The Diamond Thief by Sharon Gosling Page B

Thaddeus, as loath as you are to consider it, it would seem to me that Lord Abernathy must certainly be at the top of that list.”
    “Yes!” exclaimed the girl, leaping up. She turned to Thaddeus. “You see! Even he believes me!”
    “I didn’t say that – yet,” warned the Professor. “But what is clear to me is that both of you need this stone as badly as the other. So, I suggest you find a way to put aside your differences and work together, at least until you’ve found it. Thaddeus? Do you think you could do that?”
    Thaddeus couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “This is absurd! We’re taking police work into our own hands!”
    “And what else do you suggest?” asked Rémy. “That we go to the police, right now, without the jewel? How do you think that would turn out?” She walked towards him, her chin raised high, and stuck out her hand. “Shake hands with me. Shake, and I swear I will help you find the Darya-ye Noor.”
    “Thaddeus,” the Professor urged. “My boy, I believe this is the only way.”
    Thaddeus shut his eyes briefly. Then he reached out and shook Rémy’s hand firmly.
    “Good, good!” said the Professor, happily. “Now we’re getting somewhere. I’m sure it will take a while for you two to fully trust each other, but I think once you start working together instead of against each other, you’ll see that this makes sense.”
    Thaddeus wasn’t so sure and, from her face, neither was his new partner. But the Professor wasn’t listening. He’d obviously conjured up a plan.
    “Well,” said the Professor, “from Miss Brunel’s injuries, I think it is safe to say that trying to break into Lord Abernathy’s home is inadvisable, to say the least.”
    “Break in?” Thaddeus said, hardly able to believe what he was hearing. “We’re not breaking in to anyone’s house, let alone a lord’s!”
    “My dear Thaddeus, your integrity does you credit, I’ve often said that. But it also leads you to be a little… narrow-minded, at times.”
    “I don’t think it’s narrow-minded to want to uphold the law!”
    “Of course it isn’t,” his friend soothed, “but when others are not so scrupulous, sometimes the end justifies the means. You are looking for one thing, which does not belong to Lord Abernathy any more than it belongs to either of you. If it is not there, you take nothing. Yes? Yes. So, if you cannot break into this man’s house, you must find another way of reaching his inner sanctum. That is quite clear. And I think there is one person here who knows just how to do that.”
    There was a strained silence.
    “You mean me, don’t yer?” J piped up, fearfully. “You’re talkin’ about ‘is tunnels, ain’t yer?”
    “Yes, my dear young man, I am. You seem to know quite a good deal about all this. I suspect you may know a way in – a secret entrance, so to speak. Am I right?”
    J turned deathly pale, and shook his head. “I ain’t going near the place. Gives me the creeps, it does.”
    Thaddeus had no idea what they were talking about and said as much. “Tunnels? What tunnels?”
    “The old mines, Mister Rec. Abernathy – ‘e’s up to somethin’ down there.”
    “Mines? There aren’t any mines under London. Certainly not around here, at any rate.”
    The Professor crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows. “No? Are you sure about that?”
    “Well – of course I am! How could there be?”
    “Oh, you’d be surprised what you’ll find under this city, my boy. It’s been here a very, very long time. And more has disappeared into its foundations than people even knew existed.” The Professor turned back to J. “Well, my boy? Could you take these two down there? Safely, I mean?”
    As Thaddeus watched, J swallowed hard. “I – I don’t fink so, Mister Professor. I bin there once, and that was enough for me. It ain’t safe. I said I ain’t never going back, and I don’t want to, sir. I don’t want to.”
    Thaddeus rested a hand on his