A/N: Hi everyone. I'm so sorry for the delay in updating, it's been a bit of a difficult week. After reviewing my plans for this chapter and the ones that follow it, I decided to make the previous chapter into a single chapter, and turn this one into the two-part piece. I think it works better and it allows me to explore the mystery itself in more depth and detail. I know these chapters are long, especially the case fic ones, and I know some of you have kindly assured me you don't mind the longer chapters, but please do tell me if they become too unbearable. This is the first part of this chapter, and the second will be uploaded tomorrow. As always, if you have any questions or concerns please do not hesitate to let me know. As promised, Aunt P will find out about the baby in Chapter 42. Again, thank you so much for your patience with this story, and with my uploads, I'm really grateful. I'm sorry if the wait has been frustrating, I'm quite methodical with my writing, which often means it can take a while, so I'm sorry.
Have a lovely weekend, and thank you again for your patience.
Love,
HQ21
The night was dark and the streets dimly lit, as Phryne drove through St Kilda and into the city, towards the location of one of the newest and most exclusive gentleman's clubs in Melbourne; one which she had hoped to visit, though she had not envisaged it being in such circumstances. Although the night was a warm one, a pleasant cool breeze drifted over Phryne, ensuring that her weary eyes did not drift closed. Despite the fact that Phryne was experiencing the familiar rush of adrenaline and heightened sense of alertness she always encountered when suddenly embroiled in a mystery, she was acutely aware of a persistent feeling of tiredness which was present within her, which she had only experienced in recent months, but by now felt only too familiar. Her head ached, her eyes were a little sore and the seats of the Hispano seemed even more comfortable than usual. Phryne opened her eyes wider and blinked several times, before making a right turn and heading into the street which housed the resplendent establishment in question, sitting up straight and shaking her head slightly as she attempted to encourage her body to desist in its attempts to draw her back into slumber. As Phryne tried to ignore her persistent tiredness, she reminded herself that the matter she was called here upon was probably a minor even which had the potential to lead to scandal, something often referred to as a 'delicate domestic matter'. It was possible that she would meet the Miss Cassidy, discuss the matter, offer her counsel, and be out of the establishment within the hour. Satisfied with her answer, and finding herself feeling strangely relieved by it, Phryne pulled up opposite the building, checking her watch quickly and finding that it was currently half-past twelve, before looking up at the building.
The building was large and decadent, painted white, with two tall white pillars adorned with vines. There were two large windows at the front of the building, which ensured that the view inside was protected from curious glances by shrouding the inside of the window in a thick curtain, which only just allowed the silhouettes of those inside to be viewed. To the left and right of each window was a tall, dark candlestick holder on which burned a bright candle, lighting the centre of the Palace of Eros in a warm, inviting yellow glow. At both ends of the building were large stone statues which, even from her distance, Phryne identified immediately as Eros; standing confidently with his quiver and bow, his magnificent wings on display, as he stared ahead into the night, as if challenging people to enter. Phryne cast her glance to the centre of the building, and noticed that directly in between the two windows was a large dark wooden door with wrought iron fastenings, which was guarded by two very attractive looking men who were (to Phryne's delight) both leather-clad and shirtless. Even from her distance across the street, some twenty feet away, Phryne could see that the men were tanned, dark-haired, and devilishly handsome. They were topless, revealing their strong muscles and taut chests, the only clothing upon them being material of dark leather which was arranged (to Phryne's disappoint) around their groins, covering them from their hips to their knees. They wore traditional Greek sandals, gold headpieces, and a thick belt across the top of the leather. Phryne smiled in the darkness, placed her hand upon the handle of her car door, and opened it slowly. Suddenly, she was feeling considerably more awake.
Jack lay back against the pillows and looked up at the ceiling for several minutes as he processed the conversation he had had with Phryne, followed by her hasty departure. Whilst Jack accepted and admired Phryne's passion for her work, and her willingness to assist anyone in need of help, he found that he had been struggling with it as of late. He'd once told her that he would never ask her to change, that he'd never expect her to, and he'd meant every word; after fearing he had lost this reckless, beautiful, inspiring woman, he had realised how deeply he cared for her, and how painful the concept of living without her would be. It was something his mind shied away from even now. Especially now. Despite his fears for her safety and his wariness of her recklessness, he accepted that it was part of who she was, and as he had told her that night, he would never ask her to give it up. That misheard message was burned into his memory, as clear as the first time he had heard it, and sometimes it seemed to clear and so pronounced that he had to remind himself that it wasn't real. But despite it, despite everything, he meant it when he told her he would never ask her to change; a resolution which he considered to be an indicator of both strength and weakness. Did loving her too much to try and change her mean he didn't love her enough to protect her? Jack had faced this question many times over the years he had known Phryne, and although he generally believed that he was doing the right thing by affording her the respect and acceptance she deserved, sometimes he would find himself questioning it. He questioned it during the incident with Foyle, when the act of locking her in that cell plagued him for weeks. He questioned it again when he thought she had almost died, when his mind tore itself to pieces at the unbearable, torturous thoughts that tormented him for days. And he questioned it now.
Despite the fact that Jack often cautioned Phryne about the dangers she was exposed to - such as those posed by Murdoch Foyle, or the Captain during their investigation into the missing girls, or by the Camorra during their investigation into Nona Louisa's death – he had never acted in a way he considered to be unjust or oppressive towards her, despite frequently finding his desires to protect her overriding his reason. Over the years he had always managed to protect her without earning a genuine rebuke from her, or a criticism of his lack of belief or trust in her, and he had prided himself on being able to work alongside her, whilst doing everything he could to protect her, without her feeling as though he were doubting her own abilities, which he didn't, not at all. Whenever Jack considered Phryne's character one of the predominant elements of it was her ability to adapt, to overcome the tragic and dangerous elements of her life, to protect herself (sometimes despite her best efforts to the contrary). Jack knew her skills were vast and her mind brilliant, and her ability to think quickly under pressure was as natural to her as breathing was, and it was a skill she had developed throughout her life, and he trusted it as he trusted her. But despite Phryne's impressive skills and abilities she was not, Jack was forced to remind himself, infallible. He had realised it several times over the years, where her near brushes with death forced him to acknowledge that despite her almost ethereal existence, Phryne was mortal. A fact which, as he had discovered in recent months, her current condition forced him to face.
Although Jack was genuinely happy about Phryne's pregnancy, and the prospect of another person sharing even the tiniest piece of her walking the earth, it was also something which caused him to feel overwhelmed by fear. As Phryne had expressed herself, Jack also had concerns over his own ability to be a parent, to take care of Phryne (despite how she would protest at the idea) and their child, and to give them the lives they deserved, ones that would make them happy. But after being a Police officer for over twenty years, Jack had seen the worst elements of humanity, the terrible things people would do to each other, the unspeakable cruelty that people were capable of. And this, combined with his awareness of his own inadequacies, made the prospect of raising a child terrifying. But there was something he feared more, a prospect that seemed both possible and imminent, and which caused him to feel sick to his stomach and so frightened that he could barely breathe.
He was terrified of losing Phryne.
The idea of anything happening to her, the prospect of living in a world without her in it, was unthinkable. And so, despite his fears and his wariness of the dangers both their job and the pregnancy posed to her, he had tried not to think about it at all. Which he realised shortly after she told him about the baby, was impossible. When he was with her, when he could see her walking, or smiling, or talking, he felt reassured. And when he was with her, and could see that she was alright, he felt like he could breathe again. When he had placed his hand upon her swollen stomach, a sensation he could still feel upon his palm when he thought about it, he felt both terrified and exhilarated. Somehow, as he felt her rounded stomach, the strength of her body which was protecting their child, he was able to distance himself from acknowledgement of the link between her pregnancy and the dangers it posed to not only her, but their baby also. But this was only for a moment. Over the past couple of months he had attempted to remedy this by encouraging her to rest, to eat, to talk to him or to Mac about anything, everything, she was afraid of. And he found, with relief, that he had been able to assist her in this way over the past couple of months, and had been able to assist and support her in both their private and personal lives. Until now.
When he saw Phryne come back into the bedroom, her eyes alight and her expression keen, as she quickly headed towards her wardrobe to dress for a mysterious case in the middle of the night, his resolve to never ask her to change almost shattered completely. In truth, it had taken everything Jack had not to rise from the bed and stand tall before her, and implore her to remain home where it was safe for her and the baby, beg her if he had to. But he couldn't. Wouldn't. And as Jack lay back against the pillows and considered his omission, he found himself questioning once more whether his approach was one of strength or weakness. And this time, more than any time before, he found that he was questioning himself completely.
As Jack considered this, he found himself suddenly overwhelmed by a sickening heat, as his whole being was consumed by guilt and apprehension. Jack swallowed hard and sat up quickly in bed, pushing the covers aside and standing up quickly, before walking towards his wardrobe and removing his dark blue robe, wrapping it around himself and walking towards the bedroom door. Jack opened the door and walked towards the staircase, quietly making his way downstairs in the dark house, which was lit only by pale moonlight which shone through the coloured glass of the front door, casting thin strobes of light upon the tiled ground. Jack felt the cold tiles beneath his bare feet, which somehow added to his own rising discomfort, as he turned right and walked through the dining room and towards the kitchen.
When Mr Butler appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later after having heard sounds of movement from downstairs, he was not surprised to find himself in the same room as the Inspector, who was standing by the kitchen counter, brewing himself a pot of Miss Fisher's – Mrs Robinson's – famously strong Hellenic coffee. Mr Butler stood in the entrance of the kitchen in similar attire to the inspector, pyjamas and a comfortable robe, watching the man before him with a look of understanding. He had heard the front door closing and the familiar sound of the Hispano being started. He didn't wonder the inspector couldn't sleep; a matter, he correctly deduced, which was becoming increasingly more frequent.
"Is everything alright, Sir?" Mr Butler asked politely, prompting the inspector to turn towards him. He appeared confident and formal even in his casual nightwear and slightly dishevelled hair, and his eyes which were slightly red with sleep met Mr Butler's with that familiarly attentive and intelligent look.
"Fine, thank you Mr Butler" Jack replied politely, putting the coffee pot down after having poured himself a cup. "I hope I didn't wake you" he added politely, as his fingers rested upon the freshly poured cup of coffee. He suspected that the steam rising from the cup alone could raise the dead.
"No, Sir" Mr Butler replied honestly. "Though I fear I did not extend you and Mr Robinson the same courtesy" he gently added. Jack's expression softened.
"New cases can begin at the most unsociable of hours" Jack replied, picking up the coffee cup and turning towards Mr Butler, "especially when Phryne is involved." Mr Butler smiled gently and nodded.
"I take it that the matter in question was of some delicacy" Mr Butler replied.
"Indeed" Jack agreed. "So delicate, in fact, as to prohibit the involvement of the Police" he added. "Which is hardly surprising, given the location." Mr Butler nodded in agreement.
"It doesn't make it any easier though, does it?" Mr Butler stated kindly. Jack met his gaze and took a deep, revitalising mouthful of the coffee which, as he suspected, began to take immediate effect.
"No" he admitted, lowering the cup and placing it back on the counter, which he turned towards. "No, it doesn't" he added candidly. Mr Butler considered the inspector for a few moments before replying.
