Benji looked uncertain. "Mr. Crescent was particularly interested in what was happening up here. Mary said he had cornered Mr. Freewater earlier and badgered him about something. And of course Mr. Desmond is especially upset."

Christian's face became pensive. Benji watched him anxiously, and even Kate held her breath, though why she was holding her breath she couldn't say.

"We should search the Crescents' room next."

Surprise ran through Kate. She had little doubt they would find anything more than drab yet officious clothing.

Sure enough, between the three of them they discovered nothing of interest in the Crescents' room. Christian appeared agitated. He hadn't even made an inappropriate remark in the past hour, and that said something about his state. Surely he hadn't expected to find anything of value?

"Benji, are you sure you lowoked under the tick? Mattresses make excellent hiding places. No heavy poles or crops? Not even, perhaps, a journal?"

"Mr. Black." Kate gave him a pointed stare. "We have searched this room three times. We searched through Freewater's nigh on five times. I don't know what you expect to find. A loose floorboard? A sign proclaiming where the weapon is hidden?"

Christian cast a speculative glance at the floor and Kate threw her hands up. She was tired of his single-mindedness. She would never have guessed the man would be so thorough. It would be a good trait if expressed in any way other than his obsession with the two rooms they had searched...two rooms at the very bottom of the suspect pool.

She marched forward to tell him so, but a knock at the door stopped her in place.

"Enter," Christian called out.

Sally opened the door, and Kate's eyebrows rose as color flooded Benji's cheeks. The inn was turning into a veritable feast of potential lovebirds. "Pardon me, Mr. Black, Mr. Kaden, Benji, but Mr. Wicket would like to know when the patrons can return to their rooms."

Christian gave the floorboards one last frustrated glance. "Tell Mr. Wicket that we will be down in ten minutes. Thank you, Sally. Benji, you can go with Sally. Please report what we talked about to the Wickets. Thank you for helping."

Benji was hot on Sally's heels, as he hightailed it from the room.

Christian leaned his head against the wall. "Well, we should get downstairs and search Freewater and Crescent to make sure they aren't hiding anything."

"They aren't hiding anything, Mr. Black."

His brows rose at the irritation clear in her voice. "How do you know, Mr. Kaden?"

"It doesn't make any sense. You are just making things difficult for them because they are miserable men you obviously dislike."

"If that were true, Desmond's room would be upside down by now."

"Desmond is a much more likely suspect."

Christian's full lips thinned. "Perhaps. Let's go downstairs, search a few people, and call it a day."

"What?" Kate felt cold. All of the positive traits she had recently attributed to Christian Black withered under the growing storm of anger, something that never seemed to be in short supply for her lately. The man was an utter cad, just as she had first suspected.

"Search a few people, then give up and do something else?" She felt the need to clarify.

He winked, his facade once more in place. She was far, far from being amused.

"I knew you weren't a Bow Street Runner, but I didn't realize what a charlatan you really were," she said evenly and firmly pushed her disappointment aside.

He raised a brow. "What is your point, Mr. Kaden?"

She raised her chin at the jab. "Fine. Search a few people and then be on your merry way. I will solve this on my own. Good day, Mr. Black. Please have the courtesy to keep your merry way far from mine."

His eyes narrowed. "You think you can solve Janson's murder on your own?"

"I will solve it."

"Why do you even care? And don't give me that drivel about how someone has to care. I could give you plenty of instances of that statement being utterly false."

She noted the bitterness in his voice, but it was drowned by the earlier thoughts of why she wanted to find out what happened to Janson.

"I want to see justice done."

He snorted. "Justice probably was done. We both agreed that Janson wasn't exactly a pillar of the community."

Kate ignored him and marched to the door. Solace wasn't going to be found in this room. Perhaps it wasn't even to be found at this inn. But she would find it. And she would find out what happened to Janson.

"Wait, Kate-"

She yanked open the door so hard it crashed into the wall and recoiled, barely missing her. She was brimming with too much emotion to care. Too much anger, at both herself for allowing accidents to happen, and at the world for punishing her. She marched toward the stairs without a backward glance.

She could hear Christian swearing as he ran to catch her. He hopped in front of her, blocking the way, his left arm against the banister.

"Kate, you can't just walk down there and start making things up."

She gave him a pointed look. "No, that would be wrong, wouldn't it?"

He brushed her comment aside. "They won't believe you."

"Why, because I'm not the charming Christian Black, Bow Street Runner, founder of the ludicrous Runner's Code?"

He glanced over his shoulder. "Shhh. No, because you have no credentials."

"Neither do you. Now if you'll excuse me."

She ducked under his arm and marched determinedly down the stairs, through the hallway, and into the dining room.

Chapter 8.

Have no fear. There is nothing you can't do if you put your mind to it.

George Simon to Kate, age sixteen Everyone turned as she entered, their chair legs scraping the hard floor.

"Good people. You may return to your rooms if you like, but I may be coming by to ask a few questions. Please continue to enjoy your stay."

The patrons exchanged glances, but didn't seem inclined to go back to their drinks or conversations.

