Edward Cage swaggered out of his house and walked down the wide front steps toward the carriage.
Mr. Punch clasped the baby to his chest. “Clear the way, Chums.” He said. “I’m getting out of here.”
“Steady on, Mr. Punch.” Cecil snorted. “It’s no good. We’re surrounded.”
“How did this happen?” Adrienne asked nervously.
“Easy to answer, Missus,” Odo sneered. “I done got rid of that scrawny fella you had drivin’ ya.”
“If you’ve hurt him…” Cecil snarled.
“What are you gonna do about it?” Odo laughed.
“That’ll be all, Odo.” Edward said from behind the man. “You’ve done very well. Very well, indeed.”
“Thank you, Mr. Cage.” Odo smiled—his yellow teeth slick and cruel.
“”Why don’t you take the rest of the afternoon for yourself?” Edward winked.
“Thank you, Sir.” Odo nodded, scurrying off.
Edward leaned on the carriage and peered inside. “Forgive me for not being able to greet you more formally, Your Grace, but we’ve been at sixes and sevens around here ever since my son was abducted. We’ve not had a wealth of time for niceties and pomp.”
“Let us go,” Mr. Punch growled.
“Surely you’re not serious?” Edward chuckled. “Now, hand me my child.”
“I’d rather die.” Mr. Punch spat.
Robert shook his head. “Dear man, don’t say a word to him.”
“But, it’s true!” Punch said. “I’d rather die than give my boy to this man!”
“That can easily be arranged,” Edward smiled. “And, nothing would, frankly, give me more pleasure.”
Meanwhile, Charles carried Marjani to a small cot with a stained blanket in a greasy room behind the kitchen in the hotel.
“Marjani, please try to tell me what’s hurting you,” Charles pleaded.
Again, all Marjani could say was, “Marie.”
“Oh, we’re getting nowhere.” Charles shook his head. “I’m sorry, Marjani, but I’ve got to see what’s going on with the inspectors who have come to see about the murder of the Duke and Dr. Halifax. And, the baby, the poor baby. How will I tell Miss Allen?” Tears welled up in Barbara’s eyes.
Marjani reached up with a shaking hand and grabbed Charles’ coat. She pulled him toward her.
“They ain’t…” Marjani gasped. “They ain’t really.”
“What are you telling me?” Charles asked. “Are you saying that they’re not really dead?”
“Yes.” Marjani moaned.
“But?”Charles stammered.
“Trick…” Marjani croaked. “It’s a trick. Justice.”
“You’re trying to bring Iolanthe to justice?” Charles asked.
“Yes.” Marjani whispered.
“It’s up to me that the authorities continue to think that this was the work of Iolanthe Evangeline?”
“It is.” Marjani graoned.
“This—this illness of yours—is it part of the pantomime?”
“No.” Marjani said.
“What can I do for you?” Charles asked.
“Get M…” Marjani writhed in pain. “Marie Laveau.”
“I will.” Charles nodded. “As soon as I’m finished with the inspectors.”
Marjani rasped. “Thank you.”
“I’ll return.” Charles nodded.
“Hurry.” Marjani winced.
“I will.” Charles said as he exited. “I only hope I can get to Barbara before she hears of this.”
Meanwhile, Barbara cried as she stood over the body of Giovanni Iantosca. Blood trickled from his forehead from the wound left behind from the fireplace poker with which she’d struck him. Her thoughts immediately turned to her brother. “I’ve taken to hitting men with sticks. I’m just as bad as he is.” Barbara muttered to herself.
She gently kicked at Giovanni’s unconscious body with her toe. “I told you to leave me alone.” She whispered. Finding that he was truly unconscious, she belt down and put her hand on his chest to see if he was breathing. He was.
“I’ve got to get out of here.” Barbara said quickly, looking for her shoes.
Spotting her shoes near the sad little mattress of straw upon which she and Charles had slept, she rushed to put them on. “This is one time when it might have been helpful to have had Arthur around.” Barbara sighed.
Little did she know, but her husband was closer than she thought.
Arthur and Gerard were just arriving—via an opulent coach—in New Orleans.
“So, this is the famed Crescent City?” Gerard asked.
“Yes, I’ll thank you to address me as, ‘Sir.’” Arthur frowned.
“Ain’t nobody in here to hear me,” Gerard spat. “And, I ain’t really your valet.”
“We must keep up appearances.” Arthur answered.
“What for?” Arthur asked. “Now that we’re here, folk are gonna know ya. They know you ain’t no gentleman.”
“Not all of them.” Arthur snarled.
“Your wife is sure as hell gonna know.” Gerard laughed. “That’s why we’re here, ain’t it? To get her?”
“Not immediately, Gerry.” Arthur smirked. “Not when I got other things to do first.”
Did you miss Chapters 1-228? If so, you can read them here.
