The city’s bells bonged and pealed for midnight.
Still constantly scanning the shadows, Toby adjusted his grip on Diana’s hand. “In terms of us leaving Vienna safely, we’re running out of time.”
* * *
Fifteen minutes later,Jager led Koch into the Locke house via the front door.
Both halted in the dimness just over the threshold, then Koch grunted. “He’s left a lamp burning in the back room.”
The pair made their way there, then searched for and found more lamps. They lit them and placed them around the rooms, then settled to conduct an even-more-thorough search of their own.
They moved methodically through the house. Eventually, both returned to the back room.
“Nothing.” Jager bit off the word.
“I thought for sure he would have them this time.” Koch looked around at the mess. “Why contact the Austrians and arrange to hand the dispatches to them if he hadn’t even found them?”
Both spoke in Prussian.
Jager’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps he did find them and hid them here while he made arrangements to double-cross us, but meanwhile, someone else moved them.” Jager looked at the stairs, then started for them. “Someone who lived here, perhaps.”
Upstairs, they shifted and searched, paying particular attention to the room inhabited by a female.
Ultimately, frustrated and growing exasperated, they returned downstairs.
Koch, younger but more heavily built and with a small, round head, grumbled, “He should have known better than to come to our meeting without the dispatches. He couldn’t have known that we knew he’d spoken to the Austrians.”
The scar on Jager’s left cheek showed white, then he replied, “Regardless, it would have made no difference to him. His usefulness to us had passed.” Jager toed aside an emptied drawer. “Especially as it seems the dispatches aren’t here after all.”
Koch frowned. “But if not here, then where?”
Jager shot his junior a penetrating look. “Herschel was sure that Locke had them, wasn’t he? We haven’t been wasting our time.”
“He was sure, yes. He heard Locke mention them to his daughter at the last, exactly as Herschel had predicted. Unfortunately, Herschel said Locke waited too long. Even though the daughter pressed him to tell her where he’d hidden them, Locke merely said she would be sure to find them when she looked, but plainly, she had no idea.”
“Are we sure of that?”
“Herschel was sure. He said the daughter pressed some more, begging Locke to tell her, but by then, Locke’s mind was wandering, and instead of telling her where he’d hidden the packet, he sang her some English nursery rhyme. According to Herschel, those were the last words Locke spoke.”
His face a mask, Jager stood with his hands sunk in his coat pockets and stared at the floor. After a moment, he raised his head and looked at Koch. “What was the rhyme?”
Koch shrugged and shook his head. “Herschel didn’t know it. He didn’t recognize it and couldn’t remember the words.”
Jager gave vent to a disgusted sound. “But Locke replied to his daughter’s plea to be told where the dispatches were with this rhyme?”
“Yeees.” Koch looked wary.
Jager straightened and rebelted his coat. “In that case, I believe we need to locate Fraulein Locke and ask her what the rhyme means.” He glanced around, then looked at Koch. “Where is she staying? Clearly, it’s not here.”
Koch looked uncomfortable. “Herschel didn’t say she was staying anywhere else.”
Jager glared at his subordinate.
When Koch did nothing but stare warily back, with a visible effort, Jager drew in his temper. “It’s late. Tomorrow, we’ll return and ask the neighbors. Someone will know. Vienna isn’t that large. Tomorrow, we’ll find Fraulein Locke and ask her what she knows.”
* * *
Diana walked beside Toby,grateful for the warmth of her coat as the night deepened about them and the temperature fell.
