The Mermaid in the Basement (42 page)

Sir Leo simply smiled. “We will see, shall we not?”

“You don’t have any secret weapons, Leo.Why don’t you admit it and let the poor man confess everything, and we can all go home?”

“I don’t think it will happen that way.”

Greer shook his head and, going back to his desk, picked up his papers. As he stepped outside the courtroom, he saw Superintendent Winters. Winters moved toward him, asking, “How do you think it’s going?”

“Very well for the prosecution.”

Winters chewed his lower lip and sighed heavily as he said, “I feel sorry for the family.You know, Mr.Greer, one family member can destroy the rest. I can’t think what Sir Leo is going to put up for a real defense.”

“Oh, he has no defense to make. There’s no way he can deny the evidence we have. He’ll call in a whole parade of character witnesses. I’ve noticed he has put the Viscountess Trent on the list.”

“I suppose just as a character witness for her brother.”

“What else could she be there for?”

“Well, without giving away any secrets, Allen, she’s playing detective.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“She’s been scraping around trying to find some sort of evidence that would free her brother. Made a regular nuisance of herself. If she weren’t a viscountess, I would have stopped her long ago.”

Greer grinned. “You can’t afford to offend any of the nobility, can you,William? I mean, after all, the gossip is that you’re right on the brink of receiving your knighthood.”

“I can’t speak about that.”

“Oh, of course not. But after you become
Sir
William, things will be different.”

Winters shook his head and looked rather downcast. “I’ve told you before, Allen.My wife is more ambitious than I am. I’d be content to stay at the Yard as superintendent, but she has political ideas. She wants me in the House of Lords. Not what I would like”—he grinned ruefully—“but we have to humour our wives, don’t we now?”

“I don’t.”

“Oh, that’s right. You don’t have a wife.”

“Well, there are times when I wish—” He broke off suddenly and said, “I’ll be interested to see what the defense has. We’ve got this case nailed down, and I need a victory.”

“Good publicity, eh? Especially with as spectacular a case as it is. Well, you needn’t worry.We’ll win this one.”

Serafina had hurried down for breakfast so that she could meet Dylan by eight o’clock and the two could continue their search. She was met by Louisa, her maid, who said, “There’s a letter for you, ma’am.”

“A letter? The post hasn’t come yet.”

“No, ma’am, it was slipped under the door.”

Serafina took the envelope. Written on it in capital letters was her name:
Viscountess Serafina Trent.
The writing was blunt and blocky, impossible to recognise.Moving toward the smaller of the two dining rooms, she opened the envelope and pulled out a single sheet of paper. On it were written the words:
If you don’t stop trying to get your brother off, something very
bad is going to happen to your son. This is all the warning you will receive.

A chill suddenly ran through Serafina. She stopped dead and read the message again, her hands unsteady.

“Is it bad news, Viscountess?”

“Oh, Louisa, never mind. I’m going to skip breakfast this morning.” She moved to the hallway, picked up a cloak that she kept there, donned a hat, and left the house. Albert had the carriage all ready, and she said quickly, “Take me to Mr. Tremayne’s house, please, Albert.”

“Yes, Viscountess.”

Serafina got into the carriage and leaned back. She put the letter back in the envelope and held tightly to it. The warning had shaken her in a way that she had never experienced before. She considered the idea of going to the Yard and telling Superintendent Winters or Mr. Grant what had happened, but she finally decided she would see Dylan first.

When she reached his house, she did not wait for Albert to help her. “Wait for me, Albert. I don’t know how long I’ll be.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

Serafina entered the house, walked to Dylan’s room, and knocked on the door. He opened it almost immediately, and she said, “Dylan, something’s happened.”

Dylan stepped aside and scanned Serafina’s face. She was more troubled than he had ever seen her. “What is it, Viscountess?”

“It’s this.” Serafina handed the note to Dylan, and he opened it and read it swiftly. “We must be getting close, Serafina. Whoever sent this knows what we’ve been doing.”

