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“You bought the Nymphenburg Perl Blue teapot.”
“Guilty as charged.”
“I know that one of their luncheon plates is priced at well over two hundred dollars, so this teapot must have cost a fortune.”
Drayton smiled serenely. “And then some.”
The egg clouds came out looking poufy and delicious and Drayton fixed a side salad with sesame seed dressing to go along. Once everything was plated and placed on trays, they carried it into Drayton’s formal dining room and sat down. Or more like reclined, since his French Louis XIV chairs were padded to the max and covered in whisper-soft silk.
“You have a new painting,” Theodosia said. There was a painting of a horseman in a red jacket hanging on the wall where a painting of Charles, the second Earl Grey (former PM of the United Kingdom) had once been.
“No, I just moved things around. Put Lord Grey in the guest bedroom, brought this one down from upstairs so it could hang around for a while. I do that once in a while, mix things up.”
“You are known for your wild spontaneity,” Theodosia observed in a dry tone of voice.
“I know, I know, I can be a bit futsy and set in my ways. Some might even say a stick-in-the-mud. But it suits me.”
“You’ll get no argument from me,” Theodosia said. “And by the way, these egg clouds are delicious.”
“When I have a touch more time I often whip up a mornay sauce to go along.”
“Please let me know when that would be,” Theodosia said.
“Of course,” Drayton said. Then, “What do you think about the police investigating Helene as Morro’s killer?”
“I don’t think Helene was even there when he was killed.”
“But there is the electricity angle,” Drayton said.
Theodosia nodded. “Which is worrisome.”
“And what was your impression of Molly Turner?”
“Are you asking me if I think she could have killed Helene? Or Morro?”
“I suppose I’m veering in that direction. It’s often the quiet ones you have to watch out for.”
“I can’t say I picked up any kind of murderous feelings from Molly. She seemed more lost than anything. Confused.”
“It was nice of you to offer your help,” Drayton said.
“Thanks to your prompting.”
Drayton leaned forward. “Here’s the thing. I thought if we talked to Molly, using business advice as a kind of clever ruse, she might relax and drop her guard. She might even tell us something about Helene that we don’t know—that no one knows—without realizing it’s an important clue.”
Theodosia considered this. “Could happen I guess.”
“So we talk to her?”
“I don’t see why not. I’d also like to cozy up to Carly Brandt.”
“You think she killed Morro?”
“No, but Carly was close enough to him that she might have insider information,” Theodosia said. “She might think it’s nothing but it could be important.”
“Judging by tonight’s fiasco, it seems to me Carly was focused squarely on Joe Adler as the main suspect.”
“That could have been all bluster.”
