Millington barely managed to push her out of the
way when Lovecraft attacked. He knocked down three men, and broke
another’s arm. You think that’s not threatening?”
“ Miss Radcliffe?” she murmured, slamming to a halt. “Did he
attack her?”
“ Tried to.”
They stared at
each other.
Perry’s mind
raced. Was she correct? Did Lovecraft come to the theatre to get
revenge on the person who’d shot Hobbs? Or had he not truly
understood what she’d been trying to ask?
Was it Miss Radcliffe ?
She too had
motive. A prime new role as lead actress, and the only proof that
Rommell had a hand in the disappearance, had come directly from her
pretty lips.
Had that
entire story earlier been something that the actress had made up? A
way to cast suspicion on the lord? After all, Miss Radcliffe was an
actress. Maybe the tears had been feigned?
Perry’s gut twisted in doubt. If it was a lie, then the woman
was one hell of an actress. Perry could
have sworn those tears had been real, but how could she tell
Garrett that? He already thought her hare-brained, for thinking that Lovecraft wasn’t a threat to her.
If she tried to tell him her suspicions about Miss Radcliffe -
after all of their previous arguments - he’d no doubt think Perry
was trying to stir trouble again.
“ Can you track him by scent?” Garrett asked. He knew how good
her senses were.
Perry
hesitated - then slowly shook her head. “No. I can’t smell
anything.”
Which was a
lie, but if she were going to talk to Lovecraft then she needed to
do it alone. He would be too frightened of anyone else, and she
knew Garrett didn’t believe her.
“ Let’s get back to the theatre,” she said.
“And see how Miss Radcliffe is
faring.”
And
afterwards, she’d see if she could pick up the scent trail that she
could sense.
The theatre
was bedlam.
Fear and excitement tainted the air, and it seemed the entire
acting troupe had emerged from whichever little hole in the theatre
belonged to them, to see what all of the fuss was about. The room was abuzz with
talk that the pursuit had lost Lovecraft, as he circled back around near
the theatre.
He could be
anywhere nearby. Perry’s fingers twitched as everyone whispered
about it.
Lord Rommell
was furious. “You knew this creature?” he demanded, stepping
forward just enough to make her uncomfortable.
Perry found
her back against the theatre wall. “I encountered him yesterday.
He... he’s some kind of anomaly but I don’t believe he meant any
harm–”
“ Perhaps you shouldn’t form such assumptions,” Rommell
replied. “Without an actual basis to your theory besides feminine intuition.” He
actually turned his back on her, focusing on Garrett. “I want a
search mounted. I want this... this creature found. It’s quite
evident he has something to do with Nelly’s disappearance, and this
incompetence is not what I’m paying the Guild for. If I hadn’t
stepped in when I did, it would have torn poor Miss Radcliffe to
pieces!”
“ My lord.” Garrett’s lips thinned. “Of course we plan to mount
a search.” Those blue eyes locked on her. He’d made it clear he
thought the same way Rommell did, about Lovecraft. “I’ll send for
reinforcements from the Guild. We’ll track him down.”
Perry looked
away. It was bad enough for Rommell to be questioning her
competence, but Garrett hadn’t even made one sound of protest. He’d
always backed her when people challenged her in the past, and
something ached in her chest that he didn’t this time.
Was she wrong?
Was Lovecraft a threat to her?
She couldn’t
even fathom it. He seemed so childlike to her, more frightened of
the world than it was of him - which was a considerable amount
indeed. He had the size and capacity to do great violence, but she
just couldn’t see it being intentional, no matter what had occurred
here earlier. He seemed to react only out of fear and pain.
Garrett
offered his arm to Miss Radcliffe, who was
Elizabeth Reyes
Carol Grace
Caroline Moorehead
Steele Alexandra
J. G. Ballard
Aimie Grey
Jean Flowers
Robin Renee Ray
Amber Scott
Ruby Jones