“I don’t know what to do.We need to find this woman Sadie, or Clive will die.” She looked up, and fear was reflected in her violet eyes. “But I can’t risk David’s life.”

“No, you can’t do that,”Dylan said.He stood there for a moment and then said, “We must protect David, but we’re the only hope Clive has.”

Serafina seemed incapable of clear thought. It was a new experience for her, but then she had never had her child threatened before. “I—I don’t know what to do!”

A decision came to Dylan. “I think I have something that will answer.

Don’t be afraid!”

“I can’t help it.”

“Be of good courage. The Lord will strengthen your heart. I know you don’t believe that now, but I do. So I’ll just believe for both of us. Is your carriage outside?”

“Yes.”

“Follow me, then. I think there’s something we can do.”

Serafina realised at that instant how dependent she had become upon Dylan. She, who had never wanted to depend on anybody and had prided herself on her ability to handle problems, suddenly felt as helpless as a child. She went outside, and as Dylan handed her into the carriage, she heard him give an address to Albert. Then he got in beside her and turned to face her as the carriage started out. “We’ve got to protect David, and we can’t stay with him all the time and hunt for the witness, but there’s one thing we can do. Some time ago I met a man called Lorenzo Pike. He was an expert thief and never once was caught. I knew what he was, though, and somehow we became friends. Lorenzo’s wife grew very ill. I went to visit them many times, and while I was there sharing the Gospel with her, Lorenzo listened. To make a long story short, Lorenzo gave his heart to the Lord, and he’s been a miracle to watch.”

“Did he . . . stop being a burglar?”

“Indeed, he did! He bought into an establishment that sells and repairs locks and safes. He was good at that, him. He didn’t need any education whatsoever. He has a friend called Yago the Gyp. He’s a gypsy.

He was Lorenzo’s accomplice, but Lorenzo, after he found the Lord, bore witness to Gyp, and he also gave his heart to Christ, and now the two men are in business together.”

“But how can they help us?”

“They were both thieves and they had to be experts to stay out of prison as long as they did. Their hearing is exceptional, they can see like eagles, and they’re strong, tough men, able to handle any sort of trouble. I’m going to ask them, with your permission, that is, if they will be David’s bodyguards while the trial lasts.”

“You’ll have to think for us, Dylan,” Serafina whispered. “I can’t think for myself, it seems.”

He gave her a look filled with compassion, but his own eyes were bright with anger. “It’s sad you are, and so am I—but I’m angry as well. I fight against being angry, but when I think of someone harming David, my heart is filled with murder. Deep down I’ve got fire like an inferno, and I can feel it rising to my brain. I want to take the man who wrote this note and drive a sword through his heart!”

Serafina was watching Dylan with something like shock. She whispered, “I feel something like that.”

Taking a long breath, Dylan said, “It’s going to be all right.”He spoke of how able the two men were until they pulled up in front of a locksmith shop. “Lorenzo and his wife live above the shop with their three children. The shop won’t be open because Lorenzo has a religious service at this time every week.”

“We’ll have to wait until it’s over,” Serafina said rather timidly.

“Not at all. We’ll just join right in. Come you now.” He stepped down, helped her out, and said, “There’s a pub down the street, Albert. Go get yourself something to eat.We’ll be a little while here.” He flipped a coin up, and Albert caught it expertly. “Thank you, sir.”

As they went up the stairs that led to the apartment over the shop, Serafina heard singing.

“They’ve already started.”

“Can’t we wait out here?”

“No, we’ll go inside. It’ll be fine.”

The two knocked on the door, and it was answered by a large woman with a broad face and a generous mouth. Her eyes lit up at the sight of Dylan. “Why, it’s you, Mr. Tremayne. Come in.We’ve just started.”

“This is Viscountess Serafina Trent, Dorcas. Viscountess, this is Mrs.

