Chapter 53

Percy said the obvious, “Don’t move, either of you. This place is surrounded by my men with orders to shoot to kill if either of you leave the building.”

Blathers glanced at me. I was almost smiling. But the dandy with the pistols was serious. There was definitely a tension in his voice, and he continued to wave the loaded pistols at us. “I want that necklace, and I want it now.” He waved the guns some more.

Blathers said, “Now, hold on there, afore ya hurts a body. Ya doesn’t wants ta shoot now, do ya?”

“I’ll shoot if you don’t hand over that bag. Now!”

I held the bag out in front of me. “Here it is. Do you want me to toss it to you?”

“Just put it on the chair, where your coat is.”

I put the bag down. “Now get back against that far wall, both of you.” Wesley kept the guns on us while he sidestepped toward the chair. When he reached the chair he put one pistol in his coat pocket and jammed his hand into the reticule. It came out empty. He pulled the pistol from his pocket and again leveled both guns at us. “Where is it? You thieves! You have it hidden on you. If you don’t turn it over right now, I’ll take it from your dead bodies.”

Blathers raised his right hand, palm out as if to stop traffic. “Now, hold on. Ya won’t finds it on us, and ya won’t finds it wi’out us. We is in business, ya know. We is private investigators. That means we is able ta works fer the one what we wants ta work fer, the one what pays the most, do ya see.”

I added, “Blathers is right. We can’t live on our honor. We need cash to keep ourselves alive. And we know where the necklace is. Do you want to bid?” I tried to maintain a businesslike tone, showing no fear. “We know what the others are paying. Of course, in your case, the price includes a guarantee of our continued good health. And we will take that and the possibility of future employment into consideration.”

“How do I know you have the pearls? If you have them, what are you doing here, tearing up the floor?”

“We has the bag, doesn’t we?”

“But what have you been searching for here?”

“We has been searchin’ fer a chance ta talk ta you wi’out them others knowin’ about it.”

Wesley went to the front door and kicked backwards. The door opened, and the two primary henchmen entered the room. “Keep those two covered while I think.” The two bullies came farther into the room and pushed Blathers and me into a corner.

“Now, take it easy. We just mights be one o’ you any minute now.”

The larger and more aggressive of the two just grunted and shoved Blathers again.

Percy, still standing with his chin in his hand said, “Are you suggesting you would hand over the necklace if I were to make you part of my,” he hesitated, “organization?”

I responded, “Let’s just say that Sir Robert didn’t make us a very good offer when we worked for the Peelers.”

“Aye, we has had ta go round breakin’ up book stores fer them do-gooders ta keeps from starvin’. We doesn’t like doin’ that, but we does likes ta eat.”

“What kind of work are you willing to do?”

“We could replace them two dummies right there,” Blathers said. “By the way, what’s it ya calls that thug?” He pointed at the one who was doing the pushing.

“Tope, stop pushing people. His name is Tope.”

“If’n ya was ta asks me, it should be dope.” Tope started in Blathers’ direction again, but Wesley yanked him back by the shoulder.

I added, “Yes, those two certainly didn’t handle the murder of the costermonger very well. A person would have to be very stupid to believe a man with his hand missing could have shot the gun with his stump.”

Wesley looked at his men. “You mean they tried to frame a man that couldn’t have been an assassin?” He shook his head in disbelief.

“Everyone from the poor lad’s kin to your cousin the Duke knew he hadn’t shot the gun.”

Tope said, “Kills dem now! Dem be notten but trouble.”

“Shut up, you nitwit. Maybe this would be easier if you two waited outside.”

Tope gave Blathers another shove, hard enough so he lost balance and fell against the wall. I moved toward the belligerent ape, but Wesley yelled, “Stop that!” I stopped, happy this hasty movement did not get me smacked by the monster.

“You two morons get outside and wait until I call, understand? I think it is about time we got someone with brains on our side.”

Blathers said, “With all this openin’ and closin’ o’ that door, I’m a gettin’ cold.” He moved toward the chair where his coat was lying under mine. “Here, Duff, put on your coat. Ya doesn’t wants ta get a chill, now. Ya knows how ya gets them sniffles all the time.”

Both of us put on our coats and put our hands in the pockets.

Wesley said, “Let’s go to my office and talk about your joining with me.”

“Right!” Blathers said. “But we needs ta make it looks like we is under arrest or whatever ya calls it. We doesn’t wants ta give a’body any idea we is in yer ga-, yer organization, just yet, if ya sees me point.”

“You’re right. Very good point. Here, I have my pistols on you. Just move ahead and get into my carriage.”