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Later that evening, we gathered in Aunt Butty’s sitting room. She’d insisted that we all—all being myself, Varant, Chaz, and Hale—come over for drinkies and a natter. No one had dared refuse—one simply didn’t tell Aunt Butty no—except for Hale who had insisted his fellow musicians needed him. I kept a stiff upper lip and pretended I didn’t feel a stab of disappointment at not being able to spend more time with him. That our steamy evening was destined to remain a one-off. I wondered if, and when, I’d see him again. There’d been talk of the entire group heading to France, or possibly returning to America, now that the Astoria Club was closed. Likely permanently.
He had, however, pulled me to the side, out of sight of the others, after North had marched Helena and Leo out of the club. “Just in case,” he’d whispered. Then he’d leaned down and kissed me thoroughly before leaving with his bandmates. It had taken me some time to recover.
I was surprised the police hadn’t arrested John Bamber, too, but apparently with one club owner dead and the other arrested for murder, there was no one left to press charges. It was up to whomever inherited the club. No doubt Helena’s husband, Leo, although he had his own set of problems what with the failed attempt on Musgrave’s life and his little drugs smuggling business. I still wasn’t entirely convinced he hadn’t been following Aunt Butty and me with evil intent, no matter what he claimed. And I was relieved to know he’d be gone and away from Chaz for a very long time.
Poor Mabel had been forced to give up her newly mended pillow as evidence. North had been surprisingly kind to her and promised to return it immediately after the trial. That seemed to mollify her. I was more concerned with her immediate welfare, seeing as how she was now out of a job. Aunt Butty rectified that by convincing her friend, Louise Pennyfather, to hire Mabel as her personal lady’s maid. I couldn’t wait to see how that turned out.
North had given Josette and Beau a strong talking to, but they’d done nothing illegal, technically, unless you counted messing with the crime scene. North seemed happy enough just to get rid of them and call it a night. They appeared harmless enough. Although I wouldn’t put it past them to bump off someone in the future should they feel the need. I wondered how long they’d last, or if Beau would go running back to Coco. I was betting on the latter. According to Aunt Butty, leopards don’t change their spots.
“How did you ever think to look for that pillow, Helena?” Aunt Butty said as Mr. Singh brought in a round of drinks which no one refused. “I daresay I’d have never come up with it.”
“Where else would the feather have come from?” I asked. “It wasn’t from a hat or a feather boa, so that only left a pillow. And it made sense when Mabel said she heard a cough. No one else heard anything at that time, and yet that had to have been when Musgrave was shot. And while there were pillows everywhere, the one seat in the place that should have had one, didn’t. So...it was obvious.”
“Well, doesn’t that just take the biscuit,” Aunt Butty said after gulping back a rather large glass of sweet sherry which Mr. Singh quickly refilled before placing the crystal decanter on the side table and moving away like a silent shadow. “What an adventure this has been. Danger at every turn!”
“Hardly that,” Varant murmured, crossing one leg neatly over the other.
Aunt Butty ignored him. “Ophelia and I were practically arrested, chased by a lunatic, sneered at by a police detective. I wouldn’t have been surprised if we’d been murdered in our beds!”
Did I mention my aunt can be a tad over-dramatic? No one had been going to murder us, and North had never once sneered at her. Me, on the other hand, he’d been fond of sneering at.
“I’m glad it all came out all right in the end,” Chaz said heartily. “It really is too bad the Astoria Club is closed now. Such an entertaining place.”
“Where will you find amusement?” Varant asked dryly, taking a sip of his sherry.
Chaz waggled his eyebrows. “I’ve heard of a new place. Very underground. Very hush-hush.” He turned to me. “Darling, get your dancing togs. We must check it out.”
Aunt Butty grabbed the decanter and poured herself more sherry. “Oh, dear. Here we go again.”
The End.
Coming in 2018
Lady Rample Finds A Clue
Lady Rample Mysteries - Book Two
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