He groaned but he said, “All right. Just tell me your plan.”
“I ask Priscilla to invite Reverend Honesdale to visit her.”
“Is that a good idea?”
“Let me finish. I’ll be there when he arrives, and we’ll tell him what happened, how I was helping Priscilla go through Mr. Knight’s papers and I found the photograph.”
“Oh dear Lord.”
“And we’ll pretend to be very upset, just like we really were, so naturally, Priscilla sent for her minister, because she didn’t have any idea what it meant or what she should do.”
“Is that what a woman in Priscilla’s situation would do? Send for a minister?”
“How should I know? And more importantly, how should Honesdale know? This is not a situation many widows find themselves in.”
“I should hope not.”
“So we ask him for his advice because he’s someone people go to for advice and he’s always been so helpful, and then we see what he says.”
Gideon considered her plan for a long moment. “And then what?” he said finally.
“And then we’ll know if he’s involved or not.”
“How?”
“First of all, by how he reacts when he sees the photograph.”
Gideon winced. “You’re going to show it to him?”
“Of course. If he’s innocent, he’ll be horrified, just as you were.”
“What if he just pretends to be horrified?”
She gave him a pitying look. “I’ll be able to tell if he’s pretending. And then we’ll see what advice he gives Priscilla. That should tell us everything we need to know.”
“This is not a good idea.”
“Why not? You can’t think Priscilla and I would be in any danger from a minister.”
“Not if I’m there with you.”
“You can’t be there with us, though.”
“Why not?”
“Because he’ll wonder why an important man like you would need advice from him on something like this. Why any man would, for that matter. I’m afraid you just aren’t helpless enough to suit the purpose.”
“And you are?”
“Don’t be ridiculous, but he doesn’t know that. He sees me as an ordinary female, which is to say unworldly and helpless and not quite bright, and he’ll feel very confident of having the upper hand. He’ll either become protective and chivalrous and supportive—if he’s truly innocent and concerned for our welfare—or he’ll brush off our concerns and assure us that he can handle the situation for us and we are not to think of it again—if he’s guilty.”
He stared at her in amazement. “How do you know he’ll do this?”
“Because that’s how men treat women. I know it because every woman knows it.”
“Is that how I treat you?”
She gave him a reassuring smile. “You’re getting much better.”
He sighed in defeat. “But you did say I could be there. Hidden,” he added as if the word left a bad taste in his mouth.
“Just in case, because I know how you’ll worry. But also to be a witness. Because people never take a woman’s word over a man’s, and we may need you to verify what happened.”
“But surely—”
“Don’t even bother arguing the point. Men only believe other men, and you’ll realize it’s true if you think about it. So are you willing to hide and eavesdrop or not?”
“I . . . I don’t suppose I have any choice.”
“Good. And I’ll need the photograph.”
“The photograph? But—”
“How will I show it to him if I don’t have it? You can put it into an envelope. I don’t want Priscilla to see it and I don’t want to see it myself ever again, so an envelope would be perfect.”
“I . . . all right. When will this happen?”
“I don’t know yet, but soon, I hope. I have to go see Priscilla tomorrow and make sure she’s willing to do it.”
“Do you think she won’t be?”
“She’ll be thrilled to do it. I wouldn’t have come up with the idea if I didn’t think so. But we’ll have to plan and rehearse because she’s new at this sort of thing. I’ll telephone your office and let you know when Honesdale is coming.”
“Do you think he’ll come tomorrow?”
“Probably. If he’s involved, as we think he is, he’ll want to know why Priscilla needs to see him, and I doubt he’ll waste any time in finding out.”
* * *
• • •
GIDEON HADN’T WANTED TO TAKE HER HOME SO EARLY, BUT HE agreed when she explained Jake was coming for supper. The two men had not yet met, and Elizabeth was in no hurry to arrange it. Meeting the Old Man was trial enough for someone as honest as Gideon Bates, and she knew Jake wouldn’t be nearly as circumspect as the Old Man had been with the person Jake gleefully called “Lizzie’s fellow.”
Jake arrived early and proceeded to charm his Aunt Cybil and her partner, Zelda. His flattery was carefully specific so they understood it was genuine, and his charm was respectfully polished so they saw him as a harmless yet adored pet.
He didn’t bother to use either skill on Elizabeth, who knew him far too well to be taken in by anything he did.
The meal was pleasant enough, with Jake keeping them entertained with stories and quips and feigned interest in the activities of the two older women. Throughout it all, Elizabeth watched for any sign that the Old Man was right about Jake losing his nerve. Dealing with his doting aunts and his tolerant half sister was hardly a test, however, and she saw nothing alarming.
After supper, Cybil and Zelda withdrew to their private rooms so Elizabeth and Jake could discuss the reason she’d invited him there in the first place. Cybil had long since decided to know nothing of her brother’s family business.
Elizabeth poured Jake a snifter of the brandy Cybil kept for male visitors and took a seat beside him on the sofa.
“The Old Man said you have a job for me.” He didn’t quite meet her eye. It was the first sign something wasn’t quite right.
