Dorothea Hall Mysteries

On the Books

I proceeded to question Mrs. Bunan while writing her answers in a leather bound notebook, which had been a wedding present from Carmella. She knew me well. I write down everything; grocery lists, plans for a picnic, the bills which are due. A fine notebook was the perfect present to start my life with Emory.

I learned Nora worked hard at the laundry all day, taught sewing lessons from seven to nine in the evening, and went promptly to bed at 9:15. Mrs. Bunan had woken up to use the necessary one night at around eleven and had decided to check on Nora. She looked in the girl's room and found the bed empty. Since she was a heavy sleeper, she hadn't heard her daughter leave the house. When I wondered why she didn't just ask Nora where the girl had been, her mother hemmed and hawed and didn't give me an answer.

"If you want me to find out what is going on, you need to be honest with me," I said. "Do you think she's taken a lover? Is she seeing a married man? Does she go gambling at places of ill repute?"

Her face went red. "Of course not. I just don't want her to think I don't trust her."

"If you trusted her, you would be willing to ask her where she's been going, but I will stop haranguing you. If you don't feel comfortable just asking, who am I to scold you? I don't have any children, let alone a grown daughter living in my house. Rest assured, I will discover what she is doing at night."

Once my client had left, Freddy stopped biting her tongue. "I bet she is seeing a married man."

"It's possible. Love often strikes as it will, not as we would wish, but Nora seemed much too sensible to me to be doing something so foolish."

"I guess we'll find out tonight."

"You are not coming with me. You are young and need your sleep. You can help me with the next case."

"Oh come on, Dotty, it's night like I have auditions or anything."

"Don't call me Dotty. I have been left in charge of your education and I say you need your sleep."

Freddy left the room in a huff, but I wasn't going to give into her temper. Whatever Miss Bunan was doing after eleven at night, I wasn't too sure a young lady like Freddy should know what it was. That night I put on a dark gray dress, put my notebook in a leather briefcase which belonged to Emory, and caught a cab to a few blocks from where Mrs. and Miss Bunan lived. I arrived at 10:45 and stood in the shadows across the street. Nora was punctual in her stepping out. She strolled down the street at 11:05 and I followed. We walked away from the residential area to where factories put out the smoke that sometimes covered London. I recognized it as a cotton factory.

A large man stood at the front door. He nodded as Nora passed him into the building. I saw lights on the second floor. There were shadows moving there. The factory was active. It seemed Nora was spending the night working.