One Penny Surprise (Saved By Desire 1)

“We need to keep an eye on the pawn shops to see if that painting appears,” Luke sighed.

“Already on it. I have Joshua doing the rounds, and he has a network of locals who need gainful employment to help him. If that painting turns up anywhere in this area we will know about it,” Barnaby assured him.

“Good.” Luke had already asked Toby to keep an eye out. It was only a matter of time before someone saw or heard some gossip.

Barnaby studied the bruises around the man’s neck. “Looks like he was killed by rope again.” He withdrew a single strand of rope from the folds of Balgravia’s cravat and laid it carefully on the man’s shirt. “Given Poppy’s attacker had a knife not a rope, it is safe to assume this killer is a different person. I also think it is safe to say that the killer is a man.”

Luke nodded. “The killer of this man has to be big, solid and strong. No weakling could carry a sodden dead man from the river to here, and Joshua Samson was no lightweight. This man is even heavier.” Everyone studied the dead man’s ample girth. “Do you think he was killed here?”

“Nope,” Jeb replied, pointing to scuff marks across the forest floor. “He was left here.”

“The same spot he left Joshua Samson in,” Luke sighed. “Hidden from view for now but eventually discovered when the body begins to smell.”

“Do you think he is sending us a message?” Barnaby asked.

“He knows Samson’s body has been found because it has been all over the broadsheets. He also knows Balgravia has been reported missing, and people are looking for him,” Luke reasoned.

Barnaby nodded. “He wants the body to be found – eventually.”

“He is toying with us.” Luke sighed and shook his head.

Disgusted, Barnaby shook his head. “So, we have an unknown knifer and a strangler on our hands, a missing drunkard desperate for money, and a woman clutching a veritable fortune donated by a relation she barely knows.”

Jeb coughed and smothered a laugh. “Don’t forget the pick-pockets.”

“The gang of thugs, the missing paintings, the jewellery thefts,” Luke growled. He dug out his pocket watch and cursed again. If he didn’t run he would miss the meeting with Toby, and he had to pick up the promised food along the way.

“I’ll come with you,” Jeb offered. He nodded toward the corpse and looked at Barnaby with raised brows.

Barnaby sighed. “Alright. I will deal with him while you two see Toby. When you are done we will meet at the safe house and decide what we are going to do next. I cannot help thinking we are not done with the dead bodies yet so time is of the essence.”

An hour later, Luke frowned as Toby slipped into the alleyway alone. “Where’s Lucy?”

Toby shifted uncomfortably and looked a little sad for a moment. “She isn’t well,” was all he said.

Luke studied the boy and knew there was more the lad wasn’t telling him. He squatted down so he could look up into the boy’s eyes. “Did the boss hit her?”

Toby nodded.

“Badly?”

“A bit,” Toby muttered. “She didn’t bring enough back.”

“Too busy working for us, eh?”

“She has a family and gave her mam the pennies to help feed them. The boss weren’t happy ‘cos she didn’t take enough back for him.”

Luke kept his face impassive but his fists clenched painfully with raw anger toward thugs who employed impoverished children to commit their crimes for them.

“Give me the name of the man you work for, Toby,” Luke growled. “Tell me where to find him.”

Toby looked wary. “Why? What are you going to do?”

“I am not going to do anything just yet. I have had another body turn up this morning and I need to work on finding out what’s going on.”

Toby’s eyes rounded. “Who are you?”

“A friend.” He handed Toby another penny.