The Vampire of Tinkerfall (Elysium #3)

Chapter Thirty

 Trinket was determined to find Tory and convince her that her new "weapons" might be a potential hazard. Thankfully, she had plenty of opportunities to go out alone, as Booker was spending hours in the laboratory trying to figure out how Benedict had managed to create fangs that could inject venom into a bitten victim. So while he was preoccupied, she combed the streets.

Being as inconspicuous as possible, she searched every alley and dark corner, always wary of any Mice that might be lingering about. She had to take advantage of Booker's current distraction before he decided to throw himself back into the hunt. It would require subtle persuasion to win over Tory's trust, something in which Booker did not excel. Unfortunately, Trinket's search proved fruitless, and she began to fear Tory's voices had advised her to flee from Tinkerfall.

After returning from another unproductive visit to the market, Trinket headed into the kitchen to make a cup of tea. Before she could even light the stove, the bell at the front door rang frantically. Furrowing her brow, she set the kettle aside and returned to the hallway.

Gin nearly knocked Daphne over in her excitement when she opened the door. "Booker! Booker!"

"He's in the laboratory," Trinket said, catching the urchin before she could trip over the rug in the hallway. "Is something wrong?"

"I got really good news. Like really, really good news."

"Is it about the vampire?"

"Of course. Would anything else even interest Booker?"

"Fair point. Let me go get him."

Trinket hurried downstairs and informed Booker of Gin's arrival. It took all of three seconds for him to bolt up the stairs, Trinket doing her best to keep up with him. Gin was waiting in the parlour, pacing back and forth, and when she caught sight of Booker, she looked like she might pounce on him.

"Gin, you have news?" Booker asked breathlessly.

"Oh, boy, do I have news," she said, not even bothering to hide her gleeful smile.

"About Theo?"

"Yes, sir."

"And?"

Gin reeled in her excitement and took on a more collected persona. "Now, it wasn't easy, mind you. You didn't give me a whole lot to go by. A nickname and blonde hair. I mean, come on."

Booker's fingers fidgeted as he nodded his head. "Yes, yes, I'm sorry I couldn't give you more."

"But you know me. I never like to turn down a challenge," Gin continued, clasping her hands behind her back and casually walking about the room. "So I put some ears out there, found a few leads, infiltrated some conversations."

She stopped at a gold-plated mirror on the wall, rising up on her toes to see her reflection so that she could adjust her hat and straighten her tangled braid. Booker's jaw clenched, and it was all Trinket could do to hold back a chuckle as she watched the urchin toy with this brilliant doctor like a cat would a mouse.

"So? You were successful, I assume?" Booker finally asked.

Gin cast a smug smile over her shoulder. "Aren't I always?"

Giving up, he heaved a sigh and held his hands out pleadingly. "Gin, please, you're killing me here."

The urchin's smile grew, and it seemed she could no longer keep up the game. "I found her," she said, bouncing over to him and handing him a piece of paper.

"Theo?" Booker asked, unfolding the note and scanning its contents.

"Yep. I got a night flower who's her neighbor to write down what she knew about her. Turns out she works at the Clocktower. She lives with a whole bunch of people in a tiny little apartment, and they split the rent. That old fella who died? He was one of the roommates. The night flower, Lydia, even wrote down the names of the roommates she knew. Says the girl's name is Theodora Carstone. Seventeen years old, no family, came to Tinkerfall a few months ago."