Villains in Venice (Taylor and Rose Secret Agents 3)

‘Yes. You’ll remember it was originally written in French – this is the English translation. I’m afraid I cannot let you take this with you to Venice. I’m not keeping a copy at the Bureau either. In fact, you and I will be the only two people who have seen the code in full.’

Sophie took the paper, noticing Carruthers looking a little annoyed and craning his neck slightly, as if hoping he might be able to take a quick glance at it too.

‘This information must not fall into the wrong hands. The only safe place for it is in our heads. So memorise it now, if you please.’

Sophie heard the fire crackle and suddenly felt nervous. It seemed a grave responsibility to be the only person besides the Chief who knew the code in full. Suppose she forgot something, or made a mistake? She felt Carruthers’ eyes on her and the fire hot against her face and wished more than ever that Lil was here. With her talent for remembering lines and song lyrics and dance steps, she’d have found this easy. But there was no time to think about that now. Sophie fixed her full attention upon the paper:

She pictured each image as she went over them in her mind. Seven stars made her think of the inn near where the Lim family lived in Chinatown. Green lion, black sun – she remembered that from when they had first learned the dragon paintings contained hidden secrets. Five fingers. Four serpents. Winged horse and moon. Two-headed dragon. Could that somehow refer to the Fraternitas Draconum itself?

She repeated the sequence over and over to herself, until at last she felt as confident as she could that she would not forget it. She set the paper down and the Chief, who had been sitting staring into the fire smoking his pipe, looked up at her.

‘You have it? You’re sure?’

When she nodded, the Chief took the paper and threw it swiftly into the fire.

The three of them sat and watched in silence as it flared up, burning brightly for a moment, before it fell away into grey ash and was gone.

Bloomsbury, London

‘A holiday! You want me to go with you on a holiday?’

Sophie let out a long sigh. She’d known as soon as she’d left the Chief the night before that she had to go and talk to Lil, but she’d also known that the conversation would not be easy. She’d been waiting for Lil to come home for hours, and now as she sat in the untidy sitting room that Lil shared with her older brother Jack, she knew it was going to be just as difficult as she’d feared.

‘It’s not a holiday,’ she explained. ‘That’s just our cover story. The Chief wants us to go to Venice to track down the last dragon painting. If we can get to it, we’ll have the final piece of the code, and we can find the secret weapon at last.’

Lil had only just come in and hadn’t yet taken off her hat and coat. Now, she stood in the middle of the room and stared at Sophie for a long moment. ‘I don’t know how many more times I can say it,’ she said. ‘I don’t know how to make you understand. I don’t care about the code, or the weapon. I don’t care about any of it.’

Jack had been sitting with Sophie while she waited for Lil to come home. She’d been glad of his cheerful company. The two of them were good friends: in fact, he’d sometimes given Sophie the idea that he’d like to be a little more than just friends, inviting her out with him, paying her compliments and even sketching portraits of her. One of these portraits had actually been shown in an exhibition once, which was flattering but also rather embarrassing. Jack was good fun but the truth was she didn’t feel she had time for romance.

Now, Jack got to his feet. ‘Come on, Lil. Sit down,’ he said coaxingly. ‘You’ve been out all day – you must be freezing. I’ve just made some tea and we’ve got some of those ginger cakes you like.’

But Lil just brushed him away. ‘I don’t want any cake.’ That would have been strange enough, Sophie thought, for Lil was not one to refuse food and certainly never cake. But then Lil did not seem much like her usual self at the moment. She had always seemed to be glowing with health and energy: her hair gleaming, her cheeks pink, her eyes bright. She had always loved dressing stylishly, wearing bright colours and following the latest fashions from the trimming of her hat down to the heels of her buttoned boots. But now she was pale and looked tired, dressed in an old frock with a coat thrown over it any old how, her hair straggling and her boots soaked from tramping through the sleet.

‘If we can get the weapon, we can stop the Fraternitas from using it,’ Sophie tried to explain. ‘The Chief says—’

‘Bother the Chief,’ said Lil shortly.

