‘Where’s the good professor?’ Admiral Miller wanted to know.
‘He should have been here a half-hour ago,’ I said. ‘Frankly, I’m getting a little worried.’
Mrs Miller touched my arm. ‘I’m sure he’ll turn up,’ she said. ‘They’ve closed downtown streets to vehicles, so traffic has been simply horrendous!’
I didn’t point out to her that we lived just two blocks away, so traffic shouldn’t have been an issue, but it was just like Paul to get tied up somewhere, with a midshipman needing advice, for example. I fingered Jud’s note for reassurance.
Meanwhile, the musicians had moved on to a reel. Melody’s friend, Jason, came to fetch her, and when the young couple began dancing, I couldn’t take my eyes off her, and neither could anyone else in the room. ‘Oh, Alex, you taught that girl well,’ I whispered to our dead friend’s spirit. ‘She is truly the belle of the ball.’
Next to me, Amy said, ‘Just listening to that music makes me miss Alex terribly.’
‘We all miss him,’ Michael said.
After a while, I asked, ‘What happened to Alex’s violin?’
‘Jud packed up all his stuff,’ Michael said. ‘Sent it home to Alex’s parents. We’ll miss the funeral service, you know.’ He shook his head. ‘Doesn’t seem right somehow.’
The reel ended, Melody and Jason strolled away to the banquet room. Another reel was announced, and I’d just decided to try and hook up with another glass of punch when a familiar voice said, ‘Madam, may I have this dance?’
I pressed a hand to my chest, light-headed with relief. ‘Sir, I would be delighted.’
I almost didn’t recognize him. I had been expecting the green costume he’d been wearing at our last outing, but Paul wore a cobalt-blue suit and a gold brocade weskit instead. Lace spilled out of the ends of his sleeves and over his collar. His wig was different, too. The silver hair was swept back, high off his forehead. Two enormous curls, the size of orange juice cans, trembled over each ear.
‘I was so worried that something had happened to you!’ I blurted out.
‘Not to worry,’ Paul said smoothly. ‘You got the message from Jud? That Drew Cornell is in custody?’
I fell back against the wall. ‘Yes, thank God! Where did it happen?’
Paul leaned close. ‘Jud’s security people picked him up in Brad Perry’s backyard earlier this afternoon. They’re not sure what his plans were.’
Brad Perry is our next-door neighbor. That was way too close for comfort. ‘What happens now?’
‘He’s being turned over to Navy custody as we speak.’
‘I should tell Amy.’
Paul reached for my hand. ‘That can wait.’ He escorted me onto the dance floor, my legs feeling as limp as cooked spaghetti.
We took our place at the head of the line.
Four steps forward, bow. ‘So, which actor is running around naked tonight?’ I asked in an attempt to lighten the mood. Four steps back.
Four steps forward, join right hands, turn, turn. ‘Sir Peter Teazle. That’s why I was late. I couldn’t find the mid with the key to the costume room.’ Four steps back.
Four steps forward, join both hands, turn, turn. ‘I didn’t really think Cornell would try anything here in a room full of people, anyway.’ Paul sounded confident, but then he didn’t know Drew as well as Amy – and I – did.’ Four steps back.
It was a fragmented conversation, but between the do-see-dos, allemande left and rights, and the promenades, I explained about the note Drew had left in the bottle. ‘I wanted to warn you, call off our plan before somebody got hurt.’
Paul laughed. ‘Why do you think I spent all these years practicing karate?’
‘Karate? Ha! Drew’s a SEAL. He probably knows Krav Maga,’ I said, naming the terrifying, no-holds barred method of self-defense developed by the Israelis.
The music ended, and Paul escorted me back to where Amy was standing alone, looking around nervously. I introduced her to my husband.
Paul took her hand, raised it to his lips and gave it a gallant kiss. ‘Delighted.’ He gave Amy the good news/bad news about Drew, and I watched as the tension gradually drained from her face.
‘What now?’ she asked.
‘It’s time to enjoy the ball, Miss Cornell.’
‘They can’t let Drew get away with murdering Alex, Professor. No matter what the medical examiner says, I know he did it.’
Paul tucked Amy’s hand under his arm, covered it with his own. ‘And there’s something else they’re going to take into consideration, Amy. Drew’s unauthorized action in Swosa may have resulted in the deaths of his ten teammates, plus a well-trained dog named Cody.’
‘A dog, too?’ Amy blinked back tears.
The music had started again. ‘Shall we dance?’ my husband asked his young companion, and before she even answered, he whisked Amy away.
I watched from the sidelines.
For the first reel, Paul flirted, Amy was coy. By the second, Paul held on to Amy’s hand just a second too long; Amy was a coquette. They called a country dance, and by then, Amy was behaving like a card-carrying colonial vamp and I had found a chair, where I seethed quietly. Paul was a damn good actor, but then, he was wearing actor’s clothing.
‘Whew!’ Amy trilled when the music finally ended, loud enough for me – and for everyone within a ten mile radius – to hear. ‘I could certainly use a drink, Professor Ives.’
Paul bowed in my direction – the showoff – and escorted Amy into the banquet room.
Meanwhile, another dance had begun. Michael took pity on me – he must have thought Paul had lost his mind, but was kind enough not to say so – and I danced with the superintendant, too.
After a time, Paul rejoined me, minus Amy.
‘What was that all about?’ I snapped.
Paul leaned close. ‘Are you acting,’ he whispered, ‘or are you really pissed off at me?’
I didn’t answer that. ‘Where’s Amy?’
‘In the ladies’ room.’
‘Oh.’ After a moment of silence I said, ‘The superintendant saw you acting like an asshole, you know.’
Paul snorted softly. ‘I’ll explain it all to him later.’
‘Better you than me.’
‘I thought Amy needed cheering up, Hannah. You’d need cheering up, too, if you’d just learned that I’d been arrested.’
‘I simply don’t get where Drew is coming from,’ I said. ‘I know he was determined not to leave without Amy, but it would have been a whole lot safer waiting for her while windsurfing off some beach in Buenos Aires, instead of stirring up trouble here. Look where it got him.’
‘Methinks madam could use a drink. Punch?’
‘Yes, please.’ I felt my makeup crackle, so I suspected I was frowning. But I could use a drink. By that time the ballroom was hot, filled to capacity with merry-makers. The great doors on both ends of the long hall stood open, but there was too little breeze passing through them to even begin to cool the room.