really quite peaceful.”
“I’d love to.”
She hooked her arm through the bend in his elbow, then he escorted her from the terrace and down a path.
“Are you working on a case right now?” she asked. She wanted to question him further about his association with her father but knew that topic was off limits.
“I wrapped up the case I was working on earlier this afternoon.”
“Have I heard of it?”
That question elicited a smile. “Perhaps.”
When he didn’t answer right away, Polly stopped in the center of the path. “Well, are you going to tell me about it? Or can’t you?”
“I suppose I can tell you about it, since it will be in the papers tomorrow.”
He hooked her hand through his elbow again and continued along the manicured path. “It was the robbery at the Mercantile Bank.”
Polly stopped. “The robber was one of the tellers, wasn’t it? That’s where Father and I bank and we’ve argued about it since it happened. I think the robber had to be someone inside the bank. And Father insists the thief was from the outside. Which one of us is right? Oh, I can’t wait to hear.”
“Well, Lady Pauline. You both are.”
“Both?”
“Yes. As you will read in the news sheets tomorrow, the mastermind behind the robbery was one of the tellers who worked at the bank. His partner was a thief who was well known by the police.”
“Oh, I knew the thief had to be someone who worked at the bank.”
“And just how did you know that?”
“Why, because the robbery occurred at the perfect time.” Polly stepped over to a wrought-iron bench and sat. Mr. Murdock sat beside her. “Anyone who banks at the Mercantile and pays attention to the daily bank routine knows that the day’s transactions are removed from each teller’s drawer at precisely two o’clock each afternoon. Therefore, the ideal time to commit a robbery would be shortly before. That’s when each drawer would have the most money in it. The average robber would think the most advantageous time to rob a bank would be right before the bank closed. But only someone who worked inside the establishment would know that’s when the drawers contained the least amount of money. The robbery at the Mercantile Bank took place at precisely one-forty-five in the afternoon. Which means the robber knew the best time to commit the robbery.”
Mr. Murdock lifted his chin and laughed. The sound was deep, and rich. One that warmed her to her very core.
“I don’t believe it,” he said, turning on the bench so they sat face to face.
“What don’t you believe?”
“How you deduced all that information. It must be amazing to be inside your mind.”
Polly looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “I’ve shocked you, haven’t I?”
“You certainly have.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry about what?”
“Sorry that I voiced my opinion. I know it’s not at all seemly.”
“Why on earth would you think saying what you think isn’t seemly? I’m impressed.”
Polly lifted her gaze. “You are?”
“Of course I am. Do you know how long it took Hugh and me to deduce that?”
Polly lifted her gaze slowly. “You didn’t just automatically know?”
“Of course we didn’t automatically know.” He looked into her eyes. “Why did you think you had to keep your thoughts to yourself? Why would you think coming to such a brilliant conclusion would offend anyone?”
“Because in my world, it would have. Father says I must keep such opinions to myself. Men aren’t attracted to women who have a mind.”
“Do you agree with him?”
“Unfortunately, I do. I’ve seen examples of it time and again. I seem to get along quite splendidly with the male species until I forget myself and voice my opinion on some topic.”
“Does it anger your father when you are outspoken on certain topics?”
“Heavens, no. He often discusses bills in the House to get my opinion. But he also warns me that not all men think as he does.”
He looked at
“I’d love to.”
She hooked her arm through the bend in his elbow, then he escorted her from the terrace and down a path.
“Are you working on a case right now?” she asked. She wanted to question him further about his association with her father but knew that topic was off limits.
“I wrapped up the case I was working on earlier this afternoon.”
“Have I heard of it?”
That question elicited a smile. “Perhaps.”
When he didn’t answer right away, Polly stopped in the center of the path. “Well, are you going to tell me about it? Or can’t you?”
“I suppose I can tell you about it, since it will be in the papers tomorrow.”
He hooked her hand through his elbow again and continued along the manicured path. “It was the robbery at the Mercantile Bank.”
Polly stopped. “The robber was one of the tellers, wasn’t it? That’s where Father and I bank and we’ve argued about it since it happened. I think the robber had to be someone inside the bank. And Father insists the thief was from the outside. Which one of us is right? Oh, I can’t wait to hear.”
“Well, Lady Pauline. You both are.”
“Both?”
“Yes. As you will read in the news sheets tomorrow, the mastermind behind the robbery was one of the tellers who worked at the bank. His partner was a thief who was well known by the police.”
“Oh, I knew the thief had to be someone who worked at the bank.”
“And just how did you know that?”
“Why, because the robbery occurred at the perfect time.” Polly stepped over to a wrought-iron bench and sat. Mr. Murdock sat beside her. “Anyone who banks at the Mercantile and pays attention to the daily bank routine knows that the day’s transactions are removed from each teller’s drawer at precisely two o’clock each afternoon. Therefore, the ideal time to commit a robbery would be shortly before. That’s when each drawer would have the most money in it. The average robber would think the most advantageous time to rob a bank would be right before the bank closed. But only someone who worked inside the establishment would know that’s when the drawers contained the least amount of money. The robbery at the Mercantile Bank took place at precisely one-forty-five in the afternoon. Which means the robber knew the best time to commit the robbery.”
Mr. Murdock lifted his chin and laughed. The sound was deep, and rich. One that warmed her to her very core.
“I don’t believe it,” he said, turning on the bench so they sat face to face.
“What don’t you believe?”
“How you deduced all that information. It must be amazing to be inside your mind.”
Polly looked down at her hands clasped in her lap. “I’ve shocked you, haven’t I?”
“You certainly have.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Sorry about what?”
“Sorry that I voiced my opinion. I know it’s not at all seemly.”
“Why on earth would you think saying what you think isn’t seemly? I’m impressed.”
Polly lifted her gaze. “You are?”
“Of course I am. Do you know how long it took Hugh and me to deduce that?”
Polly lifted her gaze slowly. “You didn’t just automatically know?”
“Of course we didn’t automatically know.” He looked into her eyes. “Why did you think you had to keep your thoughts to yourself? Why would you think coming to such a brilliant conclusion would offend anyone?”
“Because in my world, it would have. Father says I must keep such opinions to myself. Men aren’t attracted to women who have a mind.”
“Do you agree with him?”
“Unfortunately, I do. I’ve seen examples of it time and again. I seem to get along quite splendidly with the male species until I forget myself and voice my opinion on some topic.”
“Does it anger your father when you are outspoken on certain topics?”
“Heavens, no. He often discusses bills in the House to get my opinion. But he also warns me that not all men think as he does.”
He looked at
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