Mr. Wicket continued on, blithely unaware. "Lake expressed interest in attending. Nice to have some crosstown interaction, even if he is on the opposing team." Mr. Wicket chuckled at his own joke.

Christian and Kate excused themselves minutes later and headed back to the dining room. Lake was speaking earnestly to Mary. The girl was blushing. Desmond was at a table across the room with a scowl on his face.

"It all comes back to Lake, doesn't it?" Kate muttered.

Christian shook his head as he watched Lake and Mary and noted minute gestures of affection between them, gestures he had in the past avoided like the plague. "No, it all comes back to Mary."

Kate looked at him sharply, and he could see her mind start to churn. Before she could question him, Freewater scuttled over to them from his corner.

"I want to participate in your search of the rooms."

"What?" Kate looked incredulous.

"I want to help you search the rooms."

Christian narrowed his eyes as fierce triumph and irritation warred within him.

Kate shook her head. "I'm sorry, sir, but that is just not-"

"Why do you want to help?"

Kate looked at Christian in shock as he abruptly cut off her explanation. He was staring at Freewater, his gaze shrewd. After hearing his contemplative thought about Mary, Kate's mind was in turmoil. That Freewater should suddenly pop up like a child's toy was disconcerting.

Freewater straightened importantly. "I want to help your investigation."

"No you don't." Christian's tone was moderate, as if talking about the weather.

"What do you mean, no I don't?" Freewater blustered.

"I mean exactly what I said; you don't want to help investigate Janson's murder."

"Why else would I offer to help?"

"Did you lose something, Freewater?" Christian purred. Kate stared at him. His eyes were mocking, but there was something fierce and narrow behind the mocking.

"Didn't lose anything. There's just nothing to do in this blasted inn while we wait to be set free."

Christian examined his nails. "You can play cards or gossip with the others. You could hide away in your room as you did before, doing who knows what. We can't help you, Freewater, if you don't help us." He continued to examine his nails, his voice idle.

Freewater clenched his lips, his face turning purple. "Fine. A journal was stolen from me."

"Stolen?" Christian's eyes grabbed Freewater's. "Why would someone steal your journal?"

Freewater hesitated before answering. He seemed to be waging an internal battle. "Because the journal was valuable. Priceless."

"Oh yes? What did the journal contain?"

"It was a private account."

"A gentleman's account? Why would that be valuable, or priceless, as you say?"

Freewater gritted his teeth. "The gentleman has a lot to lose should the journal fall into the wrong hands."

"Sounds like the journal already did." Christian's eyes were icy, and Kate, already feeling as if she was missing something, grew more suspicious. Christian seemed to notice her reaction, even though his eyes never left Freewater's. He gave a small negative gesture with his hand and she stayed silent.

"The journal was given to me," Freewater sniffed.

"By the owner?"

"Yes," he said, but Kate noticed Freewater's left eye twitch.

"Describe it."

"Dark brown leather, about a fingernail thick, gold embossed."

"What name is engraved?"

"Darton." The name was ripped from Freewater's throat. Kate thought it sounded vaguely familiar, but couldn't place it. She watched Christian's eyes turn hard, and she had a feeling that while she might not be able to place the name, Christian certainly could.

"Hmmm...we haven't come across a journal of that description so far, have we, Mr. Kaden?"

She shook her head.

"That is why I should be involved as well," Freewater said.

"We can't have you involved in the investigation, Mr. Freewater."

"But-"

"It would compromise the entire process. It's against Runner's Code Section Forty-one. Firm statute, that one."

Kate had no idea what Christian was talking about, and she thought Christian probably didn't either. He seemed quite capable of making things up on the spot, however.

"I need that journal!"

"We will see if we can't find your missing journal, Freewater. We will, of course, inform you, should we find it."

Kate thought that from the look on Christian's face and the tone of his voice that was very unlikely, but Freewater tersely nodded.

"I will pay handsomely for its safe return."

"Excellent. That will encourage faster results."

Freewater seemed to think that it would too, since he nodded.

He shuffled off to his dark corner and Christian smirked.

"What was that about?" she hissed.

"Why, nothing, nothing at all. We'll attempt to find Freewater's journal, just as I said we would."

"But what do you know of it?"

"Tut, tut, Kate, so suspicious. I know only what you do, that Freewater lost a journal that really belongs to someone else."

Daisy approached with a bean stew that smelled as tasty as the beef from the day before. Kate picked small slivers of the table's wood from her nails as Daisy touched and cooed over Christian. She curled her nails into her palms instead.

After an unbearably long time in which Kate shredded her bread to crumbs and nearly cracked her bowl with the force of her spoon thrust, Daisy finally swaggered off.

