The Dangerous Ladies Affair by Bill Pronzini & Marcia Muller

Author:Bill Pronzini & Marcia Muller [Pronzini, Bill & Muller, Marcia]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781466876798
Publisher: Forge Books
Published: 2017-01-02T21:00:00+00:00

13

SABINA

Before leaving the Solidarity Party’s headquarters, Sabina claimed two signs and one placard hand-lettered by Josiah Pitman as proof of his guilt. Nathaniel Dobbs made no objection. In fact, he was cooperative to a fault—either because he was a more ethical man than she had given him credit for or more likely because he feared the possibility of backlash damage to his image and that of his organization. He insisted upon making both a personal and a written apology to Amity Wellman. He also assured Sabina that he would see to it Pitman “remained available,” as he put it, should Mrs. Wellman wish to press charges against him. Even if Dobbs failed to follow through on his promise, Sabina had no concerns that Pitman would attempt to flee the city or to hide somewhere within it. He was a craven individual, for one thing, and, for another, too steadfast in his beliefs. He would accept his punishment with the righteousness of a martyr.

From Ellis Street, Sabina went to the offices of Voting Rights for Women and tendered explanations to Amity and Elizabeth. Amity’s reaction, aside from relief that the mystery of the threatening letters had been solved, was typical of her. She, too, took the moral high road, and for less selfish reasons than Nathaniel Dobbs. She would not press charges against Josiah Pitman, nor would she make public use of his crime in their dispute over the legal and moral rights of women. The struggle would continue as it had and as it should, on the issues alone.

The fact that her would-be assassin remained unidentified worried her, of course, but to no greater degree than it had previously. Her faith in Sabina and in Elizabeth Petrie to keep her safe remained steadfast.

When Sabina arrived at the agency, John was once again absent and there was no indication that he had come in at all today. She hoped it was because he was hard at work on the Featherstone embezzlement case, the only open one on his docket, and not pursuing his bitter vow to make Pauline Dupree pay for flummoxing him in Gunpowder Alley and at the Gaiety Theater. His failure to prove murder and extortion against her was a blow to his pride and ego. There was no telling what he might decide to do, despite Sabina’s advice to do nothing at all and trust in the probability that one day the Dupree woman would be hoisted on her own petard. All too often he allowed his emotions to rule his judgment, rendering him deaf to rational appeals.

But John could take care of himself. Sabina had enough on her mind without adding him to her concerns.

There was no message from either Slewfoot or Madam Louella. If the dark-clothed figure who had fired upon Amity was a paid assassin, he was apparently not one of the usual Barbary Coast scruffs. But that didn’t rule out murder for hire, particularly since the attempt had failed. No paid assassin wanted it known that he had come a cropper; he would be extra careful to keep mum.

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