‘But we have to—’

‘Listen. The only thing I have to do is keep looking for Joe. I don’t know why you don’t understand that!’

‘Why don’t you at least let Sophie explain . . .’ Jack interrupted, but Lil gave him an angry look and he subsided.

‘It’s no good trying to persuade me. I’m not going to Venice. I’m not doing any assignments for the Bureau. I’m staying here and looking for Joe. I won’t give up on him. Just like I didn’t give up on you when you went missing in St Petersburg,’ she added pointedly. ‘Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to get out of these wet things.’

She turned away and went into the bedroom. Sophie stared after her, feeling a little sick. She and Lil had sometimes disagreed before, but it had never been like this. Lil hardly spoke to her now, and she hadn’t come to the Taylor & Rose office in weeks. The only thing she was interested in was finding Joe. She couldn’t bring herself to accept that he was gone.

Sophie had lost a great deal in her life. She’d lost both her parents to the Fraternitas Draconum: her beloved papa murdered by the Baron in South Africa; her mother, Alice, killed when Sophie was just a baby. She knew how it felt when people you loved vanished. She knew what it was like to be alone.

But nothing like this had ever happened to Lil. Until now, her life had been as bright and cheerful as one of the window displays at Sinclair’s: brilliant lights, bonbons in coloured wrappings, pretty hats decorated with flowers and ribbons. What was more, there had always been a special connection between Lil and Joe, and on the way home from St Petersburg, Sophie had begun to suspect that their friendship might be changing into something deeper. It was no wonder that Lil wouldn’t give up on the idea that he could still be alive somewhere if only she searched hard enough.

Just like I didn’t give up on you . . . That stung. It was true that Lil had travelled all the way to Russia to look for Sophie when she thought she had gone missing. But couldn’t Lil see that going after the Fraternitas was the only thing left that they could do for Joe now? Sophie felt quite sure that the double agent and the Fraternitas were responsible for whatever had happened to him in that East End alley. She was determined to do whatever she could to bring them to justice, and if that meant going to Venice, then to Venice she would go, with or without Lil.

But safety in numbers, the Chief had said. And much as she would like to, Sophie knew she couldn’t ask Billy and Mei to go with her. Without them, things at Taylor & Rose would simply fall apart. But there were others who might go with her, she thought.

Now, she looked up at Jack. ‘How would you feel about a trip to Venice?’ she suggested. ‘We can ask Leo as well,’ she added.

‘What – really?’ said Jack, surprised and flattered.

It made perfect sense, Sophie thought. Jack was an art student, so of course he would want to go to Italy to see the museums and galleries. Venice was exactly the sort of romantic bohemian city beloved of artists and writers that he would choose to visit. And it would be even better if their friend Leo Fitzgerald, who studied with Jack at the Spencer Institute of Fine Art, came too. They could bring their sketchbooks and paintboxes, and even in the winter Venice was certain to be atmospheric and beautiful enough to appeal to two young artists. Leo knew a great deal about Benedetto Casselli’s dragon paintings – in fact, it was she who had first noticed that the paintings concealed secret messages. Leo’s special knowledge of the paintings could be very useful in her quest to find The Black Dragon, Sophie thought.

What was more, Jack and Leo were both sworn members of the Loyal Order of Lions and she knew they would do what they could to help her in her mission. They both understood how important it was to stop the Fraternitas, and Sophie guessed that Leo in particular would be keen to lend her support. After all, it was not so very long ago that they had learned that Leo’s own godmother, Lady Tremayne, was secretly in league with the Fraternitas, and Sophie knew that this betrayal still stung.

Jack was looking more and more excited by the minute. ‘Venice! I’ve always wanted to see it! And you know Leo and I will do whatever you need to help you find the painting. Oh, I say, we could go undercover!’

