'My goodness,' Doctor Porter said. 'I thought you'd never finish up there.'
'Perfection takes time,' Max said, smiling as he and Jane descended the stairs.
'I see it does,' Porter said, her eyes on Jane. 'At least now you're ready for what lies ahead.'
She handed Jane a cloak to wear over her outfit. Now no one would suspect that she was armed to the hilt. While Jane and Max were on the roof, Eddy had been smoking his pipe and sharing a cup of tea with the doctor. Now they changed into their own attire. The doctor's gear was similar to what Jane wore, but Eddy had an additional item across his chest.
'My goodness,' Jane said. 'What is that?'
'A crossbow,' Eddy said. 'Max was kind enough to make me one.'
'Eddy's been wanting one for ages,' Max said. 'It's not your conventional variety. For one, it's spring-powered and fires the stakes you and the doctor use. It reloads quickly, however, and packs quite a punch.'
'Well,' Jane said. 'We seem to be ready.' She was feeling impatient. 'Now, we must find Cassandra.'
'I've sent a message to someone who I believe can help,' Porter said. 'We'll head off to see him now, but first, we must take our medicine.'
She produced her flask of Porter's Potent Panacea.
Jane sighed. 'Must we?'
'Don't be a naughty girl,' Porter said. 'Doctor knows best.'
She forced each of them to drink the vile potion, explaining that it would assist them in the days ahead.
They left the warehouse, climbed into the Fruitful Vine, and were soon threading through the suffocating streets of London. Jane was still having problems getting her bearings. Max suggested she always keep an eye on the river, saying it acted as a reference point for the city. St Pauls was the same.
'It's the tallest building in London,' Max said, nodding at the dome. 'And probably will be for some time to come.'
He pointed out other sights as they crossed the city: the Palace of Westminster, Somerset House, and others. It took some time, but Eddy finally pulled the coach over, and they all disembarked.
'Where are we?' Jane asked.
'The centre of the universe,' Doctor Porter said, pointing up to a sign.
It read: The Times
'I have an old friend who works here,' she explained. 'He knows more about what's happening in England than the hedge whores of London have had rogers.'
Max quietly translated this poetic statement to Jane as they entered the building. 'Hedge whores are prostitutes who work outside,' he said. 'And rogering is a reference to the act of sexual relations.'
'Doctor Porter's no Alexander Pope,' Jane sighed.
They made their way past a few small desks to a cramped office where a little man sat peering myopically over reams of paper. His eyes twinkled with recognition when he saw Doctor Porter.
'Will Porter!' he said. 'Bless my weary soul.'
The doctor introduced the group to him. 'This is Wallace Westerly,' she said. 'The editor of The Times. There's little that happens in this city of which he is unaware.'
Mister Westerly crossed to the door and gently closed it. 'I assume we need to speak privately.'
'You assume correctly.' The doctor explained that they were on the lookout for any vicious murders that may have occurred over the last few days. 'Are you able to assist us?'
'Murders?' Westerly said. 'My dear woman—'
'Doctor.'
'Pardon me, my dear doctor, a hundred murders happen every day in this squalid city. A day without a violent homicide would be an unusual day indeed. And suicides. We had one this morning where the owner of a clothing shop hanged herself for no reason whatsoever.'
Doctor Porter leaned forward. 'We're particularly looking for unusual deaths where the victim has suffered catastrophic blood loss,' she explained. 'Does anything spring to mind?'
The editor frowned. 'Extreme blood loss,' he muttered. 'Actually, we've had a number of those recently. One was reported this morning.'
Jane's heart began to thud. She clasped her hands tightly together as she cast a glance at Max.
'This morning,' Max said. 'Was it a man or a woman?'
'A man.'
'Thank you.'
Jane breathed a little easier.
At least it's not Cassandra.
The editor consulted his notes. 'Here we are. The body of a lawyer named Royston Tanner was found in Sevenoaks in Kent. His neck had suffered jagged lacerations, and he'd suffered extreme blood loss.' Reading through the pages, he suddenly frowned. 'Now, this is unusual.'
'Other than having his throat ripped open?' Porter said.
Westerly glanced up. 'Tanner had been operating his business as usual,' he said, 'but no one had seen his family for months. Tanner said they'd moved away to the coast, but his neighbours thought his story dubious.'
