The Detective Bride

by Sylvia Damsell

  “I’ll do that. When are we going to the jeweller?”

  “After the meal. I’m starving. Coming on a train with a beautiful woman is exhausting work.” He grinned as she screwed her nose at him. “Are you ready to go down?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where’s your gun?”

  “In my bag.”

  “You don’t need one while you’re with me.”

  “I’ll take it, anyway.”

  She still spoke in a French accent, feeling she must until the assignment was completed. Nobody was in the room apart from them but they had to be cautious at all times. They left the room, she locked the door behind them and he put his arm out.

  She slipped her hand through it and rather liked the feel. Which was normal, of course, because he was a man and being treated like a lady was nice. He held her hand firmly against him and that was even better.

  But she had come to do a job and she certainly wasn’t going to be soppy over a man, even as good looking a one as Noah. He wasn’t married, he had told her when she asked, but some lady would snap him up one day. It was inevitable with his looks and there were plenty of young ladies in New York who would be looking out for a husband.

  But they would be ladies who didn’t want the kind of career Susannah wanted and she wasn’t going to marry for years. They walked down the stairs and made their way to the dining room. As they reached it a suave looking middle aged man virtually skidded to meet them. He bowed in front of them and took Susannah’s hand to kiss the back of it.

  “I am sorry I wasn’t here when you arrived,” he said. “Welcome to our country Madame Noir.”

  Really Mademoiselle, Susannah thought. Out loud she said, “Merci, Monsieur.”

  “We are honoured to have you staying with us and I am looking forward to hearing you sing. I and my family have seats very near the front.”

  “I will be sure to look out for you,” Susannah said.

  “Thank you. Let me show you to your table.”

  Was this how royalty was treated, she thought. It certainly was nice because normally nobody noticed her. They sat at the table and the manager clicked his fingers at one of the waiters who ran over with two menus.

  “Enjoy your meals,” the manager said. “I can recommend the duck. It is delicious and there is also an hors d’oeuvre of snails.”

  Duck? They were too cute to eat. Snails? The thought made her feel a bit nauseous. She smiled, he walked away and the waiter hovered.

  “Ducks and snails?” Noah asked, smiling a bit too widely for her liking.

  “Omelette, mushrooms, tomatoes with fried potato. An hors d’oeuvre of avocado and prawns.” She looked up to smile at the waiter. “Merci, monsieur.”

  He looked pleased. “Duck for me,” Noah said. “And I’ll try the snails.”

  “You’re cruel,” Susannah said after the waiter moved away.

  “Don’t you eat meat?”

  “Yes, but not ducks. It’s murder.”

  “They’re no cuter than chickens. Do you eat lamb?”

  “I don’t want to talk about it. This place really is luxurious, isn’t it?”

  “And no doubt costs a fortune but the jeweller must consider it worth it because he has to pay.”

  “Yes. How much did the heist put them back?”

  “Quite a few thousand dollars. Could have gone into millions. The most important thing that was stolen was a diamond ring worth a fortune.”

  “This is a very complicated way of finding out who did it,” Susannah said.

  “Clark enjoys doing things with style but in this instance maybe it’s necessary because only you can get near to the suspects.”

  “Why are they suspects?”

  “They were seen nearby at the time by a witness who felt he saw something suspicious. He described the guitarist in the orchestra and Hank had been in Princeton doing a private performance. We have been keeping an eye on him since but he has done nothing suspicious so we can’t pin anything on him.”

  “And what if the theory that he did it is wrong? An awful lot of money will have been wasted.”

  “I don’t think it is wrong and nor does Clark. Only time will tell.”

  “I could have been just a cleaner in the theatre and nosed around.”

  “You can be there for longer periods in your capacity as singer because there will be practises and you will be there in the evenings. You will also be able to get to know Hank a bit, which a cleaner couldn’t.”

  Susannah looked at Noah pensively. “There is that. We’ve got a practise tomorrow morning.”

  “Yes, I know, and you will meet Hank then. Don’t go overboard though. You don’t want to become too friendly with him.”

  “Isn’t that what’s required, friendliness?”

  “If he’s a thief he could be dangerous and there is probably an accomplice. There usually is in such instances.”

  “I’ll be careful. Look, our food. That was quick.”

  “Which means they didn’t go out to shoot a duck and grab a few snails.”

  Noah looked at the plate of snails and Susannah was sure she saw him flinch. The waiter moved away and Susannah couldn’t resist smiling as he looked a bit helplessly at his plate.

  “That little implement is to scoop out the snail,” she said.

  He scooped, took a bite and heaved a bit. She waved to the waiter.

  “Could you bring another plate of avocado and prawns and remove the snails?”

  “Certainly, ma’am.”

  He moved away. “I can eat them,” Noah said a bit defensively.

  “You don’t have to prove anything to me.” She took a spoonful of prawns. “Now that is nice. At least enjoy your food.”

  The waiter laid another plate on the table and Noah bent his head. “Shall I say the blessing?” he asked.

  “Yes, of course. Sorry.”

