Ten Days in August (24 page)

He thought of everyone just then: Hank, Brigid, Charlie, little Edith, his other brothers and sisters, Julie, everyone at Bulgaria, Hank. This could very well be the end, with Knight bounding down the stairs to kill him or whatever he was going to do.

But then Hank called out, “Nicky!” again.

“Hank!” Nicky's voice sounded more like a wheeze than a shout.

But then the voice echoed through the basement. From his vantage point, face-down on the floor, Nicky couldn't really lift his head to see, but feet were slipping over the hard floor and running toward him. “Nicky, my God. Nicky. Are you all right?”

“I can't get up,” Nicky said.

“We don't have much time,” Hank said. “I need to get you out of here.”

Then Hank's arms encircled Nicky. It wasn't quite in the way he would have wanted, but it didn't matter. Hank scooped him up and carried him back toward the staircase. He cursed and murmured Nicky's name the whole way. Then he bounded up the stairs, jostling Nicky and making him realize how sore he was from sitting so long and then from falling on his chest. Nicky groaned, aching everywhere, but relieved Hank had come to rescue him after all.

Except they weren't out of danger.

“Knight is still in the house, isn't he?” Nicky asked.

“Not precisely.”

Nicky wanted to ask what was happening, but he didn't dare. Not yet. He could only hope they'd have time to discuss it later.

Hank paused at the top of the stairs. He looked around. “Front or back?”

“Just get me out of the house,” said Nicky.

Hank looked down at Nicky and met his gaze. He frowned. “Are you hurt? Did he hurt you?”

“I fell, but it was my own fault. Knight didn't do anything but threaten me.”

“Thank God. You're in pain, though?”

“It's really not so bad.”

“Out the front.”

Before Nicky knew what happened, Hank jogged through the house. It seemed like a nice house, though it was sparsely furnished. And worn around the edges, actually.

Why was he thinking this?

“Can you walk?” Hank asked.

“I think so.”

“Good. I have to put you down to get the front door open.”

Hank lowered Nicky to his feet. Nicky's knees were wobbly and it took him a moment to find his balance, especially since his hands were still bound. He swayed, but Hank grabbed him and pulled him close. Then he pulled the front door open. As they stepped through the door, Hank wrapped his arm around one of Nicky's.

There were two men in suits standing with Knight on the sidewalk, looking at a horse. “No, the shoe looks fine. The horse didn't throw it,” Knight was saying, “but I don't see what—”

“I got him,” Hank announced.

Knight turned around and looked back at Hank, his jaw dropping. His face shifted from surprised to angry in an instant, his eyebrows coming together and his mouth forming a scowl. He took a step back toward his stoop and raised his fist. “Brandt! I should—”

But then one of the suited men grabbed Knight's arm. “Brigham Knight, you are under arrest.”

Nicky had no idea how to react. He stood there stupidly, watching as the two men wrestled Knight into a cab. One of them poked his head out of the cab window. “Can you get back to headquarters on your own?”

“I'll figure it out,” Hank shouted back.

“Round up Ritchley and the kid, too. We'll meet you back at Ritchley's desk after we process this fella. Driver! To the Tombs. Hop to!”

It all happened so fast, Nicky's head spun.

Hank moved behind him and started to work on the bindings around Nicky's wrists. Nicky winced and grunted as the ropes rubbed against the raw areas of skin, but when the bindings finally loosened it was the sweetest relief.

Then, suddenly, Hank's arms surrounded him again, wrapped him up tightly and pressed his body against Hank's chest.

“Oh,” Nicky said. “Hank, I missed you too, but we're in plain view of everyone on this street.”

“I have been looking for you nonstop since last night. I am going to hold you. Bully to what anyone thinks.”

Nicky melted against Hank. It felt nearly as good to be held as it did to finally have his arms free. So he wrapped those arms around Hank and that felt even better. “Since last night?”

“Knight proved difficult to track down. But thank God I found you before any further harm came to you.”

“My wrists are likely bleeding into your shirt.”

“I have other shirts.”

So Nicky closed his eyes and let himself be held. Even in the heat, even in full view of whoever might be walking down the street, it felt good to be held. Nicky was dizzy as his anxiety began to seep away.

Hank stroked Nicky's back. “Are you sure you're all right? Knight didn't try anything with you?”

“He wanted to. He never got the chance, I suppose. I'm a little sore from being tied up, but I'll be all right. Honestly.” Nicky took a deep breath. Their sweaty bodies were . . . fragrant together. Nicky didn't much mind. “You really searched for me since last night?”