“I told him I needed someone followed. It’s not much of a job, so I was surprised when he said he’d send you. Did you do something to make him mad?” she teased, the way she’d done a thousand times.
She’d expected a fierce frown and the feigned anger her teasing usually provoked. Instead he smiled sadly and took a swallow of his brandy. “Did he tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
“I’ve lost my nerve.”
Guilt swelled in her chest, but she managed a lighthearted “That’s not funny.”
“It’s not a joke. When I came back from Washington City, I was . . . not myself. I thought it would pass.”
“You’re recovered now, aren’t you? From the beating, I mean?”
“Physically, yes.” He flexed the fingers of his left hand absently. That arm had been broken. “But I can’t work. Not really, anyway. I can be a lookout or a shill, but if I try roping . . .” He shrugged.
“You are the best roper I know.” This wasn’t true, of course, but Jake had always thought it was.
He took another sip of brandy. “I freeze up when I talk to a mark. I’m afraid the Old Man is going to decide I’m excess baggage and cut me loose.”
“He’d never do that.”
Jake just looked at her, his eyes so sad she could hardly stand it.
“He didn’t cut me loose when my mother died,” Elizabeth said.
“He always did like you the best.” He’d made that claim before, but never with such resignation.
“That’s not true. You’re the one he trained. I had to force him to teach me the grift.”
“Because you’re a girl and he wanted you to be a lady, like your mother. You were special.”
This time she heard the bitterne
ss, because his mother hadn’t been a lady. “And you’re his son,” she said with bitterness of her own. “You’re the one he spent his time with.”
“We’ve had this argument before, Lizzie, and neither of us ever wins. None of it matters now, anyway. Just tell me about this job. I need some work.”
She wasn’t finished with him, not by a long shot, but that would have to wait. In the meantime, she really did have a job for him. “I need you to follow some people.”
“I can’t follow more than one at a time,” he said with a small grin that hinted at the old Jake.
“It’s a married couple. He’s a minister, so he doesn’t get around a lot, or at least I don’t think he does.”
“And the woman?”
“I don’t know about her. She might be the one to watch. If you want to get someone to help you, that’s all right. I’ll pay for both of you.”
“When do you want me to start?”
“Probably tomorrow.” She told him the whole story, beginning with the death of DeForrest Jenks and ending with her plan to test Reverend Honesdale’s reaction tomorrow. “You can pick him up at Priscilla’s house and see where he goes after that.”
“How did you get mixed up in this, Lizzie?” he asked with a trace of admiration.
“I have no idea. I thought being on the grift was exciting, but not compared to these folks in society.”
“I was afraid you’d get bored if you married your Mr. Bates.”
“Oh, Jake, were you worried about me?” she asked sweetly.
“A little,” he said more solemnly than she expected, “but this is serious. Blackmailers are a nasty lot.”
“Some would say it’s just another form of the grift.”
“They’d be wrong, then. When we cheat a man, it’s because he thinks he’s cheating somebody else to get the best of it. A blackmailer, though, he’s playing off somebody else’s misery, and that’s a lot more dangerous. You already think these people might’ve killed the Jenks fellow.”
“I’m not taking any chances, and why would they care about me? I’m just a friend of the widow’s.”
“Who’s nosing around where she shouldn’t be. I hope Bates is going to keep an eye on you.”
“Of course he is, but I haven’t told him you’ll be keeping an eye on the Honesdales, so don’t mention it to him.”
“I don’t even know the man,” Jake reminded her. Did he sound put out about that?
“You will soon enough. I’ve been protecting you from him.”
“What? I thought you were protecting him from me.”
Finally, a hint of the old Jake! “Jake, he’s an honest man.”
Jake actually laughed at that. Grifters always said you can’t cheat an honest man, but that’s never a problem because there’s no such thing as an honest man. “We’ll see about that.”
“Yes, you will. Meanwhile, keep track of the Honesdales for me.”
* * *
• • •
“HOW DO YOU THINK OF THESE THINGS, ELIZABETH?” PRISCILLA asked in wonder the next morning when Elizabeth had explained her idea.
“I don’t know,” she lied. “You are convinced the Honesdales are involved, but we don’t have any real proof, so I was just trying to figure out how to test Reverend Honesdale’s intentions.”
“But what if he lies? If he’s involved in blackmailing Endicott, he won’t be above trying to trick us, too.”
“Don’t worry. You’re probably very good at judging when someone is telling the truth or not. You’re a mother, and I know my mother always knew if I was fibbing about something.”
“You’re right. I never thought of that.”
“And I’m a pretty good judge of character, too.”
“And Mr. Bates will be nearby as well,” Priscilla said. “How shall we arrange it so he can hear what we’re saying?”
In the end, they determined that Gideon would have to simply listen at the parlor door and duck into the study if Reverend Honesdale left the room unexpectedly. Elizabeth felt certain she could stop him if he tried to do so, or at least slow him down enough to give Gideon a chance to hide. And they’d have to instruct the maid to simply ignore all this ducking and hiding.
