Deadly Promise by Brenda Joyce

Author:Brenda Joyce
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Romance
Published: 2012-06-04T22:49:08+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Saturday, March 29, 1902 — 3:00 P.M.

Bragg was waiting for her on the street in front of the brown building with the blue shutters where they hoped the Coopers currently lived. They had made plans to meet before her luncheon with Grace. He smiled slightly as she approached. "How was your lunch?"

Francesca tried not to wince. "I had a fabulous piece of cod," she said. It was a lie. She'd barely been able to eat.

He started, his gaze piercing, sensing something was amiss, but she hurried past him to the building's front door. She was more upset now than she had been before, because Grace Bragg was right. She was marrying Calder Hart for all the wrong reasons, and it wasn't fair—not to anyone, not even to herself. She did not want to talk about it, especially not with Bragg. But could she really break up with Hart?

She must not think about it now. There was work to do and not much time in which to do it. She had promised Sarah she would sit for her at half past four.

Bragg said from behind her, "They're here. I checked with some neighbors. Flat Number Four."

Francesca nodded. "Let's go up."

He seized her arm. "You are distraught. What happened?"

"I'm fine." She smiled too brightly at him.

He studied her. "Grace can be too honest sometimes. But she means well. She is one of the kindest women I know."

"I know all that. Let's see if John Cooper is at home. We have missing children to find, Bragg." She pulled free and hurried into the entry, a small, narrow windowless square. The fourth flat was on the second floor. Francesca did not hear a sound from within it and she was dismayed as she knocked sharply upon the battered wood door.

There was simply no answer.

She faced Bragg after knocking twice more. "No one is home."

He gave her a look. "Let's go in anyway."

She was startled. He smiled at her and tried the door— but it was firmly locked. Bragg took a small knife from his breast pocket and began fooling with the lock. It clicked. He smiled at her and tried the door, and this time the door swung open.

"Very nice," Francesca breathed. "Have you been taking lessons from Joel?"

He chuckled as they stepped inside, closing the door behind them.

The flat was one room. It was not partitioned into separate sleeping areas. Francesca instantly became uneasy, glancing around. There was one bed on the far wall. "Where is Bonnie's bed?"

"I don't know. The neighbor told me they have been here for about six months."

"This is odd. I am worried." There were a series of wall pegs by the bed and she saw several garments, all clearly belonging to a grown man or an adult woman. In case she had missed something, Francesca went to them and inspected the clothing. "There's nothing here for a child."

"Bonnie was twelve. She might have been tall for her age—she might have worn the clothing of a small woman."

There was one rickety and stained bureau near the bed as well.

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