Part 12

Eliza and Detective Phillips had taken the carriage out towards Bethnal Green to a small theatre house where Elouise Louden had an early afternoon performance. It was too far from the theatres of Covent Garden and the West End, so Eliza assumed the woman was a low-level actress. Perhaps trying to break into the larger, more prominent theatres, and even subsiding her pay with nightly visitors as most actresses and dancers were known to do.

Whilst Eliza might not have subscribed to that way of life, she wasn't about to question another woman's attempts to keep a roof over her head. She chose to focus on the facts of the case.

Phillips hadn't been too sure why Duke had sent him with Eliza since he was sure his time would be better spent making other enquiries into Stephen Oswald. Yet, he wasn't about to question his boss, so went along with Eliza willingly. When they arrived though he'd suggested that she speak to Eloise alone, suspecting that the woman would be more forthcoming speaking with her than with him. He would ask around the other performers who were around to get a feel as to who knew Stephen Oswald and find out more about the illusive man.

Eliza made her way behind the stage and was pointed in the direction of the performer's dressing rooms by a young lad who was sweeping. She found Eloise in a large, shared room with a handful of other performers, happily bent over staring into a mirror as she painted her face with thick pale stage makeup and rouge. Eliza couldn't help but wonder if the girl would look prettier without it since in her opinion, she looked rather garish. Her long blonde hair had been well curled into ringlets and pinned up in bunches, and she wore thin almost see-through white tights, with a tiny white puffy dress giving her an appearance rather like that of a China doll.

Eliza blushed as she watched her since in her position bent at the mirror and the shortness of her dress Eliza could almost see how little she wore underneath it. Eliza took a deep breath to control herself and gradually approached her.

"Miss Eloise Louden?" Eliza asked, clearing her throat.

Eloise turned and gave Eliza a curious look up and down as she raised her eyebrows evidently wondering what such a prim and proper lady was doing there looking for her. Eliza kept a smile on her face, despite realising that up close the girl's make-up was even more frightful than seeing it through the mirror.

"Who's asking?" The girl replied in a thick East End accent. She pursed her bright ruby-red lips.

"My name is Eliza Scarlet, I'm a private detective."

Elouise giggled, and Eliza silently groaned as she knew what was coming and braced herself for the inevitable.

"You're a what?"

Eliza rolled her eyes because that question was becoming rather tiresome. If she had a pound for every time someone asked it, she would be a very rich woman.

"I'm a private detective, I'm looking into the disappearance of a young woman, Mari Henley,"

"Never heard of her…"

Elouise shrugged without care before she turned back to the mirror and started to paint some black lines around her eyes.

"But you do know Stephen Oswald," Eliza said firmly.

His name seemed to stop Eloise as she froze mid-line drawing, then turn back towards Eliza.

"What Stephen got to with a missing woman?"

Eliza couldn't tell under all the make-up if the woman was surprised by the question, but she at least had her attention, even if it was via a mirror.

"She worked at his father's factory, the factory that I'm led to believe Stephen is in India buying new silks for…"

The girl smirked before returning to the eye lining.

"Stephens got nothing to do with his family or their business, so you're barking up the wrong tree there, lady."

"I assume he's not in India then?" Eliza asked, hoping for some truthful confirmation of his whereabouts.

"Not unless he's developed some form of faster travel than a boat… I was with him three nights ago…"

"So, he is in London?"

"Do I look like his secretary?" Eloise shrugged.

Eliza sighed, somehow, she needed to press how important her case was and get Eloise to lower her guard and talk to her. William seemed assured that this would be easier than him talking to her, but she was starting to wonder if he could have used his ability of flattery on this girl instead.

"Miss Louden, Eloise, please. If you can give me just five minutes of your attention. The missing woman, Mari, has two young children and they haven't seen her in days. I don't believe she would just leave them behind with no word. I need to find her before something happens to her…"

Eloise stopped doing her make-up for a second and stared Eliza down through the mirror. She was reluctant to talk but noted that Eliza wasn't going to leave without the information she came for. With a sigh, she turned around, sat back against a dresser, and folded her arms across her chest pushing up her ample cleavage to almost bursting point.

