Fleeced: A Regan Reilly Mystery by Carol Clark (grave mercy txt) 📗

died last night! That’s why Thomas Pilsner came running up to Nat’s apartment in the first place.”

“I know who you’re talking about.”

“I figured they had to be the keys to Ben’s apartment, so I looked up his address and went over there. The keys worked!”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because he’s dead. I thought maybe he had the diamonds in his apartment. You never know, ya know?”

“That was stupid.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’d gotten caught we wouldn’t have a chance to look for the diamonds in Pemrod’s apartment. And they’re more likely to be there if they’re anywhere.”

“No harm in trying,” Georgette said, clearly annoyed that Blaise didn’t praise her ingenuity. And now I’ll have to tell him the rest of it, she thought. Here goes nothing. “Someone walked in when I was in the bedroom going through Ben’s stuff.”

“What?” Blaise looked alarmed.

“Don’t worry. She didn’t see me. I sprayed her with Mace and locked her in the closet.”

“Georgette! Are you out of your mind? All you got out of it was a few trinkets and someone who just might be able to identify you.”

“I’m telling you, she didn’t see me! And what if the diamonds had been in there? You’d be singing a different tune.”

Blaise sat down on the kitchen chair opposite her and rubbed his eyes. “I just came home to get my tux. Lydia’s having another party tonight.”

“I’m going.”

“You are?”

“Yes, she called and said she wanted to apologize for the confusion last night. So she’s having the same group back tonight, no charge.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” Blaise said. “It’s getting too hot around here. I think we should get out of town very soon.”

“But what about the diamonds?”

Blaise thought for a moment. “After the party tonight, we’ll both slip into Pemrod’s. We’ll search the place. If we don’t find them, then I say we take off.”

“What about your butler classes?”

“I can’t stand them! I don’t care about the proper way to iron the newspaper or draw a bath or polish the silver!”

Georgette picked up the tarnished silver brush she’d found on Ben’s dresser and smiled at him. “You can practice on this.”

“Very funny.” He took her hands in his. “Georgette, something’s up with Lydia. I can just tell. They’re probably having us all back tonight so the police can question everyone.”

“Maybe we shouldn’t go.”

“That would look bad. And I want to get a shot at going through Nat’s apartment. Then we’re out of here.”

Georgette looked around. “I’ll be glad to leave this dump.”

“Me too.”

“What if we get caught tonight?”

“We won’t let anyone get in our way.”

They laughed together.

29

Janey lay in the fetal position on the floor of the closet. Her eyes stung, and she was cold. She pictured her nice, warm coat draped across one of the kitchen chairs, just feet away. She still couldn’t believe what had happened.

It almost felt as if her life were passing in front of her. All my hard work has come to this, she thought. A stupid mistake. Stupid, stupid, stupid. This definitely qualifies for an episode of “My most embarrassing moment.”

Will someone find me? she wondered. Do I even want to be found? I could jump up and down, but I don’t think anyone would hear me. This place is built like a fortress.

Her cell phone rang for the third time. It was in her purse, next to her coat on the chair. With my luck, it’s Mrs. Buckland looking for her roast chicken. But in her heart she knew it was Thomas calling. He called her ten times a day. Sometimes if she was busy delivering meals, or stopping for a visit with one of her elderly clients, she didn’t call him back right away. Like last night. So I wasn’t there for him when he needed me.

Will he be there for me? He always has been. Will he even think to come looking for me here? Why would he? Who knows when they’ll find the niece Ben always talked about? It could be days before they locate her and weeks before she comes to clean out the apartment.

And the anniversary party is tomorrow night! Janey didn’t want to miss it. She thought of all the scrumptious desserts she’d made for it, the great big cake that would be a showstopper. All the help she was going to give Thomas recruiting members to the club. It was all too much to contemplate. Black depression was closing in on her as tears not caused by the Mace formed in her eyes.

After about five more minutes of wallowing in her misery, Janey made a decision. I’ve got to think positively, she thought. My life won’t be over if I get out of here. How many celebrities have made big mistakes right in the public eye? All they did was apologize, some of them anyway, and then go on with their lives.

I know! she thought. Whoever sprayed that Mace in my eyes is a real criminal. They were scavenging through the apartment. Surely they must have stolen some of Ben’s things.

If I get out of here, I’m going to do my best to help find them. Janey concentrated hard. Now let’s see. It was definitely a woman. And I thought I felt long hair brush against my face when she shoved me in here. And her perfume! I’d recognize that smell anywhere.

The thoughts cheered Janey somewhat as she reached in front of her and pulled a box of what turned out to be Rice Krispies off the shelf. She stuck her hand in the box and helped herself to a handful. Snap, crackle, pop, she thought. That’s exactly what I’m going to do when I get out of here and find out who did this to me.

She suddenly thought of her favorite movie, The Sound of Music, and began to sing softly, “‘When the dog bites, when the bee stings…’”

30

Nat’s answering machine light was flashing when Regan got back to