“Must have gone up the close,” Wil murmured.
“Show me!” Eli directed.
They started down the dark alley before reaching the end when their way was blocked by a horseman coming their way. A big horse, both it and its rider familiar and welcome. Eli almost sagged with relief when the rider dismounted, carrying Amy down with him.
“No luck, Eli. Gone without a trace,” Sir Robert Benson said, setting Amy on her feet.
Eli pulled his brother into an embrace. “Rob! I don’t know what miracle brings you here, but I thank the Almighty for it.”
Amy wrapped her little arms around his legs. “I saw it, Mr. Benson. Bad men put something over Fanny’s head and dragged her down the close. I tried to stop them. I tried,” the little girl sobbed. The bruise blossoming down the side of her tiny face testified to her effort. The injury filled Eli with a mixture of rage and fear.
He knelt to pull her into his arms. “You are very brave. Can you tell me what you saw?”
“What I said. We were walking along, and they jumped out from between the buildings and covered her with an old sack, dragging her.” Amy smiled briefly. “I kicked one.” Her face fell again. “But they knocked me down and got away. I ran home, but you weren’t there. And then the hero came, just like in Fanny’s books. On a horse.”
Eli glanced up at his brother, who shrugged ruefully.
Amy ignored the byplay and went on, “We rode to the rescue like heroes are supposed to, but they were gone and there’s no sign of her.” At that she collapsed in tears.
Eli lifted her into his arms and rose, gazing at his brother. “Nothing?”
“By the time the little one showed me where Fanny disappeared, there was no sign of her or of any upheaval,” Rob said. He peered over Eli’s shoulder. “Are these the neighbors?”
Eli turned to see Wil, Abbot, and several townsfolk staring at the excitement.
Wil never took his eyes from Rob. “He looks like Fanny,” he mumbled. “Is he the earl?”
Eli glanced at Rob and back to Wil. “That he does.” Damned Caulfield hair and eyes. “But no, not the earl. Wil, Amy, Mr. Abbot, may I introduce my brother, Sir Robert Benson, late of His Majesty’s Army, these days posted to security forces in London.”
“Perhaps these good people might have some idea who would do such a thing?” Rob suggested.
Several people spoke at once. Rob asked for order, and Eli described Edwards’s threats. The neighbors recognized the weasel as a well-known criminal running petty gambling operations in various places but most often in the basement of the Happy Cock.
Rob thanked them. “Our most urgent need is to question people on both streets connected by the alley, while the event is fresh,” Rob said. Soon he had Wil and one of his friends canvasing the far street, and Abbot making inquiries down grocery row.
Mrs. Abbot offered to look after Amy.
“I want to ride to the rescue!” the little one protested.
Rob smiled. “Of course you do, but I plan to talk with some boring people. You won’t like that.”
Eli gave her a fierce hug. “We’ll alert you as soon as we know something. And Sir Robert will take you up on his horse when this is over.”
She took the woman’s hand and walked away, glaring at them over her shoulder every few steps.
Rob spoke quietly to Eli once they all dispersed. “What do you know about this man who held the gambling debts?”
“Edwards. Not much. He had a fistful of her stepfather’s vowels.” Eli repeated what he’d witnessed, including the lurking about and the specific threat to take Fanny. “You look skeptical. I’m telling you facts.”
“I don’t question your information. Your description is of a petty criminal. One who would be too busy running his operation to put so much time into stalking one family. A brick through a window is one thing, but he doesn’t sound like the sort who could take a woman off the street in daylight or pay two thugs to do it or even know where to sell her.”
Sell.Eli’s bile rose; he glared at his brother. “He’s scum.”
“I don’t doubt it, but is he powerful enough? Something about this doesn’t add up. In any case, we need to act quickly. The longer they have her, the lower our chances of finding her. I have contacts here with the military and local magistrates. I’m going to make inquiries.”
“Your boring people? Someone has to go to the Happy Cock,” Eli said.
Rob grinned his approval. “Exactly.” He clapped Eli on the shoulder. “That’s your task. Have faith, little brother. We’ll find her.”