Elizabeth helped Priscilla practice the story she was going to tell Honesdale. Then they composed a note begging Honesdale to visit Priscilla that very afternoon and sent it off with a maid. Elizabeth then telephoned Gideon and Jake, and they waited.
Honesdale’s reply was everything Elizabeth could have hoped for. He assured Priscilla he would arrive promptly at the appointed hour to comfort her in her time of sorrow. Priscilla was too nervous to eat lunch, but Elizabeth enjoyed her meal. She finally felt as if she were going to accomplish something that would help Priscilla.
Gideon arrived in good time. He’d placed the photograph in an envelope, as she had suggested, and luckily, Priscilla expressed no desire to see it after Gideon explained that it showed Mr. Knight in a rather compromising position. They went over the arrangements for his eavesdropping. He wasn’t pleased at the thought of listening outside the door but accepted his assignment with grace. Jake, Elizabeth had to assume, would station himself outside the house at the appointed time and wait.
By the time Honesdale rang Priscilla’s doorbell, even Elizabeth could feel the tremors of excitement. Conning people was exhilarating, no matter what the reason.
“Mrs. Knight, I’m so glad you sent for me,” Honesdale said when the maid had escorted him inside and Priscilla had stepped forward to greet him. He was tall and slender with the pale face and soft hands of a man who preferred books to action. He wore his blond hair brushed back from his face, and his gray eyes seemed to be trying to take in the entire room at once instead of settling on anything or anyone in particular.
He took Priscilla’s offered hand in both of his. “I hope you aren’t too distressed.” Only then did he notice Elizabeth standing slightly behind Priscilla. “Miss Miles, is it?”
“That’s right,” Priscilla said quickly. “Elizabeth and I have become close friends and she . . . Well, you’ll understand when we tell you what happened. Please, won’t you have a seat? Can I get you something? Coffee or tea, perhaps? The wind must be icy today.”
“Some coffee would be welcome,” he said, taking the seat near the fireplace that she indicated. Priscilla and Elizabeth sat back down on the sofa.
Priscilla instructed the maid to bring them some coffee. When she was gone, Priscilla gave him a sad little smile and twisted her hands nervously in her lap. “You must be wondering why I sent for you.”
“Your note was rather urgent, so I canceled my appointments for this afternoon.”
“Oh dear, I didn’t mean to be such a bother,” Priscilla lied. They had carefully worded the note so that he would do just as he claimed to have done.
“That’s perfectly all right. I didn’t have anything really pressing on my schedule. Now, tell me what I can do for you.”
“This is so embarrassing, I hardly know where to begin,” Priscilla said, pulling out her handkerchief and puckering up as if she were going to weep.
“Let me tell it,” Elizabeth said, reaching over to pat her arm. “This has been distressing to both of us, but I’m sure Priscilla feels it much more than I.”
“Now I’m truly concerned,” Honesdale said, although he merely looked curious. “What has happened to upset you both?”
Priscilla nodded to indicate Elizabeth should begin. “As Mrs. Knight said, she and I have become good friends,” she began, hesitantly at first, as one would expect. “After her husband died, she was rather overwhelmed, as you can imagine, and she asked me to help her go through her husband’s things.”
Honesdale nodded sagely to encourage her.
“So I was looking through his papers, trying to sort out what was important and determi
ne if Mr. Knight had left any unpaid bills that should be brought to Priscilla’s attention, and I found something very disturbing.”
“Disturbing?” he echoed expectantly.
“More than disturbing. Quite frankly, I was shocked.”
“By what, Miss Miles? There’s no need to be mysterious, I’m sure.”
“It was a photograph.”
Some emotion flickered across Reverend Honesdale’s scholarly face, but it was too brief for Elizabeth to identify it. “A disturbing photograph?”
“A shocking photograph.”
His pale gaze flicked to Priscilla and back again. “It’s difficult for me to help you if I don’t know what it was a photograph of.”
“It’s of Mr. Knight,” Elizabeth said primly.
“I haven’t seen it,” Priscilla said quickly. “Elizabeth wouldn’t let me look at it, but she told me . . . Well, I know it’s a compromising photograph, and there was a note, too.”
“A note? What did it say?”
“That the photograph was just a reminder.”
“A reminder of what?”
“That’s just it,” Priscilla said. “We have no idea. I’ve been through all of Endicott’s things, and I didn’t find anything else that would explain it.”
Honesdale let that lie for a long moment, then said, “I’m not sure what it is you want me to do.”
“We aren’t sure, either, Reverend Honesdale,” Elizabeth said. “Neither of us has any experience in such things, of course, and we hoped you could advise us.”
“I’m honored that you felt you could rely on me, but without having seen the photograph in question, I’m afraid I can’t offer you any counsel. Without knowing what has disturbed you—”
“Shocked us,” Elizabeth corrected him.
“Shocked you, then I can’t even judge the nature of the problem. What gently bred ladies like yourselves consider shocking might in reality be nothing serious at all.”
Elizabeth wanted to ask him for an example, but she didn’t dare distract him now. “Would you like to see the photograph?”
“I’m sure I wouldn’t like to, but I think I must.”
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