House of Bliss by T.T. Thomas

Author:T.T. Thomas [Thomas, T.T.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Bon View Publishing
Published: 2019-09-19T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 24

Lena had two friends from her working days, and one of them was dead.

She was eager to talk to Sabrina about Daisy, but she hadn’t heard back. Restless, she wandered around her flat until an idea occurred to her. Dressing in her modest daytime attire, she left early in the afternoon with plans to return within a couple hours.

She knocked lightly on the thin door on the second floor of a plain but clean apartment building. She heard the rustle of movement from behind it and felt an eye peering at her from the keyhole. Then, the sound of the latch.

“My heavens, Lena, it’s been a year of Sundays since I’ve seen you. Come in. The flat is untidy…”

Lena walked in and gave her a warm hug. “Carolina, I’ve been a terrible friend. The flat is lovely.”

They chatted for over an hour. Lena told her about the killings. And the connection to the corsets.

“We don’t know much more than that,” Lena said. “That is, the police don’t know. Moreover, I don’t think they have any clues. You’ve not had any gentlemen that seemed odd or off-center in any way, have you?”

Carolina reached for a cigarette. “They’re all a bit odd, now you mention. But no, not really anything I recall—except there was one man who asked me who made my corset before we had even got down to business, if you get my drift.”

Lena held her breath.

Carolina squeezed her eyes shut. “Corsets, Hmm. Still not sure why would some lout kill a girl because of the corset she wears?”

“That’s what we’re all asking. Well, I must get back. If you think of anything, anything at all, about that odd one who wanted to know about your corset, send me a note. Do you have a telephone?” Lena looked around.

“Right there on the kitchen wall,” her friend answered pointing.

“I’m impressed, Carolina. Sabrina is having one put in our flat later this week. Let me have your number, and I’ll call you when I have mine or drop you a note if you don’t answer.”

Carolina walked Lena to the door. “Thanks for the warning about the corset killer, Lena. Won’t wear mine for a while.”

“Good idea,” Lena said. She decided to try one more time. “If anything occurs to you about the odd man, his description, his demeanor, his clothes—”

“Oh, I do remember something. He had a tie from one of those private men’s clubs he’d wear from time to time.”

“Color?” Lena asked, holding her breath again for the answer.

“Light blue stripes, I think, against an ivory or white background, stripes on the diagonal like they do. Maybe more of a sky blue.”

“You wouldn’t know which club by chance?”

Carolina shook her head. “You know, it could have been a school tie, too, but something makes me want to say club tie. I wasn’t sharply interested, you understand.”

“Indeed I do!” exclaimed Lena. She didn’t know what club it might be, but she knew who would know. “Did you see him often?”

“Seven or eight times,” Carolina said.

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