"She'll be alright, inspector" Mr Butler said kindly, pushing aside his own reservations of that fact for a moment in an attempt to assist the inspector. "Miss Fisher always is" he added, before quickly realising his error. "Forgive me, Mrs Robinson-"
"It's alright, Mr Butler" Jack said gently as he turned back towards him. "Phryne will always be Miss Fisher" he stated with conviction. "And I wouldn't have it any other way" he added. A small smile played on Mr Butler's lips and he nodded in response.
"Is there anything I can assist you with, Sir?" Mr Butler asked politely. Jack shook his head.
"No, thank you" Jack responded politely. Although he was used to having the command of many officers, Jack still found the concept of being attended on by Mr Butler very strange. It took a while for him to get used to him just taking his coat and preparing food and drinks for him. Not to mention the incident with the blue silk pyjamas…
"Very good, Sir" Mr Butler responded, his soothing voice drawing Jack instantly from his thoughts. "I'll be in my room should you require anything" he said gently. Jack nodded.
"Thank you" he said quietly. Mr Butler smiled gently in response.
"Goodnight, Sir" Mr Butler stated.
"Goodnight" Jack replied, as Mr Butler turned on the spot and walked out of the kitchen.
Jack inhaled deeply, closing his eyes for a brief moment, before turning back towards the coffee cup and raising it to his lips, drinking the remainder of the liquid in a single, long sip. Jack cleared his throat as the hot liquid burned his mouth, and seemed to proceed directly into his veins, turning his blood into volts of lightening. Jack poured himself another cup and drank it too, before carrying the empty cup and half-filled coffee pot into the parlour.
Jack placed the coffee pot and cup onto the table, before making his way towards the mantelpiece, drawing the painting away from the wall to reveal the safe. Jack entered the code and opened it, before reaching inside and removing the Salvatore files, the sensitive nature of which meant that they needed to be both hidden and secure. Phryne had volunteered her safe, and the combination, for the purpose. Jack closed the safe and locked it once more, before placing the picture back in front of it and walking towards his father's armchair. Jack poured himself another cup of coffee and held it in his free hand as he opened the first of the three files, his eyes drifting over the familiar contents once more. As he reached the end of the first page Jack looked up towards the clock on the mantel, which revealed the time to be quarter-to-one. As he made a note of this, Jack considered that Phryne would almost be at the club by now; though given her driving, it was likely she had already arrived. Jack released a slow breath and reached for his coffee, drinking another half cupful, before returning his attention back towards the heavy files reposed in his lap. He hoped that Phryne's case would be much more trivial and significantly less dangerous than this one.
As Jack began to peruse the first of the Salvatore files in the comfort of the parlour, Phryne opened the door of her Hispano and stepped out onto the street, closing the door behind her with a dull sound which echoed into the night. She drew her black jacket around her and adjusted her black cloche with a black and dark blue applique, as she walked across the road and towards the brightly lit Palace of Eros, which was lit with bright orange flames that called to her like a beacon.
As Phryne reached the bottom of the stone steps which led up to the building she noticed, with both admiration and amazement, that the 'Palace of Eros' truly did live up to its name. The stairs and ground were of white stone, which was inlaid with small tiles of light blue, pale green and white, creating a mosaic effect which was superb. As Phryne ascended the stairs leading to the entrance of the palace (and, to her satisfaction, to the guards), Phryne cast her glance appreciatively along the building, her new closeness to it permitting her a closer view of the majestic statues of Eros, as the silhouettes beside the (apparently red) curtains continued to move, and the sound of music and chatter flooded from the building The candles burned brightly in the dark night sky, casting shadows across Phryne's face as she reached the top of the stairs and approached the guards, whose attire she considered once more, her eyes travelling down their bodies and then up to their faces, meeting their gaze as she stopped before them. As the guards looked back at her with the same expression, she found herself wondering whether Miss Cassidy had made them aware of her invitation. Her question was answered less than a moment later, before she had a chance to utter a single word.
"Are you the Honourable Phryne Robinson, Lady Detective?" asked the taller of the guards, who stepped closer to her. Phryne, whose attentions had quickly drifted from the guard's oiled and waxed chest towards the gun concealed amongst his leathers, was immediately struck by the low edge to his voice, as he uttered his question quickly and urgency, and appeared worried of being overheard. As she looked into the eyes of the guard before her, she found herself wondering whether this was perhaps not merely a matter of helping to prevent a scandal that she had initially assumed it would be. Phryne adopted a sombre expression and nodded immediately.
"Yes, I am" Phryne replied gently, her eyes drifting from the guard's to the door behind her. "Miss Cassidy is expecting me" she explained. The guard nodded gravely in response and looked towards his companion, who took a few steps towards them.
"We've been instructed to take you directly to Miss Cassidy" the guard explained, his voice still low, his manner slightly hesitant. After he did not continue to speak, Phryne simply nodded in understanding.
"Of course" she responded gently, as the guards turned around to face the door, and led her into the building, as their positions were taken by two other guards who had been waiting on the other side of the door.
As Phryne was led into the wide corridor of the Palace of Eros, she cast her attentions around the foyer, taking in her surroundings in amazement and awe. The Palace was, as the name suggested, truly magnificent. The walls were white stone, the floor was marble, the ceiling high, the tall walls divided at intervals by open doorways and stone pillars wreathed in artificial ivy and red roses. The palace was decorated predominantly in white, gold, bronze and red, which were colours featured throughout. There were paintings of scenes and notable figures from ancient Greece adorning the walls. Classic pieces of furniture were against the walls, the pieces representing the original articles but with modern innovations; the pieces included chairs, tables and chaise lounges were made from the traditional wood which were upholstered in white. The small tables which were against the walls beheld artefacts from the ancient world, including vases, jugs, ornaments, coins and jewellery. Phryne even made note of a collection of arrows and swords which were displayed in both cabinets and on the wall. Tall candle-holders were arranged at intervals beside the walls, with smaller candles placed on some of the smaller tables, bathing the entrance in a warm yellow glow which burned brightly. The corridor was vast, leading a staircase at the far back, which was adorned with ivy and flowers. As Phryne walked across the corridor several members of staff passed her, from the muscular and well-oiled guardians of the Palace to attractive women draped in silk of different colours and lengths. Phryne considered the five or six women she saw with interest, noting how each woman wore a different colour of silk, which covered different degrees (and parts) of her body; some of the women were dressed in a modest yet alluring manner, and some were so scantily clad that Phryne found herself feeling almost slightly surprised. Their hair was arranged in the traditional manner, their make-up accentuating of their features, particularly their eyes, their expressions were calm and their eyes alert and attentive. They all wore the most beautiful jewellery, necklaces and bracelets and rings of silver and gold; some were plain, some intricately designed, others inlaid with precious stones. Some of the women carried cocktail glasses, trays, or traditional serving jugs made from the traditional orange-brown clay. Some of the women were escorted by patrons of the establishment who, even such an outre atmosphere and despite the scandal their presence would cause to befall them, appeared perfectly calm and content. Whilst their desires were clear in their eyes, the women who escorted them were confident and assured, and it was clear that they were in control. Phryne smiled gently upon each of them as they passed each other in the corridor, admiring each of the women aesthetically and intellectually. They were truly magnificent. What a place, Phryne thought with admiration, as she continued to consider the palace.
To Phryne's left and right were open doors leading into the main reception rooms of the Palace, from whence the sound of chatter, laughter and music emerged. The Palace smelled of alcohol, perfume, incense and sex. And it was intoxicating. Phryne felt her heart beat faster in her chest and her breathing deepen, as that familiar tingling sensation quickly overcame her and she found herself completely overcome with the scene. As Phryne walked further down the corridor, casting furtive glances into the rooms she passed, a group of young men emerged from the second door on the right, and almost walked right into her. They paused quickly, stumbling somewhat as they sought to steady themselves, which Phryne surmised was due to a combination of surprise and alcohol. Based on the men's ages, appearance and manner of attire, Phryne deduced that they were students from the university, who had escaped their books for an evening of pleasure at this decadent palace; which, based on the flush to their cheeks, the dishevelled nature of their hair and the uncharacteristic creasing to their clothing, they appeared to have achieved. Phryne smiled politely and carried on walking as the men gazed at her appraisingly, their eyes which had been heavy with recently-sated lust now following her as she walked, stirring their appetites once more. Phryne suppressed a smile and mentally shook herself, reminding herself that she was working on a case, and did not have time for such distractions.
As Phryne followed the guards past the doors and towards the bottom of the staircase, she found that the corridor did not end there, but separated into two other corridors, to both the left and right. As she considered this, her attention was drawn to a large door to the far right, in front of which was stood two guards, who wore dark leather like the others, but were also adorned with red silk, setting them apart from the others. The door was larger than the others and firmly closed. How interesting, Phryne mused, making a mental note to ask Miss Cassidy about the room, despite already feeling quite confident that she knew its purpose. As she walked, she felt eyes of approval from both patrons and hostesses (was that the correct term?), and caught the lustful glances of male patrons as she passed them. Some of the men, she noticed, got very close to her as they walked, their eyes surveying her with interest as the passed, attempting to catch her glance, which she evaded, feeling their eyes upon her as she passed them. And so, based upon her reception from some of the male patrons, Phryne was not entirely surprised when, upon reaching the bottom of the staircase, she felt unfamiliar hands caressing her back, and drifting far too low. Phryne stopped immediately and was about to turn and politely rebut this overly-amorous and possibly inebriated patron, but before she had the opportunity she felt his hands drift from her back to her side, travelling slowly towards her abdomen. Phryne suddenly felt threatened, and grabbed his hand instinctively before it reached her abdomen and turned quickly on the spot to face the man, who she recognised as belonging to the university party, with a censorious gaze. It was only when she saw him wince in pain and shift on the spot that she realised how strong her grip was upon his hand. She released it immediately. The guards, noticing her absence, walked quickly towards her.
"I think you'd better re-join your friends" Phryne advised, her voice low but polite, a complete contrast to her eyes, which now appeared to be of steel. The young man, who stared at her in surprise, flushed bright red and nodded, uttering a few words of apology before walking quickly back down the corridor to where his friends were stood, staring at the scene with interest. Phryne watched him for a moment as she considered his actions, and her reaction, the latter of which confused her immensely. Even though his touches were unwanted and unreciprocated, it was not her habit to act so defensively. At least it hadn't been. Until now.
"Mrs Robinson, is everything alright?" asked the second guard, his voice low and soothing. Phryne, who blinked at the sound of her new name, drew herself immediately from her thoughts and turned towards them both with a polite smile.
"Fine, thank you" she replied amiably, suddenly feeling rather conscious of herself, and slightly embarrassed. "Please, lead the way" she said gently, offering the men a friendly smile, as they turned back around and led her up the staircase. Phryne placed her hand on the bannister, feeling the artificial ivy and roses beneath her fingertips as she ascended. As Phryne reached a darkened alcove in the centre of the stairs, her hand drifted subconsciously towards her abdomen, resting upon it for a couple of moments before she realised what she had done, felt instantly conscious of herself once more, and lowered her hand.
