Six

″You’re positive Edward and Richard Fontenot are the lost princes?” Elizebeth paced back and forth in the parlor, running a hand over her perfect blonde hairdo.

″As sure as we can be,” I replied. “It can’t be a coincidence that we were told the brothers would be in 1908 New Orleans, and that is the same year the Fontenots adopted two sons with the princes’ names.”

″Edward and Richard are common names,” Elizebeth pointed out.

″It’s them,” Gaige interjected.

Elizebeth inhaled deeply, bringing a hand to her heart as though she feared it might stop pumping. “I should have known better than to think this was all about the woman who arranged the adoption,” she muttered more to herself than anyone else.

″That is why we are here,” I swore. “The woman who arranged the adoption, Tessa, jumped the princes here to New Orleans. She gave them a set of cufflinks that match my locket. I just want to know more about her. The fact Richard and Edward are princes is just happenstance.”

″Golly, a prince!” Peggy exclaimed, oblivious to the tension in the room.

″That’s not something you can gossip about,” Elizebeth warned her sternly. “A trainee should not even be privy to such sensitive information.” Despite her words, she didn’t tell Peggy to leave.

The younger girl rolled her eyes.

″Tessa was a runner for the syndicates?” Victor asked from where he leaned against the wall near the balcony doors.

I had hoped to keep the main narrative as vague as possible, but that was no longer an option after fleeing Kingsley House like it was on fire. Victor had insisted on knowing everything if he was to continue as an accomplice. Liza probably felt the same way, but she was too busy running the music store to join us in the parlor.

″Yes, a person known as J. Jacobson. Justess Jacobson. She worked on the Fourth Dimension project in the early days of time travel,” I replied. “That’s all we know about her in our home time.”

″She gave you the locket?” Victor pointed at my chest.

″No. My mother. Well, my mother gave it to me. I assume Tessa gave it to her at some point. Just like Tessa gave Charles his pocket watch, and Richard and Edward received the cufflinks.”

″I see.” Victor shook his head. “My price just went up.”

Yeah, I’m not surprised.

″If we are going to find Richard before he speaks to his brother, we had best do it soon.” Elizebeth stopped behind my chair. “Lucky for us, he is a creature of habit. With prohibition going into effect tomorrow, all we need to do is troll the local establishments and pray that Edward is unable to contact him in the interim.”

She made it sound so easy.

″Absinthe House is a good place to start. Richard and Scott are regular patrons,” Victor added.

I caught Peggy smiling in the corner. She had already told us Richard liked Absinthe House.

″This time, why don’t you consider what you are going to say beforehand?” Elizebeth suggested, like it was a novel concept. “I am happy to help if you like?”

″Liza needs you,” Peggy spoke up. “She asked me to tell you when you returned. A transporter came through while you all were out with a file for the run scheduled over Mardi Gras.”

Elizebeth frowned. “A transporter? You didn’t mention anything about our guests, did you?”

Peggy shook her head. “Only Liza talked to her.”

Victor and Elizebeth exchanged uneasy glances, and then she said hurriedly, “If you’ll excuse us. Peggy, come along.”

Finally, we’re alone, I thought.

Grateful as I was for everything the alchemist and Peggy were doing to help us, their constant vigilance was oppressive. Choosing my words so carefully around them was exhausting.

″Should we be concerned about this transporter?” Once the others were out of earshot, Charles asked what we were all wondering.

″No,” I decided. “Whatever is done is done. If the transporter was suspicious or Liza mentioned us, we can’t change that fact now. Cyrus is either already planning his tirade, or he isn’t. We should focus on tonight and finding Richard. It might be our only shot left at answers.”

Gaige whooped. “Let’s do this! Let’s find this prince and ask him what’s up.”

I rolled my eyes, though I did appreciate his enthusiasm.

Over the course of the next several hours, Molly, Charles, Gaige, and I ran through different ways the evening could go. Since we wanted to be prepared this go-round, we planned for every possible scenario we could imagine. The most likely we all agreed was that Fitzgerald would be with Richard. If that were the case, Molly would run interference.

″Is he married yet?” she asked.

Charles shook his head. “No. He marries Zelda later this year, I believe. I seem to remember Gertrude telling me they were married in the summer of 1920.”

