“He’s not going anywhere, my lord.” Det. Gleason nodded to Bart as he writhed on the floor, then to Jack. “His shoulder is dislocated and he’ll be sore for a while, but at least he won’t fight when you take him into custody.”
“Good job.” Jack slapped Det. Gleason’s back, then nodded to two of the officers, who wrenched a moaning Bart to his feet.
“You’ll take a man into custody after he kidnaps and attempts to murder a woman, but not before? Not when we told you this would happen all along?” Phin demanded, glowering at Jack.
Jack exchanged a glance with Freddy and Reese, then nodded to Lenore. “I hate to say it, but our intervention is not because of his actions toward you, though I wasn’t going to let that continue any longer than it had to.”
“Then what is it due to?” Lenore asked, utterly confounded by the entire situation.
“Bartholomew Swan is wanted on five counts of murder, or attempted murder, in the State of Wyoming,” Det. Gleason announced. “He managed to escape east, then evade authorities in New York before boarding a ship headed to England under an assumed name. One can only imagine that he planned to murder the only person outside of England who knew of his guilt—” he nodded to Lenore, “—before starting a new life under a new name abroad.”
Lenore could only gape at the detective. “South America,” she breathed. Bart couldn’t have returned to the States any more than she had thought she could for the last year. Which meant his threats against her family were hollow—and it explained why no one from home had mentioned Bart in their letters—but that hardly seemed to matter at the moment. A part of her shouted in triumph that the law had finally caught up with Bart, but she had far more questions boiling in her brain.
“How did you know about any of this?” Phin asked Det. Gleason what she was too startled to find her voice for.
Det. Gleason grinned mischievously. “Your brother suggested I investigate Swan through channels that aren’t available to most people. Not even him. Sure enough, his hunch was right.” He pivoted to nod at Bart with all the cheek of a man who had been underestimated, but got the upper hand in the end. “He’s sloppy, this one. I’ve already alerted the authorities in America of his impending capture. I’m sure you’ll find an extradition request on your desk by morning, my lord.” He finished with a respectful half-bow for Jack.
“Remind me to speak to your superior about giving you a promotion,” Jack said with a grin that kept growing as the full scope of Det. Gleason’s involvement in the situation grew.
“Begging your pardon, my lord, but I am what you might call an independent contractor,” Det. Gleason said with a cocky smile. “I only work for myself.”
“Whoever you work for, there’s got to be a reward in it for you,” Jack laughed, slapping the man on the back again. “But before we dig one up for you, I’ve got some business to take care of.” He gestured to the police officers, who dragged a now weeping Bart through the door and into the street.
Lenore spotted several of Phin’s neighbors gathered on the sidewalk, whispering away about what police activity in the middle of the night could possibly mean. It almost made her laugh. No matter what she did, it appeared she was destined to be the focus of gossip. But if it meant Bart was out of her life for good, she didn’t care one bit.
“I doubt you’ll have any trouble obtaining an annulment from the bastard now, miss,” Det. Gleason said with a kinder smile for her. “In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if your so-called marriage to the bloke wasn’t legal to begin with. I have contacts in the States looking into it.”
“You do?” Lenore blinked at him.
“Lionel Mercer isn’t the only one with contacts here and there.” Gleason’s smile turned modest, though his blue eyes flashed with puckishness. It was enough to make Lenore laugh. The wily detective wasn’t at all the man she’d assumed he was while working for Lady Hamilton.
A moment later, Lady Hamilton herself poked her head out around the corner of the parlor she’d hidden in.
“Is…is it over?” she asked in a weak voice.
Lenore rather felt the way Lady Hamilton looked, but she pushed her fear aside, confident for the first time in over a year that things would work out happily at last, and headed down the hall to fetch Lady Hamilton.
“Yes, it’s over at last,” she said, going so far as to hug Lady Hamilton as heartily as she had Freddy and Phin.
“Oh, thank heavens,” Lady Hamilton wailed and hugged Lenore right back.
It was a ridiculous moment in an evening that had been filled with more than its fair share of madness. Lenore laughed and drew Lady Hamilton back down the hall toward the entryway. “I’m sure you’ll be wanting to get home as quickly as possible, Lady Hamilton,” she said. “I’m certain Lady Agnes will be wondering where you are, at least.”
“She’s probably lying awake mooning over Lord Compton more than me,” Lady Hamilton said with a sniff, fanning her tear-streaked face.
“Perhaps you would allow me to escort you home, my lady,” Det. Gleason offered, presenting his arm, like any other gentleman.
“Yes, yes, I would be honored to have a hero such as yourself see me safely home. Who would have thought when I hired you for something as silly as finding an author that you would turn out to be such a treasure?” Lady Hamilton said with a moony smile for Det. Gleason. “Why, the way you brought down such a dangerous man was positively stunning.”
“I was in the army,” Det. Gleason explained. “Special services. In the court of the Japanese emperor.”
“I’m not surprised at all.” Lady Hamilton beamed at him, then, almost as an afterthought, turned to Lenore. “My dear, you can rest assured knowing that I will not reveal your literary identity. I believe you have been through quite enough already. Though I would caution you to have a bit more of a care in your future writing endeavors.”
“Yes, Lady Hamilton,” Lenore said with a solemn nod of her head. “I most certainly will.” She glanced to Phin, barely able to contain her amusement at the situation.
“Gentlemen, I bid you good evening,” Lady Hamilton said to Phin, Reese, and Freddy before turning back to Det. Gleason. “Lead on, good sir. You are a knight in shining armor.”
Once Lady Hamilton and Det. Gleason made it to the street and the crowd of curiosity seekers, Phin stepped deliberately over to shut the door, finding a way to fasten it in spite of the broken casing.
“That is just about enough of that. If I never go out in public again, it will be too soon,” he said.
“You aren’t planning to hide away, like Lady Agnes, are you?” Lenore asked, crossing to him, sliding her arms around his waist, and leaning her head on his shoulder in utter relief.
“Darling, as far as I’m concerned, I don’t even want to leave my bed for a week, as long as you’re there with me,” he laughed, kissing her forehead. “That is, if Freddy doesn’t mind.”
He and Lenore both glanced to Freddy and Reese.
Freddy shrugged. “I already told Phin that he can snatch you right out from under my nose with my blessing. We were going to work out a way to explain the turnover before Swan showed up.”