“From the moment I realized Knight had left the Pit. I knew in my gut he had taken you. I spent the whole night searching all over town for you.”

Nicky grasped onto Hank's back. “Why?”

“Why did I try to find you?” Hank squeezed Nicky harder. “Because somehow, in a mere nine days, you have become the most important person in my life. I don't know what I would have done if Knight had hurt you, or worse. I kept imagining you violated or dead and I raced to get to you before that happened. I am so relieved I made it.”

Nicky's chest fluttered. “Oh, Hank. You made it. I'm glad you did. I worried you wouldn't.” Nicky leaned away. “Where am I, anyway?”

“Downtown. A couple of blocks from Trinity Church. Knight kept a house here. I suppose it's his little, ah, pied-à-terre.”

“The place he took his male lovers, in other words.” Nicky turned out of Hank's arms and looked at the front door. “How did you get into the house?”

“Through the neighbor's house. They allowed us to get access through the backyard. I had to climb a fence.”

Nicky laughed, more out of relief than mirth. “I'm impressed.”

“I snuck through a back door and down to the basement while my colleagues distracted Knight. I left Andrew and Charlie next door, so I should go retrieve them. Then, alas, we must adjourn to Police Headquarters or the nearest precinct so I can record your version of what happened, or most of it anyway. We'll have to be careful about what you say. But I believe with the help of you and Charlie, we have enough to keep Knight behind bars for a very long time.”

“That's good.”

Hank nodded quickly and then turned to go down the stairs.

“Hank?”

Hank turned back.

“Before everything gets crazy, I just want to say something.”

“All right.”

Nicky took a deep breath. What he had to say was difficult, and it made his chest hurt. “Since we were separated yesterday, I don't think a moment has passed in which I have not thought of you. I don't know how we will manage what is to come, but I do know I do not want us to be separated again.”

“Nor I,” said Hank.

That reassured Nicky. “You're the most important person in my life, as well. It should not be possible, but I have fallen in love with you.”

Hank's face went through an odd transformation, where his eyebrows rose and fell and his lips pursed and Nicky feared for a moment he'd taken it too far and Hank was disappointed.
Too much too soon.
Or Nicky was wrong, because who could fall in love in nine days?

But then Hank said, “I love you, too, Nicky. We'll find a way, all right? I don't know how, but we will.”

Reassured, Nicky nodded. Then his knees went out.

Before he fell, Hank rushed up the steps and caught him.

“Perhaps I still need help.”

“Let's go get Andrew and Charlie so we can take care of everything. Perhaps I can have the police surgeon look at you.”

“I think I'm all right.”

“Still. You've had a rough time.”

“Yes.”

Hank helped Nicky down the stairs. “It is nearly over.”

“Yes. Let us put it all behind us.”

 

Nicky and Charlie were deep in conversation on the other side of the room. Hank glanced up at them periodically, still worried about Nicky, although he had to finish filing his report before he could take Nicky home.

Andrew sat beside him, ostensibly to help him with the report.

“I solved this,” Hank said. “There is not a doubt in my mind Brigham Knight is responsible for the murders on the Bowery. However, I am not altogether sure I can prove it, nor am I certain the city will even want to prosecute.”

“It is difficult to predict,” Andrew said. “They may decide they don't want the bother of prosecuting one of Mrs. Astor's Four Hundred. They may decide the murder of a few male prostitutes was a boon to the city. Or they may decide to make an example of a wealthy sodomite and others like him who enjoy slumming as if the neighborhoods of Lower Manhattan were a tourist attraction.”

“Yes,” said Hank.

“As a well-regarded police inspector, even an acting one, you have some clout, though I am sad to say Stephens is convinced he has some evidence of impropriety against you. At minimum, he thinks you were overzealous in your pursuit of this particular killer. I think he intends to publicly allege you took improprieties with a witness.”

Stephens meddling in his affairs was the last thing Hank needed. He wondered how much traction Stephens could get. Certainly a goody two-shoes like Stephens would get the attention of Theodore Roosevelt and other members of the police leadership, certainly more so than Hank, who they tolerated because he got results rather than respected, or so it seemed to Hank.

“In other words,” Hank said, “It may be for naught.”

Andrew shook his head. “I am honestly not sure.”

Sherwood and Polk walked in then. Polk sat on the edge of the desk Hank occupied and said, “You may feel gratified to learn one Brigham Knight is currently enjoying life as an inmate at the Tombs.”

