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Edward returned to work the day after his hearing, anxious to take his mind off things, but Lily wasn't quite ready for that. She needed the money, but she knew that once back at the Saunders Factory, all eyes would be on her. She didn't know how Edward could stand it and prayed his day wasn't going as badly as she envisioned. Maybe he was hiding in his office, though she doubted it. Edward wasn't one to hide.
Lily told Edward she needed a few more days before resuming her post, and neither he nor his father objected. She could take as much time as she needed, they told her. Mr. Saunders even offered her half-pay for a full week, something which astounded her. She'd never heard of such a thing before.
She didn't intend to be gone the full week, however. She enjoyed her work far more now that she was Edward's secretary, and longed to be near him again on a daily basis. The problem was that she and Mr. Saunders had come no closer to finding Ray than they had when Edward was first arrested.
Mr. Saunders seemed to have given in to defeat, or perhaps he was simply satisfied with his son being out of prison and no longer concerned as to Ray's whereabouts. He no longer canvassed the area with her, though he offered to pay others to assist her if need be. She'd declined his offer for now, preferring to talk to people herself, that way there could be no miscommunication.
Lily stood before the last brothel in town she had yet to explore, and the only one she had purposefully avoided going into. Though she knew rumors were not to be trusted, this particular brothel had quite a bad reputation. Word was they turned no one way—thief, murderer, or worse, they welcomed men of all ages, creeds, and criminal backgrounds.
She took in a deep breath and pressed the bell. From the outside, the place looked like nothing special. It was a three-story brick home with a small front yard and large wooden door. The only thing she could see that gave it away were the curtains. Every window was drawn tightly shut, even in the middle of the day.
The door opened and a kind-looking woman with gray hair and large, gray eyes stared back at her. She was fully clothed, even handsomely dressed, which Lily would never have expected to find in a brothel.
"May I help you?" asked the woman, looking her up and down.
Lily hesitated, suddenly uncertain she had the right place. "I'm here for my husband," she finally said.
The woman let out a laugh and looked around her, as if she thought this was some sort of prank.
"I'm afraid you'll have to be more specific than that." t
"Ray Dickinson," Lily replied.
The woman's gray eyes narrowed slightly. "Ray is your husband?"
Lily nodded, and the woman opened the door for her.
Lily stepped in and was taken aback by the rich-looking fabrics and upholsteries. Everything was deep burgundy and gold. The carpet, the chairs, the drapes... all of it looked as though it belonged in a rich man's mansion. Edward was rich, but even his house was not furnished so luxuriously.
"Take a seat," the woman said, indicating a chair in what she assumed was the parlor. The layout of the house was different from what she was used to, so it was difficult to tell. There were long beaded curtains that hung down to the floor separating this room from the rest of the place.
The woman left her alone and returned a moment later with a tea tray. She set it down and took the seat opposite Lily's.
"I'm Rita," the woman said, filling her teacup. "I run this place."
Lily colored. This woman reminded her of a grandmother, not the owner of a brothel. "A pleasure to meet you," she said, casting her eyes to the floor.
"You needn't look so uncomfortable," Rita said. "This is a perfectly respectable place."
There was a cackle of laughter from the other side of the beaded curtain. A woman squealed with delight, ran into the room wearing nothing but her silk undergarments, which were colored red, and stopped with an abrupt halt when she saw Lily and Rita sitting there.
"Sorry, madam," the woman said and turned, running smack into the man who'd been chasing her. He was dressed in even less than she was. He grinned and looked over her shoulder at Lily.
"You brought me another one to try out," the man said to Rita. "Well, I'll play with two as well as one." He slapped the scantily clad woman's backside and she squealed again.
Rita stood serenely from her seat, and in a voice that rivaled Della's sternest tone, said, "Out!" She pointed one long, perfectly lacquered nail toward the curtain, and the man and woman left at once. She took her seat again and looked at Lily apologetically.
"Sorry about that," she said. "Sometimes the girls here get a bit carried away with themselves."
Lily nodded. She had bitten her lip to keep from letting out a startled cry and tasted blood.
"Now then," Rita continued. "What makes you think your husband is here?"
"I know him to frequent places such as these, and... well, I've looked everywhere else that I can think of."
The woman studied her closely. "I see." She sipped her tea. "I know Ray Dickinson. I also know what's going around about him."
"Oh?" Lily asked, interested in what this woman had heard.
"They say he's dead. Killed by a man he owed money to."
Lily bit her bottom lip again and held her teacup aimlessly in her lap. "Ray had just won a significant amount of money before he went missing," she told her. "If he owed money to someone, I'm certain he could have paid."
"Maybe," Rita said. "But maybe it was too late. The man might've taken his money but decided to take Ray's life as well."
"I'm not certain he's really dead," Lily said, deciding to be honest.
Rita's eyes widened. "Because they haven't yet discovered his body?"
Lily nodded, and Rita laughed.
"If someone killed your husband, all they had to do was tie his feet up with rocks then throw him in one of the rivers around here."
Lily had not considered that.
"I suppose that's true."
"But you're still not certain."
"No."
Rita said, "If your husband were still alive, he would not be welcome in this house. That I share with you now to put your mind at ease."
Lily's eyes widened. "Why would he be so unwelcome? Your house has a reputation for..."
"For admitting any and all?"
"Yes," Lily said.
"Well, since meeting your husband, I've developed some stricter standards." Rita set her teacup down and leaned closer to Lily. Her eyes darkened. "One night, he beat one of my girls near to death without even blinking an eye. I employ security here, big, brutish men who are to prevent such things from happening. It took three of them to pull him off her." She shook her head. "No. Ray Dickinson is not welcome in this house. If he is still alive and he ever shows his face here, I'll kill him."
Lily's body stiffened. "Thank you for your honesty," she said, making a mental note to mention Rita's name to Sheriff Chambers. Perhaps her remark about Ray being killed over gambling debts was all a ruse. What if this woman had killed him herself?
"Thank you for your time, as well," Lily said. "I should be going." Suddenly, she wanted nothing more to do with this place.
Rita showed Lily out, pausing at the door just long enough to say, "If you're right, and you find him, I advise you get rid of him again as fast as you can. Permanently."
Lily shuddered. She did not think she could kill a man, even Ray.
"I'll take it under consideration," Lily said and departed. She had gone only a few yards when she was met with a loud squeal.
"Oh, my word! Is that Lily Dickinson coming out of a brothel?!"
Lily turned and saw Bridget and Patty walking together. They were glaring at her and laughing.
"My word," said Patty. "I believe it is."
Bridget went on, "I wondered where she's been these past few days. We must tell the girls at work. Lily has changed professions!" There was a fresh round of cackles.
Instead of running, as Lily wanted to do, she went straight up to Bridget.
Bridget started at Lily's sudden approach but soon recovered herself.
"Don't worry," Bridget snarled. "When I tell Mr. Saunders where you've been, I shan't say anything that isn't true."
Lily gave no warning; she merely punched the woman in her nose. Bridget fell, landing on her bottom with a loud thump. Patty screamed but made no move to come to her friend's aid.
"Why do you hate me so?" Lily demanded of Bridget.
Slowly, Bridget rose to her feet. There was evil in her eyes, but something else as well... pain? Sadness?
"You'll be sorry for what you've done," Bridget said. She turned and stormed off. Patty hurried after her.
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