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Chapters (40)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Map
  5. I
  6. II
  7. III
  8. IV
  9. V
  10. VI
  11. VII
  12. VIII
  13. IX
  14. X
  15. XI
  16. XII
  17. XIII
  18. XIV
  19. XV
  20. XVI
  21. XVII
  22. XVIII
  23. XIX
  24. XX
  25. XXI
  26. XXII
  27. XXIII
  28. XXIV
  29. XXV
  30. XXVI
  31. XXVII
  32. XXVIII
  33. XXIX
  34. XXX
  35. XXXI
  36. XXXII
  37. Seven Years Later
  38. Epilogue
  39. Acknowledgements
  40. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

He must mean the Leopard Lady, but who else might Crillick have brought there? I looked into his smirking face; he was so pleased with his little joke. But I wasn’t going to let that intimidate me.

‘That’s given me enough to go on,’ I said.

‘A pity. If you do want to know more …’ He left his words hanging but his hand passed over his crotch. It was my cue to go. I made a note of where Crillick stood. I would come back later when he wasn’t there. I was sure now I’d find the Leopard Lady inside, but what state she might be in I dreaded to think. It was always chilly by the river, especially at night. Would Crillick have provided blankets, an oil lamp? I couldn’t be sure. He’d called her his staff. That was the one thing I clung to, that he wouldn’t run the risk of her being too unwell to perform. But I couldn’t shake the memory of her skin so raw and cracked and her hair all matted. The sooner I could get to her the better.

It was growing late and I turned to leave. There was a boat heading back to the City. To stay here any longer would only attract attention and I’d already seen two of the dockside police look over to where Ratface and I stood. I hoped Black Bill’s name meant something to them too, if I needed to protect myself.

The journey back upriver was slower. We were fighting against the tide, but I was grateful for a minute to collect my thoughts. If the Leopard Lady was being kept here, she must have done this journey several times herself. What did she think as she was ferried back and forth? Now I knew where the Leopard Lady was, I could return and free her. It was just a matter of working out how. The docks were well guarded. They had their own police, but if I was careful … What, Zillah? What will you do? Break in? How on earth would you get away again? I needed a plan and I had to hope that Lucien would be willing to be part of the rescue as well as translating what she’d told me.

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XVII

Winters the Grocer’s

Charles II Street was busier than on my previous visit. It was half past eleven now. I was definitely going to be late for work again. I’d have to beg Barky not to dock my wages. At least it was a rehearsal not an actual performance, though. Hopefully he’d take that into account.