I strode down the middle of the Strand, swinging my arms and with my head held high. The faces of the audience. They’d been a picture. There’d be a few broken heads when all was done. Who were the savages now?

‘Psst, Zillah!’

Ethel stepped out from a shop doorway and beckoned me to join her. She must’ve waited for me.

‘Here, take this. You need to make sure no one sees you.’

Of course she was right. What had I been thinking of? I ducked into the doorway beside her and took the heavy cloak that she held out to me. It was big enough to go over my old coat and had a large hood beside.

‘Your hands are shaking,’ Ethel said. ‘Take a deep breath or two, won’t you?’

I did as she said and felt better. A rush had come over me as I walked out of Crillick’s, but my evening’s work had only just begun and it was more important than ever that I wasn’t seen or recognised. I tucked my hair beneath the hood. The cloak covered me so well that no one would notice me.

‘Are you ready, Zillah?’

I squeezed Ethel’s hands, grateful to have her support.

‘Let’s go,’ I said.

Together, Ethel and I stepped back out on to the pavement and made our way towards Northumberland Avenue, talking as we weaved through the evening crowds.

‘Crillick fell for your ruse, just as you said.’

Ethel laughed. ‘I never doubted he would. I followed him to the theatre to make sure he didn’t turn back and he was whistling to himself the whole way. It was so busy in there, I was relieved when you saw me wave. I knew you had something up your sleeve, but I wasn’t expecting that.’

‘You didn’t get caught up in it at all, did you?’

‘Oh no, I stayed well back.’

‘Is Elvira on her way?’

‘If she’s not there already, she soon will be.’

It took us fifteen minutes to reach Northumberland Avenue, walking as fast as we dared. The enormity of what I had done was starting to catch up with me, but I forced myself to think only of the Leopard Lady. As we turned the corner, there was no sign of Elvira’s carriage and my heart sank. There wasn’t time to wait for her.

Number 25 gave no sign of the horrors that occurred beneath its roof.

‘Will you wait here and keep a lookout until Elvira comes?’ I asked Ethel. I’d have been glad to have her in there with me, but I’d taken another look at the blue paper I’d stolen from Crillick’s office and had a good idea of the number of rooms within the Odditorium.