"What do you think Stephen has to do with her going missing?"

It was obvious from her dismissive attitude that Eloise thought there was no way Stephen had anything to do with Mari's disappearance, so Eliza wanted to know more about him and find out who Eloise thought he was.

"I don't know. You know him. Do you think something has happened between him and his family? What do you think he's capable of?"

Eloise kicked the floor with the heel of her shoe and shook her head before answering Eliza's question. She looked bored and huffed like she had better things to be doing with her time.

"I don't know him that well, we've 'met' on occasion. He's always seemed nice enough. I know he deems himself the black sheep of his family. His father didn't agree with some of his 'life choices' shall we say. Spent too much of his father's money on women, gambling, and opium, so he banished him from the family home, and cut off any money he was giving him because he said he was wasting himself and the education he paid for…"

"How long ago was that?" Eliza interrupted.

"Maybe six months ago now I guess."

Eliza's head turned a little. Six months was right around when they believed the women started going missing.

"Any ideas how Stephen is paying for that life now?"

"I have no idea, but I can tell you he's never short of money. He brought me this…"

Eloise lent toward a chair that had a fabulously luxurious cream silk lounging robe placed across the back of it. She picked it up and handed it to Eliza to examine.

"Stephen gave it to me when I saw him last. He had it handmade for me… It's not exactly diamonds, but it's expensive and beautiful."

Eloise's eyes were sparkling as Eliza studied the garment, which was finely made with a large, intricately sewn sunflower motif on the back. The stitching was exquisite and even Ivy would have been impressed with it. Yet Eliza had no idea how Stephen could afford such an item if his family had disowned him. Unless he had one of the missing women make it for him.

"The lady who is missing, she is a seamstress…" Eliza said gently.

"So? What, you think Stephen kidnapped her just to make me a robe?" Eloise laughed and the absurdity of the statement.

"I think I need to speak to him. You must know where I can find him?"

"I don't go to him… If he wants me, he comes to find me, not the other way around." The tone suggested to Eliza that Eloise found the idea laughable.

"You don't know where he is? Where he might be living?" It wasn't with his family he must have friends to stay with Eliza thought. He didn't seem like the type of man to sleep rough.

Eloise shook her head, and Eliza was surprised that she seemed fine with the arrangement that she had with Stephen.

"Look, Stephen is nice enough, but he's not a kidnapper. He's a decent lad, more so than other men I've met I can tell you. I think you're looking at the wrong person here, love."

Eloise seemed unconcerned as she stood to turn her attention back to her make-up.

"Do you know of any of his associates? I really must find him."

"We aren't that close, he comes here, we do our business, and he leaves."

Eliza felt a shudder down her spine and couldn't bear to imagine what that business was, but for a split second her mind jumped to an image of kissing William the previous evening before she shook the thought away.

"And you're fine with this arrangement?"

"I'm under no illusion that I'm probably not the only woman in his life. We don't make regular plans to see one another. He comes and goes as he pleases… but if he wants to bring me nice things, who am I to complain?"

Eliza hid her frustration well when really, she wanted to scream. She was hoping that Eloise would have been able to give her a firm location to look for him, but she was getting nothing. There was nothing in this discussion that was leading her to more clues, and that was more than irritating. Realising that this line of questioning was going nowhere, Eliza smiled and handed the robe back to Eloise, before thanking her for her time.

Outside the theatre, Eliza waited by the carriage for Phillips, who was smiling when he finally returned, and she hoped it meant that he'd had more luck than she had.

"How did you get on?" Eliza asked eagerly.

"Well, Stephen's not what you would call a regular visitor, but he does hang around, got an eye on Eloise, but most say it's nothing serious."

"That fits with what Eloise told me," Eliza said disappointedly. "She doesn't believe he would be involved and claims he's been banished by his family, and she doesn't know where he is living."

Phillips hesitated, he knew something, and he knew if he said it that Eliza would want to come too, and it certainly wasn't a place he felt comfortable her joining him. Nor did he think Duke would want her going. It was how to phrase it and not pique Eliza's interest.

