Page 85 of Mayfair Madame
She gathered her bag, fiddled with the strap, then shook her head as if deciding.
“Bye, then. Speak to you soon.”
Moments later, the front door closed. What had got into her?
I pottered around the apartment, tidied the kitchen, and changed the sheets on the bed. A cleaner came in three times a week, but it’d be a couple of days before she arrived.
The letter still lay on the floor in the kitchen. I picked it up with some tongs and placed it into a plastic freezer bag. Ellie would have been proud.
Perhaps I should turn my hand to forensics when this old body sagged and my looks went, but then I thought of the blood. Not to mention the other bodily fluids, and I shuddered.
URGH. The thought of it turned my stomach.
Howlong would Ellie be? She probably wouldn’t even be home yet, so it gave me time to take a bath and get ready for an afternoon of good food, plenty of drinks,and then hopefully, some mind-blowing sex. I had a few things in mind, and I almost danced to the bathroom with excitement.
An hour later, suitably shaved and primped, I stood before the floor-length mirror in my bedroom. I’d opted for a pair of navyCapri pants, an off-the-shoulder white top, and navy pumps. I turned this way and that, scrutinising my appearance.
Was a neckerchief too kitsch? Did it give me a cosmopolitan look, or did I look too much like Audrey Hepburn?
I ditched it but picked up a cute clutch bag that matched perfectly with the shoes. Oscar would have been proud of my choices.
I snapped a photo and sent it to him.
Me: Out to lunch with Ellie. Looking very chic,mwah!
Oscar: You lookfabulous,darling. Have a spectacular time.
I’d texted Ellie and told her I’d meet her downstairs at one. It was quarter past twelve now, but it didn’t do to be late.
I spritzed on my favourite perfume, touched up my lip gloss, and grabbed my bag.Finally, a proper date.
“Goodafternoon, Miss Reeves. How are you today?” Walter asked when I arrived in the lobby.
“I’m feeling wonderful today, Walter. How are you?”
“Very well. Can I get you a taxi?”
“I’m having lunch with Ellie at Lorenzo’s. No taxi is necessary today.”
“Of course. Enjoy your afternoon.” He nodded and resumed whatever he had been doing.
“Oh,before I go. A letter came today. Do you know whether it was hand-delivered or from the postman?” It was worth a shot.
“I don’t rightly remember. I’ve seen no one here who shouldn’t have been here.”
I thanked him and tried my best to put it out of my mind, determined to have the best afternoon with Ellie.
I stepped out onto the street. The sun shone, and my heart soared, happier than I’d been in a long while. Summer always had that effect on me, but now, with Ellie in my life, I experienced a joy that warmed my soul.
Pedestrians jostled me as I made my way to the main entrance. It seemed busier than usual.Tourists of many nationalities filled the street, chattering in their native languages. Some stopped to take photographs; others to gaze at the spectacular architecture that surrounded us.
Tour guides with umbrellas grabbed their attention. I stood for a moment and listened to what they had to say, although I’d heard it all before.
I couldn’t stand here all day, though, and was about to move away, when a firm hand gripped my wrist and something sharp dug into my side.
“Bitch, I knew I’d find you.” Warm spittle coated the side of my face, and I knew without looking who brandished the knife. “Say or do anything, and I’ll cut you so deep.”
I struggled to wrest myself from his grip and hissed as the knife pierced my side. I tried again. I was younger and stronger than him, but his hand around my wrist was like a vice. I lashed out with my other hand, intent on clawing his face.
