I chewed my lip. It did sound somewhat silly to think he’d see me immediately. And what if he wasn’t there? I didn’t want to speak to a different detective. I wanted to talk to someone who knew me.
“I’ll ask Mr. Armitage what to do,” I said as he held the door open for me. “After all, who knows his father better than him?”
I foundMr. Armitage in his office, painting the wall. Dressed in overalls with his sleeves rolled to his elbows and a dash of paint on his cheek, he somehow looked even more handsome, something I thought entirely impossible until now.
“What was wrong with the previous color?” I asked.
“It was too plain.”
I looked around at the walls, nearly finished in the off-white color he’d chosen. “As opposed to this vibrant shade?”
“There was an old water stain in the corner that needed touching up.”
“I didn’t notice it.”
“Then you’re not very observant. It was an eyesore.”
“Or are you just bored?”
“I’m very busy. I have inquiries coming in all the time from my newspaper ad.”
I opened the appointment book on his desk while his back was turned. “You don’t have a single appointment listed.”
“I don’t have a single appointmentyet.” He rested the paint brush on top of the can and wiped his hands on a rag. “Have you come to criticize the way I spend my time or do you need my help?”
“The latter. You can spend your time in any way you like. Although you should spend a little more time contemplating paint choices. You know, Flossy’s got a good eye for color. You should have asked her advice.”
He laughed. “Next time I want to paint a wall, I’ll ask the daughter of my former employer who dismissed me. Thanks for the advice,Miss Fox.”
I scowled. “She’d be happy to help you. She has a lot of respect for you.”
He arched his brows in a challenge.
In truth, I didn’t know what Flossy thought of Mr. Armitage. We’d never discussed him.
“Do you have clothes on under those overalls?” I asked.
He gave me a lopsided grin. “I can’t believe we’re having this conversation so early in our friendship.”
“Very amusing. I’d like you to accompany me to call on your father at Scotland Yard. I want to tell him about my theory for Pearl’s murder. I think either Lord or Lady Wrexham killed her but neither will reveal their secrets to me. Your father will know how to get answers.”
“Why do you need me?”
“I thought your presence might be a persuasive influence.”
“Why do you need a persuasive influence? Does your theory have holes?”
“It’s a very good theory. Do you recall that Lord Wrexham has sores on his face? I believe they’re caused by syphilis which he may have caught from Pearl.”
“I thought they ended their relationship years ago. If he has the sores now, he caught it more recently.”
“Perhaps they resumed their relationship.”
“Perhaps? Do you know for certain?”
“Well, no.”
“And do you know if Pearl had syphilis?”