″That’s my in, then.” Molly grinned cheekily. Gaige frowned but didn’t try to dissuade her.

Who would actually approach Richard quickly devolved into a lively debate. Gaige thought he and Charles should be the chosen ones this time.

″And what am I supposed to do?” I asked. I adjusted in the uncomfortable chair to relieve the ache in my leg, though my pride was where I felt most injured. I’d screwed up with Edward. Badly. If things didn’t go well with Richard, this whole off-books run was over. And it would all be for nothing.

″Stay out of sight,” Gaige suggested. “If Edward does talk to his brother before we do, then Richard will have his guard up. He’ll be on the lookout for a crazy blonde girl with a locket. He won’t talk to you. Chuck and I can befriend him and gain his trust. Take some shots. Get enough liquor in him to loosen the lips. Absinthe makes people hallucinate. Maybe he’ll even think it’s just a bad trip.”

″First of all, I’m not sure half that is true.” I adjusted again in the chair. Why is this furniture so fracking uncomfortable? I could’ve sat on the daybed, which was at least cushioned, but I was punishing myself for being such a screw up.

″I don’t know that shots are a thing. It feels like the sort of concept drunk college guys made up for their own benefit—like a greeting card holiday. And I think it’s only a rumor that absinthe makes you hallucinate.”

Gaige shook his head and gave me a patronizing stare. “Sweet, naive, Stassi. I once drank absinthe; I thought I was wearing rainbow-colored socks and walking through the clouds. I even had a friend named Grumpy Bear.”

″It sounds more like you got drunk and watched cartoons,” Molly replied with a frown.

He shrugged. “All I know is that I was barefoot.”

I had no response.

″Shots of alcohol are something people of this time enjoy,” Charles spoke up. He was tucked in one corner of the couch, while Gaige sprawled across the other ninety percent. “We could ask Elizebeth for earpieces. You can be the playmaker and instruct us what to do,” he suggested. The offer was clearly trying to soothe my hurt feelings and appease me.

″Look at you.” Gaige nudged Charles with his sock-clad big toe, his shoes long since discarded. “Playmaker. I like that title.”

I preferred being in the action, but playmaker wasn’t the worst idea. I could sit back and watch the whole scene, noting details that would be lost to those in the thick of the game. Like a coach. At least I would still be involved. And with an earpiece, I could listen in on the conversation. Once they got Richard to admit the truth, I could swoop in and start asking the real questions.

″Fine,” I relented. “As long as we have earpieces.”

″Excellent.” Molly had draped her long legs over the arm of the fainting couch. Her skirts twirled in the air when she swung her feet to the floor. “Let’s go talk to Victor about the earpieces.” She did a little wiggle. “And find me something provocative to wear tonight.”

″Not too provocative,” Gaige called as the four of us headed for the door.

She flashed him a winning grin over her shoulder. “I thought you liked competition.”

We found Elizebeth and Victor sitting together in a room that I’d previously dismissed as a closet. They were sitting behind a desk that looked straight out of my time, heads together as they debated something having to do with a parade. Both alchemists looked up when we entered.

″Everything okay?” I asked.

″Fine,” Elizebeth said dismissively. “The transporter did ask if the monkeys had been seen, but that is normal. Liza told them that you had not, which is also normal.” She sat up straighter in her chair. “Have you figured out how you are going to approach Richard yet?”

″We have a solid plan,” Gaige replied.

″Care to share this plan with me?” Elizebeth arched an eyebrow.

″Do we have to?” Gaige laughed awkwardly.

″Because when you kept it to yourself, the meeting went so well?” Elizebeth challenged.

″That’s on me,” I interjected. Taking a deep breath, I laid out the most likely scenarios we believed we would encounter and how we planned to deal with them. The alchemists listened, Elizebeth nodding every so often.

″You will need earpieces. Is that all?” she asked when I finished.

″Clothes and styling, obviously,” Molly added.

″Obviously,” Elizebeth mimicked.

″I’ll calibrate the earpieces,” Victor said.

He and Elizebeth stood.

″I’ll switch places with Liza down in the shop and ask her to meet you in wardrobe,” she told us. “I trust you know the way.”

″Thank you,” I called after the alchemists as they departed.

