City of Lies

by Victoria Thompson

  “Thank you, Gideon,” David said with obvious relief. He rose and offered his hand. Gideon rose, too, and shook it. Only then did he notice Elizabeth’s frowning disapproval. Should he be touched that she’d wanted to keep him out of it? Somehow he didn’t think so. “I’m sorry, but I have to go,” David said. “I have a previous engagement this evening that I made before I actually became engaged, and Elizabeth has graciously agreed to forgo my company this evening. I will leave her to your tender care.”

  David took his leave, and when the front door had closed behind him, Gideon hazarded a glance in Elizabeth’s direction.

  “Why did you agree to that?” she asked.

  “Because David is my friend and he asked me.”

  “You don’t have to do it. Just tell him you’re busy when he has the meeting set up.”

  “I don’t lie, especially to my friends.”

  “Don’t be silly. Everyone lies.”

  “I don’t.” Why was she so angry? And so adamant that he not help David? “Do you want this deal to fail?”

  “Of course not. Didn’t you hear what David said? He’s taking me on a European tour.”

  “I also heard what you said, that you don’t care about the tour.”

  “Of course I do, but I don’t want him to think I’m a gold digger.”

  “I think we’ve already established that if you were a gold digger, you’d be digging in a richer vein.”

  She reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose, as if he were giving her a headache. She was certainly giving him one. Then he noticed something else. “What on earth is that on your hand?”

  Did she actually wince? “My engagement ring.” She certainly sounded defensive.

  He leaned in for a closer look, and she quickly covered it with her other hand.

  “It was his grandmother’s.”

  “I’m sure it was.” Could David really have given her such a hideous ring?

  Before he could decide, Elizabeth looked up at him and tried to smile, although the effort was strained. “Let’s not quarrel, Gideon. I’m trying to save you from compromising your principles by helping this man Thornton, whom you obviously despise. Anna and I are grateful for his role in getting us released from the workhouse, and David feels a need to repay him somehow, but you are under no obligation. If you don’t want to lie, simply tell David the truth and beg off. No one will think less of you.”

  “Why do you care?”

  “What?”

  “Why do you care about my moral dilemmas?”

  “I don’t, but I know you wouldn’t hurt your mother for the world, and if she found out you’d participated in this, she’d be devastated.”

  She was right, of course, but she was also lying. Or at least not telling him the whole truth. Her reasons sounded logical, but he didn’t know why she should even need reasons. Why should she be concerned about him at all? She seemed to want the deal to succeed, but she didn’t want Gideon involved, even though he could probably ensure it. Did she not know that?

  “Maybe you don’t understand that David needs me there to make sure he doesn’t foul things up.”

  “Are you serious?”

  “Perfectly serious.”

  “You can’t mean . . .”

  “I can’t mean what? That David isn’t very bright? Surely you’ve noticed that by now.”

  The color bloomed prettily in her cheeks and anger made her eyes flash. She’d never looked more beautiful. “Are you still trying to convince me not to marry him?”

  “Of course I am.”

  He thought the emotion that flickered across her face was dismay, but he couldn’t be certain. “But why? You said yourself that David is your friend. Don’t you want him to be happy?”

  “Of course I do, but he won’t be happy with you, and you won’t be happy with him, either.”

  “You sound very sure of that.”

  “I am. There’s a fire in you, Elizabeth. You need a man who won’t be consumed by it.”

  “A man like you?” she scoffed.

  He would have reached for her then, but the doorbell jangled, startling them both.

  “That’s Anna,” she said with what sounded like relief, and before he could react, she had darted around him and out into the hall to greet her friend.

  Gideon rubbed a hand over his face and took an unsteady breath. He had almost taken Elizabeth into his arms. He didn’t want to admit what he would have done then, but all of it would have been a betrayal of his oldest friend. What was he thinking?

  He hadn’t been thinking at all, of course. Elizabeth had that effect on him.

