Read Online Grim Shadows (Roaring Twenties) by Jenn Bennett - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Jenn Bennett
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weekend. James Flood’s widow is hosting it at her mansion on Broadway—just a few blocks down from your family home, I believe.”
“Yes, I know the place.” The Flood’s marble palace. He drove past it all the time.
“Dinner, coats and tails, an orchestra,” Bacall said. “Great chance to rub shoulders with donors and people who could help your career. I’ll get you an invitation.”
He glanced at the door Hadley had slammed, wondering if she’d be attending this soirée. Maybe he should stop fantasizing about erotic carnival sideshows and her interest in clocks, and concentrate on figuring out exactly why her father was offering him a small fortune served on a silver platter.
After all, there was always a catch.
• • •
Hadley stared out the window in her father’s office, watching Lowe chat with one of the groundskeepers. Rather animatedly, at that. All smiles and laughter. Did he strike up friendly chats with every stranger he stumbled across during his day?
“Everything all right, my dear?” her father asked as he switched on a desktop radio.
Other than her complete and utter humiliation? Not really. Why in God’s name had she said . . .
that
? “Just seeing what the weather looks like.”
“It’s going to rain. I can feel it in my knees.”
“Mr. Magnusson took the amulet with him?” She didn’t sense it anymore, so he must have.
“He’s going to arrange storage for it until the paperwork arrives from the Egyptian Ministry.” Her father fiddled with the radio dial, fine-tuning the signal until he was satisfied with the clarity of the music, some old-fashioned ragtime number.
“How did he get the thing out of the country without the paperwork?”
“Hmm? Oh, I don’t know. His uncle is a fast talker. The whole family’s filled with criminals and con artists.”
“Why do you trust him, then?”
“Because I made him an offer he can’t refuse, and people like him sell their loyalty to the highest bidder.”
She moved the curtain to get a better view of Lowe. He was tipping the brim of his cap at grumpy old Mrs. Beckett, who looked up at his face when she strolled into the building and smiled like he was St. Peter and she was trying to cheat her way into heaven.
“What will you do with the amulet once you have it?” she asked her father. “Donate it to the museum?”
“Not sure.”
A lie if she’d ever heard one. When Father had first insisted she meet Lowe at the train station, he told her he’d attempted to find it himself when he was younger, and that it was a lifelong dream to finally own it. He wouldn’t go to so much trouble if he didn’t have plans.
“By the way, I invited Mr. Magnusson to the party this weekend. Perhaps I’ll ask Miss Tilly to play escort.”
Her stomach tightened. “He’s interested in Miss Tillly?”
“She’s a lovely woman. Who wouldn’t be?”
Who, indeed. Why this bothered her so much now, she didn’t understand. Lowe had paid her a couple of rude comments and touched her hand, and now her brain was sending proprietary signals to her heart? Ridiculous. “I hardly think you’d want to offer up your favorite secretary like she’s some kind of prostitute.”
“Don’t be vulgar, Hadley. Jealousy isn’t becoming.”
“I’m not jealous.” But she was, stupidly. And before she could control her emotions, the Mori specters spied into her thoughts and rose up from the floorboards to childishly shove the radio off the desk. Static crackled through the speaker after it hit the floor.
Her father jumped. “What was that?”
“I bumped into it,” she said, quickly snatching up the radio as she counted internally and turned the dial to find the station again. “It’s nothing.”
His shoulders relaxed. “I just want to keep him close until the sale of the amulet goes through, and Miss Tilly can introduce him to all the curators. I don’t think she’ll mind. She mentioned he was quite tall and uniquely
“Yes, I know the place.” The Flood’s marble palace. He drove past it all the time.
“Dinner, coats and tails, an orchestra,” Bacall said. “Great chance to rub shoulders with donors and people who could help your career. I’ll get you an invitation.”
He glanced at the door Hadley had slammed, wondering if she’d be attending this soirée. Maybe he should stop fantasizing about erotic carnival sideshows and her interest in clocks, and concentrate on figuring out exactly why her father was offering him a small fortune served on a silver platter.
After all, there was always a catch.
• • •
Hadley stared out the window in her father’s office, watching Lowe chat with one of the groundskeepers. Rather animatedly, at that. All smiles and laughter. Did he strike up friendly chats with every stranger he stumbled across during his day?
“Everything all right, my dear?” her father asked as he switched on a desktop radio.
Other than her complete and utter humiliation? Not really. Why in God’s name had she said . . .
that
? “Just seeing what the weather looks like.”
“It’s going to rain. I can feel it in my knees.”
“Mr. Magnusson took the amulet with him?” She didn’t sense it anymore, so he must have.
“He’s going to arrange storage for it until the paperwork arrives from the Egyptian Ministry.” Her father fiddled with the radio dial, fine-tuning the signal until he was satisfied with the clarity of the music, some old-fashioned ragtime number.
“How did he get the thing out of the country without the paperwork?”
“Hmm? Oh, I don’t know. His uncle is a fast talker. The whole family’s filled with criminals and con artists.”
“Why do you trust him, then?”
“Because I made him an offer he can’t refuse, and people like him sell their loyalty to the highest bidder.”
She moved the curtain to get a better view of Lowe. He was tipping the brim of his cap at grumpy old Mrs. Beckett, who looked up at his face when she strolled into the building and smiled like he was St. Peter and she was trying to cheat her way into heaven.
“What will you do with the amulet once you have it?” she asked her father. “Donate it to the museum?”
“Not sure.”
A lie if she’d ever heard one. When Father had first insisted she meet Lowe at the train station, he told her he’d attempted to find it himself when he was younger, and that it was a lifelong dream to finally own it. He wouldn’t go to so much trouble if he didn’t have plans.
“By the way, I invited Mr. Magnusson to the party this weekend. Perhaps I’ll ask Miss Tilly to play escort.”
Her stomach tightened. “He’s interested in Miss Tillly?”
“She’s a lovely woman. Who wouldn’t be?”
Who, indeed. Why this bothered her so much now, she didn’t understand. Lowe had paid her a couple of rude comments and touched her hand, and now her brain was sending proprietary signals to her heart? Ridiculous. “I hardly think you’d want to offer up your favorite secretary like she’s some kind of prostitute.”
“Don’t be vulgar, Hadley. Jealousy isn’t becoming.”
“I’m not jealous.” But she was, stupidly. And before she could control her emotions, the Mori specters spied into her thoughts and rose up from the floorboards to childishly shove the radio off the desk. Static crackled through the speaker after it hit the floor.
Her father jumped. “What was that?”
“I bumped into it,” she said, quickly snatching up the radio as she counted internally and turned the dial to find the station again. “It’s nothing.”
His shoulders relaxed. “I just want to keep him close until the sale of the amulet goes through, and Miss Tilly can introduce him to all the curators. I don’t think she’ll mind. She mentioned he was quite tall and uniquely
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