Gaige, Charles, and Molly had all visited the station’s closet the day we arrived, so I let them lead the way down to the first floor. We trooped to the back of the building, across the courtyard I’d seen from the bedroom window, and into a structure on the other side.

At one time, the building might have been a carriage house. The entire first floor had been gutted, though, and it was now just one big open space filled with racks of clothing. Menswear was on two racks that joined in the corner, while women’s clothing took up the rest of the wall space. In the center of the room were two vanities back to back, each containing an assortment of brushes, combs, and something that might have been a curling iron.

″I understand that you need prohibition party outfits for this evening,” Liza said from behind us. She entered through the same door we had used, Peggy in tow.

″Yes, thanks for coming out here to help us,” I replied.

″We really appreciate it,” Charles added.

Liza waved off the gratitude. “This is my job. Shall we see what we can find that suits you?” She gestured to the racks of dresses and undergarments.

″Lead the way,” Molly declared. “I need something that will get attention. I need Fitzgerald to talk to me long enough for the guys to corner Richard,”

The alchemist laughed. “That will not be a problem. I know just the dress.”

It took nearly three hours to decide on our clothes and for Liza, with Peggy’s grudging assistance, to do makeup and hair. Liza explained every step of the process to her younger sister along the way, including her reasons for certain color or style choices. Peggy pretended not to care, but I could tell she enjoyed the process.

They guys sat in a window seat while Liza and Peggy worked on us, and I could hear Gaige coaching Charles. My partner didn’t joke around like usual, and he was patient when Charles got confused by some of Gaige’s wording. Every so often, Charles would glance in my direction and give me a lopsided smile. His nerves were showing, and I wanted to reassure him that everything would be okay. This time, we were prepared. We had plans, back-up plans, and contingency plans.

Liza pinned my hair up into finger waves and then added a simple black headband. She went light on the makeup since I was supposed to blend in the with crowd. Given that Molly needed to stand out, her makeup was more dramatic and bolder than the average woman of the time. As for outfits, mine was black and gray with a drop waist and ribbons on the side. The sleeves came down to my elbows, and the hemline rested just below my knees. It was nice but nothing that screamed “look at me”.

Molly’s dress was a gorgeous black, silk creation in what Liza referred to as the “robe de style.” Rhinestones and pearls embellished the deep V of the neckline and circled the drop waist like a belt. On Molly, the flared skirt came right to her knees. Since the dress was sleeveless, Liza found a white fur stole. Finally, the alchemist topped off my roommate’s look with a rhinestone headband.

When they were finished, the four of us stood in a line in front of the sisters. Liza inspected Gaige and Charles in their three-piece suits. Gaige’s was dark grey with a crimson tie, though only the knot was visible. Charles had chosen a black jacket and vest with light gray pants and a dark blue tie, which oddly complimented my outfit.

″You gentlemen look great,” Liza announced, and then smiled at her sister. “Nice work, Peggy.”

The teenager had helped the guys decide on their outfits and seemed pleased by her sister’s compliment.

″You two need one more thing.” Liza pointed at Charles and Gaige. “Pocket watches. Every man has one.”

″I have my own,” Charles replied.

Liza frowned. “Really? Are pocket watches popular in your time.”

Looking down at his super polished wingtips, he muttered, “It was a gift from someone very special.”

″Okay, sure.” Liza turned to Gaige. “I suppose that means we just need one for you. Oh, and the ladies will need handbags.” She held up her pointer finger. “Give me one minute. Come help me, Peggy.”

The sisters walked over and parted two racks on the back wall, revealing the doorway to a small room lined with bureaus. Liza and Peggy slipped inside the accessory room. Charles turned and admired my new look. His gaze ran slowly from my face to the modest neckline, then down the length of the skirt, lingering on my exposed calves before moving on to the low heels. It was oddly provocative. At one time, exposed ankles were scandalous.

″So, what do you think?” I spun in a circle to give him the full effect.

He reached for my hand. “You are beautiful as always,” he said, his voice low. “The bees’ knees as they say.”

″You look pretty spiffy yourself,” I teased. He did look good. His blond hair was slicked back, which accentuated his handsome features.

Charles frowned. “Spiffy?”

