Snifter of Death by Chris Karlsen

Author:Chris Karlsen [Karlsen, Chris]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: historical thriller, historical suspense, historical police procedural, Victorian London
Publisher: Books to Go Now
Published: 2017-05-16T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eighteen

“I’ve never seen a gun up close, let alone held one.” Graciela stared down at the Derringer in her palm. “It’s almost toylike, but it weighs more than I’d expect based on the size.”

“What did you expect?” Addy asked.

“I don’t know. Something lighter I guess.” She didn’t have a logical answer for him. She’d only seen drawings of guns. Those were in the paper and accompanied adverts for Buffalo Bill’s Wild West show. The drawings showed Buffalo Bill with a much larger gun in his hand shooting at something in the distance. It didn’t matter. In her mind, guns and cowboys all meshed together. She just pictured a weighty weapon in spite of the smaller size.

“Is it loaded?” she asked and pointed it at Addy.

He pushed the gun barrel to the side. “Careful where you point that, loaded or not and no, it’s not.”

“Sorry.” Graciela tucked the gun inside her reticule. “I believe it is my turn to buy the drinks. Shall we?” Without waiting for him to answer, she headed for the rear entrance of the no name pub.

After they were served Graciela blurted, “Why do you continue to help me? You’ve worked off the five quid bail money I paid ages ago.”

“Curiosity.”

“What do you mean?”

“You’re a runaway carriage with a brutal wreck the likely end. I should turn away but I can’t. I’ve coached you, which means I’ve an investment in you to a certain extent. That compels me to want to see the outcome.”

Addy had fatherly interest in her. Pleasantly surprised, she said, “I’m flattered. As your protégé, I won’t fail you. You’ll see.”

“You’re not my protégé. Far from it. I’ve given you some minor coaching specific to what your needs were. That’s all. I told you, you’re a wreck waiting to happen. What type of bad end you’re bound to suffer is the mystery.”

Anger surged at his ugly warning. What did he know? Nothing. The fool didn’t realize she could kill him in the blink of an eye. In a matter of seconds, she could taint his beer with enough arsenic to drop him like a stone. Maybe she would just to teach him a lesson. She shook off the thought. She was not a murderer.

Addy called the barmaid over and ordered a kipper wrapped in newspaper. “Is there nothing that will dissuade you from this quest?” he asked after the barmaid left.

Graciela’s surge of anger eased with the question. He’d always tried to talk her out of the nefarious plans she needed help with. “No.”

The anger rushed through her again. Who was he to nag her so? He wasn’t the one on the ground that day. He wasn’t the one being held down. He wasn’t the one that had his legs forced apart, undergarments ripped off as one after another man shoved himself into her tender body. He didn’t know the feel of their heavy bodies pressing on her, or their panting loud in her ear, their calloused hands rough from rowing harsh on her skin.

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