Seven Shades of Evil by Robert McCammon

Author:Robert McCammon [McCammon, Robert]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-11-15T00:00:00+00:00

Three

Katherine and Minx remained at the table with Kent, having another glass of wine and another cup of ale, until the last chords sounded from Sally Almond’s guitar, the last plate was taken away, the last customer gone, and the last log in the fireplace fallen to red embers. When Sally approached the table—likely to ascertain the progress of the night, Katherine surmised—she was greeted with one word from Madam Herrald: “Later.”

Outside, fog lay heavy on Nassau Street and slowly drifted like searching spirits around the roofs and chimneys. Kent explained that he had secured a room at Mary Belovaire’s boardinghouse just across the way and had paid for quarters with a window that looked down upon Sally Almond’s tavern … thus he could watch it during the day, as well. He told the women that most definitely he would be returning to the tavern the following night for his supper. Then he bid them good night and went on his way, a solitary figure soon swallowed by the fog.

Minx walked with Katherine along Nassau Street toward the Dock House Inn, where Katherine kept her own quarters. Though the hour was late for many, for some the night held further escapades. It could never be said that New York did not wish to become as jaunty as London, and the jauntiest citizens would be making the rounds of the more low-cost taverns until the final candle hissed out at an indeterminant hour of intoxication. Candles burned behind window glass, the occasional carriage rolled past, someone shouted here and there, dogs barked, voices went up and up in argument and then fell silent again, laughter and fiddle music played over and against each other: a town at work, meaning to be a city.

Katherine pulled the black velvet collar of her coat up around her neck, for the image of Kent’s fingers being snipped off had come to her much too clearly. “It seems to me,” she said to Minx as they progressed southward, “that the only way we can solve Sally Almond’s problem is to also solve John Kent’s. We must discover the identity of Mr. Shears. Must we not?”

“There’s no proof the man is actually here,” Minx said. “Yes, the letter was sent from New York … but that doesn’t mean he’s living here. He could’ve taken a packet boat up from Philadelphia or down from Boston. He could be anywhere.”

“Certainly. This could all be simply a furthering of the game the man seems to enjoy playing. Still … there most times is a method to madness. This man—this creature—may wish to finish his cutting. In fact, he may be driven to finish it, even after this number of years. Does that make sense?”

“In a senseless kind of way.”

“Yes. Well, we shall see.”

“And what’s next, then?”

“Tomorrow, I intend to speak with Polly Blossom about her customers. Is there one who has a particular interest in hands and fingers?” Katherine gave Minx a look of rather dubious amusement. “Our creature may not be snipping, but I would imagine there are other entertainments he might desire.

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