eyebrow had disappeared, leaving her with a grease pencil arch over only one eye. Not a good look for her.
"I'm not sure what you mean by that," Helen replied tartly.
"Your niece was in a play with Andy, wasn't she?" Bernice prodded. "The one about the London barber who gave his customers more than just a haircut and a shave. Didn't Andy pull the use 'em and lose 'em routine on her?"
Oh. My. God. Was Helen's niece the actress Andy wooed in Sweeney Todd? The actress who'd tried to commit suicide after he dumped her? I felt my spine prickle but didn't know whether to blame it on chills or the raindrops drizzling down my neck.
Helen turned back to the photographer. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bernice."
"Sure you do. Emily was in that play, too. You remember Helen's niece, don't you, Emily?"
"Ahhhh..." As my mouth was hanging open, Wally yelled, "Smile!" and a blinding light flashed from the photographer's camera.
"Jeez, I hate those flashes," complained Dick Stolee, who was looking pretty good with his toupee reattached. "I got spots dancing in front of my eyes now."
"Those aren't spots," said his wife. "They're floaters. I hope you haven't detached your retina again."
"Don't anyone move," instructed Wally. "We'll take one more picture."
"Waste of film," Dick Rassmuson grumbled. "Can't they see it's raining? Let's hurry it up. I need a cigar."
Nana looked up at me. "I think the rain's helped your hair, Emily. It's not so flyaway anymore."
Hard for hair to be flyaway when it's soaking wet. "You told," I accused in a stage whisper. "You told everyone what Inspector Miceli told us to keep under wraps."
Nana looked shocked. "I most certainly did not. You saw me lock my lips and throw away the key. That's good as swearin' on a Bible."
"Then how do they KNOW?"
"I thought you told 'em."
"I would never tell them."
"Well, I didn't tell 'em."
I pondered this. "If you didn't tell them, and I didn't tell them, who did tell them?"
We looked at each other. We narrowed our eyes. We swiveled our heads around to glare at Bernice.
"My hearing aid!" cried Bernice suddenly. "It's not in my ear anymore. It's gotta be on the ground someplace. Don't anyone move."
I glanced toward the ground and spied the device near the toe of Nana's shoe. "I'll get it." It probably wasn't even a real hearing aid. It was probably an ultrasonic eavesdropping device. She'd no doubt heard every word of my private exchange with Nana and lost no time spreading the news to everyone else. I bent down and picked it up.
"Smile!" yelled Wally. Snap. Flash. "Great pictures everyone. We're all done. You can get back on the bus now."
While I was still in my scooch with my palm open, inspecting the piece of plastic, Bernice walked past and snatched the thing out of my hand, as if she didn't want me to get too close a look. "Thanks, Emily." And before I could straighten up, the whole place emptied out in a mad stampede for the bus. I lost sight of Nana, but, as usual, from the depths of the crowd I could hear her yell something about saving me a seat.
I noted Helen Teig hustling around George Farkas and mulled over what I'd just learned. Helen's niece had tried to commit suicide because of Andy, which meant Helen could be out for revenge. She seemed the type who could hold a grudge, but was she the kind of person who could allow a grudge to lead to murder?
Hmm. Revenge was a definite a motivation for committing murder. Helen had a motive, and Andy's door being unlocked had provided her the opportunity.
I scuffled toward the waiting bus with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I wondered what I'd done with the card Inspector Miceli had given me this morning. I didn't want to make the call, but he probably needed to know that someone other than Mr. Nunzio had a reason to want Andy dead.
Chapter 6
"Y ou're in room 4624, Miss Andrew," said the front desk clerk as she handed me the key. "I apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused you."
I
"I'm not sure what you mean by that," Helen replied tartly.
"Your niece was in a play with Andy, wasn't she?" Bernice prodded. "The one about the London barber who gave his customers more than just a haircut and a shave. Didn't Andy pull the use 'em and lose 'em routine on her?"
Oh. My. God. Was Helen's niece the actress Andy wooed in Sweeney Todd? The actress who'd tried to commit suicide after he dumped her? I felt my spine prickle but didn't know whether to blame it on chills or the raindrops drizzling down my neck.
Helen turned back to the photographer. "I don't know what you're talking about, Bernice."
"Sure you do. Emily was in that play, too. You remember Helen's niece, don't you, Emily?"
"Ahhhh..." As my mouth was hanging open, Wally yelled, "Smile!" and a blinding light flashed from the photographer's camera.
"Jeez, I hate those flashes," complained Dick Stolee, who was looking pretty good with his toupee reattached. "I got spots dancing in front of my eyes now."
"Those aren't spots," said his wife. "They're floaters. I hope you haven't detached your retina again."
"Don't anyone move," instructed Wally. "We'll take one more picture."
"Waste of film," Dick Rassmuson grumbled. "Can't they see it's raining? Let's hurry it up. I need a cigar."
Nana looked up at me. "I think the rain's helped your hair, Emily. It's not so flyaway anymore."
Hard for hair to be flyaway when it's soaking wet. "You told," I accused in a stage whisper. "You told everyone what Inspector Miceli told us to keep under wraps."
Nana looked shocked. "I most certainly did not. You saw me lock my lips and throw away the key. That's good as swearin' on a Bible."
"Then how do they KNOW?"
"I thought you told 'em."
"I would never tell them."
"Well, I didn't tell 'em."
I pondered this. "If you didn't tell them, and I didn't tell them, who did tell them?"
We looked at each other. We narrowed our eyes. We swiveled our heads around to glare at Bernice.
"My hearing aid!" cried Bernice suddenly. "It's not in my ear anymore. It's gotta be on the ground someplace. Don't anyone move."
I glanced toward the ground and spied the device near the toe of Nana's shoe. "I'll get it." It probably wasn't even a real hearing aid. It was probably an ultrasonic eavesdropping device. She'd no doubt heard every word of my private exchange with Nana and lost no time spreading the news to everyone else. I bent down and picked it up.
"Smile!" yelled Wally. Snap. Flash. "Great pictures everyone. We're all done. You can get back on the bus now."
While I was still in my scooch with my palm open, inspecting the piece of plastic, Bernice walked past and snatched the thing out of my hand, as if she didn't want me to get too close a look. "Thanks, Emily." And before I could straighten up, the whole place emptied out in a mad stampede for the bus. I lost sight of Nana, but, as usual, from the depths of the crowd I could hear her yell something about saving me a seat.
I noted Helen Teig hustling around George Farkas and mulled over what I'd just learned. Helen's niece had tried to commit suicide because of Andy, which meant Helen could be out for revenge. She seemed the type who could hold a grudge, but was she the kind of person who could allow a grudge to lead to murder?
Hmm. Revenge was a definite a motivation for committing murder. Helen had a motive, and Andy's door being unlocked had provided her the opportunity.
I scuffled toward the waiting bus with a sinking feeling in my stomach. I wondered what I'd done with the card Inspector Miceli had given me this morning. I didn't want to make the call, but he probably needed to know that someone other than Mr. Nunzio had a reason to want Andy dead.
Chapter 6
"Y ou're in room 4624, Miss Andrew," said the front desk clerk as she handed me the key. "I apologize for any inconvenience we might have caused you."
I
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