Fleeced

One of the student butlers answered the door. He bowed slightly as Regan stepped inside.

Lydia came ru

Oh great, Regan thought. Now anyone who wears perfume is going to be on my list of suspects. “How are you?” she asked Lydia.

“You wouldn’t believe how busy I’ve been today,” Lydia said, then laughed as if it was the fu

Regan smiled. “I’ve been kind of busy too.”

“Well, come in. I want to introduce you around.”

There were about fifteen people in the room, many of whom were on Stanley’s video. To Regan’s surprise, Lydia started tapping her glass with a spoon and calling for everyone’s attention. When the chatter died down, she began, “Oh yes, hello again, everyone. I’m so glad you’re here tonight. Last night’s fun was cut short due to the death of my dear neighbor. But we have also learned that diamonds are missing from his apartment. So, everyone, we’re here not only to get a chance to know each other, but also to help out my detective friend-” Lydia pointed as though she were a

As all eyes turned to Regan, Lydia clapped.

So much for subtlety, Regan thought. “Thank you, Lydia. And thank you all for your attention. You know, I could really use your help. Sometimes we notice something, but it doesn’t really register until we focus on it. That’s why I’d like to ask each of you what you remember about last night. You might have seen something in the hallway or in the lobby downstairs when you came in. It could be anything. I know you all were enjoying yourselves in here for most of the night. But think about when you were coming in and out of the building. Thank you.”

As soon as Regan stopped talking, people turned to each other and started murmuring.

“Let’s have fun again,” Lydia cried as she turned up the CD player.

A guy with a bad toupee hurried over to Regan, his drink spilling slightly down the sides of his glass.

“You must have seen something. Let’s sit down right here,” Regan said, indicating one of the love seats.

He sat down next to her and stared into her eyes. “You know, normally I only go for blondes, but I think that I could like you.” He quickly took a sip of his drink.

This is worse than any nightmare, Regan thought. “Actually, I’m seeing someone right now.”

“Is it serious?” he asked, his eyes growing wider.

“Serious enough,” Regan said, then found herself saying, “besides, I live in California.”

He reached over and touched her hand. “I go out there sometimes on business.”

Regan shook her head slightly. “Sorry, I really am involved with someone. Now tell me what you saw last night.”

“Nothing.” He got up and headed straight for the food table.

Jack should see the competition, Regan thought as she spotted the woman with the Snoopy purse. Regan caught her eye, and the woman came over to her slowly.

“Please sit down,” Regan said. “That’s an interesting purse.”

The woman was somewhere between forty and death. Regan had the odd sensation that she even resembled Snoopy.

“It’s a conversation piece,” she said.

Regan leaned over and touched Snoopy’s nose. She got a quick glimpse of a hidden zipper underneath it before the woman pulled it away.

“Please don’t touch Snoopy,” she said. “I don’t want him to get your germs.”

Oh boy, Regan thought.

“And I didn’t see anything much last night. But I’m very sad that Nat died. He was a nice man.”

“Did you know him?” Regan asked gently.

“He came to Lydia’s Valentine’s Day party. He sat with me for a little while and said he liked my purse. Then he told me he liked sheep. He said he had a couple of life-sized sheep that he’d show me. We talked about them a little bit. Then I went to the bathroom, and when I came out, he was gone.” Her voice trembled as she spoke the last few words. “I guess he didn’t like me.”

“Maybe he was tired,” Regan said.

“The party was kind of breaking up. I guess I took too long in the bathroom.”

“Didn’t you see him again at any of Lydia’s other parties?”

“I caught the flu,” she said and looked at Snoopy. “You did too, didn’t you?” She turned back to Regan. “Last night was my first night back.”

Some witness this one would be, Regan thought. She could just picture her on the stand consulting with Snoopy. “Were these people all at that party on Valentine’s Day?”

Snoopy’s mom looked around. “Pretty much.”

“A nice group, huh?” Regan prodded.

“They’re all right. But a couple of these women really pour on the perfume. How do they think they’re going to get a guy if you can’t breathe around them?”

“Who wears the strong perfume?” Regan asked.

She pointed to the door. “One of them’s leaving right now.”

43

Jack Reilly woke up and looked at his watch. They’d be landing in London in a couple of hours. Inside the passenger section of the plane, most of the lights were turned out. Around him people’s heads were lolling in various positions as they dozed.

I wonder how Regan is, he thought. If it’s not too late in New York when we land, I’ll give her a call. For some reason, he didn’t feel good about her staying in that apartment in the Settlers’ Club. And I made light of it to her, he thought.

Sighing, he reached under the seat for his briefcase. He pulled out the materials about the case he’d be working on with Scotland Yard. A suspected murderer had been apprehended in London. The British inspectors had him in custody and had searched his flat. Inside they’d found subway maps and pictures of New York, along with various phone numbers. Jack’s buddy was the detective superintendent at Scotland Yard.

“We need you to come over and take a look at this stuff. See if it means anything to you,” Ian Welch had said on the phone.

Jack was glad to help Welch, but he wished the timing had been better. Oh well, he thought. I’ll be back on Sunday.

But as much as he tried, he couldn’t stop the nagging feeling that Regan shouldn’t be staying in that apartment alone.

44

I’m sorry!” Clara cried into the phone. “I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?” Thomas snapped. “Haven’t you ever heard that once a person’s or an institution’s reputation has been ruined, it’s very hard to regain?”

“My aunt regained her reputation!” Clara said triumphantly.

“What are you talking about?”

Clara sat in her chair. “A long time ago, when she was working in somebody’s house as a maid, some jewelry disappeared. The poor old lady who lost the jewelry insisted it must have been my Aunt Gladys who took it. So she got fired. Well, a few months later they found the jewelry in the house. Turns out the lady was a little dotty and kept forgetting where she hid things!”

“It’s not the same,” Thomas insisted.

“But it was terrible. Aunt Gladys lost a lot of weight in those months. It was only when she got her reputation back that she went back to eating like there was no tomorrow.”

“Clara, I am not calling to hear about your Aunt Gladys. I am calling to request that you do not talk to anyone about anything that goes on at the club. Reporters might try to reach you. Please don’t say another word. Now do you understand?”

“Yes, Thomas. I’m very sorry but I’ll make it up to you.”

“How?”

“I know you’ve got the party tomorrow. I’ll come in and work for free!”

That’ll make a big difference, Thomas thought wryly. But Clara meant well. “All right, Clara. I’m sure we can use your help in the morning.”