Page 47 of The Other Lady Vanishes

“Got news for you. The boarder story isn’t working very well.”

She winced. “You heard that at the hardware store?”

“I told you, hardware stores are hotbeds of local gossip.”

“Apparently so. You do realize I haven’t a thing to wear—not to a swanky place like the Paradise. I’ll have to go shopping after the tearoom closes today.”

“This is my idea, so I’ll take care of the bill for the dress.”

She narrowed her eyes. “No, you will not pay for my new dress. That will only add fuel to the gossip fire.”

“You refer to the fire that is already burning?”

Adelaide beetled her brows. “Shouldn’t you be installing locks or something?”

“Oh, yeah. Locks.” Jake picked up the sack and headed for the kitchen door. “Let me know when you’re ready to do your shopping. I’ll drive you.”

“Do you really think that’s necessary?”

Jake paused, one hand on the doorknob. “We don’t know a lot about what is going on here in Burning Cove, but we do know that someone was watching your cottage on the night that a famous psychic died. Until we get some answers, I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to be alone.”

She almost blurted out the truth. She didn’t know anything more than the police did about Zolanda’s death, but she did have some idea of who might be watching her. The problem was that if she told Jake everything, there was a very real possibility that he would conclude she was crazy. What man in his right mind would trust an escapee from an insane asylum?

It wasn’t as if he had been entirely straightforward with her, either, she reminded herself.

She focused on the immediate problem of obtaining an affordable dress that would get her through the exclusive doors of the Paradise Club.

“You don’t need to go shopping with me,” she said. She knew she sounded stiff and tense. “I’ve got a friend who knows all about the latest fashions and where to find them here in town.”

“How long will it take?”

“Hours,” she said with a cold smile, silently daring him to complain about the shopping process.

“Take your time. Luther invited me to play a round of golf this afternoon. I’ll give him a call and tell him I’m free.”

Chapter 25

“That’s the gown,” Raina announced. “It fits you beautifully and the deep turquoise blue enhances your eyes. You look sophisticated and mysterious. That’s exactly the right impression to make at a place like the Paradise Club.”

“Miss Kirk is correct,” the saleswoman gushed. “She has an excellent eye for fashion.”

Adelaide studied herself in the dressing room mirror. Raina and the saleswoman were right, she thought. The ankle-length gown was very flattering. The lustrous satin was cut on the bias so that it flowed effortlessly over the body and flared out below the hips. It would look terrific on a dance floor.

The front was styled with a demure, high neck but the back plunged to the waist with nothing more than a few decorative strips of fabric to secure it. It was a gown designed for a night of glamour and seduction.

She had purchased similar gowns in those first giddy weeks after Conrad Massey had moved into her life. And then one day she hadawakened in a hospital gown in a locked room at Rushbrook. She shuddered at the memory.

Raina’s brows snapped together. She leaned forward and lowered her voice.

“Are you all right?” she asked.

Adelaide pulled herself together. “Yes, I’m fine. Just dealing with the shock of the price tag on this little number, that’s all.”

“No need to worry about the price,” the saleswoman said airily. “I’ll give you a twenty percent discount because you’ll be seen in the gown at the Paradise Club. That is excellent advertising for my shop. All you need now are a pair of smart shoes, a wrap, some earrings, and the right evening bag, and you’re all set for a night on the town.”

Reality struck Adelaide with staggering force. She could—just barely—manage to pay for the dress. The accessories the saleswoman suggested were out of the question.

“I’m sorry,” she said. She reached around behind herself to find the hidden zipper. “The dress is lovely but you’re right, it needs all the appropriate trimmings. I’m afraid I’m on a strict budget.”