Lady Gold Investigates: a Short Read cozy historical 1920s mystery collection by Lee Strauss & Norm Strauss

Author:Lee Strauss & Norm Strauss [Strauss, Lee]
Language: eng
Format: azw3, epub
ISBN: 9781774090312
Publisher: La Plume Press
Published: 2019-07-25T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter Two

“Oh mercy!” Ginger said. “Are you sure?”

Dorothy’s face flushed crimson. “We have gone over the receipts and stock several times now. There is no doubt about it. I am so sorry, Mrs. Reed. I really don’t know how this happened.”

Madame Roux concurred. “Highly unusual for a shop like zees.”

“The fox stole,” Ginger said simply.

“I have made a cursory check of zee shop,” Madame Roux began, “The stole is zee only thing I can find zat is not accounted for. I have also asked Emma before she left to go home a few minutes ago. She has not seen it. ”

“Should we call the police?” Dorothy asked.

“Yes, Dorothy,” Ginger said. “Please ring them. Perhaps they can find something that we won’t.”

Dorothy nodded, and picked up the receiver of the elegant cradle telephone.

“But before you talk to them,” Ginger added, “can you please tell me if Lady Isla Lyons was in today?”

Both Dorothy and Madame Roux shook their heads. All four ladies who worked at Feathers & Flair had had experience with Lady Lyons and were very aware of her whenever she entered the shop. It was well known to the staff that the poor lady had a case of the “stealing madness”. The items she took were always returned the next morning with an apology from Lord Lyons. No harm was ever done to any of the garments and the ladies at Feathers & Flair were instructed to turn a blind eye when they saw Lady Lyons leaving the shop with an unpaid item, whether she was wearing it or had it folded in her handbag.

“She was not in at all today or yesterday,” Dorothy said.

“That saves me an uncomfortable call,” Ginger let out a sigh. “In the meantime, let’s put our heads together and see if we can come up with some clues.”

Madame Roux and Ginger returned to the fashion dummy which had previously displayed the fox stole and stared at it thoughtfully. Whoever had stolen the eye-catching wrap must have surreptitiously stuffed it into a handbag. After a moment, they were joined by Dorothy.

“Do either of you remember anyone showing an interest in this outfit?” Ginger asked.

“No, no one asked me to remove this frock from the display today,” Dorothy said. It was shop policy that should a customer want to try on an outfit in the shop, one of the staff would assist them.

“Nor me,” Madame Roux added.

“Well then,” Ginger said, “we know that whoever took it was very bold, and risked being seen in the act. What do either of you know about this specific stole?”

“It was ordered from a supplier called Berwick Furriers,” Dorothy said. “The stole itself is a large adult fox. It has brown silk underlining to complement the fox’s bright red fur, and features real glass eyes in the head. It has a gold clasp under the chin which attaches to a gold rope chain near the tail. The clasp has a little brass tag on it that says ‘Berwick-upon-Tweed’ which I believe is in Northumberland.

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