“One of my many bodyguards is sitting beside the driver on top of this very carriage as we speak, and my suite of roomsis under twenty-four-hour surveillance because I seem to frequently attract attention of the dubious sort. I assure you, my safe is in no danger of being opened, except by me or by one of my trusted guards.”
“Which is reassuring, but you still might want to consider changing the combination and then committing that to memory instead of writing it down,” Adelaide said before she turned her attention to the window, tracing her finger against the glass again before she suddenly stilled.
A second later, she settled a gaze filled with what seemed to be anticipation on Sophia, something Gideon couldn’t help but take as clear cause for concern.
“I’ve just noticed we’re riding adjacent to Central Park, so if there’s nothing else you needed to discuss with Gideon,” Adelaide began as she removed Harvey from Sophia’s lap, “I believe now is when we should bid you good afternoon and get on with that walk I’ve been longing to take.”
“Just like that—you want to abandon me?” Sophia asked.
“I’m sure you need to get ready for a performance tonight, just as I need to enjoy some brisk air before I attend a dinner at Mr. Stanford Mellon’s house later.”
Sophia turned to Charles and immediately began batting her lashes at him. “While I do have a performance later, I always enjoy a cup of tea at Rutherford & Company before I begin to get ready. I find the lemon soothes my throat before I perform. I’d be delighted if you’d accompany me there.”
“Ah” was Charles’s only response to that before he sent a telling glance to Adelaide, one that had her squaring her shoulders before she inclined her head Sophia’s way.
“I’m sure darling Charles would adore nothing more than tea with you, Madame Campanini, but he’s my chaperone for the day, so tea with you is out for now.” With that, Adelaide gave a sharp rap on the ceiling, the carriage immediately skidded to a stop, and before Gideon knew it, he was standing on thesidewalk, watching Sophia’s carriage trundle away, removing a very disgruntled opera singer from them in the process.
“I don’t think she’s going to be calling you herdarlingAdelaide anymore,” Charles said, earning a grin from Adelaide in return.
“And thank goodness for that, but enough about Sophia. I’ve had a brilliant idea I’m all but bursting to share with both of you regarding how we can solve the mystery surrounding Sophia’s case.”
“You just said you’ve had enough talk about Sophia,” Gideon pointed out.
“The lady, yes. Her case, no.” With that, Adelaide took hold of Gideon’s arm, and with Charles taking her other one, they moved down a snow-covered sidewalk, Moe leading the way with Harvey once again riding in his saddlebag.
After checking to the left, and then to the right, as if she wanted to ascertain no one was within listening distance, which they weren’t because the snow was coming down harder than ever and most people had the good sense to seek out warmer places to congregate, Adelaide caught Gideon’s eye.
“Since Sophia obviously isn’t keen to share the sordid recollections of her life with us, I think our only option to discover who wants to get their hands on her journals is to get that information directly from Lottie.”
“We’re not snatching Lottie off the street.”
Adelaide released a snort. “I’m not suggesting we kidnap her. If you’ll recall, I broached the matter of hosting a book salon with Lottie before the holidays. She voiced an interest in attending such an event, and if I invite all the book agents and leave a note on the bookstore door, I don’t think her suspicions will be aroused. If she shows up, we can then get down to asking her some pertinent questions, and that certainly wouldn’t be considered kidnapping since she’ll be at the book salon of her own free will.”
Gideon frowned. “I’ve never had a suspect disclose information without due cause, and I can’t see Lottie blithely admitting she got herself hired as Sophia’s dresser for nefarious purposes just because we start asking her questions.”
“A valid point, so...” Adelaide tilted her head. “What if we offer some bait in the form of the Juliette Watson diary? Given that Sophia’s vanity table was ransacked, it stands to reason that Frank Fitzsimmons needs to get his hands on that combination again.”
“But wouldn’t Lottie have written that down somewhere?” Charles asked. “Or, better yet, if she uncovered the combination, why didn’t she simply break into the safe on her own?”
“Perhaps her talents don’t lie with breaking into safes or rooms at the Fifth Avenue Hotel,” Adelaide said.
“It’s more likely that Frank doles out assignments to different criminals so that no one can double-cross him or to make it difficult to trace criminal activity back to him,” Gideon countered.
“Which makes sense, and perhaps Lottie didn’t bother to write the combination down because after she put it into a cipher or took the combination to whoever does ciphers for Frank, she didn’t think she’d have need of it again.” Adelaide wrinkled her nose. “I also imagine she wouldn’t want the combination in her possession in case something went amiss with the actual heist of the journals.”
“Which is sound reasoning,” Gideon conceded. “However, to return to the book salon, I don’t understand how that would work because the store isn’t open yet, and Lottie seems a wary sort. Won’t she view an impromptu book salon as suspicious, especially one where a diary she might need is suddenly coming out into the open?”
“Not if we let it be known that I’ve decided to host a pre-reopening event geared to the most avid of readers and book agents. We can also add that as a special treat, I’ll be offeringup some of my personal book collection for sale—books that no longer hold my attention, such as diaries, herbals, and poetry.”
“Since when have you decided you don’t enjoy poetry?” Charles asked.
She dashed some snow from her face. “I adore poetry, but it’s a genre the book agents are always keen to acquire, which will ensure most of them will attend the event.” She smiled. “I can guarantee you that Lottie will come if she hears I’ll be offering up a few diaries for sale, especially if Frank is currently being pressured by whoever hired him to find Sophia’s journal in the first place.”
“While I will admit it’s a credible plan,” Gideon began, “having the diary out in the open will place you in far too much danger.”
“Except that I doubt Lottie, or anyone else for that matter, would make a play for the diary in the midst of the salon,” Adelaide countered. “You mark my words, any danger that may occur will happen after the book salon disbands, when I’ll be safely at home.”
Gideon pulled her to a stop. “Having you anywhere near the book salon is not an option because that, as you very well know, would be considered field work, something you promised me you’d avoid.”