In spite of everything, Sophie had to smile, imagining Jack and Leo’s efforts at going undercover. Like most of the art students at the Spencer the two of them were rather noticeable, dressing in unusual colours and daring styles – the exact opposite of a secret agent blending into the background. But then wasn’t that the point? No one would suspect she was on a government mission if she was travelling with them!

‘No need for anything like that,’ she said quickly. ‘All we have to do is act as though we’re on a perfectly ordinary trip. With any luck, you won’t have to do much except enjoy yourselves. I’ll go and find the painting – hopefully it should be simple enough.’ After everything she’d done, getting a quick look at one painting couldn’t possibly be too difficult, she thought. ‘Just think of it as a holiday,’ she finished.

‘Well, a holiday in Venice sounds perfectly marvellous,’ said Jack. ‘I’m sure Leo will think so too.’ But Sophie noticed his eyes wandering uncertainly towards Lil’s bedroom door.

‘What about Lil?’ she asked quietly.

Jack shook his head. ‘I don’t think you’ll be able to persuade her to go. She won’t think about anything except trying to find Joe.’

‘Will she be all right here alone, do you think?’ Sophie said in a low voice. She would never have asked such a question before. Lil had always been so independent, so sure of herself, so full of energy. Someone who thought nothing of going undercover in a Royal castle, posing as a debutante at London’s high society balls, stowing away on a train to Russia, or performing with a circus. But things were different now.

‘I’ll ask Tilly and the others to keep an eye on her,’ said Jack. ‘And perhaps Billy could drop in sometimes and see how she’s getting on?’

Sophie nodded. She knew that he would, but even so it felt all wrong that she was about to go off on another mission, leaving Lil alone to grapple with a hopeless investigation. And while she would be glad to have Jack and Leo with her, it wouldn’t be the same as going to Venice with Lil. For a moment, she thought of their first case for the Bureau – the two of them setting out together on the train, suitcases in hand, full of excitement about this new kind of adventure – and felt a wave of sadness. Whatever else might happen, things could never be quite like that again.

For a little while she waited, but Lil’s bedroom door remained closed so at last she said goodbye to Jack and went down into the street to hail a taxi. The driver gave her a surprised look when she asked him to take her to the shooting range at Vauxhall: he couldn’t have had the slightest suspicion that the dainty young lady sitting in the back seat of his motor was in fact a secret agent with a pistol in her pocket. In the past, the thought would have made Sophie laugh to herself, but now she felt too sombre even to smile.

At the shooting range she found Brooks waiting for her. He looked about as happy to be there as Sophie was herself, wearing an impatient look as though he couldn’t wait to go on his way. He didn’t bother with any pleasantries but plunged straight in, quizzing her about what she already knew about firearms. After showing her how to load the gun, he set about making her practise, criticising her stance and correcting her aim until she was consistently hitting the bull’s eye on the paper target.

‘That’ll do for today,’ he said gruffly when Sophie’s arm felt stiff and sore and her ears rang from the sound of gunshots. ‘Back here again, same time tomorrow. We’ve got a lot to do.’

Of course, shooting practice was not the only thing Sophie had to do before she left for Venice. There was work to be done at Taylor & Rose, but what was more she wanted to make sure she gave the impression she really was taking a holiday. So while of course she talked over the assignment secretly with Billy and Mei, she was careful to tell everyone else her cover story. In the Ladies’ Fashions Department at Sinclair’s she told the shopgirls that she needed a new frock for a trip abroad, and in the Book Department she asked for the latest edition of the Baedeker’s Guide to Northern Italy.

In between, she went quietly to the shooting range each day to meet Brooks. While the lessons were not enjoyable, Sophie had to admit Brooks knew what he was doing. Before long, she could load the pistol, clean it and shoot with at least reasonable accuracy. ‘Acceptable,’ said Brooks curtly, which Sophie guessed was as close as she was going to get to any kind of praise. But the sour look on his face made it quite clear that he still didn’t think much of young lady secret agents, and he certainly didn’t think it was worth his time teaching them to shoot.

