lost?"
"I have it on good authority. A Florida competitor. You see, not a single person came back here to buy from me! And if everyone starts worrying their things are going to be stolen, they're not inclined to buy more. I could be out of business in a snap!"
I made sympathetic noises. "Do you know who attended the Florida house party? What about Tempeste Juarez, for example?"
Sidney dropped his teacup into its saucer. The clatter made us both jump. Hastily, he began mopping up spilled tea with his napkin. "What about her?"
"Was she at the Palm Beach house?"
He concentrated hard on dabbing up the spill, but his hands shook and he managed to knock over the toast rack. "Well, perhaps. I think so. I can't be sure."
"I wonder if Laura ever stole from Tempeste?"
"At least once," Sidney said without forethought.
"Are you sure?"
"A few years ago Tempeste had a screaming fit when a ring went missing. She went on like a deflowered virgin in an old-fashioned talking picture. I'm surprised the newspapers didn't give her a review on the drama page." He dropped his napkin and took a healthy chomp into his toast and marmalade. A dribble of marmalade landed on his chin when he shook his head. "There's nobody with a worse temper than Tempeste when she's lost one of her sparklies."
"You know Tempeste?"
"I wish she'd never crossed my doorstep. But yes, I do know her. She was a good customer long ago. Not anymore, of course." Bitterly, he snapped, "She's found better places to buy her damned sparklies."
Just talking about Tempeste made his cheeks quiver. He soon had marmalade on his sweater as well as his chin. He grabbed another slice of toast, and I wondered what his history with Tempeste was. Carefully, I ventured, "Considering Tempeste's great jewelry collection, I assumed she was one of your most frequent customers."
"She used to be." Sidney took another vicious bite out of his toast. "I'd rather not discuss the circumstances of our parting. It's too painful."
"I'm sorry."
While he chewed, Sidney made a business of stirring more sugar into his mint tea. "If you're interested in Laura's death, you might consider her current lover."
I must have looked startled, because Sidney laughed.
He said, "You didn't know? You're out of the loop. Laura had another man on the side. Personally, I think she was an old-fashioned gold digger from the very start. Even after she was married, she was looking for a better deal. Her lover was—well, let's just say he's a very good customer of mine. I've sold him many tennis bracelets."
Sidney was playing coy. I felt uncomfortable pressing him for more gossip, but I wanted to be sure he was talking about Yale. I bought myself a few seconds of time by pretending to sip from my cup.
In a moment, Sidney leaned forward, unable to hold back. "In fact, he buys all kinds of jewelry from me. And quite frequently, too."
"He must have a busy love life, whoever he is."
"He does. You'd be surprised what men tell me while they're shopping for jewelry." He tapped his spoon on the cup rim. "As if I'm remotely interested in that sort of thing!"
"Your customer bought something for Laura?" I held my breath.
Nonchalantly, Sidney said, "A tennis bracelet, yes. But Laura was only a passing fancy, not an important conquest, if you know what I mean. He has many lady friends. I just sized an engagement ring for him. Not the first."
"He's engaged?"
"I gather he plans to pop the question soon. He's picking up the ring tomorrow. And his intended is no lightweight, as well you know."
"As well I know?" I repeated.
Sidney said mysteriously, "Let me show you the ring."
We left the table. Yale Bailey had plowed a swath through some of the best families in the city. We all assumed he was shopping around for just the right combination of looks, brains, money, influence and sex appeal before he chose a wife. Who was he chasing now? I wondered.
The cat accompanied us down the hallway, swishing his tail against my legs.
"I have it on good authority. A Florida competitor. You see, not a single person came back here to buy from me! And if everyone starts worrying their things are going to be stolen, they're not inclined to buy more. I could be out of business in a snap!"
I made sympathetic noises. "Do you know who attended the Florida house party? What about Tempeste Juarez, for example?"
Sidney dropped his teacup into its saucer. The clatter made us both jump. Hastily, he began mopping up spilled tea with his napkin. "What about her?"
"Was she at the Palm Beach house?"
He concentrated hard on dabbing up the spill, but his hands shook and he managed to knock over the toast rack. "Well, perhaps. I think so. I can't be sure."
"I wonder if Laura ever stole from Tempeste?"
"At least once," Sidney said without forethought.
"Are you sure?"
"A few years ago Tempeste had a screaming fit when a ring went missing. She went on like a deflowered virgin in an old-fashioned talking picture. I'm surprised the newspapers didn't give her a review on the drama page." He dropped his napkin and took a healthy chomp into his toast and marmalade. A dribble of marmalade landed on his chin when he shook his head. "There's nobody with a worse temper than Tempeste when she's lost one of her sparklies."
"You know Tempeste?"
"I wish she'd never crossed my doorstep. But yes, I do know her. She was a good customer long ago. Not anymore, of course." Bitterly, he snapped, "She's found better places to buy her damned sparklies."
Just talking about Tempeste made his cheeks quiver. He soon had marmalade on his sweater as well as his chin. He grabbed another slice of toast, and I wondered what his history with Tempeste was. Carefully, I ventured, "Considering Tempeste's great jewelry collection, I assumed she was one of your most frequent customers."
"She used to be." Sidney took another vicious bite out of his toast. "I'd rather not discuss the circumstances of our parting. It's too painful."
"I'm sorry."
While he chewed, Sidney made a business of stirring more sugar into his mint tea. "If you're interested in Laura's death, you might consider her current lover."
I must have looked startled, because Sidney laughed.
He said, "You didn't know? You're out of the loop. Laura had another man on the side. Personally, I think she was an old-fashioned gold digger from the very start. Even after she was married, she was looking for a better deal. Her lover was—well, let's just say he's a very good customer of mine. I've sold him many tennis bracelets."
Sidney was playing coy. I felt uncomfortable pressing him for more gossip, but I wanted to be sure he was talking about Yale. I bought myself a few seconds of time by pretending to sip from my cup.
In a moment, Sidney leaned forward, unable to hold back. "In fact, he buys all kinds of jewelry from me. And quite frequently, too."
"He must have a busy love life, whoever he is."
"He does. You'd be surprised what men tell me while they're shopping for jewelry." He tapped his spoon on the cup rim. "As if I'm remotely interested in that sort of thing!"
"Your customer bought something for Laura?" I held my breath.
Nonchalantly, Sidney said, "A tennis bracelet, yes. But Laura was only a passing fancy, not an important conquest, if you know what I mean. He has many lady friends. I just sized an engagement ring for him. Not the first."
"He's engaged?"
"I gather he plans to pop the question soon. He's picking up the ring tomorrow. And his intended is no lightweight, as well you know."
"As well I know?" I repeated.
Sidney said mysteriously, "Let me show you the ring."
We left the table. Yale Bailey had plowed a swath through some of the best families in the city. We all assumed he was shopping around for just the right combination of looks, brains, money, influence and sex appeal before he chose a wife. Who was he chasing now? I wondered.
The cat accompanied us down the hallway, swishing his tail against my legs.
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