“Really?”
“Yes, but now with more of us aware, I’m confident it’s just a matter of time before we find all the girls.”
“I appreciate it, sir. I will let Jessica’s family know that the authorities are involved. It may easy their worries.”
Later that evening, Caroline and Detective Wells came for dinner. Heath was glad to get acquainted with their guests after hearing Kane speak so highly of them. Caroline was a delightful woman who was quick with a smile and a kind word. Detective Wells, who he guessed to be around thirty, had a sharp mind and a warm personality, especially towards Miss Hearst. It didn’t escape Heath’s notice that the gentleman’s gaze kept roving over to her.
“My superior has allowed me to have one man patrolling The Painted Pony at all times,” Wells said between bites of halibut. “Some of my colleagues have volunteered to help outside of their regular duties. They have daughters and want to find the villains behind this.”
“Can’t you just arrest the owner of The Painted Pony?” asked Heath. “Then you can question him and find out who is behind all of this.”
The detective shuffled in his seat. “It’s not that easy. We have no grounds to arrest Mr. Nichols. All we have is heresay from the girls that work there. That’s not enough to arrest the man. We have to wait and hope he slips or something else happens so that we can justify taking him in for questioning.”
“I hope the girls are safe, wherever they are.” Caroline dabbed at her eyes. “I just keep thinking how scared they must be.”
“Fear not, Miss Hearst,” Wells said. “We will find them all, no matter how long it takes.”
She gave the detective a warm smile of thanks.
“Are there any extra precautions being taken at the orphanage?” Heath asked. All this talk about monitoring the brothel, but what about the other children? Who would keep them safe?
“The headmistress knows about the situation. She spoke to our chief benefactor about extra funds for security. Now we have a hired man patrolling the orphanage at night. Plus, the girls may go nowhere without a teacher accompanying them.”
“Good,” Kane said. “We don’t want anyone else going missing.” Then he turned his attention to Wells. “Any luck with Graham’s boat?”
Wells shook his head. “He’s made no nighttime trips since we started watching the docks. Neither has any other boat for that matter, but we’ll keep a close eye. I have an informant who keeps me up to date on the dock activities.”
“You seem to have a lot of informants,” Heath said.
“In my line of work, Sir Heath, it pays to know people from all walks of life. You never know when it can be useful.”
Heath nodded his head in agreement.
“And please, call me Harvey. I feel after tonight, we are all friends.”
“Then call me Heath.”
The rest of the evening was pleasant. After dinner, they went to the drawing room to play cards and talk about other things. Wells told stories about his time serving in London before coming to Dover.
“Why did you decide on the change?” Heath asked.
“Some people like the bustle of the big cities, but I found it to be too chaotic, and quite frankly, rather depressing. Poverty and crime run rampant in a city that large. There was only so much we could do to keep peace and order. After a few years, I felt drained and decided a change of pace was needed.”
“Why Dover?” Kane added.
“There was an opening. Even though Dover is a large city, it’s not the size of London, and I still get excitement from time to time. But for the first time, I feel like I can breathe.”
“Are you glad you made the change?”
“I’ve only been here for a year, but so far, it has been worth it. Besides, I feel there is more to discover here.” He glanced at Caroline.
A blush stole up her neck. Yes, there was definitely an attraction.
Around eleven o’clock, the friends said their farewells before leaving.
“That was an enjoyable evening,” Heath said as they ascended the staircase.
“They are wonderful people. I’m so glad you met Caroline.”