I wrinkled my nose. “Sorry. I just mean that you look good. Great, even.”

Liza returned carrying a small trunk that she set on one of the vanity stools. From inside, she produced a pocket watch for Gaige, a pair of dangly diamond earrings that flared out just like Molly’s dress, and a string of pearls for me.

″You should take off the locket,” she told me. “It won’t look good with the pearls.”

I shook my head. “The locket is non-negotiable. I might need it.”

Liza pursed her thin lips. “As you wish.” She handed Molly and me each a clutch that matched our dresses, and then took a minute to survey us again. “I think you are ready to take on the town,” she announced.

″What do you think, Pegs?” Gaige asked, making a point to include the teenager.

She blushed. “I wish I could go with you.”

Liza put her hand on her younger sister’s shoulder. “There will be plenty of opportunities for that once you become a full alchemist,” she promised.

Peggy’s nostrils flared, and I got the sense she liked the adventurous part of being an alchemist but not all the boring parts that filled in the gaps between runs. She definitely had a rebellious streak in her.

Charles was still holding my hand, and he squeezed it one time, hard. He was nervous, and I couldn’t blame him. We’d jumped from the air fryer and into the fire. I’d already screwed up with Edward. Charles and Gaige had to get Richard to talk if we wanted any information on Tessa. That was a lot of pressure for a new runner.

I thanked Liza again for all her help as we all walked back across the courtyard.

She shrugged and averted her gaze. “It’s my job. Really, I’m happy to help. Before Elizebeth, I spent a few years on monkey watch.” She gestured vaguely upward. “I sat on that balcony every day for five years. I had your pictures, so I knew what you look like. At first, I thought my parents were toying with me.” Her laugh came out as a snort. “You know, like it was an initiation of some sort. Then I started to read your profiles.” She looked down again. “It’s probably silly, but I felt like I knew you.”

I opened my mouth to say something, but my mind couldn’t formulate a response. Was I supposed to be flattered? Liza’s admission felt a little stalkerish, if I was being honest. Then again, as runners, we’d all obsessed over a target’s profile. Was Liza really doing anything so different? I would’ve wanted to know everything I could about the monkeys in question, too.

″What all was in our files?” Gaige asked.

Liza looked up and shrugged. “The usual stuff.”

Wonderful, I thought sardonically.

If our runner files were anything like the workup the historians did for our targets, then they would include romantic attachments. Liza had known about our respective relationships years ago. In a linear timeline, she knew about Charles and me, and Molly and Gaige, before we did. I didn’t like the thought, it was too weird.

″You all look wonderful,” Elizebeth’s voice boomed from the back door of the customs station. “I just need to tidy myself up.”

I exchanged glances with my friends. It was Molly who asked the question we were all thinking. “You’re coming with us?”

Elizebeth’s grin could only have been described as wicked. “Being part of the interesting bits of this run is the price for my cooperation. Liza, do you mind helping me?”

″Go ahead, I’ll be right there. Peggy can get you started. I was wondering if I could have a word in private with Stassi first?”

″Oh, um, sure,” I replied. To my friends, I said, “I’ll catch up with you inside.”

Liza waited until it was just the two of us before clearing her throat and saying, “I know from your file that your mother disappeared when you were very young. You don’t know what happened to her still, and that is why you are searching for this Tessa woman.”

She hadn’t asked a question, but I still nodded confirmation.

″You understand the pain of uncertainty,” she continued. “My parents vanished, too. They were assisting with a run that unexpectedly took them to Europe and never returned. Another alchemist, one from New York, traveled down here to let me know. I was a full alchemist, so I inherited the customs station.”

And now I know why Elizebeth says Peggy isn’t a fan of the syndicates.

″I was hoping maybe you could get me the file on the run. No one will tell me anything, except to say there was an accident,” Liza finished.

″Oh, I see. Victor upped his price for the added complications, and now you’re doing the same,” I replied, though not unkindly.

I felt for Liza. Honestly, I did. But this request was a lot different than some boots. She wanted me to pilfer classified information. Unfortunately, I didn’t even know how to access intel like that.

″I was going to ask you this favor regardless,” Liza said quickly. “And that is what I’m asking for—a favor. If you can’t or won’t do it, I will still help you. I just want answers, Stassi. I need answers. So does Peggy.”