That did make Hank feel somewhat better. “I cannot thank you gentlemen enough for your help in this matter.”

“Well, as he seems guilty of what he's been accused of,” said Sherwood, “I must say I am pleased to be of service.”

“It is a difficult case to prove,” said Hank. “First of all, it is difficult to explain how I even knew to look for Nicky without implicating myself. But more to the point, Nicky was tied up in the basement when I found him and he has a few bruises but nothing serious. All we really succeeded in gathering evidence-wise is that Knight is guilty of kidnapping a man. Charlie can testify to one of his other crimes.” Hank glanced back to where Charlie and Nicky were talking. He decided it would be inappropriate to disclose the nature of Knight's crime against Charlie. “But as for the murders themselves, I have no evidence to prove Knight was the killer beyond Nicky's assertion that Knight was the last person seen with one of the victims. I believe him, but that's hardly incontrovertible evidence. Any defense lawyer worth his salary will poke holes in my case at trial.”

Sherwood frowned. “I suppose most lawyers may rely on the, er, unsavory nature of the victims and the circumstances under which they were killed. If he were charming enough, he might convince the jury Mr. Knight is a hero.”

Hank let out a breath. It was frustrating to be in this position. A flimsy case, a personal involvement with said case, and a partner who had no interest in seeing him succeed was not a strong position to be in.

Unfortunately, there was not much Hank could do now but wait to see how everything played out.

The only other thing for certain was Hank's life had changed irrevocably since taking on this case.

Day 10

Thursday, August 14
The Heat Wave Breaks

C
learly some calamity had befallen the front door to Hank's house, given all the pounding. Somewhat terrified the whole of the New York Police Department would bang their way into the foyer, he ran down the stairs. It wasn't the police. It was Nicky, who had left Hank's bed a few hours before with a key to the house, now pushing through the front door with several trunks. Charlie and Andrew brought up the rear with more trunks.

“What is going on?” Hank asked, not sure if he wanted an answer.

“Well, darling, if it is not obvious, I'm moving here.”

“You're doing what?”

Andrew and Charlie lay down the last trunks in the foyer. Andrew glanced at Hank, and then back at the front door. “Hey, I need to be back at Police Headquarters, so . . .”

“Oh, I'll go with you,” said Charlie.

“Subtle,” said Hank.

Andrew gave Hank a salute and then took Charlie's arm and left the house. When the front door closed, Hank looked at Nicky.

“This was the best solution,” Nicky said. “We found a boarding house on Twenty-first Street willing to take in my father for very little rent if he agreed to chip in with the household chores. So now Brigid and Antonio and their kids are moving into my apartment because I'm moving out. She swears they will pay the rent on it, even though they can't afford it. We'll split it, maybe, I don't know. But they're moving in this afternoon, so I had to get all my gowns out of the apartment.”

Hank looked around at the four trunks now piled in the foyer. “All right. So you came here?”

“I'm your new boarder.”

“Nicky.”

“I know it is a great imposition. I acted rashly and I should have talked about it with you first. But after yesterday, I thought perhaps . . . well, that is to say . . .”

“You want to live with me?” Hank asked.

“Yes, my love. I do. I know the arrangement is perhaps a bit unorthodox. But I love you and I want us to be together, and I want Brigid to be all right, so this was the best solution I could come up with.”

Hank was startled but not altogether opposed to the plan. “I must say this is a surprise. Then again, this is a lot of house for a bachelor. I suppose another person living here might fill it up better.”

Nicky let out a little squeal and then launched himself into Hank's arms. Hank laughed as he caught Nicky, and then he hugged him tight. Honestly, he loved Nicky and welcomed the opportunity to see him more often.

“Oh, Hank,” Nicky said. “You will not regret this, I promise. I will be the best houseguest you ever had.”

“I thought you were my boarder.”

“Whatever you wish, darling.”

Hank held Nicky as he looked around at the trunks. He ran through the rooms of his house mentally, trying to determine how best to accommodate this new situation. “There's a second bedroom upstairs where you could store your things. That will be your room for appearance's sake. Not that I get many visitors.”

“I appreciate that.” Nicky leaned back and grinned. “Thank you for not getting angry about this.”

Hank couldn't keep the smile off his face. He stepped forward and pulled Nicky closer into his arms. “I'm not angry. Like I said, I'm happy to have you.”

“You didn't say that.”

