Page 83 - Labelle Gramercy, Detective

Cat’s Paw

bum. She was taken aback by the viciousness of my response, and I
immediately felt on the defensive. Good going, Lance. I readjusted
my eyes and mouth into something more friendly.
“That is, may I be of assistance?”
“Well, yes—that is, I hope so.” She was at least six inches shorter
than me, so she had to look up when she spoke, giving her a quite
appealing expression, timid but beseeching. I must be a sucker for
girls who can pull that off consistently.
“Oh, ah. Lose your purse? Need a lift? Directions? Are you a
stranger in town?”
“No, no, nothing like that. You see, I’m Art Lesley’s sister. Can we
go somewhere and talk?”
My jaw must have been hanging open, because it took a long time
to close it enough to resume speech. “You—you’re what?”
“Yes, his sister, Hope. Please excuse me, but I followed you here
from the house.”
“Really?” Wait a minute, I thought. Was this the exotic female I
had spotted when I was leaving Lesley’s place? No way. I guess I had
my attention on the wrong car. “Well, um, I guess I have a couple of
minutes before I have to go back to work.”
I glanced at the upper stories of the Krass Building, and she
nodded. “You work for Fletcher Mallard, don’t you?”
“Why, yes, I do. My name is Lance O’Bleakley. I’m the, uh, senior
editor up there, really Fletcher’s right-hand man. Listen, there’s a little
coffee shop on the ground floor in here. Let me buy you a drink.”
That didn’t sound right, but out it came.
She blushed fetchingly. “Oh, thank you, Mr. O’Bleakley—-”
“Call me Lance.”
“—I’d love to.” She slipped her hand under my arm, just like in
old movies, and we walked into the Sip‘n’Sinkers as if we were a
dignified couple of lovebirds. The old bat behind the counter gave
me a scowl and pointedly looked at the wall clock, as if aware of my
truancy, but I ignored her and took a couple of steaming mugs back
to the tiny table with stools where Hope had perched, knees
demurely tucked under her skirt.
We sat in silence for a few minutes, while I waited for her to say
something. Maybe she was doing the same thing. Finally she came to

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