The White City

by Grace Hitchcock

  “You were right to think we could see for miles up here, Detective Thorpe. I think that between the two of us, we can cover the places he would most likely visit this week to claim more victims.” She risked a glance at him over her shoulder. His golden-brown eyes met hers and she felt her knees weaken. Never had a man outside her novels affected her so. She returned her gaze to the fairgrounds below and tried to continue as if her heart hadn’t just experienced an earthquake. “Now …” She paused at the tremor in her voice and, clearing her throat, began again. “Since I first saw the suspect outside the Ceylon Tearoom in the Woman’s Building, and judging from the reports that the kidnapper tends to only take women, I think we should visit the places where women would feel comfortable without their husbands or escorts. So maybe we can start with the Rose Garden exhibit?”

  His brows rose with what she hoped was approval and not scorn.

  Clearing her throat, she pressed onward. “And I think after that, if we still don’t find him, we should try looking over at the Fine Arts exhibit and then return to the Woman’s Building.” She gave a nervous laugh and wished she had a lemonade to cool her nerves. “I’m just trying to think of places where he could have an opportunity to abduct a woman.”

  “I think those are brilliant suggestions. Have you ever considered becoming a detective, Miss Wylde?” Detective Thorpe asked as the car began its descent, all teasing gone from his tone.

  She dipped her head at the unexpected compliment. “There aren’t any female detectives at my father’s precinct, and besides, my father would never allow me to become one if there were. While I do enjoy the thrill of the chase, I can achieve that thrill safely from a settee, reading, and not on the street, flirting with life-and-death, according to my father.”

  “So, reading is your favorite pastime? Besides going to the fair to chase after criminals, what else do you enjoy?”

  “I enjoy a great many things, but my aunt usually has me quite busy with social events. My family wishes for me to be safely married and tucked away in a nice, neat mansion.” She swept her gloved hands together. “Of course, there’s nothing wrong with being tucked away in a mansion, and all but one of my friends have husbands of their own, but I want to do something first before I settle down, something grand. Something that would change the course of history.”

  Realizing she had said too much, she ducked her head again. “I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. It must be the thrill of the Ferris wheel.” She turned to him, the closeness of him dizzying. “Please don’t tell anyone what I said or what I plan to do about the incident. I would hate to worry my father over nothing.”

  “I’m not entirely sure I can do that, Miss Wylde …”

  The doors of the ride opened, and fresh, cool air flooded the chamber as the tight space emptied of people, leaving them the last to disembark. “Also, if you promise to help me and stay silent about it, I will keep your stellar record intact by refraining from telling anyone at the precinct that I caught you tailing me within a matter of minutes.” She held out her gloved hand, waiting for him to accept.

  With a sigh, Detective Thorpe gripped her hand in his. “You’ve got me there. You have yourself a deal, Miss Wylde.”

  Chapter Three

  “Something between a dream and a miracle.”

  ~Elizabeth Barrett Browning

  And after your morning call to Miss Montgomery, we have …” Aunt Lillian flipped through her scheduling book. “The afternoon free?” Her voice rose in surprise as she scanned her little book a second and third time. “That can’t be….” Aunt Lillian rubbed her temples. “I was certain we had afternoon tea plans with the Andrews family.”

  “Oh no, how awful,” Winnifred murmured absentmindedly as she peeked through the lace curtains of her small cottage dining room out onto Lakeshore Drive to find it overcast and threatening rain. Her heart thudded at the sight of a man in a straw hat leaning against a lamppost with his hands in his pockets and his gaze following a passing buggy. She knew he would be there, but the very sight of Detective Thorpe was enough to relive the memory of his closeness in the Ferris wheel, a memory she longed to repeat. Her stomach rumbled, bringing her back to the present. She would need a full breakfast for the day she had planned.

  “Yes. Yes, it is,” Aunt Lillian murmured.

  “Pardon?” Winnifred blinked.

  “It’s a shame that I failed to plan for our afternoon. I suppose since I am leaving to visit my cousin in the morning, I must have forgotten to set the date with Mrs. Andrews.” She sighed, shaking her head as she tapped her spoon on her three-minute egg, cracking the shell.

