I gave him a sardonic look. "You are tarnishing my reputation, Sergeant."

Pomeroy grinned, loving to tease and pleased that he could. "You do have a way with them, Captain."

Thompson looked slightly amused, betraying himself with no more than a twitch of lips. "The magistrates are not worried about these missing women, as yet," he said. "They are only street girls, after all."

"Meaning it's unlikely that a large reward will be offered for their return," I finished.

"Exactly," Pomeroy said. "But if a gent like you was to take a poke around and make sure no man what should be in Bedlam has decided to start offing game girls, well then, that's a different thing."

I knew how my former sergeant thought-I would investigate, and if a true crime were involved, I would report it to him so that he might find the criminal, get said criminal convicted, and reap the reward money. A gentleman did not accept a reward; this was considered beneath him, so Pomeroy's thoughts went. I'd brought him a few good convictions already, and he'd started to consider me a potential source of income.

Thompson, on the other hand, was more interested in the crime itself, though he'd not turn down any reward money that came his way. He did not often express emotion, but I had seen his passionate anger at the men of the world who perpetrated crimes against the helpless. He would worry about missing game girls where his magistrate would not. Likely he'd come here without his magistrate knowing a thing about it.

I was at present most distracted by Carlotta's sudden return and the vision of my daughter, grown and so beautiful, but I could not turn my back on a matter that Thompson, a man I respected, believed serious.

"I do have a few resources," I said.

"Knew you'd understand, Captain," Pomeroy said. "You have a gab with the girls and tell us what you discover, eh?"