Phryne was led up the staircase and onto the landing, which was similarly decorated to downstairs, with the recurring theme of white stone and marble, classical furniture with a modern edge, beautiful works of art and statues, and countless candles burning brightly, leading down the corridors to the left and right. As Phryne followed the guards down the corridor to the left, she walked past at least six doors on each side of the corridor, which were of dark wood with wrought iron fittings. As Phryne passed, the sounds she heard emerging from each room made their purposes quite clear. Phryne felt her heart begin to race once more, prompting her to attempt to shake herself of her carnal thoughts as she followed the guards towards a large door at the end of the hallway, which was guarded by two similarly-attired men. The guards who had escorted Phryne exchanged a few words with the other two men, who glanced at Phryne for a moment and nodded, before stepping aside and allowing the men access to the door. The first guard opened the door and walked inside, before the second guard turned towards Phryne and indicated for her to enter. Phryne walked in obediently, and was somewhat surprised to find herself faced with another small staircase leading up to a set of rooms at the top of the palace.
Phryne followed the first guard and sensed the second close behind her, as they made their way up the staircase and into the rooms of Miss Rita Cassidy, proprietor of the Palace of Eros. As the guard reached the top of the staircase he performed a special knock, before a voice from the other side bade him enter, which he did. Phryne heard the familiar voice of Miss Cassidy thanking the guard as she was conducted into the room.
The room was decorated in the same manner to the rest of the establishment, with predominately white stone and marble features, ancient Greek artwork and ornaments in bronze and black and gold, and classical pieces of furniture with modern alterations throughout. There was a fireplace in the centre of the room, before which were two chaise lounges of dark wood and upholstered in white. A few of armchairs surrounded them, and a large table adorned with a large decanter of whiskey with glasses, an ancient vase containing flowers, an antique chess set and several small marble statues. There was a large antique desk at the far right of the room, behind which the wall was completely covered in dark wooden shelves which were laden with books. To the far right of the room were several larger statues, tables wall spaces adorned with ancient Greek artwork and antiques, and a door leading to what Phryne suspected were the rest of Miss Cassidy's rooms. Before she could consider the point further the woman in question, who had been standing before the fireplace with a crystal glass filled with whiskey, stared at her appraisingly. Miss Cassidy was a very attractive woman in her mid-thirties, with stunning auburn hair and large, intelligent green eyes. She was wearing a dress of red silk arranged in a modern version of the classical Grecian style, which complemented her pale complexion, and matched her golden jewellery perfectly.
"Mrs Robinson" came the silken voice of Miss Cassidy, as she stepped towards her with her hand outstretched. "Rita Cassidy. Thank you so much for coming so promptly" she said formally, as Phryne accepted her hand and offered a polite smile before shaking it.
"Not at all" Phryne replied kindly. "It was no trouble" she assured her. Miss Cassidy considered her for a moment before nodding.
"Have you found Hermes?" Miss Cassidy asked, as she turned towards her guards with a confused expression.
"No, Miss Cassidy" replied the first guard tentatively. "We've searched the entire building and have been unable to find him. Hephaestus has filled in for the moment and is stood by the door to your rooms with Janus" he explained. Miss Cassidy considered this information for a moment before nodding.
"I'd like him found, please. Quickly" she said. The guards nodded and quickly departed, prompting Miss Cassidy to turn her attentions back towards Phryne.
"Hermes?" asked Phryne. Miss Cassidy turned towards her with a small smile.
"The people in my employ, Mrs Robinson, are the gods and goddesses of this establishment, and are named as such" she explained. "Each person who works for me is named after a Greek god or goddess. I try my best to name them appropriately. Thomas Emerson worked as a conductor on a train before joining me, so-"
"So it was only natural that you would christen him after the God of Travellers" Phryne stated. Miss Cassidy nodded. "And I take it that makes you Athena?" she asked. Miss Cassidy smiled slightly.
"Quite" she said, placing her drinking glass upon the palm of her hand, before turning slightly towards the table. "Can I offer you a drink?" she asked.
"No, thank you" Phryne responded gently, despite the temptation of the offer. The whiskey smelled wonderful, a single malt, expensive, aged. She could almost taste it. "Is your missing guard the reason for my midnight summons?" she asked gently. Phryne watched as nervousness flashed in Miss Cassidy's eyes, before she inhaled deeply and looked at the lady detective with a confident and composed expression, betrayed only by a nervous glint in her eye.
"No, it wasn't" she replied, before raising the glass to her lips and consuming the remainder of the glass. Phryne watched as she walked towards the table and filled her own glass once more, and waited patiently for her to take a few sips of the whiskey, before turning back towards her. "I know you by reputation, of course, Mrs Robinson. You helped a good friend of mine, Madame Lyon, in a most distressing time" she stated. "You're also a very modern woman, whose exploits I have followed with great interest" she added with admiration. "Add you're a brilliant detective and a woman of discretion" she stated. As Phryne listened to her attentively, she considered that Miss Cassidy was relying much more on the latter than the former. "It is both of those factors which led to me summoning you at such an hour" she stated. Phryne considered her for a moment and nodded.
"I have assisted in matters of considerable delicacy in the past, Miss Cassidy" she responded, as the woman watched her closely. "But whilst my discretion is considerable, it is not absolute" she added carefully. "I will do everything I can to assist you, but there are limits to what I can do" she explained, "and what I will do". Miss Cassidy considered her for a moment before slowly nodding.
"I understand" she replied. "This is a very serious matter, Mrs Robinson" she added after a brief pause. "As I'm sure you are aware, this establishment has been the subject of some criticism, especially in the press" she stated. "We have only just opened, and are doing very well so far" she explained. "But a scandal like this could ruin us" she said, taking another sip. Phryne nodded gently in response.
"Why don't we sit down?" Phryne suggested gently, sensing Miss Cassidy's rising anxiety. "Then you can tell me all about it." Miss Cassidy nodded and led Phryne towards the fireplace, where they took up armchairs opposite each other. Phryne waited for a short while as Miss Cassidy collected her thoughts
"You must understand, Mrs Robinson, this place is not an oppressive, indecent or shameful environment" she began. "I look after my employees very well, their safety and well-being is paramount" she stated with conviction.
"I'm sure it is" Phryne assured her. Miss Cassidy turned her glass around in her hands.
"This is not an establishment of ill-repute and degradation, and it does not deserve the venomous responses it has received in the press, and by society in general" she continued. Phryne nodded.
"I quite agree" Phryne replied gently. Miss Cassidy, who seemed reassured by this declaration, sat up straighter in her seat.
"I'm sure you understand, Mrs Robinson, any scandal, any at all, could destroy everything that this place represents, and all we are hoping to achieve" she added. "Although the Palace of Eros caters predominantly to male clients, we are hoping to expand" she stated. "I would like to hire more male employees to satisfy potential female clientele." Phryne smiled and nodded in response.
"An admirable notion, Miss Cassidy, and one I support whole-heartedly" she returned. "But something has happened that could scupper all of those plans, hasn't it?" she asked. Miss Cassidy took another measure of her whiskey. "And it must be something rather serious if you did not simply have your guards tend to it" she added. "They strike me as being very capable men, and unquestionably loyal."
"They are" Miss Cassidy confirmed. Phryne nodded slowly in response.
"Tell me what happened" Phryne said gently, her tone causing Miss Cassidy to look up towards her. Phryne watched as she considered her closely, and appeared to be deciding how, and even if, she could confide in Phryne. She made her decision in less than half a minute.
"There is a dead body in the room just below this one" Miss Cassidy stated, her voice low and hollow, before she took a restorative sip of her whiskey. Phryne, although surprised, concealed her shock well. This was certainly not what she had anticipated.
"You're quite certain he's dead?" Phryne asked tentatively. Miss Cassidy nodded slowly.
"Yes" she returned. "I was a nurse during the War, I could tell instantly" she explained, turning the glass round in her hands once more.
"When was he found?" asked Phryne. Miss Cassidy inhaled deeply.
"Shortly after midnight. About ten minutes before I called you" she explained, draining the remainder of her glass, and then (to Phryne's relief), putting it on the table and pushing it aside.
"Do you know who he is?" Phryne asked.
"Yes. His name is Basil Hamilton. He's been here three times" she stated.
"Councillor Hamilton?" asked Phryne. Miss Cassidy nodded gravely.
"How did he die?" Phryne asked tentatively. Miss Cassidy looked up and met her gaze.
"It looks like he was struck about the head with something" she explained. "The room is in disarray, there are signs of some kind of… altercation" she stated, struggling for the word. Phryne considered this information for a few moments.
"And you don't believe it could have been an accident?" Phryne asked gently. "A fit of some kind, perhaps?" Miss Cassidy shook her head.
"No, I don't" she replied. "I wish it was" she added, before staring longingly at the glass.
"If that's the case, Miss Cassidy, then the Police will need to be informed" Phryne stated tentatively. Miss Cassidy looked up at her immediately.
"I informed you, Mrs Robinson" she countered. Phryne considered her for a moment.
"And I am more than willing to see the body and help you in any way that I can" Phryne replied sincerely. "I support establishments such as yours completely, certainly when the employees are so well cared for and are protected" she stated. "But I will not help to conceal a crime, regardless of the circumstances" she stated, already knowing what Miss Cassidy feared. "If a member of your staff-"
"No one who works here is capable of murder" Miss Cassidy stated with conviction. Phryne nodded once.
"Then you have nothing to worry about" she replied gently. "And nor will they."
"We have plenty to worry about" Miss Cassidy countered. "If it is discovered a man was murdered on these premises, we'll be ruined."
"That would depend entirely upon the circumstances, Miss Cassidy" she stated. "If you and your employees are innocent, then what possible blame could be attached to you?" she asked. "The only way you could incriminate yourselves in a crime you claim to be innocent of is by making an attempt to conceal it" she stated. "A man of Mr Hamilton's reputation will be missed very soon, and if he has frequented your establishment so many times since it opened, it won't take long to connect him to it" she explained gently. Miss Cassidy closed her eyes and nodded in response. "I can help you, Miss Cassidy, and I will help you" she assured her. "But I won't help you to cover this up" she said firmly. "I need you to trust me". Miss Cassidy opened her eyes and looked up at Phryne, considering her for a short while before nodding.
"I do" she replied, her voice low but confident. Phryne watched her for a moment before rising from her seat.
"Then you'd better show me to the room" Phryne said delicately. Miss Cassidy rose from her seat and walked towards Phryne.
"Of course" she returned. "It's just this way."
Phryne followed Miss Cassidy back down the staircase and through the door into the corridor, where the two guards turned their heads a fraction, as the two women walked ahead.
"It's just through here" Miss Cassidy stated, indicating towards the first door to Phryne's immediate right, and the closest one to her own door. "Janus found him shortly after midnight" she explained, indicating to a guard. Phryne turned towards him.
"What's your name?" Phryne asked.
"Albert Rimton, ma'am" he responded. Phryne nodded.
"And you found Mr Hamilton at around midnight, Mr Rimton?" Phryne asked. The man nodded. "Tell me" she encouraged. Janus/Rimton shifted uncomfortably before nodding towards the door.
"Thomas was meant to be keepin' guard up here from twelve til two" he explained. "I saw him go up just before midnight, but then one of the girls came down and said no one was guardin' this 'ere door, so I came up and sure enough, Thomas wasn't 'ere" he explained. Phryne nodded and the man continued. "I thought it was odd, as I saw him come up not ten minutes before, and he's a real reliable sorta fella, you know?" he said. Phryne nodded again. "So I thought he musta gone to use the bathroom, ma'am, so I thought I'd stay and keep watch til he got back, to save him getting' into trouble" he said, nervously avoiding Miss Cassidy's gaze as he spoke. "When I stood at my post – just 'ere, ma'am" he said, indicating towards the right of the doorway which led to Miss Cassidy's rooms, "I noticed that that door was ajar, which is odd. They're always fully closed, for obvious reasons" he added. "So I walked over and I knocked, but there was no answer. So I pushed it open a little and that's when I found him." Phryne nodded.