  Winnifred set down her empty cup and reached for the silver coffeepot. “I suppose I have time to go to the fair today then?”

  “By yourself?” Father asked, joining them in the breakfast room with his Chicago Tribune tucked under his arm. He gave his sister-in-law a peck on the cheek. “Over so early, Lillian? I know you live in the big house next door, but I’m always surprised by how early you rise.”

  “I wanted to discuss the summer plans with Winnifred before I depart tomorrow.” Sipping her tea, she pursed her lips. “Honestly, I don’t know if I should leave you two for the whole summer. With Winnifred turning twenty this year, we need to put all our efforts into finding her a spouse by the end of the summer, else people will declare her an old maid and she will be destined to be a wallflower at every social gathering.”

  A bubble of panic rose in Winnifred’s throat. The summertime was her refuge from the strict regimen of social calls her aunt scheduled throughout the remainder of the year. “You deserve a respite, Auntie. You take such good care of us that you need to take a moment for yourself.” Before Aunt Lillian could protest, Winnifred twisted in her chair to look at her father. “Now, back to the fair.” Not wanting to admit to her father that she had already discovered Detective Thorpe, so of course she wouldn’t be alone, she grabbed a raspberry muffin to take with her and answered, “I’ll ask Danielle. I’m sure she could use a break from planning her wedding.”

  “Have a good day, my dear,” Father replied as he too tucked a muffin into his pocket.

  Pressing a kiss atop Aunt Lillian’s head and on her father’s cheek, Winnifred slipped upstairs and changed out of her pink visiting gown and into a simple navy gown paired with a muted gray hat with minimal frippery. The color didn’t flatter her as well as pastels, but today she dressed for blending in to her surroundings while she searched for the man with the revolver. She could at least take comfort that her hair was arranged in a fetching manner with her golden curls framing her face. Winnifred finished her toilet before rushing to the window, disappointed to find Detective Thorpe walking with her father away from the cottage. Perhaps Father found something else for him to do today since he thought I’d be chaperoned all day.

  With a shrug, Winnifred grabbed her Percival Valentine book from under her pillow to read on the walk only to step outside and find it had begun drizzling. Undeterred, she ducked inside for her black umbrella. Opening it and propping it on her shoulder, she devoured her breakfast muffin and flipped to her place in the novel, losing herself in the love story of Lord Francis, so much so that she didn’t notice when the drizzling stopped. She almost walked beyond her friend’s house and would have if Danielle’s dog had not spotted her from the front parlor window and raised a ruckus.

  “Thank goodness you’ve come,” Danielle whispered as she slipped through the door, hat in hand. “It’s not even nine o’clock in the morning, and Mother has me neck deep in wedding planning.”

  “Oh, then I suppose you won’t have time to go to the fair with me today instead of our walk to Banning’s Bookshop?” Winnifred drummed her fingers on her book, a mischievous smile spreading over her face.

  “Now, I didn’t say that.” Danielle grinned as she pinned on her red chapeau, not quite the color Winnifred was hoping she would select for a covert trip to the fair. But then again, she had not mentioned her plan to he
r friend, so she could hardly blame Danielle for wishing to wear the daring hat. “One moment while I tell the maid.” She slipped the book from Winnifred’s hand.

  “Excuse you, I’m not finished with it yet,” Winnifred protested, reaching for it, but Danielle was already opening her door.

  “Consider my borrowing it for two days as payment for incurring my mother’s wrath for going with you to the fair.” She poked her head inside and waved one of the servants over, whispering, “Put this upstairs on my nightstand. Then, wait an hour and tell Mother that I’m taking the day to help a friend, but will be back in time for dinner.”

  The maid groaned. “Oh Miss Montgomery, that’s not fair. Your mother is going to—”

  “I know, Joanna, and I’m sorry,” Danielle closed the door with a giggle then slipped her hand around Winnifred’s umbrella handle and propelled them down the sidewalk.

  “I want my book back,” Winnifred mumbled under her breath.

