Black Jade by Gloria Oliver

Author:Gloria Oliver
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: prejudice, cozy mystery, book 1, aristocracy, yellow peril, arsenic poisoning, blind heroine, cozy historical mystery, a daiyu wu mystery, dallas 1930
Publisher: Gloria Oliver

The Jefferson Hotel at Ferris Park Plaza sat close to Union Station on Houston Street. Only a half-mile from the Adolphus, it was a very convenient location for Laura to have lived. The original hotel had been expanded with a second slightly taller building. Like most hotels in the city, they catered to both transient travelers and long-term residents.

It was an unremarkable, red-bricked structure, one built for functionality rather than aesthetics. The only attempt at elegance was the white first floor with balconies extending out from part of the second floor over the entryway to protect customers from the weather. A park across the street helped soften the view with its manicured lawns, walkways, and an artistic fountain which was illuminated at night with colored lights. The Waiting Station stood at one end so those coming into the city by train would have access to the streetcars and interurban trains between Dallas and Fort Worth.

The interior of the hotel was utilitarian, with only a few potted plants to give the lobby any kind of identity. I escorted Dai to the elevators, and after giving the information to the operator, we rose to the sixth floor. The employees at the reception desk paid us no attention at all.

The door to Room 603 was as non-descript as the rest of the doors on both sides of the plain hallway. I was at a loss for words when trying to describe this to Dai, not having expected such a drab place.

My knock was answered after a minute, the door opening only a crack—enough for the owner to take a peek at us. An apparition wearing a faded house robe, curlers, and face cream stared us up and down. After a shocked second, I realized it was Shannon.

She looked in no way as appealing as the other times we'd seen her. Perhaps being attractive enough to snag a husband required more work than I imagined. I wasn't sure if I should be offended by the fact that she didn't seem to care about me seeing her like this. I was confident she'd rather drop dead than let Asquith find her in such a state.

"So, it's you two, is it?"

A soft bark from Prince admonished her that there were actually three of us.

Shannon hissed, "For pity's sake, keep him quiet." She poked her head out into the hallway as if verifying that our presence hadn't been noticed. She opened the door wider and stepped back. "Hurry up and come inside."

As drab and ordered as the rest of the hotel had been, the tiny apartment exploded with color and chaos. It consisted of a central common area and kitchenette, and two bedrooms that were but alcoves placed at ninety degrees from each other. The bays provided room only for a minuscule bed and a set of shelves placed overhead, with a bar at the bottom for hanging up clothes. A curtain rod with thick drapes was the sole means of obtaining any privacy. A diminutive bathroom

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