"And you're quite certain about the time?" she asked. The man nodded.
"Yair. It wasn't not long after midnight" he explained. "I remembered because I was due to take over from Apollo guardin' the underworld at half past, and I was keen to get there" he stated. "But my post has been filled" he said, somewhat sadly.
"Only for tonight, Janus" Miss Cassidy assured him, which seemed to reassure the man somewhat.
"The underworld?" Phryne asked, catching Miss Cassidy's eyes. A small smile played on her lips for a moment.
"Named because it is in the bottom of the building" Miss Cassidy stated. "But I can assure you, Phryne, that the place below us is the absolute furthest thing from Hell that you could possibly imagine" she said with a twinkle in her eye. Phryne suppressed a knowing smile and nodded slowly in response. "I understand that, for now, you would like to see the room?" Miss Cassidy asked.
"Yes" Phryne confirmed, as Miss Cassidy nodded in understanding and led her towards the door. Phryne glanced at it and noticed immediately that it showed no signs of forced entry, and there were no marks on the lock which could indicate it had been broken into. Her eyes drifted up as Miss Cassidy led her into the room, closing the door firmly behind her.
The room was decorated in the same manner as Miss Cassidy's own rooms. The white stone and marble walls and floors, dark oak furniture, ancient Greek artwork and pottery. There was a large bed at the far right of the room, with ivory-coloured satin sheets and innumerable cushions. There was a table on either side of the bed, a small wardrobe, a dressing table, and a door to the left which led to what Phryne suspected was a private bathroom. There was a fireplace to the far left of the room, with a chaise lounge and two armchairs arranged about three to four feet in front of it. Several items of pottery and marble, which had clearly recently adorned the mantelpiece, lay scattered and broken upon the floor beneath it. A small wicker basket containing firewood was on its side, and a collection of heavy fire irons had clearly been disturbed. A table had been between the lounge and chairs, but the item, including the crystal whiskey decanter and accompanying glass which had adorned it, lay shattered upon the ground, beneath the body of the man Phryne recognised as Councillor Basil Hamilton.
Phryne walked confidently into the room and crouched down beside the body, her keen eyes drifting over it and making several observations. Councillor Hamilton, a man in his early fifties known for his support of the death penalty and opposed to expanding women's rights, lay dead upon the ground. He was lying on his back, with his feet towards the fireplace, his head and torso amongst the shattered pottery and splinters of glass and wood. Whiskey from the broken decanter had sept into the expensive golden rug beneath him, and was mixed with blood from wounds inflicted by the remnants of broken glass which had become embedded in his back, causing the scents of blood and alcohol to linger strongly in the air. Councillor Hamilton was wearing black dinner trousers with matching shoes, a black waistcoat, white shirt and silver tie. His dinner jacket had been placed over the back of an armchair to the right of the fire which, judging from its position, had been moved by the man himself so he could repose in it whilst drinking whiskey. Alone, apparently, as there was only one glass amongst the debris. Phryne's eyes drifted across the Councillor's clothing and towards his face, which was already turning grey and sallow. His deep-brown eyes were half-closed, his lips slightly agape, his greying hair matted with blood. Phryne's attentions quickly travelled to the man's forehead, where she observed an injury to his right temple, which appeared to have been caused by a blunt object. The late Councillor also had a red mark to his right cheek, where finger marks were already present, indicating that he had recently been slapped. There were also deep scratch marks to his cheeks, neck and near his eyes and, as Phryne discovered when she tentatively drew his shirt sleeves up, on his forearms. Although these injuries were superficial, there was a deep gash to the centre of his forehead which certain wasn't. Phryne glanced from the man's head to the mantel piece, before quickly rising and walking towards it, and quickly finding traces of blood upon the centre of it. Phryne glanced around the room once more and then turned towards Miss Cassidy, who had been watching her with interest.
"It appears as though Councillor Hamilton was struck about the head – by someone who was left handed, based on the nature of the injury – before falling and hitting hit head against the mantel piece, sustaining a fatal injury" Phryne said gently, as she met Miss Cassidy's gaze. "But you already suspected that, didn't you?" she asked. Miss Cassidy nodded slowly.
"It seemed quite clear" she said with a sigh of resignation. "And some of the objects from the mantel piece and surrounding areas, which have been broken or otherwise disturbed, seem too far away from him to have been damaged solely due to his fall" she stated. "It's clear there was a struggle" she stated. Phryne nodded slowly.
"There was only one glass amongst the debris" Phryne stated. "Which would imply he came here alone."
"Or was not in the habit of sharing his liquor" Miss Cassidy returned. "That decanter is one we provide guests who purchase large quantities of alcohol" she stated, as Phryne turned back towards the scene and nodded.
"How well did you know Councillor Hamilton?" Phryne asked, as she met Miss Cassidy's gaze, as the woman stared at her with feigned confidence.
"Not too well, we've had many guests" she returned quietly. "I consulted our guest book after his death, and discovered that he has visited three times. Once today, once yesterday and once the night before" she explained. Phryne nodded.
"I'll need to see that book, Miss Cassidy" she said gently. Miss Cassidy seemed posed to protest but quickly decided against it.
"You will be discrete?" she asked.
"Of course" Phryne assured her. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"How many staff do you have here?" Phryne asked.
"Twenty-five goddesses, ten guards and four barmen" she responded promptly. Phryne nodded.
"And have any of them made any complaints about Councillor Hamilton or his conduct?" she asked. Miss Cassidy hesitated and her gaze faltered. Phryne's exhaled slowly. "Miss Cassidy I want to help you, but to do that I need you to tell me absolutely everything." Miss Cassidy considered this for a moment before nodding.
"One of the goddesses, Persephone – Sarah Jenson – approached one of the guards this evening and told him that the Councillor had been aggressive with her" Miss Cassidy said gently, meeting Phryne's eyes with confidence, as though she were expecting her to accuse the goddess. But she did not.
"Aggressive how?" Phryne asked, taking a step towards her. Miss Cassidy inhaled deeply.
"She said that he grabbed her and ordered her to accompany him upstairs" she began. "If the goddesses wish to entertain the gentlemen in these rooms then it is allowed. Providing, of course, that both parties are willing participants."
"But in this case they weren't" Phryne stated. Miss Cassidy shook her head.
"Persephone said he walked across the room she was in downstairs, grabbing her by the arm as she was about to leave, before dragging her towards the staircase" she said, her voice dropping as she spoke. "She said she asked him to let go and he refused, calling her a whore and a slut and telling her it was what she is here for" she stated, her tone low with disapproval. "She managed to get free and when she grabbed at him again she slapped him and ran back into the room, getting the attention of one of my guards, who brought her to me" she explained, meeting Phryne's gaze. "As soon as I heard what had happened I ordered the guard who brought her to me to subtly search for the man in question and remove him from the premises" she explained.
"What time was this?" Phryne asked. Miss Cassidy considered the question for a few moments before responding.
"Around half eleven, twenty-five to twelve" she stated. Phryne nodded.
"And the incident was, presumably, a very short time before?" Phryne asked.
"Yes, around five minutes prior to my instructing the guard to search for this cad" she stated. Phryne nodded.
"So the Councillor could have only been in the room for twenty minutes or so before he died" she stated, "and he was found shortly after midnight by Janus, who claimed that the door was ajar" Phryne stated. "But if that was the case, then why was it that this room was not searched?" Madame sighed.
"Which is precisely what I wanted to ask Thomas" she returned, glancing around the room warily as she spoke. "I can only suppose that the door was locked at the time. If this was the case, he would not have made any attempt to open it" she stated. "He would've listened at the door for a while and, if hearing anything suspicious, would have broken down the door" she stated.
"Thomas?" Phryne asked. "Isn't he Hermes, your missing guard?" she asked. Miss Cassidy looked up at Phryne and nodded.
"I know what you're thinking, Mrs Robinson" she stated.
"Please, call me Phryne" she returned. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"Well, Phryne, I can assure you that Thomas is an excellent guard and a thoroughly pleasant young man" she stated with conviction.
"An excellent guard and thoroughly pleasant young man who was tasked to find a man who had abused one of your goddesses and has since disappeared" Phryne stated. "Perhaps he found the man assaulting another girl and he defended her, or maybe he found him alone in the room and they argued-"
"No" replied Miss Cassidy. "No, I refuse to believe it" she stated. Phryne looked at her with a gentle expression.
"I know you are fond of him, Miss Cassidy" she said gently, taking a step towards her. "And I'm sure he is a good person. But good people have their limits, and if he did catch this man attacking another girl he would have almost certainly defended her" she stated. "You clearly put excellent attention into the employment of your staff and their safety, so there is no doubt in my mind that you hired strong and capable men to protect your girls" she stated. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"Thomas is a good person, Phryne. He wouldn't hurt anyone" she stated.
"As I said, Miss Cassidy, good people do have their limits. Especially in situations like these" she stated. "Though I grant you, there could be many reasons for Thomas's disappearance, many of them unrelated to this" she said, gesturing towards the dead man behind them. "But whatever that reason may be, it would be much better for Thomas if he explains it soon" she stated. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"As you heard, Phryne, I have instructed two of my guards to search for him" she stated. Phryne nodded.
"I'd like to search this room thoroughly" Phryne stated. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"Please" she said, nodding her assent.
Phryne searched the room methodically for almost ten minutes, inspecting it thoroughly, and finding little to assist in their enquiries. The bed had not been used, the bathroom was clean, and the drawers were empty. She searched the floor, furniture and walls completely, finding nothing to note, until she searched carefully around the body. Within a few minutes Phryne had located a small marble statue of Athena which had once adorned the table, and which had found its way beneath the fallen fire irons, where it lay hidden. As she drew it carefully towards her, she noticed that there was blood on the statue of the goddess. Miss Cassidy stared at the object and closed her eyes for a moment, opening them once more as Phryne turned around to face her.
"I think this is the weapon used to strike Councillor Henderson" Phryne informed her, as she removed two handkerchiefs from her pockets and began to wrap the item in them. "I'd like to search the room next to this one, if I may?" Phryne asked politely. Miss Cassidy nodded immediately.
"Yes, it is uninhabited, and has been since just before eleven" she replied. "I had Janus look into it when the body was discovered" she stated. Phryne nodded approvingly, before following Miss Cassidy out of the room, closing the door behind her.
"Do you have a key to this room, Miss Cassidy?" she asked. Miss Cassidy nodded in response. "May I?" she asked, holding out her free hand. Miss Cassidy nodded and gave her the key, which she used to lock the door, before placing it in her pocket. "And this door?" she asked, indicating towards the room beside it. Miss Cassidy walked ahead of Phryne and unlocked the door, allowing the lady detective to walk inside.
The room was a mirror image of the other room, and completely vacant as Miss Cassidy had stated. Phryne inspected bed, which was recently made. The satin sheets were cool and undisturbed, and there were no signs of anyone having been in the room recently. Phryne searched it thoroughly regardless and, upon finding nothing of note, retreated from the room and met Miss Cassidy in the corridor.
"Shall we go back to my rooms, Phryne?" Miss Cassidy asked.
