Paint the Town Red (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book II)

Next Step

In the morning Imogen received a ring from the solicitor whose services they normally used in the Town Hall. She'd paid for his counsel regarding the contracts that Mr. Angus Guthrie had sent her. It turned out it was all quite legal and transparent. Imogen finished the conversation, hung up, and stared at the pens in a cup on her desk. So it seemed she could now ensure the proper representation for her art - and consequently even consider a change in her career. Imogen threw a glance at the Mayor's office door. It was uncharacteristically closed. Normally Imogen would be granted with the view of the right half of his face, his gaze always on some papers on his desk. Imogen sighed.

And then she remembered his haughty face from the previous evening, and she fished out her mobile from her purse.

"Morning, Ms. Fox!" the archeologist greeted her. "I was just thinking of you and of our lovely investigative project."

"Morning, Petra. How are you feeling?"

"Oh I'm in excellent condition. Hopefully not heading towards poor Sara Bernhardt's fate. I'm still in the mansion. I've been encouraged to return here after my visit to Dr. Fenton's surgery. I have broken my leg after all, can you believe it? That's what I get for dressing up in heels for my date with His Excellency." Petra burst into gleeful laughter. "Would you be able to escape, my dear? Perhaps during your lunch. I'll ask Fellowes to prepare a bite for you. Mind you, I'm not sure how safe it is. She definitely would love to poison me, perhaps you will be murdered simply for associating with me. So, will you come?"

"I'll try," Imogen muttered.

"Oh what you could do is to tell your Oakby that your presence is once again requested at the dig. After all, there are some shady things happening there. He doesn't need to know that this comes from me and not His Excellency."

"You mean, Mr. Oakby Snr?"

"Uh-huh. I initially was going with 'His Right Honourable,' because you see, he's 'always right,'" Petra sing-songed, "but then I decided that His Excellency has a better ring to it. It might be all those horrific romance novels I used to read as an impressionable teen about sultans and their concubines, abducted and locked up in beautiful palaces. Oh just to think of it, my dear, I'm living out my teen fantasy! So, will you come? I'm bored out of my mind, dear. His Excellency is away on some important business of his and I can't rise from the armchair."

Imogen gave it a thought and promised to do what she could.

She knocked at the door of the Mayor's office and came in after his grumpy, "Yes?"

"I'm needed in the manor, Mr. Oakby," Imogen muttered unconvincingly. "It's about Petra– I mean Dr. Nenadovich's dig. There are some issues with it again, and..." She trailed away.

She wasn't lying! She was indeed requested to come, and the rest was just details. As usual, he was writing something in his confident angled handwriting.

"Very good," he said without lifting his eyes.

"I'll be back in no time. You don't have any meetings today, and Mrs. Harris is still in the front room, so if anything she could assist you."

"Very good," the Mayor repeated in the same even tone.

"Good. Good. Well, I'll be... off then."

Imogen was already closing the door when she heard his voice, "Please, be safe."

Imogen pressed her head into her shoulders. So he'd guessed! She felt immediately remorseful for her lies, and even opened her mouth to start meekly apologising, but he didn't raise his head, so she lingered and then with a sigh she backed out of his office and closed the door behind her. To think of it, this had been their first fight - the first proper one when it came to their relationship. They'd had a fight and an almost fall out over that one matter of the official town business - but this time it was all about him being chauvinistic and controlling, and her being stroppy. But he was being chauvinistic and controlling! No wonder she was being stroppy!