Chapter 4 – The Fox and Kitty
Julian began creeping along by the short, brick wall around the perimeter of the roof, now and then sniffing the air like a wine connoisseur.
"What on earth is he doing?" Mary Poppins asked.
"He has a sense of smell like a dog," Gina clarified. "It seems to be particularly sensitive to children."
"That's preposterous," Mary huffed. "And inhuman. How can he detect only the smell of children?"
Julian stopped and raised his head towards her with patronizing slowness. "Well, I don't see you with a better plan, Ms. Poppins. So far this evening, all you've managed to do is conjure 'cheap parlor tricks,' turning steam into stairs. Well, perhaps your steam can be persuaded to locate the children? When you find them before I do, I will most duly doff my hat to you."
Mary gasped indignantly, but before she could retort, Gina joined in. "Yeah. Where's your 'child-locating' magic, Mary Poppins? I thought you had powers of empathy that show you where there are children in need of emotional support. You apparently haven't offered that very useful tool, with so much at stake."
Mary gave Gina a severe look. "Neither of you are in a place to judge me or the use of my capabilities, thank you."
"I wouldn't hire you to watch my kids."
"Please, let's not quarrel!" Truly mitigated with haste, drawing the gazes of Julian, Gina, and Mary. "We're all differently gifted and we need to work as a team. We'll never get anything done if we're divided. Remember the children. I'm sure our luck is about to change."
"Ahhh-hah!" Julian's announcement drew all gazes. Julian paused at the beginning of an iron railing that lined a set of stairs to the street. "They all passed through here. I have become very familiar with Jemima and Jeremy's scent and there is a concentration of it here. And the smell of some chemical, possibly to knock them out to mitigate struggle on the stairs. With four children to contend with, I'd imagine that to be a good strategy."
"Bravo, Julian!" Caracticus grinned. "We've got to have you babysit more often."
Julian nodded humbly.
Mary rolled her eyes. "I don't suppose you give him treats for good behavior?"
Gina grinned. "That's my job."
Mary looked away with slightly sickened look on her face.
The group followed Julian down the metal stairs, where he began the same routine on the cobblestone street.
"No carriage," he said. "No horses whatsoever. Which means they were on foot."
"We'll follow your nose, Julian," Caracticus said. "Lead the way."
But several blocks later, Julian started to show signs of losing his aim.
"This isn't getting us anywhere," Mary sighed. "At this rate, it's even more of a wild goose chase. Let's alert the police, for goodness sake."
"I'm doing the best I can," Julian snapped. "I've never had to track children over distances, without a thorough lead, in a place I'm unfamiliar with. My assignments were always in the neighborhood."
"There's a church," Caracticus pointed, "highest Court in the land. Maybe we should make an appeal."
"We've been on that detail," Gina thumbed between herself and Truly.
Down the way, someone was approaching, which caught Mary's eye. "I do believe that's the old bird woman approaching us," she said, drawing everyone's gaze toward the visitor.
"Ah, so it is," Bert confirmed.
The stout old woman waddled near to them and said in meek voice and a smile, "Good evening. Forgive me for snooping, but you all seem to be looking for someone. Perhaps I may be of help. My name is Agatha and I see many things as I sit on the steps of St. Paul's Cathedral feeding the birds."
"A few young children," Caracticus said, "two boys and two girls. They were kidnapped this evening."
"There have been children disappearing for many months now all over town," the bird woman said. "The police have not been able to track this menace down or find the children, but I've heard some rumors on the street about where they may be taken."
"Can you take us there?" Caracticus asked.
"I can. I'm so relieved to find someone willing to help. I do hope we find something."
"We?" Julian inquired with emphatic sarcasm.
"Well, I'm sure I could be useful in the investigation somehow. You may need someone to keep watch or to go for help, should something go wrong."
"Do let her come," said Mary.
"Madam," Julian groaned, rolling his head towards her. "We could be dealing with sophisticated criminals, here, and you're condoning some old bird joining our efforts?"
