Page 56 of Secrets in the Dark
They’d been there a few minutes, nursing their pints, when Della noticed that the redheaded bartender was leaning back against a shelf filled with bottles, taking a bit of a breather.
It had been busy when they’d arrived. Now, the crowd was beginning to thin out.
“Taking five, Reginald,” the man called to the other, who nodded and tended to the two women who had just walked in.
He was close to them and Della decided she’d find out what she could from the man.
“You’re American!” she said with surprise.
He turned to them and grinned. “Damn. That accent gives it away every time!” he said.
“I’m going to say it’s probably the same for us,” Mason said.
“It’s just curious—an American here in a pub,” Della told him.
He shrugged. “I’m attending an institute of higher education—City Lit. Went to Yale, I’m proud to say, and here I am—a bartender. No, not complaining. I like my job. Nice people here. I was a working journalist but wanted to improve what I’m hoping will be my skills in fiction. And I love getting to see more of the world.”
“Wow, nice, and good for you!” Della told him.
“Well, we’ll see. I do love London. And I’m able to broaden my knowledge of world literature. Oh, and hey, my mom and dad use it as a great excuse to travel—they stay at my place and save on hotels. My sister comes—now that’s fun, she’s pretty and attracts more pretty girls, so... Anyway, how are you finding it here? Enjoying the sights?”
“It’s a fascinating city, certainly,” Della said.
He grinned. “Cool stuff—and a lot of grisly stuff. One of the Ripper tours makes us their last stop. And there’s so much more. Visiting the Tower of London. That’s always fun, seeing where some of the great nobility lost their heads! People go to see the Crown Jewels, and some go to see the way man practiced cruelty on his fellow man. Oh, we haven’t stopped that, have we?”
“There’s always a war somewhere,” Mason said dryly. “Seriously, what you’re doing sounds great. When you are home, where’s home?”
“Hartford, Connecticut,” the man said. “I’m Joshua, by the way. In case you come to hang around again.”
“Thanks. I’m Della, this is Mason,” Della said.
“Great. And, um, I’m not sure how long you’ve been here, but I’m thinking you’ve seen the news—it’s going around the world, so I’ve been told. There’s a killer out there. Around this time of night, I’m always warning single women in here not to go walking back to a hotel alone—the locals around here are so steeped in history that they don’t have to be warned twice. I even...” He paused, shaking his head. “They don’t know. No one knows who it might be. I’m not sure how up you are on Ripper lore—I wasn’t into it at all until I got the job here, but... Okay, I’m rambling. The point is that there are about seven serious suspects from the 1888 killings. One was a butcher and one, of course—ridiculous, in my opinion—was that the Crown might have been in on it, either Prince Albert Edward himself or his physician, Sir William Gull. There was Montague Druitt, respectable fellow in a bit of trouble, but it could be anyone. Someone who is charming and looks like they have the best job and best upbringing in the world. So—”
“We’re very careful,” Della promised him.
“Well, cool, enjoy, Oh, hey, that’s Jessica over there, alone,” Joshua said. “I guess the tours must be down these days. Oh, she does other tours, too, and what a historian she is! Westminster, the Tower, Buckingham Palace, the British Museum... Anyway, enjoy!”
Joshua moved on over to help the newcomer he had called Jessica.
He pointed to the two of them, probably as prospective customers.
She smiled and waved, a pretty brunette in her mid-to late-twenties.
“Maybe she’s seen something,” Mason said quietly.
“We might as well be honest with her. We’re not undercover,” Della reminded him.
“Okay. And they’re about to give last call. I say we meet Jessica,” Mason said.
They walked over to the other side of the bar, Della smiling and offering Jessica a hand as they approached her. “I’m Della Hamilton and this is Mason Carter. Joshua has said that you’re the best guide in the city.”
She smiled at that and shook Mason’s hand, too. “I’m not sure if I’m the best, but...”
“You just came off a Ripper tour? I thought you brought your groups in here when it was over,” Mason said.
She sighed. “Well, it’s strange. Some people would think that a Ripper tour was in the worst taste known to man with what has happened here. But there are others who... We’re so full, it’s ridiculous. Maybe people are trying to see where not to be, I’m not sure. But we’ve also decided that we’re going to be done early and get our people out of the area, home for the few locals we get now and then, back to their hotels.”
“Maybe it’s a good policy for the time,” Della said. She shrugged. “Finish the tour and get them on their way, or... Well, if they insist on staying, you’ve made the reason they shouldn’t clear.”
