Free A Golden Cage by Shelley Freydont Page A

Charlie’ if she so desires. It is time for Deanna to meet her group, and for Carlisle to bring me a sherry. Joseph, ring the bell.”
    Joe jumped to his feet and rang for the butler.
    Lionel stood. “Ladies, have your sherry, though I must say—” A quick glance from his wife stilled his tongue. “Then, if you’ll excuse us, Joseph, Will, and I will see Deanna off.” He ushered Deanna out of the parlor. Will bowed to the ladies, and he and Joe followed.
    â€œWhew,” Lionel said once they were in the hallway. “Not the quiet weekend with my wife I envisioned. Now, my dear, where is your bicycle? Carlisle?”
    The butler was suddenly at his elbow. “I’ve had it brought round to the front, sir.”
    â€œExcellent.”
    â€œWill there be anything else, sir?”
    â€œThe ladies want their sherry.”
    â€œI had anticipated that, sir,” Carlisle said, as a footman carrying a tray with a decanter and two glasses arrived at the door to the parlor.
    â€œAnd if I might say . . . Cook has asked that I remind Sergeant Hennessey to come round to the kitchen before he leaves.”
    â€œTo do with the case?” Lionel asked.
    â€œTo do with his breakfast, sir.”
    â€œBribing a police officer,” Lionel quipped. “Cook’s a deep one.”
    â€œI think this one incident can be overlooked, sir.”
    â€œGood man,” Lionel said. “You see to the ladies. I’ll see these three out and make sure Will gets his sandwiches.”
    Deanna went down the steps and took her bicycle from the footman.
    â€œDo you think she needs help getting on?” Lionel asked.
    â€œIf you suggest it, you’ll get your head bit off,” Joe said.
    The three of them watched wordlessly as Deanna maneuvered the bicycle onto the drive and glanced back at the three men, scowling like only Deanna could scowl.
    â€œMaybe she’d prefer to get started without an audience,” Lionel suggested.
    The three of them turned back toward the house, but quickly looked back over their shoulders in time to see Deanna pedaling down the drive, wobbling slightly at first but steadying and gaining speed as she reached the avenue.
    The three men expelled their breath.
    Lionel went back into the house.
    â€œSo where will you go from here?” Joe asked Will.
    â€œI’ll check in at the station and write my report and make sure it is being attended to properly. Then I plan to talk to the theater company. But I’ll also need to question the people who were on the yacht last night. Someone might have seen Miss Deeks after you left, maybe even saw her leave.”
    â€œOr followed her to Bonheur and killed Charlie and possibly her?”
    Will shrugged. “It would help to know how Charlie fits into this and whether he followed her or accompanied her. How many of the theater people did you notice?”
    â€œSeveral of the young women. At least I assumed they were from the theater. Girls from the chorus. Six or seven, most dressed the same way as, um, Deanna described.”
    â€œPlanning to pick up a little extra cash between performances?”
    Joe nodded. “Some of the actors might have been there, but since they weren’t running around in Egyptian kilts, I wouldn’t know. I was only there for an hour at the most.”
    â€œHopefully one of the members of the troupe knows more, but if not, I’ll have to question the other guests.”
    â€œThe yacht guests or the party guests?”
    Will swallowed. No one in the force wanted to deal with the cottagers. They wielded a lot of power, and even the highest officials thought twice about crossing them. That job had fallen to Will since he was well educated and grew up if not exactly one of their set, at least having been accepted by it. Until he’d joined the force, of course, then everything changed and they conveniently forgot that he had ever been a guest in