Chapter 25 – The Sanderson Connection

*.*.*.

"Wake up!"

Jack woke up at the sound of her voice yelling at him and a sudden coldness as his blankets were pulled off him. Bleary eyed in the darkness it took him a couple of moments to focus on the vision of Phryne glaring at him. Despite her obvious anger at him, she looked absolutely beautiful and he struggled against the impulse to simply pull her onto the bed with him. He could tell that would not go over well.

"Phryne? What's wrong?"

"What's wrong? I've just spent a lovely evening with your wife, that's what's wrong!"

"Former wife," Jack corrected her with a yawn as he sat up and ran a hand through his hair.

"At any point did it occur to you to tell me?!"

He was still struggling to wake up, let alone follow her meandering train of thought. "Tell you what? You knew I'd been married."

"Oh, yes, but you neglected to tell me to whom. That the Deputy Commissioner, the one who raided my club and you had me help prove innocent of Lavinia's murder, the one who suspended you from your job, was also your father-in-law!"

"Former," Jack argued pitifully.

"Or that the Sandersons were friends with my aunt and sister!"

"I didn't know they were that close."

"But you did know!" she yelled at him with pure fury.

"All right, all right!" Jack leaned forward and held his head in his hands as Phryne fell silent enough for him to think. "Yes, all right, I admit I kept my relationship to George Sanderson away from you. When we first met and you started helping me investigate Lavinia's murder you made it abundantly clear that if you had any reason at all to be suspicious of me you'd stop cooperating. I had a feeling that I told you that he was my former father-in-law you might think my motives were… personal."

She started pacing across his bedroom. "I thought it odd you were so convinced of his innocence but stupidly I bought your excuse of knowing him well, I just never knew how well. I had no idea it was nepotism!"

"You can see why I didn't want to tell you," he tried to joke but her glare told him that was the wrong move. "Besides, he was innocent."

"Of her murder, yes."

"That's what we were investigating," Jack reminded her. "And later, as we got closer… I did think of telling you, Phryne, honestly I did. I was just worried you'd react badly and I'd lose you. I didn't want that. Anyway, I did arrest him and he did suspend me, so clearly there is no nepotism there."

"Clearly," she mocked him. "Now, can you tell me what on Earth you did to Sidney Fletcher?"

"Fletcher?" Jack was confused now. He perfectly understood her being upset at him not telling her who his former in-laws were and that he knew they moved in the same circles as her family but Fletcher was nothing to him. He was a man he'd met on a handful of occasions and shared meaningless pleasantries with.

Jack swung his legs over the side of his bed, ready to stand but not quite ready to see her run away if he made any move towards her. "I barely know the man. He was George's godson so I met him a couple of times at family functions before my marriage to Rosie turned sour, that's all."

"So why did he break up your marriage and get you suspended?"

"What?!" Jack sprung to his feet at that statement, grabbing a blanket to cover himself as his body was still acclimatising to the night air. "What are you talking about?"

"It was Fletcher, Jack, he was the one who told Sanderson about us. And from what your wife said, he was the one who got her to divorce you. She was in quite a state at the thought of you consorting with prostitutes, by the way."

"I suppose you didn't let her know that it was you," Jack muttered.

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Fletcher?" Jack repeated. "But, how would he know?"

Phryne let out a sigh and sat on the foot of his bed. "Well, I may have had to throw him out of the Imperial Club a little while ago."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Jack smirked. "You're saying that he, a man who does frequent the club, got me fired for doing that exact same thing even though I've never been there as a client?"

"I should have thought about him when we were trying to work out who it was," Phryne admitted. "He was hurting one of our girls so I intervened. He didn't take kindly to it, told me he had friends in the police force and could get us raided. I'm sorry Jack, I did tell him that I also had friends in the force but I never said anything more than that. There was no way for him to identify you from what I said! Then he told me he knew Sanderson and, well, I knew you couldn't compete with him, so I just threw him out without saying any more about my own connections with the police. I never knew his name, what his connection to any of you was. I just knew he was a creep who hurt Lola. I'd completely forgotten about him until I saw him there in my aunt's ballroom, flirting with one of our maids."

"What did you do?" Jack asked, suddenly anxious about whatever scene Phryne Fisher could easily cause in a high-class soiree.

"Just threatened him with a knife," she replied as if it was nothing. "He threatened to get me kicked out as he didn't know who I really was either, so I threatened the same. Then Janey and your wife turned up so I played nice for as long as I could stomach it and then I came here to yell at you for not warning me I could find myself in that situation."

"I'm sorry," Jack sat beside her and took her hand in his and was delighted when she let him instead of running away or attacking him. "But Fletcher, why?"

"I'm still trying to work out how he knew."

Jack thought for a moment, then groaned as he realised. "The football club."

"I'm sorry?"

"Do you remember that day you brought Lena to commemorate Harry Harper? We were talking and then a car turned up?"

Phryne nodded. "Yes, of course."