"Yes, thank you" Phryne agreed, concealing the weapon with her bag as she followed Miss Cassidy past the guards and up the stairs into the private rooms.
Phryne closed the door behind her and followed Miss Cassidy into the room, watching as the red-haired woman walked towards the table and poured herself a generous measure of whiskey before sitting down in a nearby armchair. As she picked up the glass she gestured towards the decanter, and Phryne shook her head gently and smiled politely, as she walked towards her and sat in the opposite armchair. Miss Cassidy drew her own glass to her lips and sipped, before looking at Phryne, who was putting her bag and the handkerchief-wrapped statue upon the table.
"Do you not like whiskey, Phryne?" she asked gently, as she swirled the liquid round in her glass. Phryne met her gaze.
"Not when I'm working" she replied. Miss Cassidy considered the answer, seemed satisfied, and drew the glass back towards her lips once more.
"Pity" she replied, before consuming the remainder of the whiskey and holding the empty glass in her hand. Phryne stared at it for a moment.
"Indeed it is" she agreed quietly. A brief silence fell between the two women for a few moments, and Phryne afforded Miss Cassidy some time to collect herself before she spoke next. "Miss Cassidy, I know you fear news of whatever transpired here tonight becoming public knowledge" Phryne began, causing her host to turn towards her slowly, "but this really is a matter the Police should be notified of" she explained tentatively. "I am happy to investigate the murder, but the Police must be informed" she stated. Miss Cassidy stared at her for a few moments before sitting up straight in her seat.
"You think Thomas did it" she said simply.
"At the moment, I'm not sure what to think" Phryne replied gently. "But it is far too early to be making wild surmises" she stated. "Just because Thomas has disappeared does not mean he killed Councillor Hamilton. Though his absence will appear suspicious, I grant you" she admitted. Miss Cassidy nodded slowly in understanding. "But if Thomas is innocent then he has nothing to worry about" she assured her. "I will find out what happened tonight" she stated. Miss Cassidy met her gaze and a small smile played on her lips.
"I believe you, Phryne" she stated. "I do" she added. "But the scandal-"
"Councillor Hamilton is a well-known public figure who is known for his philandering and his low views on the rights of women" Phryne replied. "His disappearance will be quickly observed and, based on his habits, it will not take long for his association with the club to be made known" she explained gently. "He will be connected to the club eventually, and when he is, if it appears that you made attempts to cover up his death for whatever reason, you and your employees will instantly fall under suspicion of his murder, regardless of your innocence. It is not a risk you can take, certainly not with a hanging offence" she stated. "But I think you know that" Phryne said gently, causing Miss Cassidy's bright eyes to meet her gaze. "Otherwise you would've just had some of your loyal guards throw his body in the Yarra" she stated simply. Miss Cassidy rose her eyebrows and poured herself another glass of whiskey.
"I'm beginning to wish I had" she said quietly. Phryne looked upon her sympathetically.
"You did the right thing by calling me" Phryne assured her, her voice gentle and soothing. "It was very brave of you, certainly in the circumstances" she stated. "And now you need to be brave again." Miss Cassidy put the stopped back in the decanter, held her glass in both hands and leaned back in her seat.
"You want me to telephone the Police" she stated, swirling the liquid around in the glass once more.
"I can call the Police" Phryne said gently. "My husband is Detective Inspector Jack Robinson of City South Police Station" she began. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"So I read" she stated, raising her glass towards her. "Congratulations, by the way" she stated. Phryne smiled gently and nodded.
"Thank you" she replied. "He and I worked together on the case involving Madame Lyon, which you mentioned earlier" she added, prompting Miss Cassidy to meet her gaze once more. "Jack is a brilliant officer and he is very discreet" she stated. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"I have a friend who occupies a high position within the Police force, and we've discussed many officers, including your husband" she stated, as she continued to swirl the liquid round in the glass. "The words 'noble' and 'incorruptible' were used when discussing Inspector Robinson" she stated. "I understand you both played a crucial role in the downfall of the former Commissioner of Police, George Sanderson who, I believe, was your husband's father-in-law."
"Former father-in-law" Phryne corrected, offering her a small smile. Miss Cassidy titled her glass towards Phryne, nodded, and sipped. Phryne was beginning to worry that Miss Cassidy would be adopting a similar position on the floor to the caddish councillor if she didn't stop soon. "He helped with the Sanderson and Fletcher case, and Madame Lyon's matter, and he can help with this too" she assured her. Miss Cassidy met Phryne's gaze and swallowed the remainder of her glass. "You know we have to call the Police, don't you?" Phryne stated. Miss Cassidy sighed in response, nodded, and placed her glass back upon the table.
"Yes, I know" she said resignedly, looking up at Phryne once more and meeting her gaze. "But there is so much at stake" she stated. "My club could be ruined, as could my staff, all of whom I am certain are innocent of this crime."
"Your faith in your staff is commendable, Miss Cassidy" Phryne stated. "And you strike me as being a woman of excellent judgement" she added. "So I hope that, under the circumstances and given the nature of the events, you feel that you can trust me, too." Miss Cassidy looked at Phryne for a while, her expression softening slightly.
"Did you know you're named after a Greek Courtesan, Phryne?" she asked suddenly. Phryne, who had not expected the question, nodded in response.
"Yes, I do" she replied. "Though admittedly it wasn't something I fully appreciated until I was older." Miss Cassidy considered her for a few moments before responding.
"And you know the stories of her, I take it?" she asked. "I'd imagine you read up on her."
"Extensively" Phryne confirmed. Miss Cassidy smiled, and a comfortable silence befell them both for a short while.
"Are like your namesake, you are offering to rebuild the walls of my kingdom?" she asked, her voice low and absent. Phryne looked at her with a reassuring expression.
"On the contrary, Miss Cassidy" she returned. "I am trying to prevent them from falling at all." Miss Cassidy considered this for a few moments before nodding in satisfaction.
"Very well" she said somewhat uneasily, as she rose from her seat. "Please call your charming husband, and tell him that we are in need of his assistance" she stated. "I'm going to check with my guards and see if there is any news on Thomas" she added, as Phryne rose from her seat too. "There's a telephone on my desk, please help yourself."
"Thank you" Phryne said sincerely, meeting the worried woman's gaze. "When Jack arrives we can work out a pretext for closing the club early, to avoid any of your patrons becoming suspicious" she explained. "But first we need to establish exactly who is here, and who was here at the time of the murder" she stated, "fortunately we have a very narrow window" she added. Miss Cassidy nodded.
"Every guest who enters the Palace of Eros is recorded as having entered by the guards" she stated. "They sign a ledger in the front drawing room, which they are escorted into upon arrival" she stated. "I'll get you the ledger."
"Thank you" Phryne replied. Miss Cassidy nodded in response, watching Phryne with nervous eyes, before turning on the spot and walking out of the room. As the door closed behind her, Phryne walked slowly across the room and towards Miss Cassidy's desk.
Phryne drew the chair away from Miss Cassidy's desk and eased herself into it, tucking herself in as she cast her eyes across the desk. There was a small stack of books to her right relating to Ancient Greek history, a fountain pen and supply of ink, a large stack of blotting paper beside some personalised stationary, several pieces of jewellery and a couple of framed photographs. As Phryne sat behind the desk she checked the time on her watch, and found herself feeling guilty at the prospect of waking him at such an hour, but she had assured him she would if the situation required her to, and this certainly required Police attendance. Phryne tried to push her rising feeling of guilt aside as she reached for the phone and entered the number, leaning back in the chair as she considered the photographs before her. One was of Miss Cassidy and a young man, taken about twenty years ago, judging from the colouring. They both looked very happy. The second photograph was very recent, and depicted Miss Cassidy standing beside a girl in her mid-teens with long light-coloured hair and wide eyes. The girl bore a striking resemblance to Miss Cassidy, who was standing behind her, with her arms around her shoulders. The girl, who was clearly the Miss Cassidy's daughter, was leaning forward slightly, causing her necklace to swing in mid-air as the shot was taken, in a pose matching her mother's, whose long hair and necklace drifted over her shoulder as she smiled into the lense. It was probably meant to be a formal picture which Miss Cassidy decided to make more amusing, and a shot that would ordinary have been immediately discarded was now proudly displayed upon her desk. It was so natural, so effortless, and both mother and daughter looked so happy, that Phryne found herself smiling at the image before her. She was just considering whether 'Miss Cassidy' was the real name of her current client when the phone was answered.
Jack, who had not left the parlour since sitting down with his files, was drawn immediately from his thoughts by the shrill sound of the telephone ringing. He felt his stomach tighten as he remembered his words of caution to Phryne, urging her to call him if there was any danger. Jack immediately closed the file and dropped it onto his armchair, before walking quickly out of the room and towards the telephone, which he answered on the third ring.
"Hello, Jack Robinson speaking" he greeted, his voice composed and alert, his tone not betraying his anxiety.
"Jack?" Phryne asked, surprised that he had been the one to answer the phone. "Why are you still awake?" she asked. Upon hearing how calm Phryne sounded, and noting that she had not started the conversation by speaking in a quick, panicked manner as was her custom in emergencies, Jack felt himself relax considerably.
"For the same reason you are, I was working" he explained, suddenly feeling quite conscious of himself. He didn't want her to know he had been unable to sleep because he was worried about her. "There were a few matters I needed to look into on the Salvatore files, so I've been working on them" he explained, before returning to the subject of her call. "Is everything alright?" he asked. Phryne, struck by the sudden shift in topic, nodded simply, as she felt guilt at the prospect of him waiting up in case she called overwhelming her completely, and she wanted to reassure him immediately.
"Yes, Jack, I'm fine" she assured him warmly. "Unlike the dead politician in the room beneath me" she added. There was a pause for a few moments as Jack considered the information.
"You're joking" he returned quietly, a remark that was somehow neither a question nor a statement. Phryne rolled her eyes.
"I would never joke about such matters, Jack" she responded, holding the receiver closer to her as she spoke. "And I can assure you that Councillor Basil Hamilton is most certainly not laughing" she added. Upon realising that Phryne was quite serious, Jack nodded and eased himself into a nearby seat.
"What happened?" he asked, surprise still present in his tone. Jack listened attentively as Phryne recounted the events since her arrival at the Palace of Eros, describing the place in such detail that Jack could picture it quite clearly (even some parts of it he would rather not consider). She explained meeting Miss Cassidy, the disappearing guard, the assault upon one of the 'goddesses' and the discovery of the body. After explaining the evidence she had collected and her theory on the events leading upon the victim's death, Jack had risen from his chair and found the remnants of tiredness which he seemed to have retained disappear completely.
"Miss Cassidy was, as you can imagine, most reluctant to involve the Police in this matter" Phryne explained. "Fortunately she is an intelligent and practical woman, and I managed to convince her that your presence is required" she added. Jack nodded.
"That was very generous of you, Miss Fisher" Jack replied. Phryne suppressed a small smile.
"Miracles do happen, inspector" she explained. "Miss Cassidy is going to retrieve the ledger for us, which should reveal the names of the guests who attended tonight and in previous nights. When you arrive we can examine the body, take a look around, then create a plausible reason that the Palace needs to close early tonight. We can then await the coroner and the body can be taken away without hindering Miss Cassidy's establishment's reputation" she declared, "for now, at least." Jack nodded slowly.
