The Tick-Tock Man by Kersten Hamilton

Author:Kersten Hamilton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

“I don’t take off my gloves for nobody,” Dobbin said, slipping a second cookie into his pocket.

Briney selected a sugar wafer and offered me half. It would have been impolite not to accept.

“Now, Walter,” Rhodope said, “begin at the beginning, and tell all.”

Sir Arthur’s brow furrowed as Wally related our adventure.

“One moment, Walter,” he said when Wally revealed that both Briney and Cy had clockwork parts. “I am a doctor as well as a writer of fiction, you know. May I examine the patients?” Cy nodded at Briney.

“All right,” she said. “But don’t poke us with nothing like needles.”

Sir Arthur assured her that he would not. His face grew grim as he examined Cy’s ribs, and grimmer still when he felt Briney’s wrist with his fingertips. He took a tablet from his desk and made a couple of quick notations. Walter watched with keen interest, but Miss Rhodope was staring at Jack.

“Go on,” the great man said at last, resuming his seat. “If I am going to help, I must know everything.” He merely gasped when Wally reached the bit about the missing keys and tapped the tablet with his pen.

“So Walter and Noodles were the last ones to have seen Tick Tock.”

“I believe so, sir,” Wally agreed. As he talked, I watched Rhodope edge nearer to Jack, who edged away. This curious game of cat and mouse ended with the criminal backed into a corner.

“And he was attempting to kidnap you at the time?” He spun toward Dobbin. “What was the motive, Mr. Winckles? Money? Was he going to demand a ransom?”

“’E didn’t say,” Dobbin admitted. “Tick Tock keeps ’is own counsel, ’e does.”

At that moment Rhodope snatched the scarf from Jack’s face.

“Leander Smyth-Hops! I knew it was you! He is no criminal,” Rhodope accused. “He’s a journalist!”

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