'Can you tell us anything more?' Eddy asked.
'There's not much to tell,' Westerly said. 'Although I can tell you where his body was found.'
He scribbled down the name of the street for them, as well as the location of Tanner's office. Thanking the editor, they headed back to the footpath outside the office.
'This lawyer must be linked to Dracula,' Doctor Porter said. 'We need to find out what he was working on. It seems Dracula kept him around for some time.'
'How will we do that?' Max asked.
'We'll visit his office. Hopefully, someone there can give us some information.'
Eddy took the reins of the Fruitful Vine as the others climbed into the coach, and they made their way across London.
'This lawyer could just be another unfortunate victim,' Max pointed out to the doctor.
'That's true,' Doctor Porter said. 'But I believe Dracula does need others to do his bidding. People who can move about during the daylight hours. This Mister Tanner may have been such a man.'
It didn't take long for them to arrive at the offices of Tanner and Oxhill. It was a small building in Hackney, sandwiched between a ladies' shoe store and a confectioner.
The doctor turned to Max and Eddy. 'I'm afraid this may be a role for a man,' she said. 'Lawyers don't react well to swaggering women. The last time I spoke with one, I ended up throwing him through a window and sitting on his face until a constable arrived.'
'I'll go,' Max offered. 'It's probably best to avoid a scene.'
Max went in to speak to the lawyer while Jane and the doctor waited on the pavement. Eddy went off to find himself some tobacco. Jane peered unseeing into a shop window, but her thoughts were of Max and their time on the roof together. She'd thought him disagreeable when they'd first met, but he was not like that at all. He was actually quite pleasant.
'Jane,' Doctor Porter said, sidling up to her. 'You're wearing a rather odd expression.'
'Really?' Jane said, reddening.
'I believe you have some romantic feelings towards Mister Filador.'
'That's…that's ridiculous!'
The doctor held up a hand. 'Don't be embarrassed,' she said. 'Speaking as your physician, I prescribe a lively game of grab the sausage.'
'Pardon?'
'Not only is it good for your circulation, but it's been known to alleviate the wretched symptoms of blackwater fever, grocer's itch, and scrumpox. I'd happily engage in nocturnal activities with Max Filador, but he's not my type.'
Jane wasn't sure who would be Doctor Porter's type, but felt she had to clear up the matter. 'I do not have romantic inclinations towards Max Filador,' she said. 'Love is not real. The act of marriage is simply a business arrangement.'
'Perhaps,' the doctor said. 'But weddings are conducted dressed and standing up, while lovers are usually naked and horizontal.' She laid a hand on Jane's arm. 'Don't grow old while you're still young.'
Before Jane could reply, Max Filador reappeared, as did Eddy with a new pouchful of tobacco.
'I have bad news,' Max said. 'But I also have good news.'
'Tell us the bad first,' Doctor Porter said.
'Mister Oxhill refused to hand over any details regarding the business matters that Tanner was handling. The man had become increasingly erratic over the last few months while working for Count Dracula.'
'Dealing with a vampire will do that to you,' Eddy said, lighting his pipe.
'I asked Mister Oxhill for papers regarding Dracula's dealings,' Max said. 'But he declined.'
'What's the good news?' Jane asked.
'I'm glad you—' Max stopped. Looking surprised, he reached over to Jane's ear. 'How long has that been in there?'
Jane peered in astonishment at the penny in his right hand.
'What?' Jane said in astonishment. 'That was in my ear?'
'No,' Max laughed. 'Merely a little sleight-of-hand trick. I pulled a similar move with Mister Oxhill. I pointed to a monstrous spider in the corner of the room. When he wasn't looking, I grabbed the paperwork off his desk.' He pulled the pages from his pocket. 'I believe this is what we need.'
'Good man!' Doctor Porter said, quickly scanning the papers. She looked up. 'Where was Tanner's body found?'
'On Edgeware Lane in Sevenoaks,' Eddy said.
'There's a property listed on here with that same address,' Porter said. 'I'll wager he claimed that as his own and held Tanner there.' She sheafed the papers into her pocket. 'Let's go. With any luck, we'll have that bloodsucking monster staked by nightfall.'