A Proposal to Die For by Vivian Conroy Read Free Book Online

at some special occasion. But most of the time they are in the safe in Father’s study and nobody cares about them much.’
    He huffed. ‘Well, this one must be a family heirloom. It has a mark indicating the purity of the gold and the maker, and I bet we can trace it back to its origins.’
    â€˜Shouldn’t we just turn it in to that little man sweeping the foyer? We might have found it, but it is not ours to keep.’
    â€˜I didn’t say I was going to keep it. I intend to find out to whom it belongs. I am really curious why it was fastened here in that way. It didn’t fall off because the clasp came loose or something.’ Dubois studied her with a frown. ‘You were right about the pouch. This brooch was used to form the curtain into a container for something. But whatever it was, it is no longer there.’
    Alkmene studied the curtain, which now hung in the normal way again. ‘We have no way of knowing for how long it was this way. Who has been in this box and who could be involved.’
    Dubois put the brooch into his pocket and looked around. ‘Nothing else to be found here. We’d better leave again.’
    In the foyer the sweeping man asked if they had recovered the lost earring. Alkmene said with a smile that she had and that he had helped them a lot. Dubois led her outside. ‘He is probably now telling himself you would have helped him more if you had given him some money,’ he observed.
    â€˜Why? I would feel like I had bribed him. It would have looked suspicious. I merely looked for my own lost earring. Why give him something for that?’
    Dubois shook his head. ‘You have no idea of real life. To grease the wheels of cooperation you have to have ready cash on you for all occasions.’
    â€˜Well, then you should have given him something,’ Alkmene said.
    They walked down the street away from the theatre. The bright light formed a sharp contrast to the dimness inside of the building. Her eyes almost hurt. ‘Where will you determine who owns the brooch? I mean, what you said before about gold percentage and maker.’
    â€˜I’ll do that alone.’
    â€˜Why? Is it not appropriate for a lady to see?’
    Dubois laughed softly. ‘You don’t have to make a point for me. I am well aware of the things you have never seen in your life.’
    Alkmene halted. ‘I find your attitude patronizing and unjust. You have never even tried me. How do you know what I would do, how I would react, if I was part of an investigation with you?’
    Dubois surveyed her a moment. Then he nodded and hailed a cab.
    Wait a minute. He was agreeing to take her along?
    Just like that?
    Her persuasive powers had to be greater than imagined.
    The cab halted, and Alkmene got in with a sense of excitement, but also a slight feeling of impending doom, throbbing in her hurt finger.
    She had about as much an idea of investigative work as she had about laundry.
    She’d better make sure she didn’t interfere with Dubois’s handling of it, or he’d never again take her anywhere.

Chapter Five
    The cab dropped them off on the corner of two streets full of small shops and peddlers trying to sell off their wares. Dubois led the way, her clinging to his side, to avoid the grubby hands reaching out for her.
    Loud voices screamed from all sides, and a scruffy dog on a rope snapped at her ankle.
    Fortunately, the rope was just too short for him to get a nibble. His teeth just shut with a vicious clang that echoed as they pushed on.
    On the corner was a tall building of four storeys. The door was open, and in the hallway was a sweet stench of decay.
    Or was it something cooking?
    If it was, it was disgusting.
    Alkmene pretended to rub her face while keeping her nose shut against the stench.
    They had to walk up an endless amount of steps spiralling to the top floor. Here and there the steps were so worn she was worried she’d tread right