“Well, I mean it.” Hank sighed, not wanting to pull away. “I have to be at Police Headquarters very soon for a meeting, but you may arrange your things upstairs in the room across the hall from the master bedroom. I am sure you will find a way to organize it to your liking. And you have a key now, so if you need to leave, you may at your whim.”

Nicky sighed heavily against Hank. “Thank you.”

“Are you working tonight?”

Nicky hesitated before speaking. “Well, normally yes, but I haven't been to sing in a few days, obviously, so I am not even certain I'd be welcome there anymore.” He took a deep breath. “Do you want me to work there? Assuming I still have a job, that is.”

“I want you to do whatever you want. If you want to work there, if you still need to be Paulina, then do it. If you want to get another job, that is all right, too. Do what is best for you.”

“Really?”

“You said you needed Paulina. I would never force you to quit.”

Nicky leaned against Hank. “I love you, darling.”

Hank stroked his back. “You have freedom, Nicky. I don't need rent because I own the house. I'd just need a bit for upkeep and food. So if you need to pay rent on your apartment still, that is all right. If you don't want to work at Bulgaria, then find something else.”

“Or I could be your kept man.”

Hank laughed. “You may do anything you like as long as you stay in my life.”

“I will.”

“Good. Now I really need to get going or I am going to be late for my meeting.”

“Is the meeting regarding Mr. Knight?”

“No, but that is something else I shall have to manage today.” Hank wasn't looking forward to the scheduled meeting or to figuring out how to keep Brigham Knight behind bars. He knew his case was thin and he'd be hard-pressed to keep a man of such wealth incarcerated for more than a few days before Knight hired some fancy lawyer to spring him. If he hadn't already. Hank had Knight on kidnapping, but the murders would be difficult to make stick with such flimsy evidence. Hank trusted Nicky with his life, but at the end of the day, Nicky was a former prostitute and current female impersonator and would hardly stand up as a compelling witness in a court of law. Nor would Hank be able to explain how he came to pursue the case without fudging the truth, which he didn't want to do, either.

Which meant the kidnapping charges might be difficult to make stick as well.

And that didn't even compare to what revealing all of Nicky's dirty laundry to a courtroom would entail. Hank could hardly imagine it. Any lawyer worth his salt would impeach the characters of Nicky and Charlie—and Hank, most likely—before flashily declaring an upstanding gentleman such as Mr. Knight could not possibly be guilty of the crimes of which he was accused, and any jury in this city would vote for acquittal before lunchtime.

So the case was impossible.

But Hank said none of this to Nicky. “I'll see you tonight, all right? Perhaps we can have dinner together before you head off into the night.”

Nicky pulled away and smiled. “That sounds quite pleasant. We may just domesticate each other.”

“That is fine with me,” said Hank.

 

When they left Hank's place, Andrew suggested to Charlie they walk uptown to police headquarters.

Andrew had a lot he wanted to say and no real way to articulate his feelings because he'd never quite been in this position before. Luckily, Charlie spoke first.

“I just wanted to thank you for all you've done for me this week,” Charlie said. “You didn't have to help me, but you did, and I will be grateful forever.”

“It was no trouble.”

“Andrew. You gave me a place to sleep when I needed it. You found me a job at the police department which, trust me, is the last thing I expected. I've walked into Police Headquarters every morning for the last few days wondering how this became my life. That is, just a few days ago, I was still servicing men in the backroom at Bulgaria, but everything is different now.”

Andrew preferred not to recall that time. He knew he shouldn't be jealous, but he felt a pang just the same whenever he thought of all those men who'd had Charlie before. Andrew swallowed and said, “I wanted to help you. It was my pleasure, honestly.”

“About that,” Charlie said. “You never even asked me for anything in exchange for your help. You are . . . you are an angel.”

Andrew barked out a laugh. “Hardly.” He sighed. “I mean, if I'm honest, part of my motivation for helping you is I think you quite handsome. That first night I met you, I found you striking.”

“Yes, but many other men would have taken me in and then used me. You never did.”

Andrew couldn't keep the blush off his face at the memory of some of what had transpired since Charlie had more-or-less moved into his apartment uptown. It certainly wasn't nothing. They had been sharing a bed for a few days now and were attracted to each other. Nature had taken its logical course.

“Well,” said Andrew. “Perhaps not too forcefully.”

Charlie smiled. “Andrew, anything that has happened between us is something I chose. Do you know how much freedom you have given me? You got me this job and I'm making money enough to support myself. I don't have to work for Julie anymore or service men unless I choose to. That is such a gift. You can't know how much it means to me.”

