was offer to help a girl. By sending her here, I might add, not taking her into my den of iniquity. Not that I even have one.â
His father snorted. âIs that what youâre afraid Deanna will think?â
âNo. Shall I tell you what happened last night, or not?â
âPlease,â Will said.
âPlease do,â his mother said.
Joe sighed and sat down. He knew his mother wouldnât approve of Merseyâs yacht party, not because she thought it was immoral, necessarily, but because the men who would be there would invariably take advantage of the women who were hired for the occasion. Not only would they use them but oftentimes abuse them as well.
âI ran into Vlady Howe as I was leaving the birthday fete last night. He and Herbert were going to drop by Jacob Merseyâs yacht. I agreed to go with them.â
He shot his mother and grandmother a serious look. âMainly because I was hungry and Mersey always does a good spread. So we went; it was the usual, women and drinking and lots of noise. A number of the actresses were there.
âI went out on deck to find a quiet place to eat, and when Iâd finished and was coming back inside, I passed a stateroom where voices were raisedâangry voices. I slowed just to make sure no one was in trouble. But the door opened so I quickly went back outside, waiting for them to leave.
âAs I stood there, a girl runs out saying, âHelp me,â and I recognized her. It was Amabelle Deeks, and I told her if she were in trouble, she should come here. Which evidently she did.â Joe shrugged. âThen we heard one of the stateroom doors close and she ran off.
âI thought she would be safe, so I left.â
Will turned a page in his notebook. Licked the end of his pencil. âAnd about this argument you overheard. Was it in connection with Miss Deeks?â
âI didnât hear, though I thought I heard one of them say âbell.â When I saw Amabelle, I made the connection.â Joe thought back. âIt might be coincidental that she ran from the same corridor as the arguing men. There are maybe four guest rooms there. It might have been about herâor over her. Or something totally unrelated. I didnât hear any female voice.â
âAnd did you know the owners of those voices?â
âNot that I noticed at the time.â
âDo you think you would recognize the voices if you heard them again?â
âI might. Like I said, I wasnât paying that much attention, and they were muffled by the door.â
âAnd did you look for her afterward?â
âNo. I had just come to have some breakfast. Iâd had it and I went home.â
âNext time,â his father interrupted, âyou might do better to come to Bonheur for a home-cooked meal.â
âYes, sir. And Iâm sorry if I brought the family into this mess. I was trying to help a young woman.â He glanced at his mother. âI didnât think she would murder someone.â
âYou donât know that she murdered Charlie,â Deanna said, striding into the room.
Joe did a double take. She was dressed in a tailored shirt and a skirt hemmed several inches above her ankles. A skirt that was actually divided, similar to trousers. The cycling club. Heâd seen their costumes before, just not on Dee.
She stopped in the middle of the room. âYou donât know that she murdered poor Charlie, or did you discover evidence while I was upstairs changing?â She cocked her head at him. She was upset that sheâd been made to leave, regardless of how gently it was done.
âDid you?â she reiterated.
âNo. And since when did a dead stranger become âpoor Charlieâ?â
Gran Gwen threw up both hands. â
Pour lâamour du ciel.
You children are enough to make one tear oneâs hair. A girl is missing. A man is dead. Deanna may call him âpoor
Legs McNeil, Jennifer Osborne, Peter Pavia