HEARTTHROB ELEVEN

Zoe Hanna sat mournfully on the steps of Wilton's Music Hall and thought miserably how she'd brought things on herself. She had a black eye and her lip was split, because she hadn't been able to give the Harper Gang their usual 'protection payment'. Up to a month ago she'd had a very nice position and had found time to do charity work, which had involved prison visiting. Alas, she'd taken a shine to one of the prisoners and this had had a disastrous outcome. Max Walker, currently serving ten years for being an accessory in a murder case, had told Zoe how he'd been deprived of his 'home comforts'. Zoe, not one to pass up on a chance for a bit of loving, had bribed the guard to give her time alone with Max and no questions asked. The guard had been bribed a little more by the suspicious prison warden. 'Caught in the act', Zoe and Max had paid the price. Zoe had been fined and disgraced, which led to dismissal from her job; Max had had a year added to his sentence.

Zoe had sought to make money the easiest way she knew how. All had been fine until she'd defected on a payment to the vicious Harper Gang. Zoe had been accosted by Lenny Lyons in an alleyway and given not only a beating, but the grim news that the price she needed to pay had just escalated.

Luke Devine, barging out of the theatre's doors after another of his tantrums, had almost fallen over her. He'd snapped:

"Watch where you're going, girl!" and had callously strolled on. What Zoe hadn't seen was Luke turning back and entering the theatre via a side entrance. He sought out Rita.

"Not that I should care, but there's a tart on the front steps. Looks like she's earned herself a good hiding."

Rita went to find Iain Dean.

"I'm inclined to believe nowt that bugger says" Iain complained in his Yorkshire accent, but all the same he followed Rita outside.

"See?" Rita couldn't resist adding.

"Come on, lass, let's get thee patched up."

Zoe shook her head miserably.

"I'll only be getting more of the same tomorrow."

"You won't. You can leave t'theatre wi' me and Miss Freeman here, and some of my ex army mates."

"Yeah, and tonight you can sleep at mine. Then I'll ask Mr Fairhead – he's the boss – if he's got a job for you."

Zoe began to cry.

"Y-you don't know what I did."

"Shut up wi' that for now and let's get you comfortable." Iain was always a little more Yorkshire when he was slightly tipsy.

A while ago Rita would have expected Devine to have added to the woman's troubles by aiming a couple of kicks at her himself, now she felt differently. She had a feeling that, while not exactly wanting to be seen to be involved, Luke had sent Rita and Iain to help the woman out of compassion. Compassion that he worked hard at hiding. And, argue as Iain might, she still believed him responsible for saving her 'young man' from the noose.

"Looks like a trademark beating from a gang" Ben told Dylan, who growled in disgust.

"Those poor silly tarts. Put their necks on the line to earn enough to live on. We could do with getting somebody to act as one of the tarts, you know, Ben. If we can trap just one of those bullies, the others'll sing like canaries to save their own skins."

Ben looked dubious.

"Or some poor girl's beaten to death before we can save her."

There were, alas, no vacancies at Wilton's for Zoe. Charlie Fairhead was sorry, indeed he was, but unless the company got a new magician, in which case Zoe would make a decent assistant, he had nothing to offer Miss Hanna. Ben decided to involve Mrs Bateman just a little without telling her anything that could put her in harm's way.

"Good day, Miss… um… Hanna."

Zoe wanted to laugh. She'd imagined the Reverend Hardy to be an old fart, to put it crudely, and here was this young lad come to interview her for a position at the Vicarage.

"Are you used to hard work, my dear? I like the Vicarage to be clean from top to bottom, cleanliness being next to Godliness, but I would pay you a decent fee for it."

"I know what hard work is, Reverend Hardy" Zoe replied.

"Good. And you're fine about the sleeping arrangements?"

Zoe gave a cheeky little giggle, and the Reverend blushed and chuckled himself, blushing attractively.

"I mean, of course, you would have a modest bedroom of your own at the Vicarage. You would have three good meals a day and your clothes would be provided."

"That'd be wonderful, Reverend."

"And you have no family ties?"

"None at all" Zoe replied.

"In that case, Miss Hanna, your month's trial can begin tomorrow. Can you find a strong man to help you move your belongings over by this evening?"

Oh, Miss Hanna could indeed.

Mattie banged down the scrubbing brush in a rage. Mrs Bateman had come home the previous evening with news that the Reverend Ethan had taken on a general housekeeper at the Vicarage. Having been sent over there to deliver a letter from Mr Chiltern to Reverend Hardy, Mattie had been shocked to find that Miss Hanna was young enough, and also pretty. Oh, what if the Reverend fell in love with the minx?

"Don't be a fool, Ginnie" Ben said harshly.

"Ben, don't you want to catch this gang? They could have more information about the Ashford gang. And it's not right that they're slapping girls around because they won't pay protection money."

Ben's eyes clouded at the mention of the creatures who'd murdered Melanie.

"It wouldn't come to murder" Dylan reflected, "Miss Bracken might find herself on the point of a beating, but a member of the police force in plain clothes would be around at all times."

"Up to the moment when the lady takes him to her room; what then? A plain clothes copper hiding under the bed?" Ben snapped.

Ginnie giggled.

"Oh, Ben!" she said fondly.

Dylan had been outraged when he first found out that Ginnie and Ben actually knew each other, and therefore Ginnie knew Luke Devine was an alias, but had become used to the situation, and it couldn't be denied how useful Ginnie might be in this situation. For all her smirking and posturing, this girl had brains.

"You don't look like the same woman" Dylan said admiringly. Although he had no sexual interest in women, Dylan couldn't help being impressed with the character Ginnie had reinvented herself as here.

"Well, thank goodness for that" Ginnie smiled. Her hair had been dyed a bright auburn, her cheeks rouged beyond decency, and her neckline had dropped considerably, showing the tops of her creamy breasts.

"NO, Ben! If you – or rather Luke Devine – gets another beating, it could be worse this time. Let one of the other policemen do it."

"Don't presume to tell me my job, Miss Bracken. I, in my guise as Luke, will 'hire' you for the evening. We'll make sure we're seen in public and it's almost worth gambling on that one of the Harper mob will follow. Dylan will be at a discreet distance behind us and he'll accost the man. An hour in the cell with Dylan and the hardest of criminals will break down."

"My, my, what does he do to them in there?" Ginnie purred wickedly.

Dylan gave her a sour look at which she just smirked.

She'd have a little more information for Martin Ashford after tonight. A little more help for Ashford to find a way to send Luke Devine, or rather Ben Chiltern, to be with his beloved Melanie.