The judge asked. Pike has it, Clara said. Or he destroyed it. I cannot issue a ruling on a missing book. The judge said, "I will recess this hearing until tomorrow morning.
If you can produce this ledger or a witness who has seen it, I will dismiss the charges against you and open an inquiry into Pike. If not, you will stand trial for lararseny. " It was a reprieve, but a terrifying one. They were released on bail, paid by Thorne. They stood outside the courthouse in the gathering dark. Molly never came, Thorne said, checking his pocket watch.
She must have run, so we have no witness, Eli said. And no ledger. Pike is in town, Thorne said. He stays at the kettleman's club. He has a private suite on the second floor.
If the ledger exists, it is in his safe. We cannot just walk in and ask for it, Eli said. Clara looked at the building down the street. The Cattleman's Club. It was a place of mahogany and cigar smoke, a place where rich men felt safe.
No, Clara said, "We cannot ask. " She looked at her hands. But I know how to get into rooms where men think they are safe. The plan was madness. It was dangerous and ethically gray. But it was the only card they had left.
They waited until midnight. The streets were empty, save for the occasional drunk stumbling home. They went to the alley behind the club. The service entrance was locked, but Clara knew the type of lock. She used a hair pin and the small knife she carried.
It took 10 seconds. "Stay here," she whispered to Eli. "I am coming with you," he hissed. "You are too big," she said. "You walk like a rancher.
I walk like a ghost. Watch the door. If anyone comes, whistle. " She slipped inside. The kitchen was dark, smelling of stale grease. She moved through the shadows, her feet silent on the floorboards.
She knew the layout of these places. The best rooms were always upstairs, facing the street. She climbed the back stairs. The hallway was dimly lit by a gas sconce. She counted the doors.
Sweet A. She pressed her ear to the wood. Silence. Pike would be asleep or out gambling. She tried the handle locked.
She picked it. She slipped inside. The room was opulent. A heavy for poster bed, a desk, a large iron safe in the corner. Pike was not in the bed.