"Well, look, someone did suggest an Opium den that Stephen's been seen in a couple of times…"

Eliza's eyes lit up and she went to speak but Phillips put a hand up to stop her before she could even start.

"It may be nothing, and before you say let's go!" he warned, "I need to go alone."

"Surely that's not safe?" Eliza tried.

"It's safer alone than if I walk in there with you. Trust me on this Miss Scarlet, it is deep in the slums, and if I go anywhere with a fine lady such as yourself on my arm, they will make me before I even blink. I must do this without you, for my safety as well as yours."

Eliza did her best to maintain her ladylike composure. Had it been William, she would have groaned, stamped her foot, and accused him of putting her on a shelf. Yet, there was something about how Phillips looked at her and the respect he had for her and in her for him in return, that gave her a moment to pause before she complained.

"So, what you're saying in a lady such as myself wouldn't be seen in an opium den?" she challenged.

"Not at all," Phillips laughed. He'd seen plenty of well-to-do women in the dens, after all, they were the ones with husbands who had the money to pay for it. "I'm saying that I would never take a woman like you with me to one." He put his hand on his heart as if to emphasise his honesty.

Eliza rolled her eyes at his poor attempt to make it sound like it was him rather than her.

"Fine… But bear in mind, I'm not someone you want as an enemy if you find a location, take it to Inspector Wellington and he cuts me from this investigation… I won't take too kindly to it being because of you."

It was a fair warning Eliza thought. This was too important, and she'd worked too hard on it, to be cut from the investigation on the grounds of danger… Again.

"I will meet you at your office and share what I find with you and Duke… You have my word."

Phillips held out a hand for her to shake, in a gesture of his honour. She eyed him suspiciously before slowly shaking his hand.

"I have somewhere else I need to be… not related to this case," Eliza teased. Phillips smiled, and nodded his head, hoping that she wouldn't follow him as she would Duke. He would certainly have his guard up, just in case.

"Well then, I shall let you take Arthur."

Phillips opened the carriage door and politely held it for Eliza, while she let him take her hand as she got in.

"Where to Miss?" he asked so he could inform the driver, and she was certain so she couldn't follow him.

"St James' Park please," she replied with a smile.

Phillips gave a nod before closing the carriage door and a few seconds later she felt the pull of the carriage moving as she sat back on the bench. She felt like she was getting nowhere fast.

During her travel to St James's Park, Eliza had plenty of time to mull over her thoughts and frustrations on the case. She could only wish that her discussions with Eloise had given her more clues as to when Stephen might be or his involvement. She seemed adamant that Stephen couldn't be involved, but how well did Eloise know him? Aside from Stephen and Mr Faraday they had limited leads and no real location or motive. Frustration weighed heavy on her shoulders.

She would have to be patient to find out what Phillips discovered at the opium den, if William got any information from Faraday or if Moses had any luck with a location in Beckton, and patience was not one of her strong points. For now, things were out of her hands, no matter how much she hated it. They would regroup later in the afternoon.

She was in half a mind to go and see Charlie because she'd not seen him since he gave her the case 3 days ago, but to disappoint him with no news would be heart-breaking. She was avoiding it. She knew she was. She had a nightmare the previous evening about having to tell the lad his mother was dead, and she had woken in a cold sweat.

It brought back the memory of her father when had delivered the news to her after her mother had passed. Lavinia had been in bed ill for days, but Eliza hadn't been allowed to see her, no one wanted her getting sick too. Doctors came and went, and she had heard whispers from her father, the elder kitchen lady who used to work for them, and Ivy the day before as she sulked around the house. They all had kept the truth from her that she wouldn't survive her illness. Tuberculosis had no cure and at least it was over quickly, Henry had whispered, she did not suffer long.

Eliza had been at a complete loss when he told her the news, she didn't believe him at first, and she'd tried to run into the bedroom to see for herself. Her father had hugged her and held onto her so tightly that she finally clung sobbing to him as well. A shudder slipped down her spine as she tried to ignore the memory that had lived with her for so long. She couldn't bear the thought of having to deliver similar news to Charlie or his sister. So, she'd avoided him like a coward. Perhaps if Rupert knew that he wouldn't believe her to be so brave.