  “The bookshop sold out of Percival Valentine’s latest works, and I desperately need a distraction that only His Secret Wife can bring. My sister has been taunting me with little details, but will not loan it to me until she is finished.” Danielle leaned her head on Winnie’s shoulder. “And she is such an abominably slow reader.”

  “So, the wedding plans are a little more work than you anticipated?” Winnifred ventured as they climbed into the grip car.

  Danielle grunted, curling her fingers in a show of frustration. “I can’t handle one more minute of wedding planning. When I agreed to marry Edward, I thought the endless social calls would end, but”—she looked heavenward and crossed her eyes—“my mother and grandmother have only gotten three times worse. With the wedding only two weeks away, I’m counting down the minutes until I’m Edward’s wife and am in control of my own destiny.” Danielle sighed and told Winnifred of the dress fittings, calls, teas, parties, and planning that made even Aunt Lillian’s regimented scheduling sound palatable.

  By the time they arrived at the fair, the threatening clouds had blown away, but Winnifred sensed her friend’s frazzled nerves would only dissipate with a sweet. Spotting Danielle’s favorite baked good in a vendor’s cart, she purchased two sticky cinnamon rolls dripping with vanilla icing.

  Danielle took a bite and pressed her hand to her mouth. “This is divine. Did you know that Mother has taken away my dessert privileges too? She wants me to lose three inches on my waistline by next Saturday. Three inches.”

  “At least you have someone at the end of all this,” Winnifred said between nibbles, still full from her breakfast. “I, however, seem to be blazing through an endless roster of potential suitors with nothing to show for it.”

  “I keep meaning to ask, how was your call with Saunders?” Danielle wiggled her brows before finishing off her cinnamon roll. “Is he as handsome as I’ve heard Lord Francis is, or perhaps as mysterious and aloof as Aloysius, the business partner?”

  “Neither. Our time was wretched. The man is nothing like Aunt Lillian described.” She rolled her eyes as Danielle gazed longingly at Winnifred’s nearly untouched cinnamon roll. Winnifred handed it over to her friend and licked her fingers clean, almost hearing Aunt Lillian’s screech. “It shouldn’t be this hard for me to find my forever love.”

  Danielle pulled off a piece of the bun and lifted it to the sunlight as if examining it before popping it into her mouth with a groan. “Selecting a husband isn’t like it is in books. It’s not all moonlight and knights and furtive glances at dinner and fluttering hearts. It’s more like discovering who has the biggest pocket-book and is tolerably handsome.”

  Winnifred rested her hand on Danielle’s forearm. “You’ve never told me you were marrying Edward for his money. I thought you cared for him.”

  Danielle shrugged, handing back half the roll to Winnifred. “He’s nice, and I’m quite fond of him.”

  Only fond? Winnifred stared at her friend. “And you are still going to marry him?”

  “I have two younger sisters already out in society. Mother says I’m fortunate that he did not pick one of them, as Elizabeth is far prettier and Fanny has, to put it delicately, better assets. She says she has no idea why he prefers me, but that she is thankful to have me out of the way at long last.” She wiped her handkerchief over her mouth, removing any trace of the treat. “Edward will be a good provider, so my bookshelves will never be in want.”

  “How awful of her to say such things!” Winnifred’s heart ached for her friend. She couldn’t fathom how on earth someone could live with another for all of eternity if they didn’t truly love them.

  “Enough of that. What shall we see and do first?”

  Winnifred drew Danielle close and lowered her voice. “Well, I may have had ulterior motives for us coming today. During my tea with Mr. Saunders, I witnessed a kidnapping.”

  Danielle gave her an incredulous look. “Are you certain? Because last time you were in the middle of reading Percival Valentine’s A Ransom for a Bride and you—”

  “I know. I made one little mistake, but I’m sure of what I saw this time.” She filled Danielle in on the events yesterday, ending with Detective Thorpe tackling Mr. Saunders and their conversation afterward about finding proof for her father to open an investigation.

  “And is this Detective Thorpe handsome?” Danielle asked, eyes sparkling. “Is he the reason you are so keen on this scheme? To have the excuse to spend time with a dashing fellow?”

