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on the floor of the cab and pocket them. He should have cleaned the cab more carefully after the transport to the river the night before. How could he have been so careless?
    He considered not reporting what had happened, but he realized with a sinking feeling that the new Moriarty would already know. He had eyes and ears all over London.
    And he wasn’t the type to forgive any mistakes.

9

AN UNEASY ALLIANCE
    T he following morning, Griffin Sharpe and Rupert Snodgrass climbed inside a carriage sent by Mrs.
    Dent. It was a rainy Monday, the kind that is usually best spent warming one’s toes in front of a roaring fire. But in spite of the foul weather, Griffin’s spirits were not dampened. In fact, for the first time since arriving in England, he was having fun.
    â€œI cannot understand why she insisted that you be a part of the investigation,” Griffin’s uncle said grumpily as he settled himself into the seat opposite Griffin. “I find the whole idea preposterous. This is no business for a child.”
    Snodgrass removed his tattered brown hat and shook it, scattering water all over the inside of the cab. Griffin noticed that the ragged bowler was stained in several places. The largest of the grease spots was from some kind of machine oil, and its mangled brim had fireplace ash and something that looked like the remains of scrambled eggs around its edge. Overall, it was the saddest excuse for a hat he’d ever seen.
    â€œI think she trusts me,” Griffin answered, smiling.
    Rupert Snodgrass scowled. “Well, I don’t want you making a nuisance of yourself, understand?”
    â€œYes, Uncle,” Griffin said, careful to keep from looking as excited as he felt.
    The fact that he was being included in the investigation made him feel like he was finally going to get a chance to put his talents to good use. And it was definitely going to be more fun than wandering around the streets of London alone each day.
    After hearing her story, Griffin felt sure that whatever the fisherman had seen, it couldn’t have really been the Loch Ness Monster. He’d heard about the legend of the great dinosaur-like beast while studying a book on Scottish folklore at school. God was an imaginative creator, so such a creature might exist, but he had serious doubts about it showing up in the River Thames. It just didn’t make any sense. First of all, someone would have noticed such a large creature traveling all the way from Scotland. And second, why would the beast eat only one man and no one else on the banks?
    Griffin let his mind work on these questions as the hansom cab jogged along Baker Street and, after a quick turn, went east down Oxford Street. Griffin carefully noted the location and name of each shop they passed, committing them to his photographic memory. Now that he was officially part of an investigation, he thought that gathering a thorough sense of his surroundings might prove valuable.
    Spotting a pastry vendor, he was reminded again of how long it had been since he’d eaten. Glancing back at his uncle, he decided to hazard a request. “Uncle?”
    Snodgrass winced in irritation. “Enough of this ‘Uncle’ business. I would rather you refer to me as Mr. Snodgrass, if you please.”
    Griffin sighed, then continued politely, “ Mr . Snodgrass, would it be all right if we stopped to get something to eat.” He quickly added, “I have my own money and would be more than happy to pay for it.”
    â€œThat won’t be necessary,” Snodgrass replied. “I had Watts go to the market this morning with some of the money your mother sent. You’ll find whatever sustenance you need in there.”
    Griffin’s uncle nodded to a leather satchel on the seat next to him. Griffin understood this to mean that he could help himself. Oh, how his stomach rumbled! It felt like an age and a half since he’d eaten.
    Unfortunately, when he