Part 8

"So, who is this girl?" William asked Phillips the next morning, as they sat at the desk in his office.

"We haven't been able to get her to say much to be honest. From the look of her, she's young and has possibly been living on the streets. We gave her some food, a hot drink and a blanket and she passed right out in the cell by herself..."

William groaned and looked at Phillips unimpressed with his soft touch. This was a police station, not a hotel!

"We did get out of her, her name, Natalie O'Reilly. Irish accent. Other than that, she's refusing to talk to us," Phillips added quickly to show they had at least got that. If he hadn't managed to get her to say her name, he might well have believed she was a mute.

"Have we given her a choice?" William asked pointedly.

"Duke, she's just a kid…" Phillips defended. "She seems scared every time one of us even approaches her, let alone tries to ask a question. I don't think being heavy-handed with her is going to get her to talk."

There was only so much pressure Phillips wanted to put on the girl since he'd seen first-hand her fetal position reaction to the men. He dug his hands into his pockets, contemplating what he was going to say next since he had an alternative idea that he wanted to share, even though he had a fair idea of how it would go down.

"What do you suggest?" William asked pointedly. Judging by Phillips's stance, he had a feeling he knew what the next words out of his detective's mouth were going to be.

"I was thinking, she might be more open to speaking to a woman…"

William glared, and Phillips cracked a smile, there was only one woman that came to mind.

"Eliza can't come here…" William pointed out.

"I think we can work around that, don't you? The girl's not exactly done anything wrong for us to keep her locked up here…. We could perhaps just walk out of here with her."

William shook his head and released a heavy sigh at the insinuation they conspired to go against the Superintendent's orders. Yet, missing women's lives were potentially on the line.

"I can't believe you're encouraging this."

"We got to use all the tools at our disposal," Phillips shrugged unconcernedly.

"Fine, we release her and escort her to Eliza's office, but let's do it quietly, and not draw attention to it. The Superintendent can NOT know about this, so we need to keep this off the books" William warned. "Also, get an urgent message to Dublin Constabulary and see if they have any information on this Natalie, whoever she is."

Hopefully, Hall wouldn't get wind of him working with Eliza or question him on it, otherwise, he was going to live to regret agreeing to Phillips's idea.

"Yes, Duke. I'll prepare her release," Phillips said joyfully, before getting up to leave.

William sighed his frustration, no matter how important the case, he wasn't used to going behind the Superintendent's back or outright going against orders. Involving Eliza even more than they had didn't exactly sit well with him, but perhaps Phillips was right, to suggest they use all the tools at their disposal. After all, if Eliza were a man, there would be no question of him working with her as he did with other agencies.

After half an hour William met Phillips, at the back door of the Yard, to keep their exit low-key. They met his driver, Arthur, who was waiting as instructed in an alleyway around the back of the Yard. Natalie seemed even more tense and quiet, despite their insistence that they meant her no harm. She eyed them with suspicion and kept herself closed off. William could only guess what had happened to her to make her so scared of them.

Eliza wasn't exactly expecting them when they arrived at her office with the girl they met at the Robinson Factory in tow, but she quickly hid her surprise. Phillips quietly filled her in on the little information he had, before she settled Natalie into her father's chair near the fire. She sat down casually in the chair opposite, while Phillips leaned against the wall near the door and William sat in the chair at the spare desk.

William had been quietly and intently studying Natalie from the moment they had left Scotland Yard. He was inclined to agree with Phillip's assessment, so he relaxed his posture as he took in her closed-off posture in the chair and the way her beady eyes darted across to him. Every time her eyes caught him it was clear she was scared and mistrusting of him, even though he'd given her no reason to be.

"It's okay," Eliza reassured kindly. "You're safe here."

Natalie looked between Eliza and William, before hugging her arms around her body tightly and protectively while rocking ever so slightly.

Eliza looked over her thin features, unkept reddish curly hair, dirty damaged clothes, and dusty face. She had no idea what the girl had been through, but she knew they needed to tread carefully so as not to scare her more.

"I can ask these officers to leave if you want?" Eliza asked quietly.

Eliza sensed the presence of William and Phillips was possibly more than a little intimidating, only, Natalie just shrugged and looked off into the flames of the fire.

Eliza looked helplessly towards Phillips, and then at William, neither seemed to give her much input or support. So, she took the lead, keeping a friendly posture and reassuring smile, as she attempted to make Natalie feel at ease.

"My name is Eliza Scarlet, I'm a Private Detective." Eliza stopped a moment to wait for Natalie to look surprised, but unlike most people who questioned what she meant, Natalie barely even raised an eyebrow and her profession.

"Inspector Wellington and Detective Phillips tell me your name is Natalie. I think perhaps you might be a seamstress. Did you work at the factory where we found you?"

Her questions were met with a wall of silence, much like Phillips had suggested he had been, and Eliza saw him move uncomfortably against the wall. Eliza could only hope that it would just be a matter of time before Natalie felt comfortable talking to her.

"What were you doing at the Robinson factory last night?"

