“People ain’t responsible for who their parents are, Doc.” Parkington set a soot-covered hand on his shoulder. “When I saw her on Welbeck Street, I only wanted to make certain she weren’t in any danger. But Stone can certainly hold his own. And Móirín could scare a cat into skinning itself just by looking at it. I figured Mrs. Milligan was as safe as a stone in a peach.”

“You know who she is, but you aren’t going to—”

“To what? Arrest her?” Parkington shook his head. “She cain’t help the life she was born into. But I don’t think that life is what she chooses to do now.”

Relief swept over Barnabus. “On her behalf, I’ll return your forbearance with a warning she asked me to tip into your ear. The home of the Russian Embassy priest was marked in ash with the calling card of the Kincaid family. That means the Kincaids did something there, something criminal. She thought that might help you piece together some puzzles.”

“The Kincaids would bash her good if they knew she’d given me this information.”

“I told her you could be trusted.” Barnabus held his gaze. “Don’t prove me wrong.”

“I won’t.” He hooked his thumb to where Gemma and Móirín stood at the edge of the gathering. “Go save your wife from that she-cat.”

“Móirín’s a fine person,” Barnabus said with a laugh.

Parkington held his hands up in a show of innocence before returning to the clean-up effort. The DPS trusted the man with a lot of information, though certainly not all of it.

The moment Barnabus moved toward Gemma, she moved toward him. They met in the middle.

“Móirín convinced me to come,” she said. “But she didn’t tell me Parkington would be here.”

“She likely didn’t know.” He reached for her hand but pulled back immediately. His hands were filthy. “I’m glad you came.”

She smiled a little. “So am I.”

“I had a gab with Parkington. I don’t think we need to worry that he’ll cause you any grief.”

After a glance in the policeman’s direction, she asked, “Did you tell him about the—” Concern tugged at her expression, and she didn’t finish the question. But Barnabus knew what she was asking.

“I did, and he was grateful. He’s also worried, though. If your family finds out . . .”

“Crossing the Kincaids has consequences,” she whispered. “All the more reason to pike off and get myself away from London, i’n’it?”

Away from London. His heart dropped clear to his feet every time he thought about her leaving. “How long will you be gone this time, do you think?”

“So long as I’m here, I’m in danger, and so are the people I care about. I ain’t willing to risk other people’s lives.”