All The Devils Are Here: A 1920s Historical Mystery (A Smith Investigates Mystery Book 4) by Beth Byers

Author:Beth Byers [Byers, Beth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2022-04-02T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

Ham was smoking on the front stoop with my cat tangled around his legs. His gaze was fixed on the portion of the street where I’d seen the lurking constable during my escape. This time, however, no constable was there to be seen. Had Ham’s gaze sent the man running or had the fellow simply moved out of sight? I wasn’t sure that was a better option. We’d learned once before that our home could be seen from the windows of the taller buildings. Did we want to drive our watchers to the harder-to-spot perches?

“Wife,” he said as Rita got out of the car.

She grinned at him. “Husband.”

“I was worried.”

“No reason,” she told him. “I’ve traveled the world without you. I think I can handle a little foray into the country with a friend or two.”

Ham’s gaze moved to me. The worry still lingered in his eyes as they landed on me. “Smith said you would be fine.”

“Smith isn’t a man who rescues a woman who can recuse herself.”

“Like yourself.”

“And Rita,” I agreed.

His gaze moved beyond me, and I guessed he noticed that Miss Elliot and Miss Allen had gotten out of the same black cab. “Em.”

“Ham,” she replied. “This is Miss Elliot. She was our third victim.”

His eyes moved to me. “Does Smith know about this?”

“He knew I was tracking down Miss Elliot,” I told him. “Smith thought Miss Elliot would be more comfortable with me.”

“And her being here?”

I lifted a mocking brow and got a cough of a laugh in return. “Fine, fine.” Ham cleared his throat delicately. “Is Miss Allen staying here as well?”

“Miss Allen has a home,” she said. She walked up the steps and pressed a kiss on Ham’s face, patting his other cheek at the same time. “I’ve missed you, brother.” They weren’t actually siblings, but she loved him like a brother.

Miss Elliot followed, clinging a little to Miss Allen’s shadow as it was clear that she, too, wasn’t part of our inner circle.

I gestured them all inside the house where we gathered in the front parlor.

“Stephanie Elliot, this is Hamilton Barnes,” I said, introducing them to one another.

“Miss Elliot. You are very brave to be here.”

The girl paled and stayed close to Miss Allen.

Ham and I exchanged a glance, the unspoken words between us that we were taking a terrible risk. I didn’t disagree. I loved Ham, but this girl needed to take her life back. Or so I told myself for dragging her here.

“She’s got some faces to look at,” Miss Allen said.

“So she’s not bait?” Ham demanded.

The three of us looked at each other while Miss Elliot leapt in her skin. “Bait?”

“Of course not,” Rita said smoothly, shooting a daggered glance at her husband. “Where does your mind go?”

I met Ham’s eyes and winced. Was she bait? Not purposefully. But then again, I hadn’t discounted that as an option. I just hadn’t said anything to Miss Elliot, who hadn’t gone there in her mind. She was afraid. Maybe she needed to fight her way to not be afraid? Lies I was telling myself, I mocked.

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