“Have you had any success finding your wife?” Parkington apparently knew where Barnabus’s thoughts had gone.

He shook his head. “There’s not a trace of her.”

“If I could guarantee you my fellow policemen would all overlook the fact that she’s a Kincaid with a criminal past, I’d urge you to let the Metropolitan Police aid in your search.” Parkington offered an apologetic look. “You’ve brought Stone in on the effort? And Móirín and Vera?”

Barnabus nodded.

“And Sorokin?” Parkington added.

Barnabus turned to Fletcher. “Could we get word of this to him?”

“I am certain he already knows,” Fletcher said.

Parkington set his hand on Barnabus’s shoulder. “I took on a few extra patrol assignments. That’s letting me poke around more. We’ll find her. I know we will.”

Fletcher had often said that if Parkington would start writing penny dreadfuls, he’d stand him for membership in the DPS in a heartbeat. The man was fearsome and focused. He was also dedicated to the cause of the vulnerable. A good person in every sense.

“Thank you,” Barnabus said.

The other constables had Claud locked into the transport wagon they’d brought. Parkington hopped up on back, riding there as they drove off.

“The Mastiff said the Kincaids are looking for you specifically,” Fletcher said. “Either they’re holding a grudge, trying to stretch us too thin to keep up with their efforts, or looking to get to Gemma through you.”

“Or they’ve simply gained a liking for ‘snuffing out’ people,” Barnabus said.

“It’s time for you to go invisible,” Fletcher said.

Barnabus shook his head. “I need to keep looking for Gemma. I can’t simply hide away, twiddling my thumbs while—”

“The Dread Master gave me instructions that if your life were in danger, you needed to go invisible.”

The Dreadfuls didn’t often send someone into such complete hiding—going invisible, as they termed it. If the Dread Master was insisting he do precisely that, the situation must be more dire than he realized.

“To headquarters, then?” he asked in a whisper.

“No. To a safe house.”

“I won’t risk bringing the Mastiff’s people to any of the places where I’m hiding the women and girls we’ve rescued. Especially with Serena hidden in one of them. She risked her neck trying to warn us. I—”

“Not one of your safe houses,” Fletcher said. “The Dread Master’s.”

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Barnabus wasn’t overly happy with going invisible, but he understood. Everything was in chaos and disarray. Word of the attack on Martin would reach the rest of the DPS soon enough, and they’d all be both more afraid and more determined. They would rally to the effort of safeguarding the rest. Until they could bring down the Mastiff, until they could remove that danger, they needed to focus on their enemy, not on protecting Barnabus.