Natalie continued to remain quietly staring at the fire and did not attempt to speak. Eliza turned her body and moved a little closer to be in Natalie's eye line to capture her attention and offer reassurance that she was safe with them.

"Are the names, Verla Kelly, Mari Henley or Christina Downes familiar to you?"

Eliza saw a look of recognition that flashed across Natalie's eyes, though she wasn't sure which name was the familiar one. She wasn't about to tell Natalie that Verla had been found dead, so she kept to a lighter tact.

"We know they are missing, and we're trying to find them. Do you know anything about it?" Natalie blinked but still refused to meet Eliza's. "Did you work at the Robinson factory with any of them?"

After what seemed like an age, Natalie finally shook her head.

"I never worked at the factory, but I wanted to, and I knew some of the girls that worked there…" Natalie's thick Irish accent stood out as she spoke in a quiet broken tone.

"Who?" Eliza asked, but Natalie refused to answer. "We want to help them. Do you know where they are?"

Natalie closed her eyes, and her breathing slowed as if she was trying to hold herself together.

"I thought I could help them…" Natalie whispered.

"Help them how?" Eliza enquired.

Natalie seemed to take a moment, almost angry at something, though Eliza wasn't sure what before she finally answered.

"He's so…. Charismatic… Handsome… Makes you believe everything he tells you… That he can make your world better…" Anger dripped off her tone.

"Who?" Eliza asked, as Natalie shrugged and shook her head.

"I don't know his name, he said it was Gus, but I don't know if that's his real name, or if that's a nickname…"

"What does he look like?" William asked from his seat.

At the sound of William's voice, Natalie snapped her head around and stared straight at William wide-eyed.

"Like you…. Tall, dark, handsome… A liar!" Her eyes narrowed at William with venom that wasn't deserved.

"Where did you meet him?" Eliza asked, noticing the fury in Natalie's voice. "Does he work at the Robinson factory? Or perhaps the Oswald Factory?"

"He doesn't work at them but was always hanging around them all, talking to all the women. He didn't care if you were pretty or kind, only that you could sew, make clothes. He gets to know you, tells you what you never knew you needed… Then, the best ones… in the dead of night he takes them…"

"The best ones?" William asked, and once again was met with a look of disdain that he had dared to speak to her.

"The ones who can sew the best and the quickest. That's how I think he makes money, not at the factory, by hiding girls who can make fine clothes at the cheapest rates, for maximum profit."

Phillips who had been standing back observing, moved from the wall to perch himself on Eliza's desk.

"Did he try to take you?" Phillips asked, wondering if Natalie had somehow escaped, but Natalie shook her head.

"I doubt I was ever good enough for him, but he tried to charm me briefly then he moved on. I saw him, one night about a month ago, pushing a girl into a carriage, I don't know who she was, but I could tell she didn't want to go willingly. I was curious, so I kept my eyes open and asked a few questions when I realized some girls whom I knew had left, hadn't been seen. He must have caught wind and he changed and threatened me when he found out I was sniffing around what he was doing. I'm certain he was going to have me killed or he would have tried but I ran, I've been hiding since."

"Why not report it to the police?" Eliza queried.

"Look at me! Do you think any officer is going to believe me? Even if they did, they would never take my word over his. I don't look like you do Miss Scarlet!"

Eliza rolled her eyes this was exactly why Charlie didn't go to them about his mother. Even looking like she did, other than William on occasion, the police did exactly listen to her.

"Where does he take them?" William asked.

"I don't know. I never got close enough to find out. I tried to follow him once, but I was scared that he would notice me, and well, I chickened out. He was heading out towards east London. I don't know if that helps."

"Do you know of anyone who might associate with him? A woman perhaps?"

Eliza wondered if the woman who hired Mari was perhaps still a person they needed to track down. She currently had Moses out following a potential lead for the mysterious woman and had her fingers crossed that he would be back with news soon.

"I'm not sure. There was a man that he met, an older gentleman, smartly dressed, not too tall. Always wore a top hat, but it didn't seem like he had any hair underneath."

Eliza glanced at William, and he nodded a silent agreement. She might have been referring to Mr Faraday, whom they had met the day before and if so, it was a link to both factories.

"What are you going to do now?" Natalie asked.

"We continue our investigation. We hoped that we can find these women safe and well. If as you say, this Gus character is kidnapping women to make fine clothing, then there is a good possibility that they are alive, we just need to work out where he might be hiding them."

"I want to help you, I want to find these women," Natalie said in a rush, her eyes darting once more between Eliza and William.

Phillips pushed himself off Eliza's desk and stood tall as he started to speak before William or Eliza had the chance.

"Love, you've done an amazing job finding what you have, but there is no point in you putting yourself in harm's way any further. If this guy knows you're onto him, then you need to leave it to us, you've done enough now. Is there somewhere safe that you can go, and we can find you if we need to?"

"I was hiding out with friends for a few days, but I couldn't stay there for long, I don't want him to find her. So, I've just been sleeping in the penny sheds for the last few weeks, but I've no money without any work."

