The Missing Partner (The Adventures of Xavier & Vic Book 2) Read online

  The Adventures of

  Xavier & Vic

  Book 2

  The Missing Partner

  By Liza O’Connor

  ∞

  The ‘New Woman’ Who Lost Her Old Mind

  The Lost Servant of Dante’s Hell

  The Disappearance of a Very Important Man

  The Abduction of Sneaky Snake by a Grand Elephant

  The Cat Who Wore Too Much

  Blurb

  London, England March 1894

  Vic Hamilton takes the reins of the investigation office, while Xavier Thorn disappears on an assignment for the British government. Her caseload is entirely ‘lost and recovery’ cases. In the midst of solving all her client’s problems, she learns that the government has lost Xavier. With the help of the gypsy pirate Jacko, and her driver Davy, Vic rushes against time to rescue everyone.

  Most alarming, she befriends and hires a dangerous criminal as an employee of Xavier Thorn’s Private Inquiries—without Xavier’s permission.

  All rights reserved.

  Any reproduction of this work in whole or in part in any form by any electronic, mechanical or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, electronic copying, or recording is forbidden without the written permission of the author.

  All characters in this book come from the imagination of the author and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names, titles or professions with the exception of the many artists whom I mention in Chapter 24 who did live in this era. However, the paintings I describe and any character attributes I provide are purely fictitious. Then in Chapter 28 I mention a great many inventors of dental equipment who truly invented the items. I also mention the Queen on many occasion, but all character attributes are solely my creation. Finally, any character attributes made of the author Mr. Doyle, who wrote the Sherlock series, is my own fabrication. And Xavier wishes me to mention: Sherlock Holmes is nothing like Xavier Thorn. End of discussion!

  Table of Contents

  The Missing Partner

  Blurb

  All rights reserved.

  Table of Contents

  Interesting Historical Facts:

  1) White Slavery:

  2) First Car in England

  3) Dental care

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Other books by Liza O’Connor

  A Long Road to Love Series

  CONTEMPORARY SUSPENSE

  Requires Rescue Series

  SINGLE CONTEMPORARY BOOKS

  The Adventures of Xavier & Vic

  SINGLE HISTORICAL NOVELS

  The Multiverse Series

  Sci-Fi Soap Opera with humor, romance, and science

  Artificial Intelligence

  Interesting Historical Facts:

  1) White Slavery:

  The abduction of young girls and boys as fodder for the prostitution market has always been a problem which England has been loath to deal with. As late as 1874, it was only a misdemeanor to force a girl thirteen or younger into having sex. No protection existed for those older than thirteen. For years reformists tried to get a bill through parliament to increase the protection of young girls, but each time the bill was blocked.

  Finally, investigative journalist, William Thomas Stead, decided to expose the problem of child prostitution in the London underworld through a publicity stunt. He "purchased" a 13 year old girl, Eliza Armstrong, for £5 and took her to a brothel where they drugged her with chloroform.

  He went on to publish four exposés entitled The Maiden Tribute of Modern Babylon, shocking the public to their core with tales of the abduction and sale of young English virgins to "pleasure palaces".

  Forced to respond to the fury of the public, in 1885 the parliament finally passed a law protecting girls up to sixteen, which still stands today.

  No laws existed back then to protected young boys in England, and didn’t until 2014.

  So was it possible that forced sex slavery still occurred in 1894?

  Without a doubt. The truth is that laws do not stop the crime if they are not actively enforced, which they weren’t. That problem continues to this day. Recently it was made public that over 1,400 + English youths were forced into prostitution in the town of Rotherham over the last sixteen years. Evidently, the police and social workers were aware of the problem, but thought it better to do nothing about it. The attitude was much the same in 1894.

  2) First Car in England

  In 1895, the Honorable Evelyn Ellis purchased and brought the first automobile over the channel to England. It was a Panhard-Levassor from France.

  The Panhard-Levassor had been available for sale since 1890. Thus, in my story, I have my character, Mr. Robinson buy the car in 1894 upon hearing the Hon. Ellis planned to buy one.

  The reason why Englishmen weren’t importing cars was because the law stated that you could travel no faster than 4 mph and a man with a red flag must walk before the contraption. Also, obtaining fuel would be a challenge and you would need to hire a mechanic to your staff.

  When my fictional character Mr. Robinson went to prison, he lost all rights to claim the honor as the first to buy a car in England since it was sold to reimburse the poor servants he’d abused. (As if the problem of him being fictional was not deterrent enough.)

  3) Dental care

  While England was slow on developing dental care, the Americans and French were most creative.

  A) X-rays.

  In my book, I had the amazing New Orleans dentist, Edmund Kells, share his ideas about X-raying teeth to my English dentist, David.

