Page 28 of The Bride Wore White

“This place was designed for entertaining on a big scale. There are several unnecessary rooms. I turned one into a combination office and library.”

Chapter 12

It was early evening and they were in Jack’s library, the one room of the big house that felt welcoming. Maybe that was because it was the one room that felt lived in, Prudence thought, the one room that did not feel empty and sunk in shadows. It was obviously the only room in the mansion where Jack seemed comfortable.

“We have plenty of time before we leave for the Paradise,” Jack said. “Is there anything else you can tell me about the Dover family?”

“Not much,” Prudence said. “But keep in mind that although Clara Dover was an occasional client of my grandmother’s and I saw her for a few readings, most of what I know about the rest of the family is gossip from the psychic circuit.”

Jack got a thoughtful expression. It was not a difficult look for him to achieve. It seemed to be one of a very limited repertoire of visible moods that he allowed himself to display. So far she had identified only two others—there was his cold, remote, detached observer look, and his cold, remote, detached skeptic expression.Now and again he spiced things up with a sprinkle of disdainful amusement or disapproval, but that was as far as he was willing to go, at least when it came to visible evidence of emotion.

From time to time she thought she glimpsed hints of deeper, darker stuff lying in wait just under the surface, but she was pretty sure it would be a really dumb idea to try to stir those waters.

The late-afternoon shopping expedition had gone surprisingly well, probably because she hadn’t made any effort to enjoy the experience. Under other circumstances it would have been delightful to browse Burning Cove’s fashionable boutiques. But there was no pleasure to be had in re-creating a minimalist version of her Madame Ariadne wardrobe, so she had gone about the business with precision and efficiency.

Nevertheless, she had to admit that she was thrilled with the black crystal-studded evening gown and the dramatic accessories that went with it. She would probably never get another chance to wear the dress after tonight, but it was hard not to be excited by the prospect of walking into the Paradise Club dressed for the occasion.

Yes, she had discovered the evening ensemble on sale; still, she was going to be doing research for Luther Pell for a very long time in order to pay off the cost of hiring Failure Analysis, Inc.

“Did either of Clara’s sons consult psychics in San Francisco?” Jack asked.

“Not that I know of. As far as I’m aware, they were not interested in the paranormal. Clara sometimes mentioned Rollins and Gilbert in the course of her readings, but she never indicated they were in the habit of consulting psychics. Well, mostly she talked about Gilbert. Poor Rollins was always an afterthought.”

“And now he’s next in line for the throne.” Jack glanced at his notes. “What about Mrs.Ella Dover?”

“Rollins’s wife? I can’t tell you much about her, either. I nevermet her or her husband. Ella and Rollins got engaged shortly before I left San Francisco. As Luther said, they were married a few months ago. Clara complained that Ella was marrying Rollins for his money. To be fair, that is probably true, but I’m sure the same could have been said about anyone who married into the Dover family. It would take something like a vast fortune to convince any woman to overlook the fact that she was going to have to put up with a mother-in-law like Clara.”

Jack went back to his notes. Feeling restless, she got out of the chair and began to peruse the contents of the library.

The walls were lined with shelves crammed with books and journals representing a wide range of topics, including psychology, anthropology, and, intriguingly, folklore. File boxes ofScientific Americanoccupied a large portion of one shelf. There was another shelf devoted to historical accounts of notorious murders. One section featured pamphlets illustrating the tricks magicians and psychics used to fool their audiences.

But it was the bookcase containing treatises, books, journals, and records of investigations into the paranormal that intrigued her the most. Jack had made his opinion of the subject clear. Labeling him a skeptic would be putting it mildly. So why collect materials relating to dreams and metaphysics?

She turned to study her new consultant. He was seated behind his large desk, making notes with one of a dozen precisely sharpened pencils that projected from a Bakelite pencil holder.

A stack of typed pages anchored by a heavy crystal paperweight was on one corner of the desk. A typewriter was positioned on a side table. It was obvious that a manuscript was in progress. She remembered Luther Pell saying Jack was writing a book about analyzing crime scenes.

He looked up suddenly, as if he had just realized she was studying him from the other side of the room.

“Did Clara always book private readings and consultations?” he asked.

“Yes, but that’s not unusual. Most dream readings are private.”

Jack nodded. “All right, let’s continue. How would you describe Clara Dover?”

“A small tornado in a business suit and gloves. To know her is to want to stay out of her path. She is intelligent, strong-willed, wealthy, and powerful. It’s no secret in San Francisco that she is the brains behind Dover Industries. As I told you, she is a firm believer in the paranormal, and she is obsessed with the notion that she possesses some psychic ability. She is convinced that she owes her business success to the insights she gains from her dreams.”

Jack glanced at his notes. “Copeland Dover died years ago, leaving her a widow with two young sons. She never remarried.”

“No. Why would she? Dover Industries is her passion. She’s devoted to the business.”

“Did she ever mention her dead husband in the course of her readings?”

“At one reading she let slip that she blamed Gilbert’s failure to settle down and pay attention to the business on his having inherited his father’s taste for eccentricity.”

“Did she defineeccentricity?”

“No, but everyone on the psychic circuit knew that was a polite term for his volatile temper.”

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