"It sounds like you've already given this a great deal of thought" he replied. Phryne smiled.
"You know me, Jack. Always one step ahead" she replied gently. Jack's expression warmed and he nodded in agreement.
"You certainly are on this occasion" Jack remarked. "I know you were keen for us to visit the Palace of Eros, but you didn't have to embroil yourself in the murder of a politician in order to do so" he stated. Phryne chuckled lightly in response.
"Well I had to get you here somehow" she returned. "Speaking of which, how long will it take you to get here?" she asked. Jack glanced at his watch briefly.
"I'll be there by two o'clock" he assured her.
"Very well, Jack" she responded. "Drive carefully" she teased, before hanging up the phone. Jack rolled his eyes and replaced the receiver, before quickly heading upstairs and walking into their bedroom.
After serving as a Police officer for over 20 years, Jack Robinson had perfected the art of waking and dressing quickly, readying himself for duty within minutes. And so, at five-to-two on Sunday morning, he parked his car just behind Phryne's and stepped out onto the pavement, following her steps towards the Palace of Eros, and staring at it in amazement for a few moments. In truth, when Phryne had described the guard's attire, Jack had thought she was teasing him. He didn't see how such garments would be comfortable or practical for men who were required to protect the building and the women who worked inside, which Phryne countered by arguing that it "worked very well for the ancient Greeks, Inspector". But as he walked closer to the Palace he quickly found that Phryne had been telling the truth. Jack quickly ran his eyes across the leather-clad men, whose old-style attire was contrasted somewhat by the presence of colt pistols in their belts. As Jack reached the top of the step the men stepped forward, considering him with warily as he approached. Upon noticing their expressions, Jack removed his identification from his breast pocket and showed it to them.
"I'm Detective Inspector Jack Robinson with City South Police Station" he explained. "Miss Cassidy is expecting me."
Jack watched as the guards exchanged a look, before the taller of the two stepped forward and removed the identification document from his hand, examining it closely beneath the candle light, before handing it back to him and nodding.
"Come with us" the guard directed, before indicating for Jack to walk forward.
The second guard walked ahead and Jack followed him obediently, as the first guard stepped behind him and followed him into the building. The men were clearly suspicious of him and were standing almost uncomfortably close, but he ignored his discomfort and walked confidently into the building. As Jack walked into the Palace of Eros, which looked exactly how Phryne had described it, he found himself wondering whether she had received a similar reception, and how she had reacted to it. A small smile played on his lips at the thought, which felt inappropriate given the circumstances of his visit, but he was not able to suppress it immediately. Phryne, he suspected, would have been delighted.
As Jack was led through the building he made a mental note of a few people he recognised, including a rather distinguished serving Police officer, whose wife, Jack believed, would not take kindly to his presence in this establishment; and she would most certainly take issue with how close he was becoming to a young blonde goddess in a rather revealing green silk dress. Jack returned his attention to the large corridor as he followed the guards through it, receiving many approving glances from various 'goddesses' as he walked through the reception area and was led up the staircase. As Jack walked along the corridor his eyes darted from left to right at the sound of the noises coming from the doors on both sides of him, which reminded him immediately of the raids he had conducted during the time he spent working with Vice. Jack glanced towards the door to his left, which Phryne had identified as the room in question, before he was led through a door and up a small set of stairs into a brightly lit reception room.
Upon hearing the door open Phryne and Miss Cassidy, who had been sitting next to each other on the chaise lounge perusing the Ledger, looked up towards the approaching guard, who was closely followed by Inspector Jack Robinson.
"Jack" said Phryne, rising as entered. "Thank you for coming so quickly" she added. Jack quickly glanced over Phryne who, despite showing some signs of tiredness in her eyes, seemed absolutely fine. He felt relief flood him at once.
"Of course" he responded, before turning his attention to Miss Cassidy.
"Jack, this is Miss Rita Cassidy, owner of the Palace of Eros" she explained. Miss Cassidy, who had already risen from her seat, walked towards Jack with her hand outstretched.
"Hello, Inspector, thank you for coming so promptly" she stated somewhat formally. "I apologise for waking you and your wife at such an hour" she added.
"Not at all, Miss Cassidy. You did the right thing" he assured her. Miss Cassidy seemed to relax slightly beneath his gaze. "During our telephone conversation Phryne informed me of what happened, but I'd like to hear it from you too" he explained. "Would you mind if we sat down?"
"Oh, no, not at all, please" she said, indicating towards the chairs. "Can I offer you a drink?" she asked, gesturing towards the half-full decanter of whiskey. Phryne and Jack exchanged a private look whilst Miss Cassidy's attention was upon the alcohol. Phryne had already forewarned Jack about the lady's penchant for whiskey which, although understandable under the circumstances, could prove to be problematic.
"No, thank you" Jack replied politely, as he and Phryne sat next to each other on the chaise lounge. Jack could feel Phryne's presence to him which, combined with the familiar scent of her French perfume, removed the remaining remnants of anxiety he had been experiencing since her departure. "Now, please tell me what happened, in your own time" Jack said, his voice gentle and soothing.
Miss Cassidy glanced from Phryne to Jack before nodding, and recounting the events once more, informing Jack of exactly what she had told Phryne. Jack listened patiently as she spoke, asking a few questions regarding her staff, particularly of Thomas/Hades and Sarah/Persephone, examining the weapon and reading the Ledger, copying the names of all the guests from that night into his notebook, and then asking to be shown to the scene of the crime. Miss Cassidy led Phryne and Jack down the stairs and into the corridor, before standing aside to allow Phryne to unlock the door with the key she had given her, which the lady detective promptly gave to Jack, who accepted it with the usual wariness he found himself experiencing when Phryne assisted him in such a manner. He pocketed the key, exchanged a look with his wife, and walked into the room.
After a brief examination of the body and a methodical search of the room, Jack found nothing significant or which required further investigation, and agreed that Phryne's theory that the victim was struck about the head with the small marble statue of Athena, which caused him to fall against the mantel and hit his head, sustaining a fatal injury.
"We'll need to speak to Sarah Benson" Jack explained to Miss Cassidy, who nodded in agreement.
"Yes, of course" she responded. "She'll be downstairs in the front parlour room, I'll have her brought to my rooms."
"Thank you" Jack responded. Miss Cassidy nodded in response. Jack allowed a brief silence to fall between them before he continued to speak. "You understand, Miss Cassidy, that the coroner will have to be called tonight to remove the body?" he stated. "I'll also have to arrange for some officers to attend the scene" he stated. Miss Cassidy nodded slowly.
"Yes, I understand perfectly Inspector" she responded gently, before turning towards the lady detective, who was examining the mantel. "Phryne suggested that we could come up with an excuse to close the club prematurely to enable the coroner and your officers to attend without distressing the guests?" she said. Jack nodded in response.
"I'm sure we can manage that, Miss Cassidy" he reassured her. She seemed to relax almost instantly at his words.
"Thank you, Inspector" she replied quietly, before offering him a small smile.
"I thought we might cut the power for a few minutes" Phryne said, turning away from the mantel piece and towards Jack and Miss Cassidy. "It would provide a suitable excuse for having to close early tonight" she added. Miss Cassidy turned towards Jack, who nodded.
"Of course" he responded. "But before anyone leaves we need to establish exactly who is here and where they have been for past couple of hours" Jack explained. Miss Cassidy nodded in understanding. "Do you know if anyone has left since around midnight?" Miss Cassidy shook her head.
"I'm afraid I don't, Inspector. But my guards will" she stated. "I have guards in every room, as well as goddesses, so it shouldn't be difficult to establish where people have been since the time of the… since the man died" she stated. Jack nodded in response. Miss Cassidy drew the ledger towards her and flicked through it for a few moments. "There have been twenty-six guests this evening who arrived before midnight, and eighteen who arrived after. It appears that nine have left" she explained. "I know that nine of the rooms upstairs are occupied and eight people are currently in the Underworld – who have all been there since before midnight, of that I was assured – but as for the rest, I'm afraid I couldn't say" she explained.
"I've made a note of the people here and their times of arrival and departure" Jack assured her. "As each of your rooms is staffed, it shouldn't be difficult to trace the movements of the guests" he stated. "What is the Underworld?" Jack asked, looking at Miss Cassidy, who blinked before turning towards Phryne, who suppressed a smirk.
"I'll explain later" Phryne assured Jack, "though I'm sure Miss Cassidy wouldn't object to us having a tour."
"Not at all" Miss Cassidy affirmed, as she closed the ledger. Jack nodded.
"We'll also need to establish where your staff have been tonight, Miss Cassidy" Jack added tentatively. Miss Cassidy nodded briefly in response. "I understand one of your guards has gone missing?" he asked.
"Thomas Emmerson, also known as Hermes" Phryne stated.
"Thomas is a dear man, he wouldn't have harmed anyone" Miss Cassidy said resolutely. "I'm sure there will be an explanation for his absence" she added. Jack considered her for a moment.
"It sounds like you trust the young man implicitly" Jack observed. Miss Cassidy nodded in response.
"I trust all my employees, Inspector Robinson" she replied. Jack nodded.
"And is Mr Emmerson just an employee?" he asked delicately. Miss Cassidy's eyes widened and she sat up straight in her seat.
"Yes" she replied firmly, before averting her eyes from Jack and placing her ledger in her lap.
"Miss Cassidy, we'll need to speak to Janus, who found the body, and Persephone, who was assaulted" Phryne said gently. Miss Cassidy nodded and rose from her seat.
"I'll have Janus come up immediately, then when you're finished with him I'll arrange for Persephone to be brought here" she stated, disappearing from the room as Phryne thanked her, leaving the lady detective and the inspector alone in the room.
"I need to call the Coroner, and I need to arrange for my men to come over to conduct some interviews" Jack stated tentatively. Phryne nodded.
"I know" she stated. "And we will" she assured him. "But the Palace of Eros is very well-organised and structured, as is clear from the ledger and the presence of guards in every room" she stated. "We have the names of everyone who has been here tonight, many of whom we can discount due to their times of arrival and departure" she continued. "As for the rest, the guests are hardly going to be wandering around unescorted, and if they were, they would draw even more attention to themselves, so tracing their movements this evening will not be difficult" she assured him. Jack nodded slowly in understanding. "If we speak to Janus, AKA Albert Rimton, and Persephone, real name Sarah Bennett, we'll have a much better idea of the events immediately leading up to the murder" she stated. "If the place is invaded by Police and other officials the murderer is more likely to go panic and make further attempts to conceal his crime, or possibly even harm someone else" she explained. "Right now, we have the advantage" she stated. Jack considered her for a moment and nodded.
"Alright" Jack agreed. "But after interviewing Rimton and Bennett and taking a look around downstairs, I am calling the Coroner" he stated. Phryne nodded.
"Of course" she returned. Jack nodded. "You think it was a member of staff, don't you?" she asked.
"It's too early to say" Jack returned. "Though the fact that one of the goddesses was assaulted and one of the guards has disappeared is certainly cause for concern" he stated. "Miss Cassidy is certain that none of the goddesses are missing?" Phryne nodded.
"All are accounted for" she returned. "Of course, the ones in the bedrooms will require confirmation-"
"Yes" replied Jack, nodding in agreement, before allowing a brief silence to fall between them. "When you telephoned tonight, I must confess" Jack began lightly, his tone causing Phryne to turn towards him with interest, "I had half expected to arrive and find that there was no body at all" he added, watching as an amused smile played on Phryne's lips.
