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“Yes, I’d like to submit her name for a good citizen award.” James meant it. If Mrs. McKenzie hadn’t gotten through to Halberd, he didn’t know what would have happened to Gabriella and Ruby. He’d arrived just in time as it was.

“Well.” Halberd glanced over at him. “That’s very thoughtful of you. I’ll run it by her, but I think she’d be honored.”

“If it hadn’t been for her, we’d have been too late,” James said as they climbed the stairs. “The gun was out, a man was already shot, and they were threatening others with it. They were also getting ready to run.”

“I heard one got away?” Halberd said as James stopped at his floor.

“I was upstairs, detaining the second man, when the third man arrived unexpectedly,” James said. “He saw the lay of the land and scarpered.”

“Layman says the two of you will be questioning the ones you got this morning.” Halberd started up the steps to his floor.

“I can’t interview Pete Harris. I broke his arm while disarming him. So that will be up to DI Layman and one of his team. DC Hartridge and I will interview Jameson.” James wasn’t at all worried about how his actions would be scrutinized. He’d done the right thing.

“Oh. I did hear he’d been injured. Broke his arm, eh?” Halberd nodded. “Witnesses?”

“Three.” James wondered what Halberd would have said if there hadn’t been any. “DC Hartridge, and two civilians.”

“And they’ll support your version?” Halberd asked.

“They will.”

“Then there’s no problem. Carry on, Archer. You’re doing a good job.” Halberd disappeared up the stairs and James stared thoughtfully after him.

No, he couldn’t rule out that Halberd was corrupt at all.

It was a good reminder.

chapter

thirty-eight

The rain had cleared by the morning.

James had left early, kissing her gently and then picking her up and carrying her in his arms to the door so she could lock it as soon as he left.

She’d staggered back to bed and slept for another hour before she had to get up.

It felt like a massive weight had lifted off her.

Jerry was no longer missing, and the worry that had come with that every day had hung like an anchor around her neck.

Her day improved even more when she walked outside and saw some tradies setting up a ladder on the side of the house. A new length of down pipe lay on the ground nearby.

Mr. Sutcliffe had come through on his promise to deal with the maintenance.

She was relieved to see it, because worrying about men lurking about and trying to throw her into traffic was another weight she was happy to shed.

James and Solomon hadn’t told her exactly what they’d said to Sutcliffe to get him to fall in line, but whatever it was, it had been effective.

There was an actual spring to her step as she walked toward the bus stop.

The only thing left was her legal action against her father.

She would have to give Ben a call later today on her break and ask him for an update.

So much had happened recently, she’d almost forgotten that Havelock was expecting a response from her father’s lawyer.

And maybe, she admitted to herself as she gave the bus driver her fare, she had put it aside because resolution of that problem would mean she would have to make a decision on whether to leave London.