  “Hello, Gideon.”

  He looked up to see Anna smiling at him from the parlor doorway. “Hello. Are you dining with us tonight?”

  “Oh no. Elizabeth and I are going out to a . . . a meeting.” She came into the room. “I passed David outside just now. He said you’re going to help him deal with Mr. Thornton.”

  He glanced past her, but Elizabeth was nowhere in sight. “Yes, I am.”

  “That’s very generous of you. I know how you feel about Mr. Thornton.”

  “Yes, well, David is a friend.”

  “But that’s asking a lot, even of a friend, so be sure you charge him a large fee. It’s the least he can do for taking advantage of you.”

  “He’s not taking advantage.”

  “Of course he is. We both know he wouldn’t be able to do this on his own, but we both love him too much to mention it.”

  Gideon blinked a few times to make sure his vision was clear. Was this really Anna Vanderslice? He’d never known her to express an opinion about anything before, much less an insightful one. And now that he noticed, she seemed different somehow. Was she taller? No, that wasn’t possible. Maybe it was the way she held herself. But something had definitely changed. “You’re looking very . . . well this evening,” he said, searching for the right words. “I guess you’ve recovered from your ordeal.”

  “Oh, yes. I wouldn’t want to do it again, but I’m almost glad we got arrested. So many wonderful things came out of it.”

  He could only think of one. “You met Miss Miles.”

  Her smile widened at that. “Yes, I’ve never known anyone quite like her.”

  “Neither have I.”

  Her smile turned puzzled, but before she could question him, Elizabeth swooped into the room. She’d put on her coat and hat and was pulling on her gloves. “I’m ready. Shall we go?”

  “Is Mother going with you?” he asked.

  Both women turned to him, instantly sobered. “No, why would she?” Elizabeth asked.

  “Anna said you were going to a meeting. I naturally assumed it was one of her endless committee meetings.”

  “Oh no,” Anna said with what appeared to be forced cheerfulness. “We’re going to a literary salon.”

  That sounded odd. “I didn’t know you were interested in literature, Miss Miles.”

  “There are many things you don’t know about me, Mr. Bates.”

  That was only too true.

  “It’s mostly to introduce Elizabeth to the right people,” Anna said. “She needs to know all our friends.”

  Of course she does, if she is going to marry David.

  “We should go,” Elizabeth said brightly. “We don’t want to be late.”

  She wouldn’t even meet his eye. Of course not. She was still angry at him for some reason he hadn’t figured out yet, and not because he had insulted her fiancé. In fact, she hadn’t cared about that at all.

  He should probably be heartbroken over the way she treated him, but if she didn’t really care about him, why was she so angry? And so worried about him compromising his principles? And so anxious to keep him away from David’s general?

  He would just have to figure that out.<
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  • • •

  When they were safely away from the house, Elizabeth turned to Anna. “A literary salon?”

  “It was the first thing that popped into my head,” Anna said with a giggle. “I didn’t think I should tell him where we’re really going.”

  “No, you shouldn’t. Have you ever been to a literary salon?”

  “A few times. It’s terribly boring. They just talk about books and argue about what they mean.”

  “Are books supposed to mean something?”

  “Apparently. What was going on with you and Gideon when I came in?”

  “Nothing.”

  Anna made a rude noise. “Don’t tell me that. I could’ve cut the air with a knife. Poor Gideon was practically boiling.”

  “Poor Gideon is trying to ruin our plans.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “David asked him to help with the Thornton deal.”

  “I know. David told me when I passed him on the way over.”

  “But why would he do that?”

  Anna sighed. “Because David is hopeless at business. He’s simply too gentlemanly to drive a hard bargain, and he never seems to know what’s in his own best interest. Gideon has been saving him for years.”

  “Oh.” Elizabeth’s assessment of David had been too correct. He really was a lop-ear. “Well, I don’t think he can ruin this. It sounds like this general is determined to buy Thornton’s rifles. What could go wrong?” Nothing, of course, because the general would make sure of it.