That explained why she was looking so thin and dirty. The penny sheds were little better than coffins laid out in rows in large, cold, and dusty rooms. The three shared a look, knowing that they couldn't send her to stay in them indefinitely, they needed somewhere that she could stay safely.

"There is a safe house that we use, you can stay there for the time being," William sighed, politely. "Phillips, you can use my carriage to take Miss O'Reilly to our room at the Rose and Crown in Greystone I'll arrange for a Constable to meet you there and stay with her?"

Phillips nodded his confirmation and held his arm out for Natalie to come with him, but she seemed concerned and didn't make a move.

"You'll be safe with Detective Phillips, I promise," Eliza told her.

With one more look between the three of them, Natalie finally nodded, stood up and quietly followed Phillips out of Eliza's office.

"She seems scared," Eliza said, as Phillips closed her office door behind him, and they listened to the sound of their footsteps fade. Both she and William moved to perch against her desk next to each other. They were so close their shoulder practically brushed.

"Well, whomever this Gus character is, he doesn't sound like someone you want to get on the wrong side of. I'm going to go back to the station and see if I can find a connection between the Oswald and Robinson factories, and anything on Mr Faraday."

"I'll go over my newspaper cuttings, perhaps something will stand out. The market at Spitalfields is on today so I will make a stop and see if a woman is hanging around anyone selling their handmade clothes. Perhaps we could meet at my house this evening and review our findings?"

Eliza's eyes were full of innocence at her suggestions, which William wasn't buying, as he narrowed his eyes at her and contemplated telling her that the case was getting too dangerous for her to continue. Only she gave him one of her indulgent smiles, that he always failed to say no to.

"Fine, but only if Ivy's cooking…"

Eliza faked a shocked look, but it was pointless since they both knew she was not inclined to cook something for them. William's eyes lit up teasingly, he smiled, and Eliza couldn't help but smile back. They both chuckled before he nudged her arm, and lightly brushed a finger against the back of her hand, testing her reaction again.

"I'll let her know," Eliza laughed, breaking the tension in the room, and pulling her eyes from William to stop herself from getting lost in them.

"Watch yourself walking around the market. I'll send a couple of my men to both factories and keep an eye out for anything suspicious. With a bit of luck, this Gus character might show himself, and we'll get our break. Faraday has sent over some of the records we asked for, I'm waiting on the same from the Robinson factory."

"We can but hope. I should check on Charlie too, I'm worried about him and his sister being alone," Eliza admitted.

"I'm sure the other women in the homes around them are keeping an eye on them," William said with an air of certainty.

"You think?" Eliza asked wondering why he thought so.

"Because that is how things work on the streets. Whilst there are some bad apples out there, mostly, people keep an eye on those young and less fortunate, the women are pretty good. They will be making sure they eat something and behave themselves."

When he'd first arrived in London with no money in his pocket and nowhere to stay, he'd found kindness in the eyes of strangers, alongside those who tried to tempt him to another way in life. He would always be grateful to those who kept an eye on him when he made his way on the street of London, and for meeting Henry who steered him away from a life of petty crime.

Eliza couldn't help but wonder if William knew this from personal experience or his work. There was so much her father hadn't told her about him, so much she wondered if she should ask, or would it be too painful for him and better left in the past.

William shrugged as he moved to pick up his hat from the hat rack and noticed Eliza slightly lost in her thoughts. He moved back towards her, but she didn't seem to notice as she stared at the fireplace.

"I'll see you tonight then?" William smiled and nudged her arm with his knuckles rubbing gently to get her attention. He couldn't deny he was enjoying the regular evenings with her, even if it was usually because of a case. It was preferable to being at the station, being alone at home, and finding comfort in the arms of another woman didn't interest him the way it once had.

A shiver went up Eliza's arm as he touched her arm softly while she turned towards him, and noticed the soft warm eyes that he always gave her when he was looking for some confirmation from her. His fingers ran down her arm and she twisted her hand towards his, whilst trying not to bite her bottom lip in anticipation. For a few moments, their fingers brushed together in a familiar dance and Eliza swallowed wondering if William might kiss her.

"Till this evening," Eliza replied smiling and holding his eyes for a moment as she felt her heart skip a beat.

She waited with bated breath until William released her hand and with a nod moved passed her. He opened her office door to leave but looked over his shoulder and smiled as he ran his eyes over her appreciatively before he left.

Once he was gone, Eliza moved to sit down behind her desk, and she released a shaky breath. A warmth was creeping up her stomach at the thought that he might have kissed her, and it surprised her how much she wanted him to. A shy smile on her lips danced across her lips at the thought of what could have happened if he had stayed a few moments longer. She needed to get in control of herself but she chuckled as she felt for the gold chain hidden under her collar and she removed it from her shirt. Her fingers ran over the E pendant he had given her whilst her mind danced with thoughts of spending another evening with him.

She was determined that she was not going to turn into a giggling schoolgirl because William glanced at her. Even still… as she sat at her desk, she didn't push away the feelings that arose as quickly, or as deeply as she once had.

To Be Continued…