I could have lied, but that didn’t feel fair. “I don’t have the type of clearance needed to access information like that.”

Liza looked both a little confused and a lot disappointed.

″I can try, though,” I found myself promising. “I can ask some people I know for help.”

″Thank you, Stassi. I am deeply grateful for any information you can learn.”

Why is it so hard to say ‘no’ sometimes? I thought to myself.

Liza went back to wardrobe to help Elizebeth finish getting ready, and I met up with Molly and Gaige inside the music store. It was near closing time, so only one other person was perusing the goods. Victor was behind the register looking glum. At six p.m. on the dot, he called out, “Closing time.”

The patron nodded curtly and scurried to the door. Victor flipped the sign to closed and turned the lock.

Pocket watch in hand, Charles came down the stairs just as Elizebeth, Liza, and Peggy returned from wardrobe. Elizebeth had touched up her makeup and changed into dark blue beaded dress that skimmed her ankles. The sleeves touched her wrists, and her low heels put her somewhere over six-feet tall.

″We have dinner reservations at Hotel Monteleone,” she declared, pulling silk gloves over her hands. “I thought it might be a nice way to acclimate you to the time period. You can observe the other diners without having to interact with them, and they serve a divine crawfish pasta.”

″The shrimp creole is my favorite,” Liza added.

Victor produced five earpieces from his pocket and distributed them. “Standard syndicate issue, nothing fancy. Tap to switch channels or mute noise altogether. Any questions?”

We all shook our heads.

″Good. Don’t lead with time travel when you find Richard,” he advised.

Why does it sound so foolish when he says it?

″Good luck,” Liza said. Peggy stood silently beside her sister, not bothering to hide the envy she felt.

Elizebeth strode toward the exit, and the four of us followed.

The night air was cool and refreshing. I inhaled deeply and filled my lungs. A man passing by in the opposite direction was puffing on a cigarette, and I wrinkled my nose as the smoke wafted toward me.

″Stassi, dear, do you think your leg is strong enough for us to walk?” Elizebeth asked.

″Depends how far we’re going,” I replied.

″Only a few blocks,” Elizebeth assured me.

My leg was a little achy but nothing I couldn’t handle. “I’m fine to walk,” I promised.

Elizebeth led us down Bourbon Street. Streetcars rumbled past on the metal rails, stopping every so often to let people off and allow new passengers to board. I scanned the faces of everyone we passed, both terrified and hopeful that either Lachlan or Baylarian would be among them. They were not the purpose of this outing, yet they were always forefront in my mind.

″What is it you and Gaige always say to each other?” Molly asked, falling in step beside me. “Lock it up?”

I gave a small laugh. “You’re right, it’s time to lock it up.”

There was something about that three-word phrase that gave me the strength to compartmentalize my thoughts and feelings. I could shed my nerves and worries and concentrate solely on the mission. Right then, the mission was locating Richard Fontenot.

Elizebeth came to a stop in front of a large white brick building with an awning bearing the name Hotel Monteleone. Faint jazz music could be heard on the sidewalk. The alchemist turned and smiled at our foursome.

″Shall we?” Elizebeth asked.

″Lock it up,” I muttered under my breath as she marched toward the doors without waiting for an actual answer.

Gaige must have heard me because he turned and nodded. His expression was serious when he jabbed a finger in my direction. “You lock it up.”

Elizebeth arched an eyebrow but didn’t comment.

″I’m good,” I promised. “All my deadbolts are in place.”

″Well, are you coming?” Elizebeth called.

I was the first to join her, my friends only a few steps behind.

The fear that I might see Baylarian or Lachlan at any moment was hard to shake. Even harder was my desire to run into one of them. At his trial, Baylarian had told me that if I wanted answers, all I had to do was find him. I’d thought he meant he wanted me to visit him in jail. Which totally wasn’t happening. Even if I’d wanted to, Cyrus would never have signed off on the request.

New Orleans Baylarian might just know the same information. Maybe the jailed Baylarian was crazy and spouting nonsense, but I held onto the thread of hope that he’d been telling the truth. Maybe the eyes that I felt on me even then belonged to a man with all the same secrets as the guy imprisoned in my time.