Murder in Bridal Lane (Miss Hayward & the Detective series Book 5) by Helen Goltz

Author:Helen Goltz [Goltz, Helen]
Language: eng
Format: azw3
Publisher: Atlas Productions
Published: 2022-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

*****

Thomas and Harry watched as Daniel adjusted his suit jacket and confidently made his way to the Blooming Blossoms store. He held the door open for a young lady who gave him a winning smile and then entered the premises. He was the sole customer in-store and Thomas saw the young shop attendant, Rose, come to attend to him.

‘Nice to see you and Daniel back on friendly ground,’ Harry said.

‘It was out of character of him, but I’ll be more careful, for the next month anyway,’ Thomas said, watching the shop intently. ‘No sign of the manageress by the looks of it.’

‘Rose is reaching for a book,’ Harry said. They saw her open a large ledger on the counter and run her hand down it. She smiled and looked up at Daniel. They exchanged a few more words and he thanked her, purchasing a bunch of flowers. He departed, placing his hat back on his head and casually strolling towards the detectives who moved out of the laneway and further up the street, lest they should be seen.

‘Keep walking,’ Daniel said, as he caught up behind them. ‘Matilda has just come around the corner with a woman.’

Thomas glanced back. ‘She’s not going down Bridal Lane, is she?’ he said, stopping but saw her bidding the woman goodbye and taking her leave down Albert Street. ‘It is alright, she is going the other way. That’s the owner of Blooming Blossoms, Mrs Dalton,’ Thomas told Daniel.

‘Why would they be in each other’s company?’ Daniel frowned as he too stopped and watched Matilda retreating while ensuring he was out of sight. Thomas kept behind Daniel until Mrs Dalton turned into the lane.

‘I believe Miss Hayward is writing an obituary on Mrs Greenwood, who was an old friend of Mrs Dalton, the Blooming Blossoms’ proprietor,’ Harry informed him.

‘Ah, that is right. Somehow Matilda always finds herself in the middle of trouble with stories she’s writing for that blasted magazine,’ Daniel said and shook his head.

‘Tell me about it,’ Thomas said and caught Harry smiling.

‘Well, she’s your problem next month, brother-to-be,’ Daniel said, thumping Thomas on the back. ‘I’ve got to get back to the courts. Are you walking that way and I will tell you what I learnt?’

‘We are,’ Harry said, and the men took the less busy streets so they could walk three abreast. ‘Let us reimburse you for the flowers since it was a work expense.’ He reached inside his jacket.

‘No need, but thank you,’ Daniel said. ‘I am overdue to give Alice some flowers. Speaking of which, the lovely Miss Rose is happy to report that our buttonhole roses are ordered,’ he said, beginning with the least important piece of news, and laughed at Thomas’s grimace. ‘As for Burgess… I said I had heard about an old friend of mine who was to marry, but we had lost contact. I asked if they might be a client so I could send my best wishes and flowers.’

‘Good thinking,’ Harry said.

‘She was charmed by me, of course,’ Daniel joked, ‘and she flipped open her orders book.

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