We were making plans until four. This time, everything was going to go like clockwork. This time, I wasn’t going to end up with a necklace of bruises. Meanwhile, I had things to do. Unfortunately, sleep wasn’t one of them.

Chapter   30

Jett was waiting for me on the steps when I arrived at half past four. His shoulders were hunched and his face had a tight, pinched look around the mouth and nose. “You still going ahead with this showdown?” he greeted me.

“It has to be done, Jett,” I told him as we walked into the empty hall together.

“Why? They arrested Kevin. The word is he tried to kill you because you found out he killed Moira.” His tone was aggressive.

“I’m sorry, Jett. He did attack me.”

“No need for you to be sorry. You were just doing the job, like I asked you to. I’m the one should be sorry. I trusted that man with my life. And now I find out he killed the woman I cared for more than anything in the world. So why d’you have to put us through more?”

Jett hurried ahead of me into the blue drawing room. I followed more slowly, wondering how to placate Jett without giving too much away. He was pouring himself a hefty drink when I entered. “Help yourself,” he told me. With a moody scowl on his face, he moved over to the spindly-legged chair and threw himself into it again. If I’d been the man from the Pru, there’s no way I’d have insured it.

I poured myself a weak vodka and topped it up with orange juice, in the absence of my usual. I didn’t think this was a good time to demand a grapefruit juice. I positioned myself in front of the grate, where some logs were smoldering half-heartedly.

Jett took a gulp of his drink and started to say something. He was interrupted by a knock at the door, which opened before either of us could say, “Come in.” Cliff Jackson barged in with a face

“Never mind that,” Jackson grunted. “Just what is going on here, Brannigan? You tell me last night that Kleinman was the killer, you set him up to assault you so we’ve got something to stick on him, then you leave messages all over town telling me to get up here if I want to find out the truth about Moira Pollock’s murder. What the hell are you playing at?”

Jett got to his feet and shot me an angry look. “You didn’t tell me he was coming,” he protested. “This was supposed to be between us.” Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a complacent smile spreading across Gloria’s face.

“What exactly was supposed to be between you?” Jackson demanded, rounding on Jett.