For a silent minute, they all stared at the map and the counters.
“It’s as if,” Dickie said, “the thief rode past the manor and…vanished.”
Nicholas raised his head, stared at Dickie, then looked at Young Gillies. “Those stable lads at the manor. Did you ask if they recognized the rider or the chestnut horse?”
Young Gillies blinked, then shook his head. “Didn’t think of it.” His expression lit. “I’ll go and do that right now.”
Nicholas waved at Dickie. “Take Mr. Sommerville with you. If the lads have a name, it might mean more to him than you.”
Fired with renewed purpose, Dickie eagerly joined Young Gillies, and they strode from the parlor.
Nicholas glanced at Addie, then suggested that Jed, Mike, and Rory might like to get a drink in the taproom. “You’ll see Mr. Sommerville and Young Gillies return. Come back then.”
Jed and Mike gratefully accepted the dismissal and retreated through the doorway, but Rory hovered.
When Nicholas glanced questioningly at him, Rory said, “If you don’t mind, I’ll stay. I can’t imagine they’ll be that long.”
“By all means.” Nicholas returned his attention to the table and the map.
Addie resumed her position beside him and stared at the map as well.
Several seconds later, Nicholas tapped the map at a spot past the manor, a little farther up Northgate and on the opposite side of the road. “As far as I can make out from this map, other than the manor, this”—he traced the small estate bounded by Church Lane on the north and east and by Northgate on the west—“is the only house and grounds of any size in this part of town.” He glanced at Addie and Rory. “Do either of you have any idea who lives there? At the very least, they might have a groundsman who saw which way the thief went last Wednesday.”
Addie peered at the map, then shook her head.
Rory looked, too, then shrugged. “No clue.”
Just then, a serving girl, apple-cheeked and with her hair piled in an untidy knot, looked into the parlor. “Will you be wanting anything to drink, sir? My lady?” The girl flapped a hand toward the taproom. “We saw your men drinking and wondered.”
Addie brightened. “Nothing to drink, thank you, but perhaps you can help us.” She beckoned the girl to the table and pointed to the map, at the house in question. “Do you know who lives there?”
The girl dutifully approached the table and bent over it to peer at the map.
“The inn’s here.” Nicholas pointed. “And that’s the manor.”
“Oh.” The girl straightened, a smile on her face. “That’s Styles Place, then.” The girl glanced at Addie, and at her encouraging look, the girl lowered her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “The master, Mr. Styles, died some months ago. Down in London, it was.” The girl’s eyes grew round. “Beaten to death, he were, over some floozy he’d been visiting, or so they say.” The girl glanced at the map. “It’s his widder-lady there now, Mrs. Styles. She’s a nice one. Ask any of us, and we’ll say she didn’t deserve a cur the likes of Mr. Styles for a husband. For her sake alone, all the town’s glad he’s gone.”
Addie glanced at Nicholas, then thanked the girl for her help.
The girl bobbed. “Pleased to be of assistance, my lady.”
At Addie’s smiling nod, the girl bobbed again and took herself off.
Addie looked at Nicholas, then at Rory. “Perhaps our widow-lady’s groundsman might know something.”
On the words, the thunder of boots heralded the return of Dickie and Young Gillies, both looking triumphant. They were followed by Jed and Mike, who’d seen the pair rushing for the parlor and had come to share in the excitement.
One look at Dickie’s and Young Gillies’s faces was enough to assure everyone that there was, indeed, cause for joy.
Nicholas gestured at Mike to shut the door. The instant he did, Nicholas fixed Dickie and Young Gillies with a commanding look. “What did you find?”
Instead of answering, Dickie swung his gaze to Addie. “You’ll never guess who took The Barbarian!”
Her eyes widened. “The thief’s someone we know?”
Before Dickie could respond, Young Gillies, looking at Nicholas, said, “I told Mr. Sommerville we should come straight back here and tell you what we learnedbeforegoing off to see, but he had to go and look.” Young Gillies bent a censorious frown on Dickie. “Luckily, we weren’t spotted.”
“Look at what?” Addie demanded. “And spotted by whom?”