  “Of course not. Well, he is dashing, very much so, but I believe what I witnessed.”

  “I knew it. Do tell me about him, Winnie.” Danielle squeezed Winnifred’s elbow.

  Winnifred blushed, remembering the energy in the air as his arms encircled her, protecting her on the Ferris wheel. “Let’s just say that if one of my heroines had to have a guardian angel, he would be perfect.”

  Danielle giggled behind her hand. “An angel? My, my, he does sound intriguing. Too bad he’s only a detective.” Spying a coffee vendor, she halted their promenade on the Midway. “I’m parched, and since you bought the rolls, the coffee is my treat.”

  Winnifred popped the last bite of the cinnamon roll into her mouth and caught a man staring at her from a nearby bench, a grin spreading under his thick mustache. The nerve of that scoundrel! How dare he—

  “So I’m an angel, am I?” His deep voice startled her.

  Realizing who he was, she choked and began coughing uncontrollably. Detective Thorpe closed the distance between them and patted her on the back.

  “You heard me? I didn’t even see you following us. How long were you behind me?” She couldn’t help her shock from ebbing into her voice.

  “Your father gave me instructions to watch you, so I was out front before the maid opened your curtains this morning, waiting for you to leave the house. I noticed you spotted me, so I took a stroll around the block with your father to throw you off my trail.”

  “That’s hardly fair.” She pointed to his mustache.

  He peeled it off and tucked the disguise into his pocket. “After yesterday, I wanted to make sure you didn’t catch me again. I also wanted to prove to you and myself that I can tail even the most observant person without getting caught.”

  Danielle joined them with two cups of hot coffee, her eyes on him, sparking with interest. “And who do we have here? Is this your guardian angel?”

  Winnifred sighed in exasperation at her friend’s teasing. “Yes. Yes, he is. Miss Danielle Montgomery, please allow me to present Detective Jude Thorpe, the angel.”

  Even though they didn’t catch the suspect, it was not an unpleasant way to spend the afternoon, Jude thought as he escorted Winnifred to her cottage on Lakeshore Drive, catching glimpses of Lake Michigan behind the mansions lining the street. “If you don’t mind me asking, why do you live—”

  “In the guest cottage of my aunt’s estate?” She laughed. “Before my grandfather died, he gave the cottage to my parents as a wedding present. When my mother passed away, an
d later my grandmother, Aunt Lillian returned home from her European travels to stay with us for a year and care for me. Then Grandfather died and left the rest of the estate to his one remaining child, Aunt Lillian. Ever since she moved into the big house, she makes it her mission to visit us nearly every day to ensure that we are well looked after and my social schedule stays full.”

  “That is kind of her, but wouldn’t it be simpler if you two moved in with her?”

  “She offered years ago, but at the time, Father thought it would be too much change for me, so we stayed in our small cottage, and I quite prefer it that way.” She smiled at him, pausing at her gate and nodding toward the man in a bowler hat across the street. “Seems like your relief has arrived. Until tomorrow?”

  “Tomorrow,” he replied with a small bow to her and tip of his hat to the undercover officer. Jude strolled back to the office feeling happier than he had in a very long time. Whistling, he made his way to his desk and riffled through a drawer. He retrieved a small black leather book for notes on Winnifred’s case, along with the sobering file he had found the other day on insurance and loan frauds that Victor had been working on before the fair opened. The officers were spread so thin that the case had been shoved to the side for now in the chaos of the hundreds of criminals that flocked to the fair.

  “You don’t look as exhausted as you should for a man who was out on assignment all day in this oppressive heat. It has to be over a hundred degrees out there today,” Officer Baxter commented as he packed up for the day, his brows rising with suspicion.

  Jude shoved the file into his leather satchel to study tonight and gave the officer a wry grin. He would have to be careful not to reveal his assignment to the men or that he was looking into the fraud case that he was certain had led to Victor’s death. In the eyes of the law, Victor’s case had been solved, but the law did not know Victor as he had. “If you haven’t noticed, the day is over and it is time for dinner, which my sister invited me over to her house to enjoy. No cheap pub food for me tonight!”