"You have no right to judge her, either, Mr. Fletcher," Mary said coldly.
"Let me tell you, Mary Poppins," Julian said, "these are no proper, English folk, nor are they children. This operation is out of your sphere, my dear."
Mary narrowed her gaze at him. "True, I certainly can't claim to have a criminal mind."
"You say that like it's supposed to hurt my feelings, but it's actually what we need right now. I've been paid as a kidnapper for a long time."
"Which should rightly make you suspect for an operation regarding the well-being of children."
"It makes me perfect for rooting out kidnappers," Julian barked, "because I know how they think! I just don't know London, that's what."
"Even if you are our best hope, Mr. Fletcher," Truly intervened again, "it seems we need all the help we can get."
Gina coaxingly cuddled Julian's arm.
"Fine," Julian sighed. He turned to Agatha. "Just don't get in the way."
"Julian," Gina said softly.
"Just…keep your wits about you. Lead the way, please, madam."
Agatha led them down a narrow street where most of the businesses were dark except for one. Over the door, there were two, simple masquerade masks overlapping each other, one in the likeness of a fox, the other in the likeness of a cat, both wearing top hats. In gold script on a wooden plate just above them was the name The Fox and Kitty Pleasure Club.
"A night club?" Julian scoffed. Then, after pausing for a few seconds, with a few audible inhales, he said slowly, "Actually…she's right. This place reeks of children."
"A bawdry place like this?" Truly inquired.
Julian shrugged.
"What would they possibly want with children?" Truly asked again.
"You think they're all here?" Agatha asked Julian. "How could you know that?"
Julian tapped his nose. "I've been gifted with a dog-like sense of smell, particularly tuned to children."
"Well," Agatha's voice sounded impressed, but she looked confused. "What do children smell like?"
"Depends on which children," Julian muttered, rolling his eyes. Then, he said, plainly, "In general, it's a…it's like a combined 'warm skin' and 'clothing' smell, much more concentrated than that of older people. It's a unique smell in nature, so it tends to stand out from other animal or plant or dirt smells. Now, I've never really gotten to know any children personally, but, as a friend of the family, I have come be able to identify the specific scents of his son and daughter," Julian pointed to Caracticus, "and they were definitely brought through here…" He looked around in the air, thinking. "Unwillingly… The scent lingers, so there was a moment "
"Well," said Caracticus, "I guess we go in."
"I don't think it wise for all of us to go," Julian said. "Too many of us will look suspicious. And some of us would stand out as very odd among this crowd. I'll go. I should think I would know my way around tricksters. Notwithstanding my being able to sense the children better than any of you."
"I'll go with you," Gina said.
"Gina, for God's sake, a knight does not take his lady fair into battle with him. She stays safe in the castle. Go back to the Banks residence with…whoever's going back."
"Babe, we're a team, now. I go in support of you. You shouldn't go alone to do something like this. Besides, you know fully well, I successfully hid my relationship with you from Grandpa and the villagers for weeks and hid my involvement with the children in Vulgaria from you at the same time."
"Very well," Julian sighed.
"I should go, too," Caracticus said. "They're my children."
"I'll go with you," Bert volunteered. "I'm street savvy and the Banks kids know me well enough. That'll be a comfort to them."
"Alright," said Julian, "the four of us and no more. We don't want to look conspicuous."
"Truly and I," Mary said, "will report to the Banks home to explain what happened and…at least try to put them at ease. Are you sure you gentlemen will be alright?"
"I'm sure we will," Caracticus smiled, trying to be reassuring. "After all, our children are worth it, aren't they?"
"Oh, Caracticus," Truly touched his arms. "Do be careful."
"Don't you worry, Truly," he said and then kissed her on the cheek. "We're going to get married on time and our children will be there. I've got the three best slicksters in the business with me."
Mary and Truly departed for the Banks residence.