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

Regan picked up the bottle of Daisy Dewdrops and sprayed it on a sheet of paper. May as well start slowly, she thought. An unlikely scent for a criminal, but you never know. She held the paper up to Janey’s nose.

“That’s beautiful,” Janey sighed. “Could I have that bottle when we’re finished?”

“Why not? But I guess that’s not what we’re looking for.”

“No.” Janey sat up a little straighter and gently wiped her nose with a tissue.

Regan sprayed Ocean Water on paper and held it up.

“Definitely not,” Janey said.

Regan had been afraid to try the Lethal Injection because, in her heart, she knew it was the most likely candidate and she didn’t want it to be rejected. After all, Georgette had lied to her. If a boyfriend had given her the perfume, it must have been recently. Had she really broken up with her boyfriend? If not, what was she doing at the singles parties?

Regan picked up the bottle, pushed the needle, which released the spray, and barely had the paper under Janey’s nostrils when Janey cried out, “That’s it! That’s the perfume she was wearing!”

Thomas leaped from his chair, and the two of them engaged in another hug, similar to the one that took place when Janey was sprung from the closet yesterday.

“I knew you could do it,” Thomas cried. “I’m so proud of you.”

Regan looked at the lineup of the four untouched bottles. I wonder if I can return those? Probably not, she thought wryly. The wrappers have been removed. She cleared her throat. “I’m going to go upstairs and talk to Lydia,” she announced as the couple finally broke apart. And then I’ll give Ronald Brier a call, she thought. Find out what, if anything, he has on Georgette.

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I need to speak to both you and Lydia,” Regan told Maldwin when he answered the door. “In private.”

“Miss Lydia is resting up for tonight.”

“This is important.”

Maldwin could tell by her tone that she meant business. “Very well,” he said and led her into the living room. “I will return shortly.”

Regan sat and looked around at Lydia’s new furnishings. This is all here because she inherited money from an elderly neighbor. I have to call those funeral directors Dad told me about, Regan thought.

A few moments later, Lydia came into the room looking visibly strained. Maldwin was right behind her.

“Hello, Regan,” Lydia said.

“Lydia, are you feeling all right?” Regan asked.

“I’m just worried about tonight, that’s all. All this negative publicity doesn’t help.” She didn’t mention that she’d just received another call from Burkhard, who had told her to save a dance for him. His tone was so menacing it made her skin crawl. “I want it to go well,” she added.

“We all do,” Regan said simply.

Maldwin sat looking ill at ease. The last thing he needed was controversy. “I’ve given my students the task of rearranging the cabinets in the kitchen,” he told Regan. “So we could be alone.”

“Thank you,” Regan said. “Now, there are a couple of things. Maldwin, do you know a Thorn Darlington?”

Maldwin blanched. “Yes.”

“A friend of mine was just in London. Apparently, Thorn is on his way over to New York. For what reason, I don’t know.”

“Probably to destroy me,” Maldwin said. “He’s an evil man.”

“He’s staying somewhere in Gramercy Park.”

Maldwin gulped.

“What good news do you have for me, Regan?” Lydia asked with an edge to her voice.

“I just wanted to ask you about that woman Georgette who comes to your parties. What can you tell me about her?”

Lydia leaned forward and put her head in her hands. “Don’t tell me she’s not a quality single.”

“There is something a little pushy about her,” Maldwin offered, glad to turn the subject to other people’s problems.

“What do you mean?” Regan asked.

“During the parties she would come into the kitchen, gather up a bunch of pigs in blankets, then five minutes later she’d be gone.”

Regan’s jaw tightened. She’d found pigs in blankets in Nat’s garbage can.

“But she came to every party,” Lydia countered. “Even if only for a little while.”

And then disappeared across the hall, Regan thought. She’s sounding more and more like our gal Buttercup. “You don’t have an address for her, do you?” she asked Lydia.

“She didn’t give me one. I value my singles’ privacy, so I didn’t push for it.”

“Do you know if she’ll be here tonight?” Regan asked.

“She told me she would come,” Lydia answered.

Blaise was standing in the hallway, eavesdropping. Oh, she will, he thought. She’ll come, but as someone else.

Around the corner, one of the other student butlers had also been listening. Wait till Thorn hears this, the student thought.

74

Absolutely not!” Thomas declared. “Daphne, you must bring back those sheep tonight!”

Daphne was standing in the doorway of his office. She stepped in, pushed a few balloons off a chair, and sat down. “Thomas, please! Here is a check for fifty thousand dollars!”

“I can’t accept that. Nat would haunt the place.”

“But it means so much to me and to my career! And the club needs the money! Nat owes me this much!”

“Daphne, the answer is no! Those sheep have been here for years, this is their home. It’s what Wendy and Nat wanted for them. If the club goes out of business, the movie company can have them. But for now their home is here!”

“Fifty thousand dollars, Thomas!”

“That money is not going to make or break the club. Now I want you to bring home those sheep. They are to be here in time for the party, which starts at seven o’clock!”

Daphne stormed out, hot tears welling in her eyes. She nearly knocked Blaise off his feet in the hallway. “Excuse me,” she mumbled and hurried off.

“Blaise,” Thomas called.

“Yes, sir,” Blaise said, appearing in the doorway.

“I got a call from our crazy neighbors complaining that Maldwin gave you the key to the park. I’m sorry, but it’s not allowed.”

Blaise smiled cheerfully. “I promise you it will never happen again.”

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