  “That’s alright. Dear Heavenly Father. We thank Thee for the food and for everything You give us. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.”

  “Amen.” She certainly hadn’t expected that of him, she thought, but it was rather nice. Surely a man who thanked God must be a good man. They both continued to eat and he obviously enjoyed the avocado and prawns as he tucked into it. Afterwards the second course arrived and he looked at Susannah before putting a mouthful of duck in his mouth.

  “Don’t you dare say something to put me off.”

  “As if I would. Just forget that a mother is probably missing one of her ducklings.”

  “Just like a sheep misses it’s baby when it’s taken away to put on your plate.”

  “I don’t have lamb. I have chicken’s eggs and not even the chicken.”

  “So you don’t eat animals.”

  She smiled. “I do actually. Just ignore me.”

  “That would be hard to do when you’re so beautiful and when you have such a lovely accent.”

  “Are French women more beautiful than American ones?”

  “It depends on the lady. This one is outstanding.”

  “Thank you. You’re not so bad yourself. Were you born in New York?”

  She enjoyed talking to him, she found, and she certainly felt safer with him around, particularly when they made their way to the jeweller. She didn’t have to be nervous there, she knew, but what if Hank saw them and had any suspicions concerning their presence in Princeton? They spent some time over choosing a necklace for Susannah, and Noah managed to turn the conversation to the robbery without letting the owner know who he was.

  The account of it was descriptive and the man had left behind something, the jeweller said. “What was that?” Noah asked.

  The man reached under his desk. “It’s a cuff link.”

  Noah looked at it. “I wonder if he realised he’d left it.”

  “I don’t know. It is worth quite a lot. If he has realised he left it he may come back looking for it. If he does we have employed someone to watch the shop all night which will mean we will catch him.”


  Susannah shivered as obviously as she could. “That is dreadful for you, monsieur,” she said. “I do hope the burglars are appre....” She paused. “Appre....”

  “Apprehended?” the jeweller suggested.

  “Yes, apprehended. I am sorry. I sometimes stumble over words.”

  “That is understandable. If I visited your country I would be at a total loss.” He fetched a little box to place the bracelet in. “You have good taste.”

  “It is not for me,” she said. “It is for his lady friend. I said I would assist him to choose it.”

  “You chose well and I am looking forward to being at the concert. We have front seats.”

  “I will look out for you,” she said.

  “You’re going to have a few people to look out for,” Noah said after they left the shop. “Why did you say it was for a lady friend of mine?”

  “Because he might come to find out who you are. We have to be careful of everything we do.”

  “Good thinking. The bracelet is for you.”

  She shook her head. “I don’t want it. Tell Clark to return it after we’ve apprehended the thieves.”

  “I thought all ladies liked this sort of thing.”

  “I like it alright but I don’t want it. Now show me a bit of Princeton before it gets dark and we’d better have an early night. Tomorrow is going to be busy.”

  But Susannah did not sleep a lot once she got to bed and was very conscious of the slightly open door between her and Noah. She trusted him completely though she wasn’t sure why. She didn’t even know him. Did he snore? Was he conscious of her? What would tomorrow hold and how was she going to find out if Hank was indeed the thief?

  Really she ought to be checking the jeweller, not sleeping, she thought after a while. Noah should be doing the same but he hadn’t said anything. She got out of bed, went to the wardrobe where her clothes were hung and took out a pair of Jason’s pants.

  She dressed quietly, moved towards the door and opened it quietly. Stepping out she jumped when Noah walked forward.

  “Where are you going?” he asked.

  “Nowhere.”

  “You’re not a very convincing man. You’re too beautiful and shapely.”

  “I’m convincing. Why are you up?”

  “Because I don’t trust you and also because I intend to check the jeweller. If Hank left a cuff link behind he might go back there to look for it.”

  “That’s what I thought.”

  “I will go and keep watch.”

  “I’m coming.”

  “You’ll hold me up.”

  “I’m coming.”

  Noah sighed. “Come on then. We’ll go down the fire escape.”

  It was really quite exciting, Susannah thought as they went quietly down the iron steps and made their way to the jewellers, but she had to admit she was glad Noah was with her. He led her down back streets and they managed to find an open porch which had a bit of it covering not far from the shop and with a good view.

  Susannah looked at her watch. It was dark but she had got used to the dimness and could just make out the time. One in the morning and Hank could have been or else he wouldn’t come tonight. They could see the man who was watching the jeweller and who wasn’t being very subtle about it, which meant that Hank would have seen him too.

  It was an hour before anyone came and by this time the person keeping watch had slid down and his head was nodding. He was half hidden in another porch but not totally. Noah pulled Susannah close and she could feel the heat of his body as he put his arms round her and drew her back against him. It really was a bit too close for comfort, she felt, though it also felt wonderful. Why wonderful, she wasn’t sure, but the sensations she was experiencing were ones she had never experienced before. His chin rested on the top of her head while they watched.

  Two men tiptoed down the road but she had not seen Hank therefore didn’t know if it was him. One of them walked over to the sleeping man, put a cloth over his mouth and he slumped more than he already was. The other man ran to the jeweller, inserted a key in the door and opened it.

