Stoker & Bash- the Fangs of Scavo by Selina Kray

Author:Selina Kray
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Pronoun

As the carriage horses neighed their annoyance at the post-theatre traffic, Tim grabbed the reins of their discussion and held on with all his might. He was an officer of the law, not the heroine of a Gothic romance made vulnerable by the charms of a seductive rogue until he lost everything. His virtue may be long gone, through no fault of Hiero’s, but while a glimmer of hope that they might solve this case remained, he must redouble his determination. Which did not preclude a later relaxing of the rules, but for now, a suspect’s interrogation loomed, and Tim needed to keep himself well informed.

If only to avoid any further slips of the tongue in the form of kisses or confessions.

“Vandenberg,” he said to Hiero. “What do you know of him?”

Hiero steepled his hands under his chin as if in mockery of a thinking pose.

“He’s an amiable sort. Something of a bon vivant, from what I’m told. Never had much cause to speak to him before this sorry business.”

“You’ve not conversed with him?”

“Only briefly at Goldie’s séance.”

“Nor encountered him socially?”

“We don’t traffic in the same circles.”

“Have you made inquiries into his business holdings? His family scandals? Extracurricular activities?”

“Whatever for?”

“Have you done any investigating at all beyond asking Commodore Goldenplover if he would be at the theater this evening?”

“Didn’t want to alert him to anything, did I?”

“Then how did you know he would be here?”

“Like anything else. I presumed.”

Tim couldn’t help but laugh. “Miss Pankhurst truly does carry all the weight in this little enterprise of yours.”

“I take exception to that remark.”

“Is it your vanity or your pride that’s insulted?”

“My sense of honor, if you must know.”

“Ha! So those are your parameters. Petty larceny in the name of fun, acceptable. Disrupting séances with heckling asides, acceptable. Fraudulent representation of self, acceptable. But don’t for a second suggest he’s outmatched by a girl.”

Hiero shot him a jaundiced look. “Nonsense. Our partnership is predicated on two inviolable tenets. The first that we both play to our strengths. She is, as you say, the coal-burning engine, and I am the screaming burst of smoke.”

“And the second?”

“That I never, under any circumstances, presume her to be less than capable because she is a woman.”

Tim opened his mouth to reply but found he had nothing of substance to add. He had embarked upon this investigation with so many presumptions and, like a row of tin soldiers, a flick of Hiero’s ever-busy hands had toppled each one.

“But you’re right to criticize. I should have consulted her before...”

“Launching headfirst into an interrogation with an unknown quantity?”

“You detectives and your righteousness.”

“The job does require it on occasion.” Tim scoffed, reminded of some of his colleagues’ antics. “Less than one might expect.”

At that Hiero raised an eyebrow. “A conversation for a quieter day. For now, what have you, dear Kip, learned about our landgrave during the course of your research?”

“Capital of you to ask,” Tim teased, pleased by the resurgence of his smile. “Like many nowadays, by the time Vandenberg inherited his title, there was little fortune left to speak of.

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