Tony’s ready sympathy for Zeke’s position had disturbed her more than she cared to admit. Was she being unreasonable? She knew Zeke was only trying to protect her in his rough way. But she couldn’t accept his manner of doing things as though her feelings and opinions didn’t count. He was so aggressive, bullying, maddening.
And she still loved him desperately.
Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them fiercely away. There was no sense sitting here thinking such things as that. She would only end up bawling. With a dogged set to her lips, she forced herself into movement, heaving ledger books, pencils, pens and ink bottles into a carton.
At noon she paused long enough to see how Tony and the boys were doing. They had made suspiciously little progress. Tony had gone off somewhere to fetch lunch back for all of them, and she caught Angelo, in his usual garrulous fashion, pausing to entertain a visitor.
Rory stopped on the last step, mildly surprised to see Bill Duffy. She had no idea what could have brought the reporter down to her warehouse. Much as she liked the fellow, she approached warily.
Angelo sprang guiltily back to work at the sight of her. Duffy grinned and doffed his derby. Rory studied the man, detecting something different about him today. The shine of his blue frock coat proclaimed it as brand new, and he had stuck a carnation inhis lapel. Always jaunty, he seemed particularly smug and well pleased with himself.
“Good afternoon, Miss Kavanaugh,” he said. “I couldn’t resist coming by for a peek at the infamous balloon factory. Anything interesting going on this afternoon? You all seem to be getting ready for something. Another flight perhaps?” His fingers twitched, and Rory knew he would be reaching for his notebook in another moment.
“Nothing newsworthy,” she said quickly to forestall him. “It’s only that due to some setbacks, I am obliged to vacate the warehouse.”
“Say, that’s too bad. And Morrison can’t help you? Lordy, the fellow’s richer than J. P. Morgan.”
“No, Mr. Morrison is not very sympathetic to my business interests.”
“Well, you can smooth all that out after you are married. And speaking of weddings, I don’t suppose you would let me cover yours as an exclusive?”
“You have been misled. There’s not going to be any wedding.”
“Oh?” Duffy rocked back on his heels. “Had a spat, did you?” he asked sympathetically.
The sigh that escaped her said everything.
“Don’t worry. He’ll be back. I’ve never been bitten by the love bug myself, but I’ve seen it happen to plenty of other fellows. And believe me, Morrison has a bad case of it.”
He coaxed a smile from her, but she really didn’t want to discuss it any further. She tried to excuse herself on the grounds that she had work to do.
She hoped Duffy would take the hint and leave, but the man seemed incapable of being discouraged by anything less subtle than a club over the head. And Rory didn’t have the energy for that.
She allowed him to trail after her as she returned to her office.
“Your marriage to Morrison would’ve made a good story. But I’ve been doing all right for myself in any case. In fact I just got a big raise in salary.”
“Congratulations,” Rory said. “And how is your investigation into the Addison affair going?”
“That’s what I’m talking about. Haven’t you been reading my stories?” He looked almost insulted when she shook her head. “Well, it’s just the biggest scandal since the days of Boss Tweed. I found out that Decker had a partner in his nefarious schemes. A woman, a real high-stepper. And you’d never believe who!”
“I haven’t a clue,” she said wearily.
Duffy seemed disappointed when she wouldn’t even hazard a guess. “It happens to be none other than that blue-blooded pillar of society, the Ice Goddess herself. Cynthia Van Hallsburg.”
Rory’s head came up sharply at that, her eyes widening in astonishment. Duffy smirked, looking pleased to have provoked a reaction at last.
“Yessiree. And there’s more. It looks as though Decker was shot by someone. Not that I think a lady like Mrs.Van H. could be capable of going that far.”
“I think she could,” Rory murmured, unable to repress a tiny shiver.
She didn’t know why she found Duffy’s news so unsettling, but she did. Mrs. Van Hallsburg meant nothing to her, and yet something about the woman had always disturbed Rory, from the time the woman had once figured in her dream, taking the place of the banshee.
“Do you think Zeke knows all this?” she asked Duffy anxiously.
“Morrison?” Duffy appeared surprised by the question. He shrugged. “If he reads the right newspaper, he does.”
“Maybe he ought to be warned.”
