Page 39 of The Journal of a Thousand Years
“At the racetrack? Is he one of Thurlow’s men?”
“I’m not sure.”
“Think!”
“I’m trying.” Alex scrubbed a hand down his face. “I haven’t seen him recently. A few years ago, perhaps.”
“When you worked for the police? Or in the war?”
“Stop pestering me. It’s not helping.”
“A good slap might knock something back into place,” she muttered.
“Try it,” he dared her.
She merely crossed her arms.
I addressed Cyclops. “Did your men find anything upstairs?”
“A cloth that had been soaked in chloroform,” he said. “That explains why Gabe didn’t fight back. When they dragged him off the bed, the bedclothes fell on the floor. The two men must have then carried him between them downstairs. If Sally saw them arrive, then it happened a little after five.”
Which meant Gabe was already gone by the time I left my note with Bristow.
I pressed a hand to my chest as my heart pinched.
Cyclops dipped his head to peer at me. “It must be Thurlow, given what he did to you.”
“What did he do?” Alex asked.
“He kidnapped her.”
“What?” Alex exploded. “Are you all right, Sylvia?”
Even Willie looked concerned, although it only lasted for as long as it took me to reassure them I was fine.
“I escaped using my paper magic.”
She grunted. “So, you can wield deadly paper now, too.”
“I learned the spell from the Hendry family journal.”
“That’s your man, Cyclops. You find Hendry, you find Gabe. I reckon the intruder Sally saw was a hired thug Hendry found in some register of henchmen that madmen share among themselves. Alex probably arrested him once, back when he worked for the Met.”
“You’re ridiculous, Willie.” Alex turned to me. “Tell us about your abduction and escape.”
I detailed my evening for them, including my visit to Cyclops after my escape and handing over Bertie to Mr. Jakes. “Speaking of Jakes, we can’t discount him as a suspect in Gabe’s kidnapping. His interest in bringing the Hobsons to justice over their failed boots doesn’t negate his interest in learning more about mutated magic, and Gabe’s magic in particular.”
Alex wasn’t so sure. “Thurlow has to be the top of our list now. He already committed one abduction.”
“I doubt it’s him. Not only is the man Sally described not one of the men guarding me last night, Thurlow slipped a note under the front door here for Gabe, informing him that I was his prisoner. He was using me to lure Gabe out of the house.”
“Perhaps he didn’t get around to leaving the note before you escaped and decided he had to strike immediately once you did. He could have collected a new henchman along the way.” He indicated the sketch.
I withdrew two notes from my pocket. “I brought a message here as soon as I got away. I gave it to Bristow and exchanged it for the one that had been slipped under the door overnight.” I showed him Thurlow’s note. “When Gabe was abducted, I hadn’t escaped yet, although I did shortly after. I don’t think Thurlow had time to get back to the house where I was being held after abducting Gabe, but if he did…why go back at all? And what was the point of using me to lure Gabe if he planned on abducting Gabe anyway? Why bother to leave a note for him? It doesn’t make sense.”
Alex shrugged. “Thurlow may have simply changed his mind.”
Willie wagged a finger at me. “I doubt he did. I think Sylvia’s right. So that leaves Hendry.”