To take her mind off the case, Eliza let her thoughts wander to William, and a smile appeared on her lips and a blush on her cheeks. The idea that he might accept her as she was, that just maybe there was a possibility of a future for them and one that might be out of the ordinary.

For years she'd rebuffed even the slightest thought of any liaison of that sort with William. He'd been the thorn in her plans for a different life, one that wasn't placid or calm or being the little wife who was kept at home whilst cooking and cleaning. The idea of that filled her with dread.

However, thinking of him now, she couldn't help but revel in the feeling of her heart beating just a little quicker for him. She took off her gloves and from under the collar of her shirt, she felt for the chain gold E necklace that William had bought for her birthday all those months earlier and pulled it out. Absentmindedly rubbing the pendant in between her fingertips, she closed her eyes and let herself remember their kisses. The one when they were young and she'd slapped him for it, the impromptu kiss in the seedy Traven room that startled her, and the one the other night in the carriage, that was filled with hope. Then of course there were the kisses that she'd started herself, that stirred more inside her than she thought possible.

Each one felt different for different reasons, and to herself, she could confess she enjoyed them all. She wasn't sure why she'd kissed him in her drawing room, but there was a simpleness to the words he'd spoken, that she hoped meant acceptance for who she was. Was it love, she wondered?

William's intentions were becoming more obvious, that he wanted more than friendship, and she was becoming more at ease with him showing it. She excitedly wondered what their next evening out might look like. Would he take her to another theatre show, a fancy dinner maybe? She was surprised at how easily the thought made her stomach jump with anticipation.

She pondered what her father would have thought if he could see them, getting along, working a case together, growing closer than friends. He had written in his casebook that he would choose William for her to marry, but there had been no explanation for his musing. Did he think William was a good man, and perhaps someone who could handle her? Or could he see something between them all those years ago? Was this part of his plan to have him look after her? He was always inviting William to join their family, constantly placing her in William's care as a young girl and liked to see them getting along rather than bickering as children.

Sometimes she wished Henry were still there to see what she had achieved, to ask him what he thought about where she and William appeared to be heading. She rubbed her eye, to chase away the tinge of sadness she always felt when thinking of him.

As her father's reasons filtered through her mind, she felt the carriage start to slow, and she peaked out the window to see Mr Colin Trewsbury standing on the edge of St James Park awaiting her arrival. His young Jack Russell was sitting patiently on a leash by his feet. She quickly placed her necklace back in its hiding place under her shirt and put her glove back on as the carriage stopped.

Mr Trewsbury noticed her through the glass, and like the true gentleman he was, he moved to open the carriage door for her and held out his hand to help her down.

"Miss Scarlet, how lovely to see you," he offered, as his dog jumped towards her, excited to see her. He placed his front paws up and tried to pat her dress, but Mr Trewsbury quickly controlled him back to the ground.

"Mr Trewsbury," Eliza nodded her head formally, before removing her hand from his grip, and she crouched a little to give the bouncing dog a little attention.

"Shall we walk?" He smiled watching Eliza with his dog, remembering how his dog had been so excited to see Clara Wilson not so long ago. Eliza confirmed her agreement before they headed along the pathway into the tree-covered park. Mr Trewsbury held out an arm, and Eliza graciously linked her arm to his and rested her gloved hand on his forearm.

They strolled formally side by side on the pathway among the other strolling couples, with the little dog walking just ahead of them, excited by the falling autumn leaves. Eliza had to admit she loved the look of all the colours of autumn. Yellow, red, and orange leaves were all around as the cold late-morning sun broke through the trees. To untrained eyes, they were just another couple on a gentle stroll of the park, despite the conspiring conversation.

"Now, Miss Scarlet, as you asked the other day, I've gathered a little information on your Superintendent Hall…" Mr Trewsbury started.

Eliza was hopeful that he had been discreet because the last thing she needed was for Hall to find out that she had been asking around after him.

