The Girl in the Steel Corset - By Kady Cross Page 0,65
Jasper asked, bewildered.
“I don’t know,” Griffin replied. “If he’d only broken into the cavern, I’d think he was simply after ore, but obviously there’s more to it. It’s personal. And he wants to us to suspect Finley.”
“She’s done a good job of that herself,” Sam growled. Finley forced herself to meet his angry gaze. She’d done nothing wrong.
Griffin ignored him. “What bothers me is that if it is The Machinist he’s obviously watching us, otherwise how would he know about Finley’s association with Dandy?”
Finley shifted uncomfortably. The idea of someone watching her was unnerving, and almost ludicrous, but the note in Griffin’s hand was overwhelming factual evidence.
“Why keep the figure’s clothes?” Jasper asked, taking some of the attention from her. “Why take the queen’s hairbrush? None of that will fetch him much of a price, and I’ve not heard of anyone trying to sell Victoria’s belongings.”
Finley’s head was beginning to spin. None of this made any sense.
“Have you stopped to consider,” Sam began in a dark tone, “that maybe Finley is in league with The Machinist? You start investigating The Machinist and all of a sudden she shows up, turning your head.”
It was a valid suspicion, Finley had to admit. She didn’t like the implication, but she’d think it if the situation were reversed.
Obviously Emily disagreed. She whirled on him. “Samuel Morgan! If you have nothing useful to contribute to the conversation, kindly keep your mouth closed!”
Sam’s rugged cheeks flushed bright red. “Fine. Obviously no one here wants to see reason. I knew it was a mistake to come back.” He turned on his heel and stormed out of the ring and out of the room.
Finley’s eyes narrowed, but she put her arm around Emily’s shoulders and gave her a squeeze. She turned to Griffin. “Sam made a good point. You should distrust me.”
Griffin stared at her—hard. “No, I shouldn’t.” Then, “We need to go to Madame Tussaud’s. Maybe he left a clue behind. Emily, the wax form of the queen is in your laboratory. See what you can find on it.”
Emily chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. “Griff, if he took some of the Organites along with the ore…”
Griffin’s mouth thinned. “He would still have to decipher the uses for them. Let’s hope he simply thought they were nothing but ooze, and had more interest in the ore instead. That would power his machines for a long time.”
Emily nodded, but Finley could see real worry in her eyes. She knew the Organites could heal—she’d witnessed it firsthand—but there had to be more to it for Emily to look so worried.
“Jasper, you’re with me,” Griff said, climbing out of the ring. “While Em’s in the lab, we’re going to go to Madame Tussaud’s.”
That left Finley lost. “What do you want me to do?”
Griffin’s head turned. His gaze locked with hers. “I think it for the best if you stay here, especially since our friend has taken an interest in you. Assist Emily in the lab.”
He wasn’t trying to brush her aside, but she knew a dismissal when she heard one. He might as well have told her to go sit in her room and try not to get into trouble. She knew he was right, but she felt shut out all the same.
She wasn’t one of them after all.
Sam went to the tavern and found Leon sitting at their usual table.
“My boy,” the older man said as Sam joined him. “Whatever is the matter? You look as though you just lost your best friend.”
“Friends,” Sam corrected him grimly as he signaled the waitress for a pint. “They’re all so enamored with Finley Jayne they can’t see what’s right in front of their noses.”
Leon’s expression was all sympathy as the bar wench set a mug on the table in front of Sam. “The girl you told me about?” he asked. “The one I said sounded like trouble?”
Sam nodded. “She is, with a capital T. Only, Griffin’s taken with her and refuses to admit that she might not be as wonderful as he thinks.”
Leon’s countenance was all concern and understanding. Sam knew he would understand. He understood about Emily and Griff and how he felt about what they’d done to him. He understood what it was like to feel as if he was on the outside looking in. “Tell me what has happened, my friend.”
After a long swallow of his drink, Sam did.
Griffin and Jasper rode velocycles to Madame Tussaud’s waxworks on Marylebone Road. Usually Griffin disliked using the cycles in broad