The Case of the Purloined Poodle: A 1920s Historical Cozy Mystery (The Kitty Worthington Cozy Capers) by Magda Alexander

Author:Magda Alexander [Alexander, Magda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781943321254
Publisher: Hearts Afire Publishing
Published: 2023-09-29T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 11

A NEW LEAD

WITH MY NEWFOUND KNOWLEDGE, I returned to the agency to discover Mister Clapham had returned with a lead on Kate Vaughn.

“As Aggie said, she’s gone off with a bloke. Brighton of all places.”

“How did you find that out?”

“I questioned the woman who told us about the coppers arresting Aggie. The busybody keeps a sharp eye on the comings and goings of everyone and everything near the Fox and Hound. Yesterday, she spotted Kate Vaughn hauling a huge suitcase down the stairs. Before Kate could find a taxicab, she spilled the beans to her. She told her she was going to Brighton with a bloke, but first she was meeting him at his place of business.”

“Was Aggie present through any of this?”

“No. Apparently, she was sleeping off the previous night’s excessive drinking. You saw how much she drank at the Fox and Hound.”

If she consumed as much alcohol when she’d been employed, it was no wonder she’d been dismissed.

“Well, I got a new lead from the Belgravia townhouse.” I told him what the downstairs maid had said. “Does Billy the Butcher ring any bells? Sounds like a nasty customer.”

“No. But I can ask around the Yard.”

“That’s grand, Mister Clapham.” I glanced at my wristwatch and wasn’t surprised to find it was past three. Neither Mister Clapham nor I had stopped for our luncheon. “Would you care to join me at the Tea and Tattle? We need our sustenance if we are to proceed.”

“Well, the pub would be better.”

“The Fox and Hound, I presume.”

“Yes, we can interview the staff. Maybe they know who Kate’s fella is.”

We headed back there. Dressed as I was in the clothes of a well-to-do lady, I thought I would stand out like a sore thumb. But there were several individuals at the pub dressed even finer than me. It struck me as odd until I realized they were theatre folk. Always well-dressed so they could make a favorable impression.

“What will you have, ducks?” The waitress who’d waited on us last night asked.

“Two orders of fish and chips and two tankards of ale,” Mister Clapham said. We might as well stay with the tried-and-true.

It proved to be the right choice. The fish and chips were amazingly good, and the ale went down a treat.

Since it was a tad slow, the waitress was willing to talk to us until things got busy again. The pound note Mister Clapham offered for any information she provided didn’t hurt either.

“You know Aggie and her sister?” I asked. A silly question. Of course, she did. But one had to start somewhere.

“Aye. Aggie’s in here every night. Kate not so much. She likes to put on la-di-da airs. But she comes from the same stable as Aggie so she’s not fooling anyone. I know quality when oi see it. And she’s not it.”

“Do you know where she’s gone?” I asked.

“Heard she ran off to Brighton with a bloke.”

“Do you know who he is?”

“Someone she met recently. Some highfalutin fancy name. Posh something or other.

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