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Riss’s mouth dropped open. “I did not seduce Derek Davenport. We barely had a drink together. It has nothing to do with me.” She rubbed her temples. Her head was starting to pound.
“Well, I reckon she should be embarrassed,” Poppy declared. “Breaking into another man’s room in her negligee. It was a stupid thing to do. Don’t you think, Riss?”
Riss stared at Poppy and then glanced at Peter. She didn’t want to be drawn into a conversation about Vanessa. The woman was dead. Badmouthing her now was in bad taste. Badmouthing her anytime wasn’t the nicest thing to do anyway.
“I’m sorry, but did I hear you right?” Davis asked, his southern drawl becoming more pronounced. “Did you say someone broke into Derek Davenport’s room?”
Riss didn’t know what to say.
“Yes,” Poppy immediately confirmed. “Last night, Vanessa LeGris broke into Mr. Davenport’s room wearing nothing but a negligee. Now I’m all for fun, too, but I feel she should’ve at least been invited. It’s in poor taste to go in and lounge on the bed until the occupant of the room shows up.”
Davis and Fisher exchanged looks. Dimon sat down between Riss and Fisher with his coffee cup.
Fisher cleared his throat. “I remember a time when something like that would never happen. Archer is slipping. He really needs to tighten his rein on this sort of thing. Vanessa should know better.”
“Vanessa has always done as Vanessa pleases. You know the French,” Davis drawled. “Still, you are not wrong about Archer.”
Peter piped up, “I don’t know. How is he supposed to stop someone like Vanessa? Most of us would be delighted if we found her in our rooms waiting for us.”
Thankfully, Cash picked that moment to stroll into the dining room. Riss breathed a sigh of relief. She did not want to get drawn any further into a conversation about Vanessa or Archer.
“Good morning,” he said.
A chorus of hellos returned his greeting, and then Fisher started, “I hear Vanessa LeGris broke into another guest’s room last night. Really, Walker, that is entirely unacceptable. What is Archer going to do about it?”
Riss glanced up at Cash and met his gaze. A wicked pulse jumped in his jaw. “People bed hop all the time, Fisher. I believe you know that better than anyone else,” Cash deadpanned.
Fisher’s face flushed and he snapped his jaws shut. Riss almost missed it, but she was pretty sure she caught a bit of a smile on Davis’s face.
“Either way,” Cash continued, “Vanessa is no longer a problem. She is dead. She was killed early this morning in the alley outside of the back garden.”
The whole table stared in silence before erupting with questions.
“Do you know why? Or by whom?” Davis’s voice rose above the rest.
“That’s just awful. What is Venice coming to?” Poppy shook her head and took another bite of her breakfast.
“I suppose the police will be asking questions and traipsing around all day,” Peter groused. He let out a deep sigh and swiped crumbs from his shirt.
“It’s been handled,” Cash stated firmly. “No police.”
“Quite right,” Peter said.
Poppy bobbed her head in agreement.
Riss, on the other hand, was appalled. “What do you mean no police? They need to investigate. They need to find out who did it. Someone needs to be punished for killing Vanessa. I mean…just because she broke into my room and scared the crap out of me doesn’t mean I want to see her murder go unpunished.”
“Broke into your room?” Poppy said and then snuck a quick glance at Peter. Something registered on his face as well, but then he refocused on his plate.
“That’s horrible,” Peter mumbled but kept his head bent.
“You must be new to the Society,” Fisher said as he gave her a once over. It made her skin crawl. “We do not engage the police unless absolutely necessary.”
Cash held up a hand. “We know who killed her and steps are being taken. The police will not be involved.” Cash stared at Riss until she looked away. Apparently, the Society really did make up its own rules. About everything.
She set her mug down on the table. “I think I’ll go to my room.” She stood and hurried from the dining room.
As she headed up the stairs, she met Davenport coming down. He appeared to be on the phone. “I don’t care what he said. I’m telling you it’s all fine.” He walked by Riss without a glance in her direction. As if she didn’t exist. Last night he couldn’t wait to get in her pants and today he didn’t see or acknowledge her. Men. They truly sucked sometimes and not in a good way.
