Page 85 of Murder at the Debutante Ballby

“I mean before that.”

“I wasn’t sure at first, until I noticed the limp. Then I was too busy chasing her.”

Peter ushered us towards the staff parlor. “You two go in before someone sees you. I’ll fetch Harmony. She’ll remember a former maid better than anyone.”

Once inside the parlor, I poured us tea from the pot warming on the portable gas stove. “Do you think Jane Eyre recognizedyou? Of course she did,” I muttered, answering myself. “That’s why she ran.”

He accepted the teacup with a wry smile. “It’s my height.”

I kept my teasing retort about his looks to myself. The last time I’d teased him about it, he became cross.

Peter returned with both Harmony and Goliath in tow. Harry described the maid known as Jane Eyre and told them why we needed to find her, although none of the staff showed any surprise. They were already well informed. Goliath sported a smirk, however.

“You remember her?” Harry asked him.

“Not really. I just find it amusing you couldn’t catch a limping girl.”

Harmony punched him in the arm. “Even limping girls can get away from athletic men if they’re smart. She was clever, if it’s the same limping redhead who used to work here as a maid.”

“How many can there be?” Peter said.

“She was too clever for this work, but that was her lot in life.” Harmony turned to Harry. “Her name was Mercy. Mercy Price or Prince, something like that. She didn’t work here long before she was dismissed. It would have been two years ago, at least.”

“Where did she go after leaving here?” Harry asked.

“I don’t know. She left suddenly under a cloud. Mrs. Kettering said she was dismissed for unbecoming conduct, but didn’t say what exactly Mercy did.” Mrs. Kettering was the former housekeeper, before Mrs. Short.

I could see Harmony was holding something back. “What did the other maids think happened?” I asked.

“We heard that Mercy was caught going through the guests’ things.”

Harry frowned. “I would have heard if she stole from the guests.”

“She never took anything.”

“You mean she was nevercaughttaking anything,” Peter added.

Harmony shrugged. “It’s all just rumor. Only Mercy and Mrs. Kettering know for certain what she did.”

“Did Mrs. Short retain Mrs. Kettering’s employee records?” I asked Peter.

“She threw out some things when she moved offices,” he said. “But I’m sure she kept all the old employee files.”

“It’s hotel policy to keep them,” Harry added. “If someone applies here again, we’ll know why they left, any circumstances or traits that made them unsuitable employees, that sort of thing.” He didn’t seem to notice that he’d said “we”. Perhaps being back here made him feel as though he’d never left. “I’ll go through the housekeeper’s files—"

“You’ll do no such thing,” I snapped. “It’s too much of a risk for anyone but me to be caught going through the files.”

“It’s a risk for you too, Cleo.”

I ignored him. I wouldn’t entertain an argument on the matter. “Harmony, can you keep Mrs. Short away from her office for a while?”

She glanced at the clock. “I’m supposed to be on the second floor now. I’ll tell her there’s a problem with one of the beds up there. But she shares an office with Mr. Chapman so someone has to distract him, too.”

“I’ll do it,” Peter said. “I wanted to speak to him about a particular guest’s dietary requirements anyway.”

“I’ll stand by the door and keep watch,” Goliath added. “I’ll whistle a tune if someone comes.”

We filed out, but instead of staying in the staff parlor, Harry followed. I thought he would leave the hotel altogether and wait outside, but he sat in one of the leather armchairs, picked up a newspaper and pretended to read.