Page 40 of The Other Lady Vanishes

She reached into the hatbox and shuffled through an assortment of potentially damning photographs, letters, journals, and papers. All of the items were valuable, but the one that would be the easiest to cash in immediately was in an envelope at the bottom of the box.

She pawed through the pile of secrets until she found the one she wanted. She took it out of the box and replaced the lid.

The next step was to find a pay phone. There were a lot of people who would be willing to pay a great deal of money for the contents of the envelope, but she knew who would pay the most.

She put the lid on the box, crossed the room, and opened the door. She paused for a moment, thinking. She had another piece of time-sensitive information that was worth a lot to one individual. It could be used only once, and it would not hold its value for long. The smart thing to do would be to sell it first. Easy money and there was no danger involved.

After she had collected that payoff she would arrange to cash in the far more dangerous contents of the envelope.

She glanced at her watch. It was not yet eight o’clock. She was exhausted because she had been on the road since finding Zolanda’s body early that morning and there had been the added stress of stealing the vehicle. But she could not rest. She had two phone calls to make.

Chapter 22

“Are you sure you want to hire me for this job?” Raina said. “According to the radio, the cops are already searching for Thelma Leggett. I hate to say this because I would dearly love the business, but I’m afraid that hiring me would be a waste of your money. The authorities will probably find her long before I do.”

“Mr. Truett thinks the police are likely to conclude that Madam Zolanda’s death was a suicide and that Thelma Leggett found the body, panicked, and fled,” Adelaide said. “If they don’t think they’re looking for a killer, they won’t look very hard.”

She and Jake had discussed exactly what they would tell Raina. Now they were sitting in the plush office of Kirk Investigations, and already the conversation was veering off course.

“I get the feeling you think Leggett murdered her boss,” Raina said. “Zolanda was the one who brought in the cash. Why would the assistant kill the goose that laid the golden eggs?”

It was a reasonable question, Adelaide thought. She looked at Jake, making it clear that it was up to him how much information he wanted to divulge. He was the one chasing a blackmailer.

He gave the matter some thought and then, to her surprise, he responded honestly.

“I have reason to think that Zolanda was running a blackmail business,” he said. “She conned someone I know out of a certain item which, if it fell into the wrong hands, could prove embarrassing to the victim’s family. I have a hunch that Leggett is now in possession of that item.”

Raina looked satisfied with the response, even sympathetic.

“All right, now I understand why you are anxious to get to Leggett before the police do,” she said.

“I’m a little irritated with Thelma Leggett, too,” Adelaide said. “She tried to set me up to look like a suspect if the cops do decide Zolanda was murdered. Not that I’m one to hold a grudge.”

“Of course not,” Raina said. “Only very petty people hold grudges. Still, in your situation I’d be rather annoyed myself. It does occur to me that it is fortunate that you and Mr. Truett both have ironclad alibis, however.”

Adelaide winced. “You’ve heard the gossip already?”

“Well, this is a small town and news travels fast,” Raina said somewhat apologetically. “I’m afraid I also read the special edition of theBurning Cove Herald. It came out an hour ago.”

She gestured toward the folded newspaper on her desk. Adelaide picked it up and opened it. The story carried Irene Ward’s byline.

PSYCHICTOTHESTARSPREDICTSHEROWNDEATH

Early this morning a local tearoom waitress and a visiting businessman from Los Angeles discovered the body of Madam Zolanda, the famous Psychic to the Stars. Yourcorrespondent arrived in time to view the shocking scene and interview the witnesses, who were clearly shaken. Readers will recall that Madam Zolanda predicted blood and death at the end of what proved to be her final performance...

Adelaide tossed the paper aside, grimly resigned to the inevitable. “This story is going to go national.”

“As we speak,” Raina said.

“Will you take our case?” Jake asked.

“Yes,” Raina said, “but I have to warn you again, you may be wasting your money.”

“I doubt that the Burning Cove police have what you would call extensive resources outside of this town,” Jake said. “Adelaide tells me that you, on the other hand, have some connections with investigation agencies around the country. She said you were able to call someone in L.A. to confirm my identity.”

Raina switched her attention to Adelaide. “You told him?”

“Yes. Raina, I think an intruder entered my cottage while we were at the theater. I was nervous. Mr. Truett kindly offered to stay with me until morning.”

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