  “I don’t know, but believe me, we want Gideon by David’s side, just to be sure. If something goes wrong, I’m sure Thornton will blame you.”

  Elizabeth was sure he would, too. “I guess there’s no hope for it, then. Gideon is going to be involved.” She would have to get a message to the Old Man and warn him. He would know how to handle Gideon, or at least she hoped he would. She didn’t think grifters did much business with people like him, though. In fact, she hadn’t even known there were people like him. The Old Man always said you can’t cheat an honest man, but it was a joke. Nobody was truly honest, or at least that’s what she’d always thought.

  “Don’t sound so discouraged,” Anna said. “Everything will work out just like we planned. You’ll see.”

  Elizabeth hoped she’d see. At least it wouldn’t be too much longer. A few days or a week maybe, and the game would be over and she’d be on a boat for Cuba. Or maybe Bermuda. If only she could feel excited at the prospect. For some reason, the thought of leaving New York made her want to cry, even though staying in New York put her life in danger.

  “Now tell me what I should expect this evening,” Anna was saying. “I’m so excited to meet Cybil and Zelda’s friends, but I’m terrified, too. They’ll think I’m a hopeless innocent, I’m afraid.”

  “They’ll love it that you’re a hopeless innocent,” Elizabeth said, and proceeded to reassure her until they’d found a cab and traveled to Cybil’s house in Greenwich Village. She didn’t even bother to check to see if Thornton’s goons were following them. She just assumed one of them was lurking in the shadows. He’d see them doing nothing unusual this evening, although he might be a bit shocked by the colorful crowd that gathered at Cybil’s.

  Zelda greeted them both with a hug and a kiss and then promptly took Anna off into the living room to meet some people. Elizabeth saw both male and female professors from Hunter College, where Cybil and Zelda taught, as well as some students and former students. Another woman she recognized as a rather successful novelist. She wore a lacy dress and was smoking a cigar. Maybe Anna would get her literary evening after all.

  She was just about to follow Anna and Zelda when Cybil caught her arm. “He’s upstairs if you want to see him.”

  “Good,” she said with relief. “I was going to have to send him a message.”

  “I told him you’d probably be here tonight, and he decided to take a chance, since nobody would notice one more person coming into the house.”

  “Look after Anna while I’m upstairs, will you?” Elizabeth said.

  “I don’t think that will be necessary.” Cybil nodded to where Anna was shaking hands with the cigar-smoking lady novelist. “I think she’ll be just fine.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  Gideon wasn’t sure why he needed to see David. He just knew he did. Luckily, he didn’t have any scheduled appointments that morning, so he told the good folks at Devoss and Van Aken that he had to go visit a client. It wasn’t a lie.

  He walked the short distance to David’s office, which was a cluster of rooms in a tastefully insignificant building just off Fifth Avenue. No one sat at the front desk. In fact, it was so tidy, Gideon imagined no one had sat at it for a while. None of David’s partners appeared to be in, either. Their office doors stood open to reveal equally tidy and empty desks. Of course, the partners only appeared when there was money to be made, and even then not before noon.

  David’s office door was closed, but Gideon had telephoned, so David was expecting him. Gideon knocked perfunctorily and went in without waiting for permission. To his surprise, he saw David had a visitor. “Excuse me. I didn’t mean to interrupt.”

  “Gideon,” David said with obvious delight. “We’ve been waiting for you.”

  David and his guest had both risen, and Gideon saw he was a tall man who held himself perfectly erect. His expensive suit was severely tailored so it resembled nothing so much as a uniform, and his silver hair was trimmed short and neatly combed. Gideon had an overwhelming urge to salute.

  “General Sterling, may I present Gideon Bates?” David said.

  Gideon shook the general’s hand. In spite of his age, his firm grip was just short of painful.

  “Pleased to meet you, young man. Vanderslice here was just singing your praises.”