"That was Fletcher driving Rosie. He must have seen us, seen how close we were, recognised you from the club then put two and two together."

"And he's Sanderson's godson and will be his son-in-law whereas you're the man who divorced his daughter. Of course Sanderson chose Fletcher over you."

Phryne squeezed his hand in sympathy but Jack shook his head. "No, I don't think that's it. I can't exactly discount your cries of nepotism, Phryne. Rosie always wanted me to further my career and more than one job came up that George hinted he could make sure I got if I wanted but I didn't want those jobs, I like where I am. Where I was, I mean. But… I think it's my fault, Phryne. I think Fletcher went straight to Sanderson that morning but he didn't suspend me until the late afternoon. You see, George is a West Melbourne fan and he was very unhappy at me interviewing their star player and when I told him I would never play favourites… his face, Phryne."

"So, what? You told him you would do what you thought was right, not necessarily what he told you to do, so he fired you?"

"I think you might have just been the excuse to get me out of the way."

"Why? Out of the way of what?"

"I don't know," Jack admitted. "I didn't think I was getting close to anything, I wasn't even close to solving Harper's murder. Hell, I wasn't even close to working out if it was murder!"

"This is ridiculous!" Phryne exclaimed. "I was attracted to you because you treated me like a person, not a whore, so I wanted to be with you and now suddenly I'm in the middle of some conspiracy in the police force that I know nothing about?"

Jack smiled and tentatively put an arm around her, pulling her close. "I'm sorry, Phryne. I'm sorry for all of it. I'm sorry I didn't warn you that my ex-wife knew your family. I'm sorry you've been pulled into my mess. I'm sorry I didn't have the strength to tell you no that first night and ruined your life."

"You didn't ruin it, Jack," she reached up and touched his face. "If anything, I ruined yours. I ruin everything."

"Liar. I don't know how I would have coped with all this without you."

"But you wouldn't have gone through all this without me, don't you see that?"

"If we're right, if Sanderson needed me gone for some reason, I think I would have done."

"Maybe," Phryne conceded.

"Will you let me tell you that you look beautiful tonight?"

She looked up at him and smiled slyly. "You didn't see how beautiful Rosie looked."

He smiled back, refusing to rise to her bait. "I've seen Rosie all dressed up before. If you want to know anything about our marriage, please ask me, any time. But don't ever think you can trick me into telling you that I would rather have Rosie with me than you because it simply wouldn't be true."

"How do you feel about Fletcher splitting you and Rosie up?"

That was a serious question, Jack realised, not her trying to tease him or wind him up. "I don't think he did. He may have put the idea of divorce into Rosie's head but our relationship never recovered from me going to war. To be honest, I never recovered from it. If Fletcher is the reason we finally formally ended our marriage it might be the only good thing he did, even if he did it for the wrong reason."

"And there's nothing else from your past that might suddenly appear in my future? You don't have a secret lovechild that's going to pop up at some point?"

"Not unless you have something to tell me, no," Jack grinned. "I'm a simple, boring man, I'm afraid, Phryne. I courted a few women in my youth, was never really serious about any of them until I met Rosie. Then I spent the best part of sixteen years trying to be a good husband, and failed. Then I met you. Other than that, I've just concentrated on trying to bring justice to the people of Melbourne."

"So noble."

Jack took in a breath. "Would you tell me if I was about to encounter an ex-lover of yours?"

Phryne wrinkled her nose. "I think it's highly unlikely unless you arrest one of them. I probably wouldn't have done to be honest, but after meeting Rosie like that I might do. No, I will, if it happens."

"Thank you," Jack replied, skipping over the part where he was unlikely to arrest anyone ever again.

"So, you have a thing about brunettes with blue eyes, do you?" Phryne teased him.

Jack realised this line of teasing was unlikely to stop now she had met Rosie, so he pulled her face up to him and kissed her deeply. She didn't resist as he pulled her to lie down on his bed with him and he started to help her out of her stunning and expensive dress.

*.*.*.

Dot was surprised when she was told there was a visitor waiting for her. The staff at the Stanleys' residence all knew Hugh by now and he almost came and went unannounced. He would never have been referred to as a visitor, to everyone she lived and worked with he was just her Hugh, with the notable exception of Miss Phryne who frequently called him Collins in the same fashion as Inspector Robinson.

To Dot's surprise, she was brought to the kitchen, not that a woman like her would have visitors come to the front door. There, sitting at the table, was Nell. Unlike their last meeting, Nell looked a lot more respectable and a little more remorseful. In her hands was a parcel hastily wrapped in brown paper.

Nell stood as Dot entered and handed the parcel to her. "For all the birthdays I forgot. Probably every one."

Dot indicated to Nell to sit back down as she opened the gift to discover a brand new Bible. "Thank you."

Nell smiled as Dot sat down to join her. "Looks better than the moth-eaten thing you used to take to church."

"That Bible is very precious to me. Mother gave it to me when I was five years old."

Nell raised a disapproving eyebrow. "She didn't give me a Bible when I was five."

