“Where… Where are we to take the sack?” Winnifred asked as she attempted to catch her breath. “They said to leave it at the Pavilion’s arch, but where exactly? There are three.”
He studied the area and then pointed to the center arch. “There, they must mean there.”
He gently took her by the arm, and together they made their way across toward the front. There were a great many people in the Gardens, even though it was early. It did not seem a very good location to be making an exchange. When she brought this concern to Seth’s attention, he bit his lip and nodded.
“Perhaps it is exactly the heavy occupancy that they like. It will allow them to blend in. They can sneak up to the Pavilion, take the money, and dash away.”
“I suppose so. I just wonder if….”
She got no further because right at that moment, Mr. Markham came racing toward them from the direction of the rotunda, his eyes wide and his hands raised in the air as he frantically waved to them.
“Miss Keating, Your Grace, here, quickly.” He waved toward him, and without even a moment’s hesitation, both Winnifred and Seth broke into a run again.
“What is it, Markham? What has happened?” Seth demanded.
“Are we too late? Did they already come and go?” Winnifred gasped.
It was not until she focused on his face that she could tell just how furious Mr. Markham was. His nostrils flared, and his hands curled into fists. His tan face was flushed a deep red, and his eyes stood wide with fury.
“It is a disaster. I wish you had not been late. I wish… Miss Keating, was I not very clear when I said that involving the authorities would result in the possible execution of your siblings?”
Suddenly, Winnifred realized the object of his fury—her.
“Why, yes, Mr. Markham. And I did not call the authorities, as we agreed. I told nobody after our meeting at your office yesterday.” She did not mention that her uncle and sister already knew about the kidnapping prior.
Before Markham could say anything else, Seth took a step in front of Winnifred.
“What are you accusing Miss Keating of? She has been in my company almost exclusively since we came to your office, and I can assure you, she did not call on the authorities.”
Winnifred flushed bright red, even redder than Mr. Markham, for the way Seth presented their situation indeed made it sound as though they spent the night together. They had, of course, not done any such thing.
After leaving Markham’s office, she stopped at home to retrieve several of her brother’s notebooks and brought them to Lester House, where they spent much of the night pouring over the books.
With Mary’s help, she’d also located the letters Rose had sent to Leo. He hid them underneath his mattress, a hiding spot Mary came upon while changing his bedsheets.
While Seth read through Leo’s notebooks—which yielded nothing of interest—she’d read Rose’s letters. They were profoundly romantic and personal, and she still felt awful for having gained such insight into the young lady’s feelings. However, at least she now knew that Rose’s feelings for Leo were genuine. When they were free, surely there could be no objection to their being together.
In any case, they’d spent much of the night in this fashion without getting more than two hours of sleep each. To say that she was exhausted was beyond the pale.
“My old colleagues, the Bow Street Runners, are here. I am afraid they have made quite a mull of the situation.” Mr. Markham furiously rubbed his eyebrow and looked from Seth to Winnifred and back again.
“The Bow Street Runners are here? But why? I do not understand.” Seth exclaimed. His mouth stood agape as he took in this information. “And what do you mean, they have made a mull of it?”
Mr. Markham swallowed hard, Adam’s apple bobbing, and he looked away towards the exit. “The Runners appeared half an hour ago and placed a sack under the Pavilion, where we were supposed to deposit the ransom. I spotted them from my hiding place, they are not exactly subtle. Nor are they competent. One of the many reasons why I have left the force and gone out on my own. Well, as it stood, I was not the only one who spotted them.”
“Oh no… The Roamers? They realized that the authorities are here?” Winnie gasped, for she remembered the grave words of warning in the ransom demand letter.
“Indeed. I will say that some of my former colleagues are not skilled investigators. I didn’t tell you yet that Elton and the Roamers are very high up on the list of suspects the Runners would love to apprehend. I am afraid that the Roamers spotted the Runners. They took the sack as soon as it was dropped, and I watched as the gang members rushed away without even looking into it. Normally, at least they would look inside to make sure it contained money before counting the bounty later.”
“Are you saying the Runner deposited the entirety of the ransom money?
Mr. Markham looked at her as though she had said the silliest thing. “Of course not, Miss Keating. The sack would have been empty or filled with something to make it feel as though it were money. Which, of course, is an exceedingly stupid thing for my former colleagues to have done. It stands to reason that Elton’s men would search the sack before releasing your siblings from their hiding spot somewhere within the Gardens.”
“Empty?” Winnifred suddenly understood the magnitude of the situation. She shook her head, confused. “Exactly what happened? Why do you believe the Roamers saw the Runners?”
The investigator raised his shoulders and arms and then dropped them; a frustrated sigh escaped his mouth.
“The investigators dropped the sack exactly where they were supposed to, and in short order, one of the gang members appeared to retrieve it, as I said. However, my former colleagues, at least one of them, saw fit to choose that precise moment to come out of their hiding place to rush the man and apprehend him. Another quickly stopped him before he got to the Elton’s accomplice, but if I noticed the attempt, certainly Elton did. It is not for nothing that he is one of the most feared gang members in all of London.”
