One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1)

“His name is Toby,” the girl piped up when the boy remained stubbornly silent.

Luke held his hand out. “Well, Lucy and Toby, there is today’s wages. I will give you a penny a day for your time. You know what the woman looks like. See if you can find her for me. Don’t approach her. She may run off if she knows we are on to her. She was up to something in the park that morning and I want to know what.”

“Did you get to see what was in the bag she was carrying,” Marcus interrupted before they changed the subject.

Toby shook his head. “Nah, I couldn’t get ‘er to let go of it.”

“Was it heavy?” Luke asked with a frown.

Toby shrugged. “Do we get more food?” The boy asked snatching the coin off him. He bit into it to check its authenticity before he tucked it into his pocket. He was clearly more interested in the food and the monetary reward than a failed theft so Luke allowed the matter to drop for now.

Luke grinned and nodded. “We will sort some more out for you to take with you.”

“If we find her, how do we get word to you?” The girl asked as she watched Luke lift the lid off the basket. “Where are we?” She glanced around the confined carriage and studied the door as though contemplating opening it to take a look outside.

“You are in a secret location that has to remain secret. Don’t tell anyone you have been here today. Tell them you were working on the market traders and managed to steal some food and bread, and a pie if they ask. That should earn you their respect. Keep the money for yourselves but keep an eye out for us. If you find either the man or the woman, leave word at 24 Danton Street. Knock on the door and tell the woman there what you know. Her name is Margot. She is elderly but kindly, and won’t give you any trouble. Just don’t tell your boss the address.”

Both children nodded. Luke shared a look with Marcus. Both men were relieved in a way, not only that the children were exonerated of having anything to do with the murder of the man in the park, but also that they weren’t so deep into criminality that they would resort to working for Sayers. Unfortunately, that meant that the older and considerably more ruthless gang of muggers were.

“How do you know that you can trust us?” the boy challenged, his hungry gaze on the leftover pies still in the basket.

Luke pushed them to one side and lifted two small apple pies out of the basket then handed one to each child.

“I don’t, but I know where to find you if I want to capture you and take you to the magistrate. I will have you arrested if you prove to be untrustworthy,” Luke challenged. “After all, look how easily we set you up today.”

The boy jerked and stared at them. “You didn’t set us up,” he snorted in disgust.

Marcus smirked. “Really? Then how come we had a carriage ready and waiting to bring you here? Do you think we usually keep a basket of food in an empty carriage in case we meet hungry thieves like you? Look at us.” He gestured to Luke’s upper class suit and his own traders’ outfit and smirked. “How many people from such diverse backgrounds to you know share a carriage and a basket of food?”

That was enough to make the boy hesitate and look at Luke and Marcus with renewed respect. “Who are you?” he asked thoughtfully. “Are you after Sayers?”

That was a question neither man had expected. They were indeed after arresting Terrence Sayers, for all of his crimes, however they had to gather evidence that the man was behind the spate of pick-pocket gangs, murders, and jewellery thefts in the area before they could arrest him. So far in their investigation, Terrence Sayers had proven to be a rather slippery adversary who was as covert in his dealings as the Star Elite. Unfortunately, they could hardly explain everything to the

children, even if they did trust them enough to take them into their confidence. Both Luke and Marcus knew from experience that it was safer for them not to know. That way, should they ever get scared they would be less inclined to blurt out confidential information Sayers should otherwise not know.

“In return for your help, we will give you food, money, and make sure that Sayers’ gang is no longer a threat to you. If you wish to continue to pick-pocket when this is over then that is up to you,” Luke explained.

“Sayers’ gang?” Toby asked with a frown. He shared a worried look with Lucy, who looked equally frightened.

“The older gang who are in the area work for Terrence Sayers,” Luke declared quietly. He watched Lucy physically flinch and for a moment he thought she might start to cry.

Toby also looked just as disturbed. “We don’t want nothin’ to do with ‘em,” he replied firmly.

“Good. Don’t ever go near them.”

“They stole our patch. Freddie told us to move on when he got roughed up one day.”

“Freddie is your boss?” Marcus asked gently.

Both children nodded.

“He isn’t connected to Sayers?”

“No. He is scared of Sayers. When the big gang told Eddie to join them he packed us up and moved us, but another gang appeared the other week and warned us off our new patch.”

“So we work in the park now,” Lucy replied sadly.

“And around those streets?” Luke didn’t need her to nod to know he was right.