Phryne

"Oh Miss Fisher!" Jimmy's voice was gleeful as he called for me from upstairs. "Someone fetch Miss Fisher!" He commanded. "I have a little gift for her." I wanted to hurl. He could not be serious. When Henry rushed down the steps to get me, he wouldn't meet my eyes.

"Is this it?" I asked. "Is he going to rape me now?" Henry busied himself with the knots around my wrist and I flinched as the rope dug into the burns it had cut into my arms.

"No, Miss." His voice cracked and I frowned. Then what on earth was going on? "I'm very sorry Miss, I had nothing to do with this."

"Nothing to do with what? I all but screamed. "Henry, what's happening?" I was half led, half dragged up the stairs and out of the basement. When I looked at the tableau before me my heart stopped. There in Jimmy's arms, was something worse than the worst nightmare I could have thought of.

"Jane." I breathed out. Jimmy laughed and I gritted my teeth at the sound. "Let her go." I growled. "She has nothing to do with this. Let her go."

"I'm so sorry, Phryne." She begged. "I went to Jack but he wouldn't listen so I set out to get you on my own. I shouldn't have gotten caught, I'm so sorry."

"No Jane, I'm sorry. You shouldn't be involved in something like this."

"She won't be harmed." Jimmy said. "I'll keep her here, maybe motivate the inspector a bit, evidently you aren't quite enough. But you're right. She's innocent in all of this. She can stay with you in the basement until Jack Robinson comes to fetch you all." I breathed a sigh of relief. It was better than I expected. "Of course, that could be considered a gift, and you know me. If I'm going to give a gift I'd like one in return." I shivered.

"Fine. What do you want?" I asked.

"A little cooperation when the time comes." I stiffened, understanding his meaning instantly. He wanted me not to fight him when the time came to deflower me. (So to speak, anyhow. If I ever bared any resemblance to a flower it was a long time past and I had little recollection of such a time.) I looked at Jane and then back to him, nodding almost imperceptibly. For Jane, I would do anything.

Jack

Jane had run off because I hadn't taken the time to listen to her. This was my fault. All of this was my fault. What if she got lost, or hurt? That would all be on me. I had never been this worried in my entire life. My palms were in a constant state of sweatiness, and my hands wouldn't stop shaking. Johnson and Collins were in the car with me and I thanked God I had been listening well enough to know what her hunch was. Jimmy was a nice enough man. If she had just run to him and she hadn't come across someone else, someone with more nefarious ideas about what to do with a lost little girl, (I gnashed my teeth and growled, speeding up the car.) then she was in trouble.

I pulled up to the house that we'd interviewed Jimmy in and all but leapt from the car. I ran up the front steps and pounded on the door. It took me a moment to see the small paper nailed to the side of his home. J.R. it said. I pulled it from the nail and flipped the card over. You didn't think it would be that easy, did you? I froze. Holy hell. Jane had been right. This absolutely had something to do with Jimmy. I was a fool. If only I had listened to Jane! I crumpled the note in my hand. This was it.

Jimmy.

That bastard had taken my girl. And now he had my daughter.

He had better watch out. I was coming for him.

I'm so sorry it's been forever! I'm a bit blocked and I have three other WIPs that I'm in the midst of so this one is kind of getting put to the side. I'm just running out of juice I guess (It's probably the lack of new MFMM content! Come on ABC!) But don't worry – I will keep going and get through this story soon! I hope you are all still enjoying it! Please comment with any ideas you have and advice for my writing! XOXO - E