Harry snorted. "And I'm the king of bloody England."
"I am worried about her," I insisted. "I'm worried that she'll end up like that brother of hers. If she's caught she'll
be sent to the workhouse or prison."
Fife shuddered and twisted his fingers together.
"Least Tommy Finch ain't got no master but hisself," Harry said.
"Now we both know that's not true." I was going out on a limb but it was a step I had to take, not only to win Harry's trust, but to get him talking. "I know Tommy Finch is guided by someone else, someone who wouldn't care if Tommy or Maree got caught." It wasn't unusual for gangs of boys to be ruled by an older man, equally poor and desperate but more experienced in avoiding the police. Those unscrupulous men certainly didn't care about the wellbeing of their charges- London was teeming with boys and girls eager to take their place.
Harry blinked and looked away. The defiance was still printed into his features but I sensed he was wavering.
"Do you know who?" I tried. I was met with silence, which was to be expected. "Then can you tell me where I might find Tommy?"
"What, so you can dob 'im in?"
I glanced at the door. This wasn't going at all well and I didn't have much time. "No, so I can coax his sister back to her job. She was good at it." Why couldn't he see the benefits of reliable, honest work for someone like Maree, someone with little education, no home, no parents and few other choices? Why couldn't he see it for his own sake? "She was cared for there with a roof over her head, food on the table and clothes to keep her warm. What's going to happen to her now?" I hadn't realized I'd been moving closer to him as I spoke so that now I stood right in front of him, my face only inches from his. "Well? Is her brother going to take care of her?"
"Tommy'll see 'er right," Harry said thrusting out his chin. "'E's got integ, integra... 'E takes care of 'is own and I ain't gonna rat 'im out so you can make yerself feel good by thinking you're saving 'is sister. None of us will." This last he said to the other two, an unspoken threat threading through his tone.
Neither Bowker nor Fife disagreed with him. They shuffled their feet and kept their gazes firmly on the table.
I was trying to think what to say next to convince them to help me when Jacob appeared. For once I didn't gasp or squeal in alarm. I was growing used to his sudden appearances.