"You are correct, the Superintendent and his brother-in-law do attend my gentleman's club. His father-in-law is a high society lawyer, and since his promotion to Scotland Yard, he has begun to join them most afternoons, or I can assure you he wouldn't be invited, Superintendent or otherwise. None of these men are people that I would associate myself with personally, however, they were in yesterday afternoon, and they do speak rather loudly."

Eliza noticed him grimace at the memory as if the men were disrupting the calm and the reputation of the club he enjoyed.

"I quietly asked a few members who they were, under the guise that I did not know who our newest member was. Now, I am not usually one to listen to idol gossip, but I make an exception for you. Hall married some years ago a young lady after a courtship of just a few weeks and it was considered an exceptionally good marriage on his part. However, just weeks after the union she moved out of London and has not returned since. It is rumoured that he never leaves to visit her..."

"So, it is a marriage of convenience?" Eliza questioned.

"I'm not one to speculate, since as far as I've heard no one has mentioned children, but there is only one reason that a woman disappears in such a way…"

Eliza nodded and read between the lines of his words.

"Either he got her in trouble and married her or she got herself in trouble and her father found a way around it…" Eliza surmised.

"Getting oneself in the family way…" Mr Trewsbury corrected, as he shook his head.

"I believe that takes two people, Mr Trewsbury," Eliza warned.

This was all interesting information, Eliza thought, but nothing she could use against the man. Eliza wasn't exactly interested in the wrongdoings of Hall's wife. She needed something on Hall himself.

"I hear he left his previous station house under a cloud?" Eliza teased, hoping that Mr Trewsbury had at least got something of use, or point him in a direction to enquire about.

"Ah, yes, I'm getting to that," Trewsbury smiled and seemed impressed that she was once again one step ahead of him.

"I apologise. Please carry on…" Eliza allowed with a cheeky grin.

"Yes, Hall was requested to leave his former office at Parson Green, and it was all very hush-hush. From my understanding, he would never have been allowed to take up such a prestigious position as Superintendent at Scotland Yard, if this news was commonly known."

Eliza's eyes pique in interest as Mr Trewsbury paused for dramatic effect.

"I take it you know why he was asked to leave?" Eliza smiled, and Mr Trewsbury tapped his nose.

"Why, young lady, do you doubt my abilities?" Mr Trewsbury teased.

"Not at all," Eliza chuckled.

"I believe the phrase used was 'fraternizing with the female inmates.' He was caught in a cell with ladies of the night and others who had been arrested on several occasions and then he arranged that they were either just cautioned or got lighter sentences for certain favours. Now that in alone is sadly not enough to get a man fired… but there was a young lady who was detained for petty theft, it was a simple first offence. Now this is pure gossip from the club, but it's suggested that lines were crossed, and accusations were made by the young lady's family who themselves are of the higher class of society with the weight to cause noise about the improper treatment."

"But why would such a thing be covered up? How could he be allowed to get a job at Scotland Yard?"

"I assume neither wanted the scandal and well, if you know the right people…" Trewsbury started.

"You can get away with anything," Eliza finished.

"This of course is gossip and I do not have proof of any wrongdoing for you, but given it seems common knowledge female prisoners were offered certain favours for lighter sentences, or in some cases just warnings, I would be inclined to believe the words of others."

"There is no smoke without fire…" Eliza added.

"Most probably…" Mr Trewsbury agreed.

"Behavior unbecoming of an officer for certain," Eliza sighed.

"Yes, I'm afraid. I'm not certain this information will help you, after all, what can you do with it?"

There was a lot that Eliza could do, and she was never normally at odds with a slightly more unscrupulous way of working but blackmailing a rather senior officer of Scotland Yard seemed a difficult sell, even for her.

"I'm not sure either, but I appreciate your help,"

"Now I know I do not need to warn you, but his father-in-law, and thus he himself has some powerful friends, so I must heed that you progress with caution."

"Thank you Mr Trewsbury. You have my word that I will proceed with caution," Eliza said, as they continued their stroll through the park.

It wasn't only his warning she knew she needed to listen to. One step wrong and William could lose his job, yet she needed access to Scotland Yard for her investigations, and to continue to earn her keep. What to do next was a conundrum indeed.

To be continued...