CRYPTIC: (Book One) Scarlet Shadows

Chapter 7 - Ruby or not Ruby

**I've changed WDSAA to Liverpool Police Station**

Please continue to enjoy! Follow for a follow, read for a read....

     The four men began their investigation immediately the next morning. Well, three of them did.

     While Percy, Geoffrey, and Oliver did some research to try to discover Ruby Scarlett's true identity, William wished to run an errand. The rest of the men demanded of him to try to assist them in finding Ruby Scarlett, but Will assured them that he would be fast, and Worthington gave him his approval.

     Later, as he was leaving a certain quaint café to return to the Liverpool Police Station, a flash of red caught his eye. He turned to see it, but before he could lay his full attention upon it, the red thing was gone. He walked briskly toward the direction in which it disappeared. Will turned the corner cautiously, and, standing about twenty feet away from him, he saw a tall woman.

     She was dressed in a ruby-red trench coat, with a hat and black leggings to match, and with her back facing him. Her long, wavy hair appeared jet-black. She was speaking rather roughly to a young man and a young lady in French. But Will only caught a few moments of this; for just as soon as he saw this occurrence, the occurrence ended. It ended by the woman grabbing both people harshly by the arms and throwing them into a black cab.

     That's her! That's Ruby Scarlett, or whatever her name is! William thought to himself, pulling out his notepad and quickly sketching a replica of what he witnessed.

     He slipped his notepad back into the inside pocket of his suit jacket and dashed after the woman. He followed the buggy as closely as possible as it slowly rode through the streets of Liverpool until it pulled up beside a curb next to a large apartment complex. He hid behind a large, convenient oak several feet behind at a different complex, watching the woman and the two young people sprint into the building. No activity occurred for quite a while, and Will was considering leaving the scene due to his impatience.

     About ten minutes later, his eyes and ears once again became alert as he noticed the woman saunter back outside, with an expression of confidence on her face. He watched as she stepped into the cab and slowly drove away.

 **Ten minutes later**

     "Geoffrey, Percival, all of you," boomed a loud, heavy-breathing voice.

      Into the hotel room entered a tired yet anxious William.

      "What is it, lad?" asked Geoffrey, who was sitting on the sofa comfortably, reading a newspaper.

        "I just saw Ruby on my errands," William informed them. "She had the two young people with her. I followed her to a place on Water Street, where she dropped them off at a certain apartment, then went away herself."

          William held up the sketch in his notepad for his mates to see.

          William smiled a successful smile.

          "We've caught her."

          Percival stood up from his place on the bed. He, too, was reading a newspaper. He dropped it on the bed and snatched his coat from the coat hanger. Geoffrey and Oliver did the same.