Page 77 of The Journal of a Thousand Years
“He claims to have found him,” Bristow told me.
“Found who?” I asked without looking up from the book I was cataloging.
“He didn’t say, but he asked me to tell you that. If I report back that you have no interest in speaking to him, he claims he will leave and never return. But he begged me to say that much to you. Miss Ashe,” Bristow prompted when I still didn’t look up, “could he mean he has found Thurlow?”
I dropped the book.Oh, God. “Bring him in here, then inform Alex, but not Willie or Gabe. Thank you, Bristow.”
When Melville entered, he peeled off the false beard and stuffed it inside his upturned hat. He placed the hat on the table. “Did the butler tell you I found him?” His eyes were bright, and his voice edged with excitement. “I found your kidnapper, Sylvia. I’ve set up a meeting so we can trap him.”
“What?” I exploded.
Footsteps came running and Alex appeared in the doorway. Seeing me safe, he released a breath. “Everything all right, Sylvia?”
“I’m not going to harm my own daughter,” Melville said snippily. “In fact, I’ve found a way to protect her. I’m glad you’re here, young man. You’re part of my plan.”
Another set of footsteps pounded on the staircase.
“I’m sorry,” Alex said to me.
“About what?”
Willie charged into the library and aimed her gun at Melville’s head. “Get down on your knees, put your hands in the air, and don’t move. You’re under arrest.”
Melville put his hands up but didn’t kneel. “You don’t have the power to arrest me. Anyway, I have a plan that involves you, and your gun.”
Willie screwed up her face. “Huh?”
Alex placed his hand over her wrist. “Don’t shoot him in here. It’ll make a mess.” Once she’d lowered the gun, although not put it away, he asked Melville to explain.
Melville addressed me. “I found Thurlow for you.”
Willie swore.
Alex shushed her and closed the library door. “Gabe is resting.”
Even if Gabe wasn’t resting, I didn’t want him hearing what Melville had planned. If it involved flushing out my kidnapper to arrest him, Gabe would want to be a part of it. In his current state, he was too weak. If his magic activated, it could weaken him further, perhaps to the point where his body couldn’t recover. Besides, his magic might not even work when he was already so frail. That wasn’t the only reason I didn’t want him to hear Melville, however. I suspected I was an integral part of Melville’s plan, and Gabe would try to forbid me from beinginvolved. I’d be forced to go against his wishes, and I didn’t want that between us.
Melville pointed at my notebook. “May I borrow a blank page?”
Willie pointed the gun at him again. “So you can slice my throat open? I ain’t stupid.”
With a roll of his eyes, Alex forced her to lower the weapon again.
Melville sat beside me and accepted the blank page. “I found Thurlow?—”
“Where?” Alex asked. “Tell us and we’ll send the police.”
Melville shook his head. “I don’t know where he lives. When I say I found him, I mean I got word to him via a network.”
“Of thieves and thugs.”
“And worse.” Melville began to draw what appeared to be a map on the paper. “He doesn’t know who I am to you, Sylvia, or that I’m a magician. I told our mutual contact that I’d heard Thurlow tried to abduct you but failed. Given my previous encounter with the Glass family, I said I realized abducting you would upset Gabriel, which would upset his parents. I suggested it would be a perfect revenge for me and I wanted to be involved. I offered to help him lure Gabriel so he can study or use his magic.”
“I didn’t say anything about Gabe being a magician,” I said. “I told you Thurlow abducted me to lure Gabe, but I didn’t mention why.”
“I’ve read the newspaper articles about him. It wasn’t difficult to guess the reason.Ishe a magician?”
“No,” all three of us said.
