Sitting on her loveseat was a woman no older than 21 who was chatting to Dot and sipping a cup of tea. The girl had very fine features which were perfectly framed by a short blonde bob and sparkling green eyes. As she rounded the couch she noticed a very large single diamond engagement ring and a gold wedding band. The girl had on a dark purple dress with several embellishments and an assortment of gold bangles up her right arm with clunked when she moved.
Miss Fisher wondered under what circumstances the young woman came to be sitting in her parlour.
She held out her hand to with a gracious smile.
"Miss Phryne Fisher"
"Mrs Good"
"What can I do for you Mrs Good?"
"Evangeline" the woman's face fell slightly, "It's my husband Miss Fisher."
Phryne could see where this was going. As much as she loved investigating murders, this was generally what she dealt with in her line of work. "I'm not positive, but I think he is having an affair." Dot's sharp intake of breath echoed in the room and Miss Fisher's expression softened as she reached out to take the woman's hand, "Evangeline", she really didn't look much older than Dot, and yet there was something very old about her. Her eyes resinated that she had been through a burden of some sort, a look which Jane occasionally carried.
Mrs Good squeezed the lady detective's hand and gave her an aching smile, trying her best to put on a brave face, "It's okay Miss Fisher, I just want to know."
She had agreed to help and with tears shining in her eyes Evangeline Good told Miss Fisher and Dot all about her wandering husband.
"Tea?"
"Thanks" he picked up the newspaper and sighed, at least it seemed no one had been murdered over night. Although newspapers didn't always get it right.
"Have you heard of the Octopus?" Jack looked up from his newspaper with a scowl.
"No, I didn't think so."
"Mr Green is taking us there tonight to see where all the money has gone."
Jack nodded and returned to his newspaper and accepted the toast which was also placed in front of him by a pair of reluctant hands.
The younger man mistook Jacks frown, as he sat opposite him, "I should be out of your hair in the next week or so." Jack looked up over his newspaper at the man sitting opposite him looking quite flustered, "anyway I must be going, works calling, see you later Jack."
Jack nodded in acceptance of the greeting and finished his tea with a slight frown on his face lost in deep thought.
"Urrrhg, not sure about this new cocktail Henry"
"The secret ingredient is vodka"
"You know I despise vodka"
"So I do, sorry love" she scowled at the man sitting opposite her but continued to sip her drink anyway.
"Dot, you remember Evangeline Good?"
"Yes Miss" Dot wasn't going to forget her in a hurry. She was the same age as Dot, married and well on her way to becoming a lady.
"I have followed her husband for the past three days and nothing." She flopped into Dots bed and Dot put the scarf she was knitting for Hugh into her lap.
"So he isn't cheating?" Dot felt a flush of relief for the Evangeline Good, she didn't even want to imagine what it would feel like to have Hugh cheat on her and they weren't even married.
"Well I don't know about that Dot" There was defiantly something off, but she couldn't put her finger on what it was just yet. "I think he is up to something Dot, but I'm not sure it involves another woman." Dot blushed at this. "I don't think it's anything sexual at all Dot." She bit her lip and a small frown crossed her face, "I just can't put my finger on what exactly he is doing."
They sat in silence as the thought of Mr Good and his secret activities jumbled up their minds. Mr Good it seemed went to work at 8.30 am every morning and was home no later than 6 pm each night. He ate lunch in different venues with different people each day, which, although not unusual, felt very wrong. He looked nervous the whole time he was out and when she had watched him yesterday afternoon he had checked over his shoulder at least 4 times before entering the café, his face was drenched with sweat although only 1 block from his office.
Yesterday she had seen him handing over a large envelope to a man in a dark grey suit before he had left quickly and she had lost him in the bustle. All this considered, she was yet to spot even one woman who wasn't his receptionist paying even the smallest amount of attention to him. He was an average looking man and it appeared to her that his money was his best quality. Which also made her ponder how a woman such as Evangeline had ended up married to him. That however was not her job, her job was to find out if Mr Good was cheating on Evangeline and so far she didn't have a definite answer. She made a mental note to engage with him tomorrow, perhaps he needed a woman to make the first move.
"Why can't everyone's love lives be as beautiful as yours Dot?" She was partly talking about Evangeline and partly about her own love life. She had shut her eyes and pulled Dots pillow from beneath her head and pulled it into a tight hug with a sigh. Dot was slightly startled by the sudden change in the conversation, but decided to put it down to Evangeline's wondering husband.
"I'm not sure Miss." Dot wanted to say that her and Hugh were far from perfect, but she knew Miss Fisher wasn't really listening, she was lost in thought.
"How is Hugh anyway?
"He's wonderful Miss."
"Good Dot," she sat up on the bed crossing her legs and shoving the pillow into her lap, "let's have him over for dinner sometime this week"
"Yes Miss." She spoke carefully, fiddling with the wool in her lap, taking Miss Fishers smile as a good sign, "Maybe we could ask the Inspector too?"
She tilted her dipped and her eyes were wicked, "Secret crush on your fiancés boss?"
Dot was mortified; her eyes were wide as she almost yelled, "No! I just…" She was saved by the stream of laughter pouring from Miss Fisher as her pillow was promptly thrown at her.