Tell Me No Lies by Shelley Noble

Author:Shelley Noble
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates

15

Thirty minutes later, Philomena Amesbury, Countess of Dunbridge, stepped off the elevator into the Plaza lobby. She wasn’t dressed for an evening’s soirée or drinks party but in a walking skirt and jacket of navy blue twill. A woolen cape hung about her shoulders and the wide-brimmed felt hat trimmed with ruched silk ribbon was perched securely on her head.

She made no secret of leaving the hotel, but stepped into a taxi and told the driver to drive slowly around the block.

She turned just enough to see that one of the “journalists” had jumped into the cab behind her.

“Slowly if you please.”

“Lady.”

The other taxi stayed behind them as her driver turned the corner and drove down Fifth Avenue. When they reached Fifty-Seventh Street, she said, “You may let me out here.”

He tossed her a look that said he didn’t appreciate being taken out of line for such a short drive, but he pulled to the curb; she paid and got out. The second taxi stopped several yards away. From the corner of her eye she saw the man climb out. She also saw a small newspaper boy running down the sidewalk in pursuit.

She didn’t wait, but made her way down the street, slowly as if window-shopping. She knew exactly where she was going and if all went well, she would still be in plenty of time to meet the detective sergeant—and without her “tail.”

She was fairly certain Mr. X wouldn’t be so unimaginative, so this was either a journalist or someone who had gotten wind of her involvement and wanted to find out what she knew or put a stop to her interference. Either way, she had no intention of letting him succeed or follow her to the park.

She stopped at the show window of a small store on the south side of Fifty-Seventh. When she was certain the man had seen her, she stepped inside the shop. She didn’t think he would follow her inside Martinson’s Ladies Foundations.

A bell jingled over her head as she entered the store.

The clerk, a robust woman of middle age, came to greet her. “We’ll be closing shortly if Madam would like something specific.”

“Yes,” Phil said breathlessly. “I do believe I’m being followed. A cutpurse or something. Do you have a back door?”

The woman looked alarmed. “I’ll telephone the police.”

“No, that isn’t necessary. My husband told me not to come out this late, but I didn’t listen.”

The woman pursed her lips. “I ’spect he knew best, now didn’t he?”

Phil nodded contritely. Looked around. He’d taken up a position outside the door and was pretending to look in the window.

“Nasty-looking character,” the clerk said. “This way. It lets out onto the alley and there’s a cut-through two doors down. It’s not a fitting place for a lady, but…”

“Thank you very much. You don’t know how much you’ve helped me.”

They hurried through the back of the store and the woman unlocked a heavy wooden door. Phil stepped out into a garbage-filled alleyway. Fortunately the chill of autumn prevented it from assaulting her nose.

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