"Did you find anything? Are you still searching?"

Kate tugged her head wrap, her anger converting into nerves as she realized that her actions were putting her directly into attention's path. She straightened her shoulders resolutely. Looking out over the sea of faces, she knew no one else would take the helm. She caught Desmond's sneer. Well, at least no one without an agenda. She would just have to deal with the consequences of being center stage.

"We haven't found anything conclusive yet. And I can't divulge any part of the investigation, I'm sure you understand." She remembered her village constable, who had held the position more or less permanently, saying something equally pompous when a villager had lost a few sheep and blamed his neighbor.

"No, I don't understand at all." Desmond gave her a calculating look. "Why don't you tell everyone what is going on?"

"I'm afraid Mr. Kaden can't do that. He's under strict orders. If you have issues, take them up with me."

Kate stiffened as the smooth voice curled the hairs at the back of her neck. Desmond looked sour, but backed down under Christian's authoritarian tone.

"We will be creating a plan and going over it with Mr. Wicket later. We will let you know what we can. We're not holding you hostage, the storm is doing that."

He gave one of his too charming smiles, and Kate gritted her teeth as he received a few in return.

"You may ask us questions this evening."

And with that, Christian nudged the middle of her back and they settled in at the only empty table, near the front of the room, slightly apart from the others. Daisy immediately appeared with a fruit and cheese plate.

"What are you doing?" Kate hissed to Christian after the barmaid left.

"Helping." He popped a piece of cheese in his mouth, as if he once more hadn't a care in the world.

"I thought you wanted to search a few people and then call it quits?"

"Couldn't let you have all the fun, Mr. Kaden."

She huffed and leaned against the back of her chair. "I don't need your help."

He played with another piece of cheese, rolling it end over end. Finally he looked up, his eyes growing serious. "Maybe not, but I'm offering it."

She blinked, her remaining ire draining away amid his sober demeanor and accommodating words.

"Do you mean that?"

His eyes shadowed, but he responded in an even tone. "I may not say the right things all the time, and it may not be what anyone wants to hear, but sometimes even I mean what I say."

She saw truth in his eyes. A strange thing, really.

"But you said earlier that you were going to find the killer and then you seemed to give up when your search of Freewater's room didn't yield whatever it was you wanted."

He picked up a piece of bread. "I said I was going to take a look at the body and search a few rooms. I did that."

"Under a false identity," she whispered.

"How do you know I'm not a Runner?" He winked, the earlier shadows dissipating as if they had never been.

She shook her head. She didn't know if she felt up to the task of unraveling the intricacies of the man in front of her. Somehow it seemed a more difficult task than discovering what had happened to Janson. But she was more relieved than she allowed herself to let on that he was once more on the job.

They could help each other. It had nothing to do with wanting to strangle him one minute and let him do to her whatever his eyes kept promising the next.

"I could use the help," she said tentatively, looking around to make sure they weren't being overheard. "I don't actually know what I'm doing."

He smiled. "I've been in enough trouble. I think I can handle the authority aspects without too much difficulty."

She didn't know whether to return the smile, or frown.

Daisy appeared with two plates of beef and two bowls of stew, all balanced perfectly. "Here you go, sweet cheeks." She gave Christian a saucy smile and winked at Kate. Kate forced a smile and dug into her stew. It was flavorful, the meat and vegetables tender and perfectly cooked.

Kate ignored the stares from the other patrons. Even the walls of the room appeared shadowed, as if reflecting the edgy and nervous feelings of the occupants.

"We should probably devise a plan, just like you suggested. We don't even really know what we are searching for," Kate said as she mopped up the last of her stew.

"Whatever he was murdered with, I suppose."

"Any ideas?"

"Something heavy."

Amusement and annoyance had never fit together as well as they did with Christian Black.

"Any more ideas?"

"Something wielded with force, judging by Janson's head, but then too he could have sustained the damage from a fall off the gallery."

"But you don't believe that."

He shook his head and played with his spoon, clinking it against the side of the bowl. "No. The broken leg is probably a result of the fall, but it's just not that high for the type of damage he sustained to the back of his skull."

"Perhaps the green cloth we found belongs to the killer. Caught in the scuffle?"

"Perhaps." He gave her a smile that she automatically returned for once. "And we have those other things that we found."

"Do tell what you've found, Black." Desmond appeared at their table and sat down imperiously, his dark hair ruffling as he tossed his head.

Christian's eyes narrowed. "You'll know when everyone else does, Desmond."

"Everyone knows that Lake did it, the jealous bastard. When are you going to arrest him?" Desmond drummed his fingers on the table.

"There's no evidence that Lake did it."

"You are the only ones that refuse to see the truth. Pretty obvious, even for a simpleton." He gave Christian a once-over. "Or maybe you don't know what you're doing after all. I'm going to be a barrister. Perhaps I should take over this investigation."

Kate watched, fascinated, as Christian relaxed against the back of his chair.

"No, you won't. I'll have you strung up under Section Three of the Runner's Code-for interfering with an investigation. Nasty business being prosecuted for Section Three, don't you agree, Mr. Kaden?"