Page 81 of Murder at the Debutante Ballby

Harry nodded slowly. “Is he trying to make Reggie Smith look guilty to divert our attention from himself?”

“Becauseheis, in fact, the murderer?” I finished.

It was an intriguing notion, and not out of the realms of possibility. I wasn’t sure I believed Mr. Underwood when he claimed to know nothing about the forged paintings.

Harry stifled a yawn and checked his watch. “We’ll talk about it more tomorrow. Come to my office at ten-thirty.”

“Why not earlier?”

He showed me the watch. It was two-thirty. “It’s late. I’ll let you sleep in.”

“How sweet of you.” I smiled, all the while watching him for signs he intended to head out again after returning me to the hotel.

But if he was meeting up with Floyd at the gambling house again, he hid it well. He seemed more concerned about getting me back inside the hotel where I ought to be tucked up in bed.

“Philip is on duty tonight and he won’t say a word to my uncle,” I assured him as he assisted me down from the carriage.

“I know,” he said tightly. “But I won’t be satisfied until you’re in. Even then there’s a chance your uncle or cousin will still be up, roaming the halls.”

“Floyd will be out getting drunk somewhere, or gambling.”

He glanced around before pushing the door open. “Are you still worried about him?”

I was about to tell him that I was but thought better of it. I didn’t want him thinking the situation still needed fixing. “He’s an adult. He can take care of himself.”

He studied my face and I tried to school my features, but I suspected I failed. A sudden chill of concern for Floyd rippled through me.

“You’re cold.” He opened the door wider and nodded a greeting at Philip. “Go in, Cleo. And don’t worry about Floyd. You just need a little patience with him. He’s not such a fool as I thought; he’ll come out the other side of this eventually.”

He sounded so confident that I immediately felt better. How could I not believe him when he seemed so sure?

I entered the hotel and turned to thank him, but the door was already swinging shut. “Goodnight, Harry,” I said in case he was still there on the other side. “And thank you.”

Chapter16

The woman who opened the door at the base of the staircase leading up to Harry’s office was beautiful with the hourglass figure so many women tried to create with tightly laced corsets but few actually achieved. It wasn’t the dark luster of her hair or the creaminess of her skin that made my heart lurch in my chest, however. It was the secret little smile she sported as she headed past me. It was the sort of smile a woman gave after flirting with a handsome man.

Instead of going up to Harry’s office, I diverted to Roma Café and ordered two coffees. “Have you seen that woman before?” I asked Luigi.

He turned the handle of the coffee grinder and the noise of crushing beans filled the otherwise silent café. “I see many women come and go from Harry’s office, but none are as beautiful as you,Bella.”

“Many women?”

He winced. “I also said none are as beautiful as you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I can see I’m not going to get a serious answer from you.”

He smiled. “Are you jealous?”

“Not at all. Just curious if he’s getting many clients.” There was no money in the current investigation, so it was only natural that he would work other cases at the same time.

I balanced the two cups in one hand and headed up the stairs to Harry’s office.

“Back already?” He looked up from his paperwork and his smile evaporated. “Cleo! It’s you.”

“Don’t look so disappointed.”

“I’m not!” He cleared his throat and accepted the coffee cup. “I thought you were someone else.”