“You could have quit at anytime.”

“Yes, but no one wants to hire a washed-up working boy. I've tried getting other jobs. I'm too weak to build houses. I'm not smart enough to work in an office. I don't read well. There's not much I can do. But now I can work at the police department. Because of you.”

“As a runner.”

“I don't need a glamorous job. This is work I can do.”

Andrew thought the work was beneath him and Charlie could do better, but perhaps his perceptions were not quite accurate. Charlie
was
smart, and could be taught to read better in order to get an even better job within the police department. Then again, as long as he wasn't working in Club Bulgaria or making money by letting men use his body, he was doing well enough for Andrew.

“What are your plans, now the heat seems to be breaking?” Andrew asked. They crossed the street and had to dodge a wayward pushcart that smelled of rotten fish.

Charlie paused. “Do you want me to leave your apartment?”

“What? No. Stay as long as you want. But aren't your things still at your boarding house?”

Charlie squirmed uncomfortably, twisting his hands together. “Well, it has been so long since I've been there the landlord has likely thrown away my things and rented my room to somebody else. I didn't have much there beyond some clothes. I had a uniform when I worked at Bulgaria, you know? But I suppose I don't need those clothes anymore.”

“Hopefully you have enough income from the police department to buy all new clothes.”

“Are you sure I am not imposing on you. I could find another boarding house, or make other arrangements, or—”

“No. Stay with me as long as you like.” Andrew's voice came out sounding more harsh than intended. “That is, if you want to find another housing arrangement, I shall not stop you, but if you want to live with me, you may stay for as long as you feel comfortable there.”

“You are a good man, Andrew Ritchley. Far better than I deserve.”

“Stop saying things like that.” Andrew felt the heat come to his face again.

“I shall be honored to be your guest for as long as you'll have me, and I promise to work hard at my job at the police department. I will earn my keep, I swear.”

Andrew trusted Charlie would. “Than I shall continue to enjoy your company.”

Charlie smiled, and it was innocent and bashful in a way that broke Andrew's heart. “I want to be with you in every way possible,” he said.

“I as well.”

Charlie practically beamed. “In all my years, I never expected—”

“Neither did I, and I've lived an entirely different sort of life from you. Let us not linger on the impossibility of what we've found and merely enjoy it.”

Charlie laughed. It was a sound like a burst of joy.

 

Of all the decisions Nicky had ever had to make, the one to give up his apartment to Brigid and move in with Hank was among the easiest, but the one regarding keeping his job at Bulgaria was the hardest. He was thrilled Hank understood his odd need to keep performing as Paulina, but Paulina didn't need to be exclusive to Club Bulgaria.

Staying inside Hank's house felt safe, but Nicky knew he needed to at least determine if he still had a job. It seemed likely Julie would make the decision for him.

Shortly after Hank left for his meeting, before even unpacking much, Nicky dressed in a neatly-pressed gray suit, donned his favorite red scarf, and walked east to Club Bulgaria.

It was a relief to find it was not so hot outside as it had been. That at least meant the walk was not physically taxing, though Nicky still worried his heart would beat out of his chest. Something had changed during the ten days since Hank had entered his life, and it wasn't just that he'd fallen in love; something inside him had changed as well.

Perhaps that was why the grand entrance to Club Bulgaria seemed tawdry now instead of sexy and exciting the way it had when Nicky had first gone to work there. The lobby floor was scuffed, the red rug that led to the ballroom worn and threadbare, the walls peppered with fingerprints and what were likely shoe polish stains. In the daylight, it was filthy and smelled vaguely of rotten food and urine. It wasn't exciting and illicit the way it once was, but Nicky suspected it had always looked just like this—he'd been too thrilled to be a part of it to notice.

He found Julie in his office, poring over ledgers.

“Ah, Mr. Sharp. Nice of you to finally join us again.”

“I can only offer my sincerest apologies. I've been detained the last few days.” Nicky debated how much to tell Julie. “I imagine some parts of my tale will surface in the papers, in fact.”

“Bah,” said Julie, shaking his hands in Nicky's direction. “When you didn't show up two nights ago, I had to find other entertainment. You must know by now, men who wear dresses are not as hard to come by as you'd think. This fellow calls himself Claudia, though his voice is not nearly as good as yours. Still, he was here and you were not, so I promised him the evening show for the rest of the week.”