"I suppose you thought you'd step into the room in question and find me half-dressed and holding two large fans made from feathers" she teased. Jack smirked as he removed his notebook from his pocket.
"Pink, if I recall" he responded. Phryne smiled.
"Indeed they were, Jack, you have an excellent memory" Phryne commended, before turning towards him with a teasing smile. "And I still have the feathers" she added. Jack met her gaze with a warning look just as the door to the private rooms opened, and Miss Cassidy conducted Janus into the room.
During a very brief discussion with Jack and Phryne, Albert/Janus recounted events as he had described them to the lady detective shortly before, his story not altering. He confirmed that he had discovered the body just after midnight after going upstairs to search for Thomas, and then taking over his position when he had been unable to find him. He described Thomas as a quiet, kind and reserved individual who was not prone to violence. Jack thanked him and he departed.
A few minutes later Sarah Benson, also known as Persephone, was conducted into the room. She was a petite young woman of about twenty years of age, with white blonde hair and piercing blue eyes. She was a very attractive young lady, whose appearance was quite striking, especially with her light purple silk gown which she matched with silver jewellery. She spoke calmly but quietly during the interview, confirming Miss Cassidy's recital of her account of events, but providing additional details. She described how he had waited until she had walked out of view of the guards before grabbing her, and it was only when he noticed the presence of other people nearby that he hesitated, which provided her with the opportunity to free herself from his grasp, slap him hard across the face when he tried to grab her again, and then flee back to the room she had just left, where she informed one of the guards about what had happened.
"Do you remember which guard?" Phryne asked gently. Sarah nodded and responded immediately.
"Yes" she stated. "It was Thomas" she stated. Phryne nodded.
"You said you slapped Councillor Hamilton when you were trying to defend yourself" Jack said gently. Sarah nodded. "When we found him he had scratch marks on his arms and face. Did he sustain those during your struggle?" he asked.
"No" Sarah replied, shaking her head as she spoke. Jack considered her with kind eyes.
"You aren't in any trouble, Miss Benson" he reassured her. "Any harm that came to him during your altercation was not your fault" he added. Sarah nodded.
"I understand, I just… I didn't scratch him" she explained, before holding out her hands towards Jack and Phryne, and revealing her very close-cut fingernails. "I couldn't have scratched him even if I wanted to" she explained. Jack nodded in understanding.
"Did you notice any scratch marks on his face or arms during the altercation?" Jack asked. Sarah shook her head immediately. "You're sure?"
"Yes" she replied confidently. Jack believed her.
"Thank you, Sarah, that's all" Jack said kindly. Sarah nodded and walked quietly from the room.
"Miss Cassidy didn't mention that Thomas was the guard who Sarah confided in, did she?" Jack asked.
"No" Phryne admitted. "And she only admitted that he was the one who had been searching for the charming Councillor after I prompted her, it wasn't information she admitted freely" she added. Jack nodded. "The scratches on the victim weren't caused by Miss Benson, as we had originally assumed" she stated. "Which would imply he fought with someone else shortly after their altercation" she stated. "She's definitely hiding something." Jack nodded in agreement.
"It certainly upholds the evidence of a struggle" he stated. Phryne agreed.
"Scratch marks are arguably more indicative of the presence of a woman than a man" Phryne returned.
"I agree" Jack replied.
"You think it was one of the goddesses?" she asked. Jack considered the question.
"At the moment, it seems more likely than one of the patrons" he replied. "But it's too soon to be making any kind of determination." Phryne nodded.
"May I see your notebook?" she asked.
"Of course" Jack replied, removing it from his pocket and handing it to her. Phryne flicked through to the relevant page, which was where Jack had compiled a list of the names of the staff, as well as a list of all patrons who had visited the establishment that evening, including the times they arrived and departed.
"So" Phryne began, before reaching towards Jack and removing his fountain pen from his breast pocket. Jack blinked and watched as she uncapped the lid and pressed the nib to the page. "Twenty-six people arrived before midnight, nine left before half-past eleven, eighteen arrived after" she stated. "Which means we can discount 27 people, as the times wouldn't fit. The victim had to have been killed between quarter to twelve and midnight" she stated, placing a small cross next to the names of the people they could discount, as Jack nodded in agreement. "We can also discount the victim, of course" she said, placing a larger cross before his name and turning towards Jack. "I think we can safely say it wasn't a suicide" she stated. Jack nodded. "Which means we have twenty-five suspects who are guests, and thirty staff members" she said with a sigh.
"We have full details of the staff and their addresses, so they can certainly be interviewed later today" Jack stated. Phryne nodded in agreement.
"And with the help of the guards and the goddesses we should be able to establish who was where during that critical fifteen minute period" she added. "We can also eliminate anyone who was in the private rooms upstairs, providing that their partner corroborates their story" she stated. "Nine of the rooms were occupied, weren't they?" she asked. Jack nodded.
"Which means we can discount a further eighteen people, nine patrons and nine staff" he added. Phryne smiled.
"That is assuming, of course, that there were only two people in every room" she teased, as she looked up at Jack with amusement. He held her gaze confidently and suppressed a smirk.
"Yes, I suppose it does" he replied evenly. Phryne smiled.
"The guards, of course, will be easiest to eliminate" she stated. "I hardly think they would scratch a man's face then hit him with a blunt object, when they could just as easily beat him senseless" she stated, "which, given the manner in which he treated Persephone, would not be entirely unjustified" she stated. "Besides, their absence would be noticed quickly, as we saw with Thomas" she stated. "Two guards are to be at the front door at all times, two by the Underworld, two in the corridors beneath the entrance to Miss Cassidy's rooms, and one in each of the four rooms downstairs" she stated. Jack nodded in agreement. "The four barmen could not have left their posts either, that would have been noticed instantly" she stated. "So the goddesses are looking more likely" she admitted. "But they seem to all be accounted for" she stated. "Nine of the rooms – at least nine goddesses upstairs – eight are in the underworld and the remaining eight are in the four rooms downstairs" she stated.
"Meaning that their absence would be noticed quickly" Jack returned. "We'll need to speak to each of the goddesses tonight and see if they have any injuries to suggest an altercation" Jack stated. "There was broken glass, splintered wood and blood covering the floor, so it's likely the killer would have some evidence of it upon them." Phryne nodded slowly. "But it still doesn't explain Thomas's disappearance."
"No" Phryne stated. "No, it doesn't."
"And despite her patronage, Miss Fisher, we cannot altogether discount Miss Cassidy" Jack returned.
"If she'd killed the man she would have ordered her guards to throw him in the Yarra, not call a private detective" Phryne countered. Jack tilted his head to the side slightly as he considered this point.
"Perhaps" he returned, unconvinced.
Before Phryne could respond there was a light click from the other side of the room, as the door opened and Miss Cassidy re-entered the room. As she did so, Jack rose from his seat.
"Miss Cassidy, I need to call the coroner and my station to inform them of Councillor Hamilton's death" Jack stated. "I'd imagine it would take them around fifteen to twenty minutes to arrive, which affords us enough time to check the downstairs rooms and then arrange for the premises to be closed for the night" he stated. Miss Cassidy nodded in agreement.
"Of course" she replied, before nodding. "I'll wait for you both downstairs" she stated, before swiftly leaving the room once more. Phryne looked after her for a moment.
"Why don't I go and take a look in some of the rooms whilst you make the telephone calls?" she asked.
"You'd certainly fit in down there considerably better than I would" Jack returned lightly, earning a small smile from Phryne.
"Don't be too long, inspector" she teased. "I'll be waiting" she added with a smile, before walking out of the room and heading downstairs to meet Miss Cassidy. Jack stood perfectly still for a moment, closing his eyes and mentally shaking himself at the surreal nature of this investigation. He would not be at all surprised if he found himself waking up in a few minutes time next to Phryne and discovering that it was all a dream. But as his eyes fell to the blood-stained marble Athena wrapped in white handkerchiefs on the table, he found himself reminded that it was not, and he turned on the spot and headed directly towards the telephone.
A few minutes later Jack arrived at the bottom of the staircase, his eyes drifting across the silk-clad goddesses and well-dressed patrons as they walked through the hallway, blissfully unaware of the corpse which lay in one of the rooms upstairs. Some of them, at least, he reminded himself. As he reached the bottom step and looked around, his attention was immediately attracted by Phryne, who walked towards him with a familiarly victorious expression upon her face, his notebook and fountain pen in her hand. Jack placed his hand to his breast pocket instinctively and raised an eyebrow as she approached. Phryne shrugged her shoulders lightly as she stood before him.
"I've spoken to the guards in each of the rooms and by the entrance" she explained, "and they have helped me to discount a further eleven of the sixteen guests from our suspect list" she said with a smile. Jack glanced at the list and nodded.
"Very impressive, Miss Fisher" he commended. Phryne smiled. "And the other five?"
"These gentlemen here" she explained, indicating to each name on the list. "All of them are university students who I had met shortly after arriving" she stated. "They came out of the room to your right just as I arrived, but apparently they had only arrived there shortly after twelve thirty" she explained. "They are the only patrons who cannot be accounted for at that time and, unfortunately, they have since departed" she stated. "They left when I arrived" she added, handing him back the notebook.
"That must have been devastating for you" Jack responded, giving Phryne a teasing smile as he placed the notebook back in his breast pocket. Phryne gave him a faux-reprimanding stare.
"Not at all" she returned, remembering the hands of one of the men upon her, and her reaction to it. She closed Jack's notebook and handed it back to him. "I even took the liberty of talking to the guardians of the underworld" she stated, looking towards the leather and red silk clad guards standing by the door to the coveted room. "To save your blushes, inspector."
"I don't blush" Jack protested.
"Of course you don't" Phryne replied gently, as she slowly pushed his fountain pen into his pocket. Jack met her gaze.
"What's in the underworld?" he asked clearly. Phryne looked up at him and suppressed a smirk, raising her eyebrows as she spoke.
"Something that I am quite certain you would consider to be Dante's tenth circle of Hell" she replied gently, offering him a teasing smile as she looked into his eyes. "Or at least, a reminder of your expeditions into the brothels of Chinatown" she stated. "Which you still haven't told me about" she stated, placing one hand on her hip as she stared into his eyes. "Would you care for the tour?" she asked, watching as Jack's eyes widened slightly. "Of the rooms of the Palace, but not the Underworld" she clarified. Jack nodded slowly in response.
"Lead the way" he said, as they walked together to the nearest room.
"Don't I always, inspector?" Phryne teased, as she led Jack into one of the large reception rooms.
Jack and Phryne spent the next ten minutes exploring the four reception rooms on the ground floor, which were decorated in the same colour and style as the rest of the house. White, marble, gold and bronze provided the main colours of the rooms and the furniture, with the artwork, artefacts and décor adding shades of red, green and blue to the décor. The front two rooms contained bars attended to by two barmen, the familiar furniture, rugs and artwork, and goddesses adorned in beautiful silk gowns, as music played throughout. Some of the men sat and drank with the goddesses as they engaged in conversation, some stood by the bar talking to the barmen, and others watched as two of the beautiful goddesses danced together in the centre of the room, their movements intricate and alluring. These appeared to be the rooms where the new patrons were inducted initially, where they would be greeted warmly by the goddesses who, as was evident, were incredibly attentive. The two rooms towards the back were designed almost identically, with the only difference being the private booths which stretched along the walls and were divided by red silk and gold ties, which reminded Phryne and Jack instantly of Madame Lyon's establishment. To spare Jack's blushes, Phryne did not suggest a further investigation. Thankfully, the guards throughout the building had been able to provide details on which men were in which rooms and for how long they had been there. It was also easy to establish who was in the private rooms upstairs and in the Underworld; Miss Cassidy prided herself on the safety she assured her staff, and had taken steps to ensure that the whereabouts of her goddesses was known at all times. Which was one of the factors that made the murder seem more surprising, in a place where movements of both staff and patrons alike were so well observed.
