A Christmas Odyssey by Anne Perry Page B

he can get hold of!” Squeaky said. “He doesn’t need a reason to lose his temper and kill someone!”
    “But there was another woman Niccolo used,” Crow argued. “Perhaps she was the one with the hazel-green eyes?”
    “Can we find her?” Henry asked eagerly. “Do you know her name? Anything about her?”
    “Rosa,” Crow said, yawning. “Apparently he hit her quite a bit. I asked if we could find her, but no one’s seen her recently.”
    “What does she look like?” Henry asked. “Shemust be somewhere. Perhaps she’s hiding because she knows what happened. Maybe she has a pimp who protects her … and he killed Niccolo, and Sadie just got in the way.” He looked at Squeaky. “Or maybe it has nothing to do with Sadie. What do you think?”
    Squeaky saw the hope in his eyes and hated to crush it. “Maybe,” he said reluctantly. “I suppose. But if nobody’s seen this woman, I don’t know how we’re going to find her.”
    “Look for her protector?” Henry suggested.
    “Pimp, that’s what you mean. The man who owns her.”
    Henry winced. “If you prefer.”
    “What if her pimp is Shadwell himself?” Squeaky asked, shifting his position because his legs were cramped. Hell, it was cold down here! He longed for the warmth of the Portpool Lane Clinic. “Do we want to go after him?” he added.
    “He’s the one with the opium, and probably the cocaine,” Henry pointed out.
    Then Squeaky had a sudden, wild idea, one that would really give them something to follow, if it were true. He leaned forward eagerly. “At first we didn’t know if it was Lucien or Niccolo who was murdered,” he said urgently. “We got different descriptionsof Sadie, so maybe we don’t know if it was Sadie who was killed, or this Rosa! Maybe nobody’s seen her for a few days because she’s dead!”
    Crow stared at him, his eyes wide. “Nobody’s seen Sadie either!” he argued, but he was leaning forward, wide awake now.
    “We don’t know that, ’cause we haven’t been looking for Sadie,” Squeaky pointed out.
    “But why would anyone kill Rosa?” Henry asked, clearly puzzled.
    “Well, maybe we should ask Lucien that.” Squeaky replied. “Maybe there’s a whole lot we should ask him, like exactly what he’s done for Shadwell lately. Who else has he brought down here? Maybe there’s someone in this we don’t even know about.” Squeaky drew in his breath and began again. “And let’s ask Lucien what he knows about this Shadwell, an’ make damn sure we get a straight answer this time. If Shadwell is Rosa’s pimp, is he Sadie’s too? And if he is, what does Lucien pay for her, and what else does he do to earn it?”
    “You are right.” Henry spoke before anyone else could. “We shall speak with Lucien again. However, I would be grateful if you would allow me to lead the questions.” He pulled himself to hisfeet, a little stiffly. He had been sitting on the hard floor for some time like the others. He was cold, and his muscles locked when he tried to pull his coat more closely around him. It flapped open now as he walked across to where Lucien was huddled, half asleep.
    Bessie looked up from where she sat with him, her face streaked with dirt, her eyes hollow. “I think ’e’s a bit better,” she said hopefully.
    Henry knelt down. “Good. Thank you. I’m afraid we must disturb him because we have questions.”
    She nodded.
    “Lucien,” Henry said firmly. “Sit up and pay attention. I need to talk to you, as do Crow and Squeaky. There are many questions that cannot wait any longer.”
    Lucien stirred and opened his eyes. His face was almost colorless and shadowed with bruises. His cheeks were gaunt, but even so he did not seem quite as deeply shocked as he had a day earlier.
    Henry moved to assist him in sitting up, and Bessie quickly helped him from the other side. He moved awkwardly and was queasy with pain, for a moment gagging as the wound in his side wasstretched and the dried blood