Page 15 of The Other Lady Vanishes

Adelaide considered the question briefly. “I was rather rude myself. I assured Mr. Truett that it would be a cold day in hell before he got any more advice from me.”

Raina smiled. “You mean you gave him the edge of your temper?”

“Yep.”

“Good for you. And then you agreed to let him accompany you to the theater.”

“Yep.”

“Hmm.”

“What?”

Raina smiled a little. “You enjoyed it, didn’t you?”

“Enjoyed what?”

“Losing your temper with the gentleman in question.”

“It was,” Adelaide said, “refreshing. Especially when he tried to apologize and then practically begged me to let him escort me to the theater.”

It made me feel normal,she added to herself.As if I didn’t have to hide my real self.

Raina looked thoughtful. “You say his name is Jake Truett?”

“Yes. He used to own an import-export business in Los Angeles.”

“Hmm,” Raina said again.

“I sense suspicion.”

“Well, I am in the private investigation business,” Raina reminded her. “I’m supposed to be suspicious.”

Adelaide sank down on one of the two client chairs in front of the desk. “What is your problem with Mr. Truett? You’ve never even met him.”

“That’s one of the problems. The other is that the import-export business has been known to cover a multitude of illegal activities.”

“Such as?”

“Smuggling comes to mind, as well as the underground trade in forgeries, stolen art, and illegal drugs. The list of illicit activities that can be concealed in the import-export business is endless.”

Adelaide was amused. “You really are the suspicious type.”

“I’ll tell you what.” Raina sat forward and replaced the pencil in the handsome amber plastic tray. “I’ve got some connections in L.A. I’ll make a few phone calls and check out your Mr. Truett. I’ll telephone you as soon as I’ve confirmed that he’s a legitimate businessman.”

“I appreciate your concern,” Adelaide said. She spread her hands. “But what else could he be?”

“You’d be surprised,” Raina said.

“Sometimes you scare me, Raina.”

“Sometimes I scare myself.”

• • •

?Raina telephoned at five o’clock the following evening. Adelaide was still trying to decide what to wear.

“I don’t have a lot of new information on Truett,” Raina said. “Heappears to be exactly who he says he is, a widower who inherited his family’s import-export business. He sold the business shortly after his wife died.”