The River Knows Read Online Free PDF

word for it,” she said slowly. “You no doubt have better connections in the criminal classes than I do, and therefore you are better informed about such matters.”

    “Do I detect a note of envy?”

    “Well, I must admit, I would find detailed information about the criminal underworld extremely useful from time to time.”

    “Just what line are you in, Mrs. Bryce?” he asked very gently.

    Another chill trickled down her spine. She was fiercely aware of the strength in his fingers. He wasn’t hurting her, but she was most definitely a captive. It took a great deal of effort to keep her voice calm and even.

    “Never fear, sir, I am not your competition,” she assured him. “I have no interest in Hastings’s jewels.”

    “Then what the devil did you hope to find in his room?”

    She hesitated a moment longer and then made her decision. He already knew that she had been in the room, and he had not betrayed her to the guard. It was clear that he was no friend of Elwin Hastings, and, although he appeared to be a gentleman, he was a self-confessed professional thief, a species not known for its scruples. It was not as though she had a great many options here. Anthony was an unusual gentleman; not at all like other men. He just might consider helping her, if only because he might find the challenge intriguing.

    “I was hoping to find proof that Hastings has a financial interest in a certain brothel,” she said. “A place called Phoenix House.”

    She held her breath.

    Anthony regarded her, evidently bereft of speech, for a very long moment. He released her wrists, but he continued to lean forward, resting his forearms on his thighs. He linked his fingers loosely together between his knees and regarded her as though she were a peculiar specimen in a strange zoo.

    “You seek evidence that Hastings invested money in a brothel?” he asked, as though wanting to be quite clear on the subject.

    She gripped her muff very tightly. “Yes.”

    “Do you mind if I ask why?”

    “Yes, I do mind. It is none of your affair, sir.”

    He nodded. “No, I suppose it isn’t. What made you think that this proof might be in Hastings’s bedroom?”

    “I managed to slip into his library earlier and go through his desk drawers. They were not even locked. I found nothing useful. The bedroom was the only other place I could think of to search.”

    “You went through his desk looking for documents related to his financial affairs.” Anthony seemed beyond astonishment now. He merely shook his head. “Of all the idiotic, reckless, foolhardy—”

    “I did not ask your opinion, sir,” she said, stiffening. “In any event, it was not that foolhardy. No one was about. The servants are all busy this evening.”

    “It is a miracle you were not caught by one of the guards.”

    “Yes, well, I was not aware of them at the time,” she admitted ruefully.

    “A serious oversight.”

    “Indeed,” she admitted. She straightened her shoulders. “As I was saying, the bedroom was the only other place I could think of to search.”

    “I assume that you did not find the proof that you were seeking?”
    “No, unfortunately.” She sighed. “I went through all of the drawers in the wardrobe, and I searched beneath the bed. There is a small writing desk near the window. The drawer was unlocked, but there was nothing inside. I could not think of any place else to look. There was no sign of a safe.”

    “That is because it is hidden in the floor.”

    She widened her eyes. “You know that for a fact?”

    “Yes. It is an Apollo Patented Safe, by the way, the most secure strongbox available on the market.”

    “I am most impressed, sir. You must, indeed, be very good at your work. You obviously do a great deal of research on your, uh, subjects. I did not even think to look for the safe in the floor.”

    “It is just as well. If you had remained in that room a moment longer, the guard would probably have discovered you