Dot regarded her sister who already seemed to be spoiling for a fight. She thought about Miss Phryne, about how she was trying to turn her life around. Fair enough, it must be a lot easier with rich family and an inheritance to claim but Dot was certain that she'd be willing to help Nell. Miss Janey would, too, she was exactly the kind of woman Janey had wanted to help with her education programme with the gratitude board. All she needed to do was to get her own sister to agree. "Nell, I know it isn't easy, but... I could help you find some other kind of work."

"Why scrub floors when I can earn double the money in less than half the time?" Nell asked sceptically.

"Because what you're doing isn't right. I'm trying to help you, Nell."

"And what if I don't need your help? What if I don't want to be saved? I've seen what's happened to girls that have been saved and I'm much safer as I am."

Dot scowled at her. She was only trying to help, why did she always have to fight her? "Why do you always have to spoil everything?"

"Because while you're at someone else's beck and call, I'm earning enough money to do whatever I like. I get to dance and smoke gaspers and drink champagne with rich gentlemen. And some of them even like me enough to buy me presents."

"You're breaking Mother's heart," Dot told her. She had reached out to her mother after finding Nell, realising the distress she had been causing them was probably the same Janey had felt about Phryne. Mrs Williams had been so pleased to have her daughter back, so happy to learn that she was working for a respectable woman like Miss Fisher. She hadn't quite got the courage to tell her family about Hugh yet. She knew what her mother would say about him being a Protestant. She had, however, asked after her sister a couple of times, trying to work out what their mother knew about her current form of employment. This unusual interest in Nell was undoubtedly what had prompted this unexpected visit. The Bible, she realised, might turn out to be a bribe to buy Dot's silence about what her sister was up to.

"Our mother is her own worst enemy," Nell declared angrily, standing up from her seat. Dot could tell she was about to run off and likewise stood up as if she could stop her.

"Don't you dare talk about our mother-"

"You think that my life is worse than hers?" Nell asked heatedly. "Six kids, never any break. Not even enough money to buy herself a new dress. I bet Dad would come home and expect his dues to be paid whether she felt like it or not. At least I get paid for my trouble."

With that, Nell picked up a coat from one of the other chairs and put it on. Under the table Dot clenched her fists. She wanted to hurl something at Nell. The truth was that the sisters had never been very close. Dot had been devoted to their mother and Nell had always just been out for herself. It was no great coincidence, Dot felt, that she had found herself working for Janey Fisher when Nell worked for Phryne. However, it was Phryne that made Dot take control of her anger. If Janey had found her working at the gentleman's club and made a scene, she knew Phryne Fisher would never have come home. If anyone had made that happen it was Inspector Robinson by showing her love and patience. Dot was going to struggle to give Nell either while she talked badly about their mother but she was going to try.

Nell flounced to the door and turned back, probably surprised that Dot hadn't retaliated to her parting shot so she decided to try another one. "You know nothing about the real world, Dot. And you won't learn about it by burying your nose in a Bible."

"Get out!" Dot shouted and Nell did. Dot couldn't help but wonder if she'd ever see her again. Her eyes turned to the dark leather of the Bible and the embossed cross on the front. Such a thoughtful gift, one that seemed to indicated that Nell knew her sister well and cared about her. How could they have turned that into a vicious argument?

"Has your sister gone, Dot?" Marigold's face peered into the kitchen.

"Yes," Dot replied, finally standing. "Sorry, did you hear all that?"

Marigold came fully into the room with a shrug. "It's nothing compared to how my Dad speaks to me."

"Sisters, Marigold, there's nothing like them for getting under your skin. Just look at Miss Janey and Miss Phryne."

Marigold laughed and went over to the sink.

Dot stood and looked at the Bible still sitting on the table. Half of her was tempted to throw it into the bin in spite but she decided not to. Nell had no reason to turn up here except to see Dot. While they would never see eye to eye over Nell's work, while she still suspected the possibility of Nell giving her a present to buy her silence, Dot realised she had to accept it as a genuine gift. It was the only way to try to fix their relationship. What she needed to do now was come up with something equally thoughtful to give to Nell in return. Miss Phryne should be able to help her with that, she undoubtedly knew her better than Dot did these days.

She picked up the Bible and started to walk out of the room when Marigold called her back. "Here, Dot, you dropped something,"

Dot looked back at her as Marigold held out an envelope.

"It's not mine," Dot replied, taking it anyway.

"It fell out of your Bible," Marigold replied, going back to work. The girl would take any excuse to slack, it had to be something really uninteresting to not keep her from her doing her duties.

Dot turned her attention to the note. Maybe it was something from Nell, a real apology this time.

She opened the envelope. It was a strange note written on a typewriter from someone called S. The envelope had the letter L on it. Curious, Dot flicked through to the first page of the Bible which had the name Lavinia scrawled on it.

Maybe this wasn't the thoughtful gift Dot had first considered it. Maybe it was just stolen goods that Nell was trying to get rid of. Dot knew what she had to do.

TBC...