Back home, she finished her packing. It was an easy task: on previous assignments, she’d had to think carefully to make sure that every item of her luggage, from her hat- pins to her handkerchiefs, were just right for the person she was pretending to be. But this time she was travelling simply as herself. Her frocks were neatly folded in her suitcase; she’d packed an umbrella, thick stockings and stout boots in case of bad weather. Beside it was a battered leather attaché case, covered all over with luggage labels. It held a Box Brownie camera, her Baedeker’s Guide and a few other supplies that any young lady traveller might need on her journey – some hair-pins, a comb, a small bottle of eau de cologne. But underneath, in the hidden compartment of the attaché case, were the true necessities of her trip: the spyglass in its velvet box, a map and briefing on Venice supplied by Carruthers, and the little pearl-handled pistol.

Last of all she added an old blue notebook, faded and battered with reading. On the cover was handwritten in black ink: Alice Grayson – Diary 1884. It was the volume of Sophie’s mother’s diaries that dealt with her travels in Italy as a young girl. Even though Alice had died when Sophie was just a baby, she felt she had got to know her through her diaries. Having her mother’s diary with her always felt rather like the company of a friend.

She closed the attaché case and then went quickly over to her writing desk. Taking out a sheet of paper and a pen, she began scribbling a note. She had to try one last time to persuade Lil to join her.

The next morning, after a final visit to the Taylor & Rose office, Sophie set out for the railway station. As she crossed the busy station concourse, she glanced around her, wondering whether in spite of all her efforts, the Fraternitas might have their spies watching.

Jack and Leo were waiting for her by the news stand, looking rather excited. They certainly didn’t look a bit like detectives or secret agents, which would be a jolly good thing if anyone was spying on her. As usual, Jack’s dark hair was flopping into his eyes; he had a satchel slung over his shoulder and the cuffs of his tweed coat were spattered with paint. Meanwhile, Leo’s hair was cut daringly short in the manner of the young lady art students at the Spencer; she wore a beret, a long flame-coloured scarf and what looked like a man’s overcoat missing several buttons. She walked with a limp, leaning on a handsome mahogany cane with a handle carved into the shape of a lion’s head.

‘I say – here we all are!’ exclaimed Jack in a loud, enthusiastic voice. They were playing their parts to perfection, Sophie thought. ‘Ready for a holiday?’

‘Absolutely!’ she said, smiling blithely back at him.

In keeping with their role of tourists, they lingered to choose some reading matter for the journey – Tit-Bits and The Strand Magazine, and the morning’s edition of The Daily Picture. They bought a luncheon basket of provisions and several packets of chocolate. All the time, Sophie kept glancing over at the station clock, just in case she saw Lil’s familiar tall figure waiting there for her. But the people standing under the clock were all strangers, each of them waiting for someone else.

‘Come on,’ said Jack as she lingered for a few more moments. ‘If we don’t get a move on, we’ll miss the train. Want me to grab that case for you, Leo?’

Sophie turned to follow them, but as they went out on to the smoky platform she could not help looking back over her shoulder at the station clock one last time before they hurried away.

‘We arrived in Venice from the sea, to find it wreathed in mist . . . What a fascinating place it seems to be – shimmering jade-green canals, twisting alleyways and secret squares.

There is so much to see and marvel at. I cannot shake the feeling that Venice is somewhere that all manner of mysterious things could happen.’

– From the diary of Alice Grayson

Fleet Street, London

Lil shivered as she paced along Fleet Street, her hands buried deep in her pockets. She must have walked up and down this street hundreds of times in the past few weeks. Everything was so familiar: the chemist’s, the stationer’s, the café with the striped awning; the motor- buses rumbling by, carrying passengers from the West End towards the East. The smell of paper and ink that wafted from the printing presses; the whirring and clanking of cylinders and belts and gears; and above it all the chiming of the bells of St Dunstan’s and St Bride’s.