Ready to deliver a scathing comment, Kate pointed her spoon at Christian, whose eyes were smoothly mocking. "I really don't think-"

"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention?" Mr. Wicket interrupted, waving his stubby arms.

"You really don't think?" Christian mock whispered to Kate's half-delivered invective.

Kate glared as Mr. Wicket finally gained the attention of the room.

"I have just received an update from the men clearing the roads. Coaches and carriages may be running as early as tomorrow afternoon." Someone gave a little cheer. "Mr. Black will be continuing his investigation, searching rooms, and speaking to each of you, so please be polite and forthcoming so you can all be on your way tomorrow."

The little innkeeper was such a contradiction. On one hand he seemed to understand his patrons; on the other he seemed not to notice anything in his own household and village.

She glanced over to see Christian looking thoughtful and determined. They would be able to leave tomorrow, and that meant Christian Black would saunter right out of her life the same way he had sauntered in.

She swallowed.

They had the rest of the day and night and maybe tomorrow morning to discover the killer's identity; after that, the murderer might go free. A chill went through her, followed by steely resolve. She couldn't let that happen. This was something she could control, unlike all the other things in her life. She was finally doing something constructive. Justice could be served here, and she intended to see it happen.

Chapter 12.

Keep your wits about you. Your instincts will never lead you astray.

George Simon to Kate, age fourteen T hey searched Tiegs's room first, even though at this point they were looking less for actual evidence, which had most likely been hidden or destroyed, and more for indicators about the people and clues to the puzzle. When Christian had told Tiegs that his room was the next they would search, the man had given them a nonchalant wave of his hand. Kate had thought it odd, as secretive as Tiegs seemed.

One of his two bruisers followed them upstairs and watched intently as they searched through Tiegs's belongings.

With the big man standing at the door, arms crossed, hairless head gleaming in the firelight, Kate was less inclined to search than she had been at first. Christian seemed to take the behemoth's presence in stride, even going so far as to ask if the man was nervous that they might find his lace undergarments.

The man hadn't been amused.

"Look at this."

Kate glanced up to see Christian holding a bat. Crossing over, she touched the bat, and could see stains on the end. They appeared to be old stains, and the wood was nicked and chipped.

"Is Mr. Tiegs a cricket player?"

The bruiser grunted.

"I'll take that as a yes then."

"Perhaps that was why Tiegs was talking to Lake?" Kate murmured. No use giving the bruiser information for Tiegs to use in case he was the guilty party.

"It could also explain how Janson knew him."

"I'll ask Mr. Wicket."

Christian nodded.

She found a pocket watch next and showed it to Christian and whispered, "I was hoping the pocket watch we found on Janson's body would be the one I saw that night, but I think this is the one I saw. This chain looks similar, even seeing it from a distance."

Christian just nodded his head.

Their search turned up a small arsenal of weaponry packed in a large trunk. Three rifles, four pistols, and a sword.

Kate thought she might give Tiegs a wider berth than she already had.

The bruiser remained in the room even as Christian and Kate proceeded across the hall to Olivia and Francine's room. Christian knocked lightly on the door.

"Oh, Mr. Black," Olivia purred as she wrapped one delicate hand around the oak frame. "I was wondering when you would make it to my room."

Kate gritted her teeth as Christian smiled brilliantly. "If it's not inconvenient, I was hoping to search your room? A mere formality, of course."

"Of course. Do come in now, but perhaps you would like to return later for a less formal search?" The woman's voice was smooth as satin, and Kate decided she hated that fabric.

"Perhaps," Christian replied easily.

Kate felt like throttling him. What was he thinking to flirt with one of their suspects? It's not as if she would normally care, but he was on this investigation with her, damn it. Least he could do was to act professionally.

"Do you mind if I watch you work? I have the utmost respect for you Runners. So strong, and brave, and strong." Kate saw the woman's fingertips run along the edge of Christian's arm, caressing his shirtsleeve. Wicked widow, indeed. Kate stumbled forward, and her flailing arm knocked the widow's hand off Christian's shirtsleeve.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry, madam."

Olivia barely spared her a look, instead continuing to send smoldering glances in Christian's direction as she regained his arm and tucked hers under his. Olivia's dress swished as she strolled with him farther into the room. One would think they were at a ball and not in a room that was at most seven paces long. Irritating man.

"Do tell me what you are looking for, Mr. Black? You won't have to search us, will you?" She put her free hand to her bodice and fingered the delicate lace.

Kate blinked in shock, speechless.

"We just might have to at that, Mrs. Trent."

"Do call me Olivia."

"And you may call me Christian."