  He was looking for the cuff link, Susannah felt sure, or was he here to take more jewellery? Whatever the reason for his presence she must see his face.

  He was out within minutes and closed the door quietly behind himself. Susannah squeezed Noah’s hands and looked back and up.

  “Can’t we catch him now?”

  “Too risky and it might not be the original thief. Ssh.”

  She looked back at the man as he walked over to the one who was kneeling next to the guard. A little taller than her though not a lot. He wore a hat which was pulled down over his face and a jacket which was a bit longer than the one Noah had on.

  The other man stood and he was taller. Feet size, Susannah thought, and the shorter man’s should be shorter than the other one. But they seemed to be the same and they were a bit wider. She looked down briefly at Noah’s shoes and estimated the length and width.

  Now for his shoulders. Not as wide as Noah’s but that was to be expected. She mentally calculated how he would look if he stood in front of Noah. He took off one of his gloves and his watch glinted in the bit of moonlight which was not full but also not a long way from being so. Silver with a matching strap and his shoes were a bit pointed. He was obviously a relatively fashionable man, which could denote vanity because surely one wouldn’t be so fussy on a robbery.

  The men walked away and Susannah didn’t want to move from Noah. His arms round her were comfortable and becoming increasingly pleasant. His face on her head was the same. But it wasn’t necessary for him to hold her like this any longer and if someone passed they might wonder why two men were holding each other in this way.

  However, it was better to make sure the men had really gone so she would stay where she was and Noah didn’t seem to be in a hurry to let her go. They stood where they were for fifteen minutes before he removed his arms.

  “I think they’ve gone,” he said.

  “Yes.”

  “Are you alright?”

  “Yes, thank you.”

  “Let’s go then. We’ll take a different route to the one we came on but I know the streets well.”

  “I’ll follow you.”

  Once again it consisted of going down some back alleys but that made her feel a bit safer. He sent her up the fire escape before he started up them and it was with great relief that she finally reached her room.

  He followed her into it and shut the door behind him. “Are you alright?” he asked.

  “Yes, thank you, and you?”

  “Fine but I couldn’t see his face.”

  “There are other ways of distinguishing a person than faces. If it was Hank I think I would recognise him.”

  “Good. Now go to bed or you’re going to be exhausted.”

  She looked at her watch. Three in the morning and she should be up by eight at least to be ready for the practise at ten. “So will you,” she said.

  “I’ll leave the door between us open an inch or so. I’m sure we weren’t seen but it’s better to be cautious. Goodnight, Susannah.”

  “Goodnight, Noah.”

  “I’ll wake you in the morning if you oversleep.”

  “I won’t.”

  “Goodnight then.”

  “Goodnight.”

  He went and she pulled off her clothes and pulled on her nightdress. It would be nice to feel his arms round her when she went to sleep, she thought, and immediately felt guilty. Of course it wouldn’t and that wasn’t an appropriate thought. She slid down the bed, shut her eyes and thought she would never sleep.

  But the lateness of the hour overtook her and it wasn’t long before she drifted into oblivion.

  Chapter 3

  “You can’t come to the practise,” Susannah said over breakfast.

  Noah looked at her briefly. “Why not?”

  “It’s not a good idea. What you can do is see me in and ask when I’ll be finished so you can
collect me.”

  “I don’t like leaving you alone.”

  “I won’t be alone. There will be a lot of people around. I’m not going to challenge Hank or anything, just establish if he was the man from last night. We need more proof because really we don’t have any. What we do need to know is if anything else was stolen last night and if the cuff link was found. However, I don’t think we should go back to the jeweller. Is there any other way you can find out?”

  “I’ll think of something. What we do need to do is keep an eye on Hank. See if you can find out what hotel he’s staying in tonight.”

  “I first have to establish if the man was him.”

  “How will you do that? We didn’t see his face.”

  “There are other ways of distinguishing who a person is, as I said last night. Are you tired?”

  “No. Are you?”

  “I’m full of energy though I felt a bit sluggish when I first woke. The practise is for about two hours. It could be longer because we have a lot to get through. They may continue into the afternoon. Do you think Hank still has the jewellery? He might have got rid of it already.”

  “The fact that he went back to the shop denotes that he’s got more on his mind. What I can’t understand is why he has a key. Maybe someone in the jeweller is involved. There were other staff there.”

  “I wondered that. At least he’ll be occupied for probably most of the day and then there’s the concert this evening. Tomorrow we’re all going together on the train to New York.”

  “Yes.”

  “But we need to keep an eye on him overnight.”

  “I’ll do that,” Noah said.

  “And how will you do that?”

  “I have my ways.”

  “And I’m not letting you out of my sight. Shall we remember that I’m the detective?”

  His expression was what she termed soft though she had to be wrong there. He probably disapproved of women in what was termed traditionally masculine jobs, in the way many people did.

  “Yes, ma’am,” he said.

  Were all men adorable? He certainly seemed to be though, of course, he wasn’t. He was just playing up to her. They finished their breakfast and it was a rush to get to the practise in time.