The people were familiar to her too: the newsboy selling papers on the corner, the shoe cleaners, the waitresses in the café with their frilly aprons. She knew them especially well after all the hours she’d spent sitting at a little table in the steamy window, making one cup of coffee last as long as she could. But most of all she was interested in the staff of The Daily Picture – the reporters and filing clerks, the typewriter girls and telephonists, the printers’ boys in smocks smudged with ink dust, all of whom she saw streaming in and out of the big red-brick building every day.

She knew their faces now and she knew their daily routines. She knew when the office doors were unlocked in the morning and when the clerks and telephonists arrived. She knew where the typewriter girls went for their luncheon, and the pubs the young reporters visited to gossip with their rivals at the Post and the Gazette. She knew when the inky-fingered printers left after their long night shift and when the delivery vans arrived in the morning to carry the finished papers out across the city.

Yet in spite of everything she knew about this little stretch of Fleet Street, she was no closer to knowing anything that really mattered. Who was the woman Joe had seen? And the question that she asked herself a hundred times a day: what had happened to him?

She’d gone over it a million times – at first with Sophie and the others and then later by herself. Joe had discovered that someone at the Bureau was passing information to a woman, whom he’d followed back to the offices of The Daily Picture. He’d gone to stake out the offices and try and find out more, but then he’d just disappeared. The only clue was his cap, which had been found in an alley out in Limehouse.

Now, as she walked, Lil found herself wondering all over again how Joe could have ended up in the East End. She knew he didn’t like going there. It was too much of a reminder of his old life, when he’d been part of the gang known as ‘the Baron’s Boys’. She was certain it wasn’t somewhere he’d have chosen to go. Could he have been discovered and taken there against his will? Or maybe he’d followed the woman there?

It always came back to the woman from The Daily Picture. But Lil still hadn’t the least idea who she was. All she knew was that there were dozens of women coming in and out of the big office every day. Even now she could see two girls in smart hats hurrying inside out of the cold; a professional- looking older woman striding in behind them, carrying a briefcase; whilst on the pavement, a fashionable lady in a fox fur was being helped out of a motor car by her driver before she swept through the doors. Any of them could have been the woman Joe had seen. Lil didn’t know how old she was, or what colour was her hair, or whether she wore spectacles, or anything like that. All Joe had told Billy was that she had been rather smart and dressed in an expensive-looking suit.

It was so jolly frustrating, Lil thought. And the stupidest thing about it all was that Joe himself would have been so much better at this investigation than she was. Surveillance was not really in Lil’s line. Action was what she liked, not watching and waiting in the shadows. Joe, on the other hand, had seemingly limitless patience and was an expert at keeping out of sight. Now, she imagined she could hear his voice in her ear, encouraging her, just like he always had. Chin up. Keep going. Take it slowly. Don’t give up.

Joe never gave up. And although he didn’t make a fuss about it, he always did the right thing. He’d been the only one who’d understood when she’d decided she must go to St Petersburg to find Sophie. And just look at how he’d managed to track down a dangerous double agent all by himself! He might be quiet but he was brave and loyal. He’d do anything for her – he’d proved that over and over again.

Lil tied herself up in knots thinking of all the things Joe had done for her. Sometimes the big things, like when he’d given himself up to his old enemies the Baron’s Boys to try and save her. But more often than not it was the small, ordinary things she thought of. Joe shyly inviting her to go walking with him along the river. Joe turning up on her doorstep in his best suit, carrying a bunch of flowers. The very last time she’d seen him he’d insisted on accompanying her to the train station. She thought of how he’d said goodbye to her on the station platform and that moment when she thought he was going to kiss her. She rubbed her cold hand across her face. Horrid bitter wind, getting in her eyes.

The worst thing about that memory was he’d tried to persuade her that he should come with her to help find Sophie. And Lil had told him not to! If only she’d said yes, he would have been on the other side of Europe with her, instead of here on Fleet Street on the trail of a double agent. How he’d have enjoyed travelling with the Circus of Marvels! With his gift for working with animals, they’d probably have given him a job straight away.