  Edmund doesn’t actually try the X-ray machine on a living patient until 1895/96 (sources differ), but over in England, David found a machine shop to create the device and my character Tubs was his first patient in mid-1994. I used fictional license, because I truly wanted Tubs to have his teeth X-rayed and in doing so, provide the reader a humorous moment. Thus in my story, the discovery of X-Rays and Edmunds insights into its possibilities happened one year earlier than reality.

  B) The Excavation of cavities vs. pulling teeth.

  The electrical dental drill was developed by American George Green in 1874 so no troubles with drilling Tub’s teeth, other than they all needed drilling.

  C) The Painkiller.

  The American dentist, Gardner Quincy Colton discovered that the use of nitrous oxide anesthesia made for happier patients. In 1894, he traveled all over the U.S. and Europe talking about his findings. Thomas Edison even made a short film about him. Naturally, my character was fascinated with this advancement.

  Since David began using it, he’s become the most popular fictional dentist in all of London.

  Some dentists used cocaine instead. I suspect their customers didn’t fare as well long term.

  D) The Filling.

  While it was possible
to fill Tubs’ plethora of cavity holes with gold, that would have been pricy. So instead I used my fictional license one last time to allow Black to figure out the best filling solution a year earlier.

  In 1895 American, GV Black perfected the formulation of the amalgam for filling teeth: 68% silver with small amounts of copper, tin, zinc. His mixture dramatically reduced the swelling and shrinking of the fillings due to temperature changes. I see no reason he couldn’t have figured this out sooner, lazy bugger.

  And thus ends your history lesson.

  Until book 3, in which you will learn some mind blowing claims about mesmerism.

  Chapter 1

  London, England, March 1894

  Xavier entered though the back door of his place of business, Xavier Thorn’s Private Inquiries, and slipped into his office.

  His apprentice-partner Victor Hamilton sat at the desk, pounding away at the typewriter. “I would be better off deciphering hieroglyphics. How is it possible no one made Xavier learn to form his letters properly?” Vic squinted at his scrawl. “Sometimes I think the man was raised by wolves.”

  It had been nearly a year since he’d hired Victor as his secretary only to discover that beneath the boy’s manly attire was the body of a young woman—a woman he loved more than life itself. She fit him to perfection. While Xavier had no use for a proper wife, Vic filled all his needs both personally and professionally. Had he searched the entire world, he could not have found a better partner in life. And how she came to be his, still amazed him.

  Wanting an interesting life, Vic had chosen at the age of twelve to live her life as a man. Her guardian, Maddy Hamilton, had allowed her to do so, and gave her butler Gregory the task of raising Vic into a proper young man. And while the butler annoyed Xavier with his high handedness, he could only praise the fabulous young man Vic had become.

  Even before he discovered Vic’s true gender, the scamp’s brilliant mind and intuitive skills captivated him. While Xavier was considered to be the most brilliant sleuth in England, given time, he had no doubt Vic would surpass him.

  But his pup wasn’t there yet, and he did not appreciate her current tirade in the least. Not after all the risks he’d taken to see her. He eased behind the chair and curled his hands around her delicious neck.

  She jumped at his touch. “Damn it, look what you made me do!” She pointed to the blackened mess caused by four keys striking the page at once. “I’m not typing this over. You’ll just have to make do with a blot in your notes.”

  His grip on her neck tightened, and he leaned down to speak softly in her ear, “Quiet, pup, or I’ll have to muzzle you.”

  She turned to look at him and grimaced. Her fingers almost touched his scarred face, but then pulled back. Instead, she patted his chest, no doubt checking for injuries. For a brief moment, relief flooded her eyes. Then her brows furrowed, and she glared at him with ferocity. “Where have you been?” Her intense, demanding whisper left no doubt of her annoyance with him.

  He raised an eyebrow, silently chiding her for asking questions he could not answer. If only he didn’t have to leave her in the dark.

  Her worried eyes spoke volumes. “You’ve never been gone this long before. I was afraid—”

  He placed his fingers on her lips to silence her naturally low voice. He hadn’t abandoned his post and risked the safety of England so he could be scolded. The First Minister would no doubt take that task upon himself when he learned Xavier had disappeared while a dangerous spy wandered about the streets of London. Right now, however, Xavier had more pleasant matters in mind than an old man’s tirade.

  Pulling Vic from the chair, Xavier led her upstairs to their bedroom. Once inside, with the door locked, he placed his fingers on her soft lips once again.

  She sighed in exasperation at his request for silence and glared at him in mute, yet amazingly loud annoyance.

  Ignoring her glare, he loosened her octagon tie. The outrageously long shirt collars and fancy bows Vic wore made him chuckle. His ersatz male partner was nothing if not fashionable. A challenge since she had to send a footman for her fittings with London’s finest tailor.

  He removed her dandified gentleman’s clothes and the muslin shirt she wore beneath her suits that assisted in her disguise by flattening her breasts and widening her waist.

