Dear Diary

I met Jack's ex-wife during this case, and his ex-father in law a man who will cause me some ire I am sure, something about the man ...

I was called in to this case by Dot's sister, Nell, or Lola as she prefers – Dot is not impressed, especially as Lola is a 'hostess' at a gentlemen's club.

Lola's friend, Lavinia, was found dead, strangled in Sanderson's (Jack's ex in law) parlour, Sanderson was unconscious in the chair and the door was locked from the inside, they were found by the housekeeper on her return from the cinema. Lola of course blamed Sanderson, the papers got hold of it and accused the force of a cover up, but Sanderson claimed he knew nothing and Mac found he had been drugged with laudanum in his port so he probably didn't know anything, however he didn't help himself. No, I don't think I like him.

Jack, of course, had to take the case which was how I got to meet his ex-wife, Rosie – an apparently pleasant woman.

All this interrupted my Spanish dancing lessons with Carlos but, they had to be resumed when I met the owner of the club, a Mme Lyon. Now she may have been difficult, may have threatened me with a sawn off – to be fair I was breaking into her office in the dead of night – but, you know, Diary, I think I rather like her, she's strong, cares very much for her hostesses – yes, under other circumstances I think we could get along quite well. Anyway she did allow me to go undercover so I had to perfect my fan dance and my Spanish accent – now that caused a stir; Dot, dear resourceful Dot made my costume, large fans that she worried would hid my costume – there wasn't much to hide! And she brought them to the club, and came all the way in, stayed to watch, with Hugh and Jack and the Raggers snuck in too – I didn't know they were there but they saw as much as the patrons – there was no top to my costume!

Jack wasn't able to get much from the girls, all had names beginning with 'L', including – my alter ego Lulu Loreeta, but I was able to find out that Lavinia was seeing 'clients' privately.

I told Jack as much as I knew in a little booth, but we were interrupted and I jumped into his lap. Poor boy, he ended up with a mouthful of my breast (I did have my dress on) and he was obviously embarrassed – Diary it would appear my charms are not completely lost on the Inspector, I do believe he became aroused! I left him to compose himself.

It was all rather sordid; Sanderson had raided the club and other brothels in an attempt to clean up the city and in this raid a man had been shot – he was the doorman's brother. This whole thing was over a 'register' of clients, but it wasn't really, the register was full of 'John Smiths' – the register in our case was a box of small items taken from clients to use as bribery, to prove bigwigs in the city had been there. There was supposed to be a badge from the Chief Commissioner. The box disappeared, Mme Lyon is convinced Lavinia stole it, but where it is we have no idea. It was the doorman who killed Lavinia, he hoped to frame Sanderson, but I don't really understand why, apart from he led the raid in which his brother was killed.

When we went to find him, to arrest him, Lola, who was engaged to him, said he had gone down to the docks. He ran, Jack wanted to talk to him, he wanted a full explanation, Lavinia had nothing to do with his brother's death so why kill her. Sanderson was with us, recovered from his doping and here is why I don't trust him. The doorman, Maurie, was balancing on a steel girder, shouting that we didn't know everything- but we wanted to, we wanted to hear his story – he put his hand in his pocket and I suppose one could assume he was reaching for a gun but it wasn't, it was cash but Sanderson shot him, before he even knew. There would have been time, we would have seen the butt of a pistol if there had been one, but no, Sanderson shot him and I do believe, deep down, that there was more to this than meets the eye – hence my note on another page – I do not trust George Sanderson.

And where is the darn box?! I don't think we have finished with this story.

Jack recovered from his embarrassment and joined me for a post case drink – I do enjoy these evenings, we are getting to know so much more about each other, I find I like that, having Jack as a friend. He is intelligent, he cares, he cares enough to find the real truth and not just what is on the surface of a case.