  “I’m glad to hear it.”

  The general didn’t smile at that. Instead he studied Gideon with his icy blue eyes as if taking his measure. Or judging his fitness for combat.

  “Please, sit down,” David said after an awkward moment. “I was just telling the general that you’re going to provide legal advice for the transaction, Gideon.”

  Too late to back out now, Gideon supposed. “That’s right.”

  “But Vanderslice is concerned because you’ve got some sort of grudge against this man Thornton,” the general said.

  More than a grudge, but how to explain it? “He was married to a cousin of mine. He treated her badly.” A shocking understatement, but he couldn’t very well accuse a man of murder with no proof beyond his mother’s intuition.

  “But the wife, your cousin, she’s left him now?”

  “No, she’s . . . dead.”

  The general had no reaction to that. None at all. “I see. And you blame him. That’s natural. But I’ll tell you, Bates, this is war. We have to put our personal feelings aside. I’d be willing to do business with the Devil himself if it meant I could get the equipment our boys need to fight the Kaiser.”

  Gideon didn’t doubt it. “I’m sure the army appreciates your dedication.”

  “I don’t give a damn whether the army appreciates it or not. I’m doing this for my country, young man, and because the president asked me to step forward. And because good men will die if I don’t. In any case, you do know that you’ll collect a handsome fee for your time? That’s usually enough to convince most people to ignore their principles.”

  Gideon stiffened. “My principles are not for sale.”

  The general raised his eyebrows. “And nobody wants to buy them, young man. We only need for you to come to terms with them. Now, I need to make contact with this Thornton fellow, and if you object to doing business with him, you can step aside. Nobody will think less of you for it.”

  “I don’t have any objection,” Gideon heard himself say. Surprisingly, it was the truth.<
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  “I’m glad to hear it, Gideon,” David said. “So very glad. Now all we need to do is arrange a time when we can all meet—”

  “You know, you’ve got me thinking, Bates,” the general said, ignoring David. “Maybe I should think twice about doing business with Thornton myself.”

  “Oh no,” David said, sounding almost desperate. “I mean, you said yourself, the Devil and all that. And Thornton isn’t so bad. No worse than a lot of men, at least.”

  “Even still, maybe I should meet him first. Judge for myself.”

  Not a bad idea. Maybe the general would call off the deal himself. “Like David said, we could arrange a meeting,” Gideon said.

  “Not a meeting. Men like Thornton, they know how to act in a meeting. You don’t get the true measure of a man. No, I’d like to see him socially. Could you arrange that, Vanderslice?”

  “Certainly,” David said without bothering to consider.

  “Maybe a dinner at your home. Or do you live in one of those bachelor apartments?”

  “No, no, I live in my family home. With my mother and sister.”

  “Oh, yes. Ladies. That’s even better. A man is always uncomfortable when ladies are present. A little on edge, am I right, Bates?”

  He’d never thought about it, but, “I suppose so, sir.”

  “Yes, yes. On edge and afraid of making a fool of himself, which means he’s almost certain to do it. And, Vanderslice, didn’t you say you’d just got yourself engaged?”

  “Yes, sir, I did. To a lovely young lady who—”

  “Invite her, too. How about you, Bates? Do you have a lady you can invite?”

  “No, sir.” He wasn’t going to bring his mother to this debacle.

  “Too bad. Well, we’ll make do. Four men and three women. That’s not even, and Mrs. Vanderslice will probably complain, but it will have to do. Let’s set it for tomorrow night if you can arrange it, Vanderslice. The next night if not. That all right with you, Bates?”

  “Yes, sir.” A dinner with Elizabeth. This should be interesting.

  “Good.” The general rose again to his impressive height. “I’ll expect to hear from you at my hotel, Vanderslice.” They shook hands across David’s desk. The general turned to Gideon, who had also risen, and offered his hand. “Good to meet you, Bates. I’m expecting you to perform well.”