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Back Fleeced Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Acknowledgments
  2. FLEECED
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. About the Author

“Those two are far from it,” Lydia agreed. “But as they say, good help is hard to find. I’m lucky I found you.”

Maldwin winced. He hated to be thought of as “help.” He ran the damn place as if it were his own. He cleared his throat. “As Meister Eckehart said, ‘Everyone is born an aristocrat.’ Unfortunately most people lose their charm in childhood.”

“Who’s Meister Eckehart?”

“A wise man.” Maldwin stood. “We will prevail. Sunday night Stanley Stock’s program will air, and I’m sure that on Monday the phone will be ringing off the hook. We’ll get through this weekend and all its unpleasantries.”

“And if Burkhard shows up for the party tomorrow night?”

“We’ll handle it. I think we should focus on our party tonight.”

Lydia pulled the covers back over her head. “I knew I should have taken that other apartment I looked at. I wouldn’t be dealing with this right now!”

“Regrets are a waste of time,” Maldwin said. “Now get dressed. We’ve got to make your gathering tonight the best one yet.”

28

Back at their rented room, Georgette was sitting at the all-purpose table, examining the loot that she had procured from Ben’s apartment.

It wasn’t much.

She still couldn’t believe that that woman, whoever she was, came in to take Ben’s food. Talk about nerve. Well, at least she didn’t see me. Who knows how long she’ll be locked up there?

Georgette giggled. She looked up when she heard the key in the lock. Blaise came in looking as grumpy as he had when he left.

“What’s all that?” he asked, pointing at the cuff links and foreign coins and silver brush-and-comb set.

“You’ll be so proud of me,” she said.

“Why?”

“Remember the spare key ring I stole from Nat?”

“Yes.”

Georgette sat up straight, excited by what she had to report. “I had taken Nat’s key off of it But I got to thinking today. So I came home and looked at the other keys. In tiny letters, two were marked B.C.”

Blaise’s face remained impassive.

“Don’t you get it? Ben Carney! Nat’s best friend! The one who died last night! That’s why Thomas Pilsner came running up to Nat’s apartment in the first place.”

“I know who you’re talking about.”

“I figured they had to be the keys to Ben’s apartment, so I looked up his address and went over there. The keys worked!”

“Why did you do that?”

“Because he’s dead. I thought maybe he had the diamonds in his apartment. You never know, ya know?”

“That was stupid.”

“Why?”

“Because if you’d gotten caught we wouldn’t have a chance to look for the diamonds in Pemrod’s apartment. And they’re more likely to be there if they’re anywhere.”