”
“What should we do?”
His eyes were focused on the open window. He didn’t respond.
“I know you don’t want to involve Dresden, but he will have to acknowledge at the veryleastthat there are other suspects besides Kenny and Mark.”
He continued his silence, not looking at her.
“We need Dresden in order to get Kenny released.”
His eyes met hers. She was surprised to see anger there. Why would he be angry? And the emotion seemed focused on her. What had she done?
“Do you disagree?” she asked tentatively.
He looked back to the window. “We could take all of this with us, though it won’t look good if we are found with the lot.” He sounded as if he were talking to himself.
“Take it with us? Before showing it to Dresden? That seems like it will just point the finger more firmly to my family. Dresden needs to see it here.”
“He will start horning in on our investigation.”
“He thinks we are horning in onhisalready. Gabriel, we need Dresden. You know this better than I.”
He watched her for what felt like the longest minute in her life. He was going to say no. He wasn’t going to bring Dresden here. She could read it in his eyes, in how he held himself.
Despair shot through her. Dresden would hold her or arrest her eventually without Gabriel’s help. Both of her brothers would be tried and found guilty.
His eyes shuttered. “We will bring Dresden here.”
She was too stunned to speak for a second. A crazy torrent of relief spilled through her. Of course they would. It only made sense. Why would she think he would consider not doing so? And yet, she would swear that had been his intention a few seconds past.
“Might make a difference, might not. But he will be forced to at least look at the evidence. Thatthisis the man who most likely committed the crimes.”
“You think Dresden might still think we are lying?”
“Yes.” He fiddled with his cuff. She had a feeling he had no idea he was doing it. “But it may go a small way toward helping your brother.”
Even with this evidence, Dresden might not believe them. She stared blankly inside the cupboard.
He walked over and touched her chin, lifting it. “We will take the chance,” he said grudgingly, as if making a major concession to her instead of just doing what made sense. “Let’s track down the Runner.”
Gabriel paid an exorbitant amount of money to two men with strict instructions not to let anyone inside the room until he returned—at which time he would double their money. Marietta had little doubt they would return to find the room intact. Furthermore, he gave them an incentive that if they saw and held the man who lived there, he would double again the sum.
They hailed a hack out front and set off for Bow Street.
Dresden’s eyebrows shot halfway up his forehead when they walked in. She was surprised when, after he heard their story, he followed them to the boardinghouse with little fanfare. However, after the numerous weighing looks he sent in Gabriel’s direction during the ride, she was less surprised. He was keeping his enemy close.
For all of the Runner’s stubbornness, she was gratified to see the serious expression on his face as he examined the room and cupboard at the boardinghouse. He cataloged everything with his eyes. Expressions ranging from grimness to irritation crossed his features.
“Could have been you two all along, setting this up,” he said gruffly.
“Could have been. Up to you to ask the folks around here and discover the truth,” Gabriel pronounced with an unapproachable look on his face.