As Phryne and Jack left the fourth room they were met by Miss Cassidy who, having spoken with the guards, informed them that the lights would be going out in just a couple of minutes, and that patrons would be led from the building by the guards. Phryne and Jack exchanged a few words with her on this subject before walking back down the corridor and towards the entrance of the building.
"So, Jack" Phryne said suddenly, before placing her hand in his and drawing him towards a chaise lounge against the wall, which was beneath a mounted collection of rather impressive ancient knives. "What do you think?" she asked. Before Jack could answer the light went out, and gasps of shock and confusion could be heard from throughout the establishment.
Phryne pressed herself against Jack and turned her head to the side, their eyes meeting in the dim corridor, which was lit now only by candlelight. Jack stared into her eyes, watching as the candlelight case shadows across her face, and shone brightly in her deep green eyes. He looked upon her with a tender expression as the guards, who had already been briefed, began to escort the patrons from the buildings and usher the oblivious goddesses into the front parlour. In less than three minutes the entire building had been evacuated of patrons, including some mildly-intoxicated young men, a few protesting gentlemen who were well-dressed, and several individuals who had been forced to put their clothes on quickly, much to their clear frustration. Phryne suppressed a smile at the sight as her eyes drifted back towards Jack who, as the doors closed behind the final patrons, began to speak.
"I think you are enjoying yourself far too much, Miss Fisher" he returned. Phryne smiled in response.
"I try, Jack" she returned, meeting his gaze with defiant eyes and a satisfied expression. Jack stared at her for a moment before smiling back. Less than a minute later the lights turned on once more, and sounds of relief could be heard from the goddesses in the front parlour. Before Jack or Phryne could speak, Miss Cassidy appeared before them, looking from one to the other with expectant eyes.
"What happens now?" she asked, attempting to instil confidence in her voice as she crossed her arms across her chest. Jack and Phryne rose to their feet.
"The coroner will be arriving shortly, as will some of my men" Jack explained. "My officers will begin by searching the premises thoroughly and speaking to your staff. It will then be necessary for your staff to be interviewed" he explained. Miss Cassidy nodded in understanding.
"I think it would assist if we went and spoke to your staff, whilst they are all together, and explain what happened" Phryne suggested. Miss Cassidy considered the notion for a few moments, before assenting, and leading Jack and Phryne into the large reception room, where they addressed the gods and goddesses of the Palace of Eros.
A few minutes later there was a heavy, recognisable policeman's knock at the door, which prompted Jack to excuse himself from the room. Phryne followed and watched as four of Jack's officers, including Hugh Collins, entered the building, staring around it for a few moments with expressions somewhere between fascination and confusion. Phryne smiled privately as she approached the scene. She heard Jack issuing instructions to the officers, handing Hugh a small key and directing him to go upstairs and secure the scene, before sending one officer into the parlour with the staff and the other two to conduct the search.
"And who will be searching the depths of the Underworld, Jack?" Phryne asked quietly. "Or are you saving that task for yourself?" she teased. Jack stared at her for a moment, but before he could respond, there was another knock on the door, which he opened, to reveal the figure of Dr Johnson, Phryne's favourite coroner. She sighed, before stepping forward and greeting him with a smile.
"Dr Johnson, good morning" she said pleasantly. "Apologies for the early call out" she added, noting the time on the clock to her left as being quarter-past two.
Dr Johnson, who was well-dressed but displaying signs of weariness, looked up at this bright-eyed dilettante with barely concealed disdain.
"Mrs Robinson" he said quietly. "I should have known that you would be here." Phryne suppressed a smile and stepped forward.
"I assure you, Doctor, we are both here for the same reason" she responded civilly. "Would you care to see the body?" she asked, watching as the doctor looked around the room with an expression of clear disapproval. Phryne considered that he was already becoming quite wearisome; apparently he was even more charming after less than the desired amount of sleep.
"Yes, I would" he said, before turning towards Jack. "Inspector" he said, nodding his head slightly in greeting.
Jack, who was too tired and too engaged in the case to act as mediator between Phryne and Dr Johnson, conducted the coroner up the stairs, flashing Phryne a warning look which she returned with a look of innocence, feigning obliviousness. Jack suddenly felt very tired again. It was going to be a long night.
Jack led Dr Johnson and Phryne upstairs, and as they reached the room in question Phryne found that they had been joined by Miss Cassidy, who stood quite unobtrusively at by the door as the doctor bent down beside the body.
Between his utterances of disapproval about the establishment, which both Miss Cassidy and Phryne remained admirably silent upon, Dr Johnson examined the body thoroughly, confirming Phryne and Jack's hypothesis, and advising that a time of death of around midnight was most likely. He confirmed that the injury to the man's temple was superficial, and it was the blow to the front of the head that had killed him. Again, the doctor confirmed (somewhat reluctantly) that Phryne's theory that he was struck about the head then fell against the mantel piece could explain the injury and his death. Phryne accepted the affirmation modestly. Jack was impressed.
At half-past two the doctor was assisted by one of his men in moving the body onto a stretcher for transportation back to the hospital, when Phryne caught sight of something shining amongst the debris, and walked towards it immediately.
"What's this?" she breathed, as Jack walked up behind her and handed her a handkerchief, which she used to draw a small silver chain from the glass and wood which had lain beneath the body. Phryne captured the chain in the handkerchief and drew it up, revealing a heart-shaped locket in the centre, which glinted in the artificial light of the room. Phryne rose to her feet and considered the item closely, showing it to Jack, before walking towards Miss Cassidy, who was watching them with interest. "Miss Cassidy, do you recognise this?" she asked gently, looking into her eyes as she spoke. Miss Cassidy watched as Phryne revealed the necklace, her eyes widening and her lips parting in surprise. "Miss Cassidy?" Phryne repeated, her eyes scanning her features closely. Miss Cassidy looked up at Phryne with an unreadable expression.
"No, I… I've never seen that before" she said, averting her eyes from it immediately, as she attempted to make eye contact with Phryne. She almost did. Phryne considered her for a moment before covering the item with the handkerchief and nodding.
"Very well. Thank you" she said pleasantly, before exchanging a look with Jack, to whom she handed the handkerchief. Miss Cassidy looked up and met Jack's gaze.
"Excuse me" she said, before quickly excusing herself from the room.
"I'll begin the autopsy immediately, inspector" declared Dr Johnson, who looked at Jack as he spoke, and appeared to be actively attempting to pretend that Phryne was not in the room. "I should have the report for you by the late morning or early afternoon" he explained. "Though events do seem clear enough."
"Thank you, Dr Johnson" Jack said politely. The doctor nodded in response and gestured to his men to carry the body downstairs. Phryne watched as the stretcher was carried past them, stepping out of the way to afford the men some more space.
"Not at all, Inspector" the doctor replied in a low voice, as he glanced around the room with disdain once more. "Now I really must leave this dreadful place" he added with venom. Phryne, who had made admirable efforts to ignore the doctor's remarks during his examination, could no longer bear it.
"Such a shame, Dr Johnson" she said gently, her voice kind and sweet. "On your next visit I would absolutely recommend a visit to the basement" she said, her voice calm and even, her expression unreadable. Dr Johnson glared at her, giving her a withering look that she suspected had reduced generations of medical students to tears, before looking back towards Jack and offering him a small nod, before swiftly leaving the room. Jack turned immediately towards Phryne and rose his eyebrows.
"I'm sorry, Jack, but even I have my limits" she said sincerely. "And I honestly believe that a visit to the Underworld would really help him to-"
"Stop" Jack said, raising a hand in the air as he attempted to cease her words, not wishing to hear the end of the sentence. Phryne remained admirably silent. Jack watched Hugh walk across the room and search beneath the bed and on the surrounding areas, before he turned back towards his wife, who was stifling a yawn. "I suppose it would be pointless if I were to suggest you go home and get some rest-"
"Yes, it would" Phryne interceded, removing her hand from her mouth and turning towards Jack with a reassuring expression. "I'm fine" she assured him. He considered her for a moment before nodding. "And we have goddesses to interview" she said.
"My men can do that" Jack explained. "Phryne, you're exhausted."
"No, I'm not" she assured him, looking into his eyes. "No more than you are, at least" she added with a gentle smile. Jack looked into her eyes.
"Yes, but I'm not-"
"Inspector Robinson" came a voice from the doorway, causing both Jack and Phryne to turn towards Constable Brown, who watched as Jack nodded towards him. "The missing guard, Sir, Thomas Emmerson, has just arrived" he explained. Phryne's eyes widened and Jack nodded.
"Excellent, Constable. Thank you" he stated. "We'll be right down" he added, looking at Phryne, who offered him a grateful smile before following him down the stairs.
As Jack reached the bottom of the staircase he handed Phryne the handkerchief containing the necklace, as he removed his identification papers and notebook and pen from his pocket and approached Thomas, who was standing beside two of his officers and a worried-looking Miss Cassidy.
"Thomas Emmerson?" Jack asked as he approached. "I'm Detective Inspector Jack Robinson with City South Police" he stated, showing his credentials to the young man with light brown hair and deep brown eyes. "Would you care to account for your movements this evening?" he asked.
Before the man could respond Phryne took a step forwards and subtly removed part of the handkerchief from the necklace, revealing the heart-shaped locket and part of the silver chain. She watched Thomas's eyes drift down towards it, widen slightly, then look up at Jack with renewed confidence.
"I left the club just after midnight, Inspector" he stated evenly. "After I killed Basil Hamilton" he stated. Phryne covered the necklace up and looked from the man to Jack, who nodded, before walking towards him.
"In that case, Mr Emmerson, you are under arrest" he stated, cuffing the unresisting man as he informed him of his rights, as Miss Cassidy placed a trembling hand to her mouth and closed her eyes.
Phryne watched as two of the shocked goddesses emerged from the parlour and placed their hands on Miss Cassidy's shoulder, whispering some words to her before leading her into the parlour. Phryne stared after her for a moment before following Jack and Thomas Emmerson from the premises, stepping into the night and watching the young guard being placed into the back of a Police car, before hastening towards Jack.
"Jack, this isn't right. Something's wrong" she whispered.
"I agree" he stated, meeting her gaze. "But for the moment I think it's best if everyone else believes that we think Emmerson is our man" he stated. Phryne considered the point for a moment before nodding.
"I'll meet you at the station" she stated, before handing him back the necklace and walking quickly across the road to her Hispano, as she ran over the events of that evening in her mind, and found herself troubled by something. She recognised that necklace, she'd seen it before, but she didn't know where. Displayed in the Palace, perhaps? On the necks of one of the hostesses? She couldn't recall. And yet, to her immense frustration, it could be the very answer that would solve this mystery once and for all, and save an innocent man from the gallows.