  Once he freed her from her ‘anaconda shirt,’ as she called it, a deep sigh of relief escaped those tender lips. He suspected that garment was the only thing Victor disliked about her life as a twenty-three-year-old young man. Otherwise, his impertinent pup relished the freedom and excitement life as a gentleman-investigator provided.

  He massaged her poor crushed breasts and teased her nipples until she moaned with desire. With her assistance, he removed his beggar-man street clothes. Please God, she wouldn’t insist upon him removing his facial disguise. It would take an hour to redo.

  When she made no indication that his hideous face would impede her ability to make love to him, he led her to their bed. Vic grabbed the cravat along the way. His loins tightened at the thought she might wish to tie him up.

  Unfortunately, he didn’t have time for a game of hostage. He wasn’t supposed to be here at all, but Xavier had no choice. He’d feared if he didn’t make an appearance, Vic would set out to find him. That would put her and his mission at risk.

  All thoughts of his second occupation disappeared as Vic pushed him onto the bed and straddled him with her long legs. He chuckled at her desire to be on top. She was evidently feeling her oats after being in charge of the office for a month.

  When she shook out her silk tie, he opened his mouth to admit they didn’t have time. His protest died on his tongue when she placed the silk over his face.

  His beloved might be willing to make love to a smelly street bum, but evidently, she drew the line at looking into his one-eyed, hideously scarred and mangled face.

  Deprived of his sight, he had his hands see for him, feeling and touching every part of her muscular, yet slim body as she washed him down with a wet cloth, fitted the condom over his manhood, and made delicious love to him.

  Afterwards, Vic removed the scarf and flinched at the sight of his face. Shuffling further down, she laid her head upon his chest.

  “Vic, your behavior makes me suspect you only love me for my handsome looks,” he teased.

  She nipped his chest. “If I had been in less need, I would have made you bathe and reinstate your real face.”

  He was tempted to kiss her on the top of her head, but having dried blood and clay in her hair would no doubt rile her temper.

  Pushing herself up, she met his one un-patched eye. “I gather your assignment isn’t done, yet.”

  He stroked her back. “Sorry.”

  “Well, it’s good you dropped in, because tomorrow, I planned to search for you.”

  He was not surprised, but still displeased to hear his greatest fear spoken aloud. “That would have put both of us in grave danger.”

  Clenching her hand into a fist, she thumped him on his chest. “Then don’t push me to it. Send me a message if you cannot come. Do something! Just don’t expect me not to care when I haven’t heard from you in a month. I’ve been sick with worry since the second week. You are lucky I waited this long.”

  He gripped her fist and held it tight. Seeing the pain in her face, he regretted not coming sooner. Thank God she had not set out after him. “Why did you wait so long?”

  “Davy convinced me two weeks, and then three weeks, were not unusual for you. However, now even Davy thinks you’re dead.”

  “He told you that?”

  “No. He advised me to carry on with the office and take in new clients.”

  “Then what makes you think‒”

  “He bursts into tears at the mere sight of your teacup and he refuses to enter your office anymore.”

  Xavier could not believe the baggage that came with family. His job used to be so easy when not a person in the world cared if he lived or died. “I�
��m sorry I worried you both.”

  Vic crossed her arms. “You are not forgiven.”

  “Vic!” He sat up, shocked she would be so unfair. She knew his work for the government was vital, even if he could not share the details of his assignments.

  Leaving the bed, she grabbed her anaconda shirt and tried to wrestle it on. He came to her assistance before she inadvertently strangled herself.

  “Vic, I’m sorry. I’ll make arrangements to let you know I’m fine if an assignment goes on more than three weeks.”

  “One week.”

  “Be reasonable—”

  She turned and faced him. “I am being reasonable. Tell them if they do not leave me a bird feather on the office doorstep each Sunday you are away then I am going to search for you.”

  “Vic—”

  “Point out to them how much more difficult it will be to hide your whereabouts from me than to send someone by with a feather.”

  While the trick might ease Vic’s mind, it would also remove the necessity of his visits. “Will you be satisfied with a feather?”

  After tilting her head and considering the matter, she shook her head. “No. In fact, they might very well send me feathers when they haven’t a clue if you are safe.”

  The First Minister would almost certainly delegate feather delivery to a clueless underling.

  “Since a feather provides no certainty you still live, I want a visit, at least once every two weeks.”

  Xavier smiled. He liked her new ultimatum much better. “I will let them know. Although, they may wonder why an apprentice cares so much about his master.”

  “You are not my master. You are my partner.” Vic grumbled further complaints beneath her breath as she put on her shirt and trousers.

  “I do not recall making you a partner quite yet.”

  “Then tell them an apprentice requires the presence of his‒”

  “Master?”

  “Skilled employer or he might quit and go work for Inspector Stone at Scotland Yard.”