Dorcas Pike.”

“I’m happy to meet you, ma’am. Come inside, and you can join in the service. I suppose it’s Lorenzo you’ll be wanting to see.”

“Yes, but we can wait.”

Serafina accompanied him into a very large room that was packed with people. At least thirty people were there, and several of them had instruments—a trumpet, a zither, a bass drum. She glanced at them, then put her eyes on a dark-featured man with black curly hair seated at a small organ.

Every eye turned to them, and Lorenzo Pike announced in stentorian tones, “Well, bless my soul, it’s me dear friend Dylan Tremayne and his lady! Come in, beloved saints!” Pike was a very large man with merry blue eyes. Turning to the congregation, he boomed, “This ’ere is the dear servant of God that wot taught me of my wicked ways and led me to Jesus.

Hallelujah! He’s an actor now, but we must forgive ’im for his ungodly callin’, for God can use even an actor.”

“This is Serafina Trent, Lorenzo.” Dylan grinned. “She’s not an actress, I must say.”

“Sister, we welcomes you to the meeting of the Church of the Living God.” Lorenzo was wearing his best, a grey suit with a colourful red tie, and his hair was slicked down. He was obviously tremendously strong.

His voice boomed, filling the room.

“Dearly beloved, let us rejoice that our dear brother and sister have found their way and that they, too,will have a home in the New Jerusalem.

They will be there with all the saints when the rivers of water flow down from the throne.Hallelujah! Now then, we will sing the songs of Zion. Lift up your heads and your hearts and your voices, saints of God.”

The singing was like nothing Serafina had ever heard. The instrumentalists were not the most accomplished, but they were earnest and made up in volume what they lacked in skill.

The first hymn was one that Serafina had never heard. The voice of Lorenzo Pike rose mightily:

Come, all ye soldiers of Jesus the Christ,

Come march to glory!

Our foes are defeated,
The Lord He is King!

Come march to glory!

And then came the chorus, at which the bass drum almost drowned out the voices.

All praise to the King!

May He ever reign!

Praise His holy name forever!

Hallelujah! Hallelujah!

Oh, blessed be God
And the Lamb forever!

Serafina stood with the others, for they all remained standing, and did not know what to think of such a service. She had been in her youth, though not lately, to Anglican services, in which all was controlled and peaceful and in order. This group of people, most of them in poor dress, had faces shining with excitement. They lifted up their voices with enthusiasm, and this was obviously a thing of joy and a delight for them.

Serafina turned to watch Dylan and saw that he was enjoying himself immensely. She could not decide whether it was because he simply enjoyed this kind of service or because he was the kind of man who could fit into any situation. She suddenly decided it was the latter. He could behave at an Anglican church with all propriety, but here propriety didn’t seem to matter much.

Again and again different songs and hymns of praise filled the room, and despite herself Serafina was impressed by the earnestness these people had. She had never seen people who enjoyed their religion so much!

The song service ended, and Lorenzo Pike stood up. He evidently was the preacher of this group, and for thirty minutes he spoke, waving his arms, pumping them up and down, lifting them over his head, and quoting innumerable Scriptures, most of which she did not know. She also did not understand his sermon, because his text was from the book of Revelation, but over and over again she heard the refrain,“Praise to the Lord Jesus. Praise to the Lord Jesus.”

Finally the sermon was over, and she remained by Dylan’s side as the crowd filed out.Many of them came over to shake hands with the visitors.

Lorenzo came forward along with the organist. “Miss Trent, this is my good friend Yago, sometimes called the Gyp.He also has been washed in the blood of the Lamb and is now a servant of the King.”

“Happy to know you, ma’am,” Gyp said. He was a smaller man than Lorenzo, but his lean body looked very strong and able, and his eyes were sharp as gimlets.

“Did you get a blessing from the service,my sister?” Lorenzo demanded, smiling at Serafina.