Viridis - A Steampunk Romance by Calista Taylor Page A

sure.” Phoebe took some time to think about
it, finally saying, “I’m sorry to say that I don’t remember when he
was last here. He could have very easily gone unnoticed if he sat
in the theater area. With so many customers, and the fact that I’m
here most nights, the faces and days tend to blur into one. I do
know I had seen him quite recently, but whether it was two, three
or even four days ago, I cannot be sure. I can have the supervisors
ask the girls— see if any of them remembers when he was last
here.”
    “That won’t be necessary.” Gabriel fixed William
with his gaze. “He was indeed here two nights ago. I remember
serving him at the bar.”
    A curious look of emotion crossed Gabriel’s face
momentarily, leaving William to wonder if he had imagined it. It
could have been just the shock of finding that an acquaintance had
been murdered, but perhaps there was more. “Was he a friend of
yours?”
    “He was.” Gabriel cleared his throat and sat forward
a bit, his eyes flicking momentarily to his sister’s as she
returned a look of sympathy. “You get to know the customers who
come in on a regular basis.”
    “Did you notice whether he was with anyone that
night?”
    “Not when he first arrived. There was another
gentleman who did eventually turn up. Hadn’t seen him before, at
least not that I can remember. They then took their business to one
of the private rooms. I’m afraid I lost track of him from
there.”
    “Do you remember what time it was or what the other
man looked like? Anything you remember, no matter how small the
detail, could be of use.” William pivoted in his seat, to face
Gabriel more easily. There was something William was missing, some
detail just beyond his reach, something Gabriel was holding
back.
    “It couldn’t have been too much past eleven o’clock.
As for the other man, I can’t say I noticed anything that made him
stand out. I’d say he couldn’t have been much over thirty-five. I
don’t remember him being all that tall, and he had brown hair worn
just long enough to brush his collar, thinning just a little on
top. Actually, now that I think of it, he did wear wire eye specs,
and though I only saw him close up for a moment, I’d say they were
thick enough to distort the appearance of his eyes. He wasn’t a
terribly handsome fellow, I’m afraid to admit.”
    William jotted down the information in his notebook,
giving it some thought. “How about the clothes he was wearing? The
quality of the fabric, the cut?”
    “I’m afraid there was not anything out of the
ordinary. The quality of the cloth was good but not the best and
the same could be said for the cut. Fairly conservative in its
styling rather than anything of the latest fashions.”
    “I thank you. The information could prove to be
quite useful.”
    There was a knock at the door just before it opened,
and Molly came in pushing a teacart laden with drink and food.
    “Would you like some tea Inspector?” Phoebe got up
to pour the tea herself, dismissing Molly. “The pasties and
sandwiches are also quite good.”
    “Yes. Thank you.” Though William did not want to
linger, he found no harm in accepting Phoebe’s generous offer and
it would allow him the opportunity to observe the group a while
longer.
    He had learned long ago, that it never hurt to be on
friendly terms with potential witnesses, since they would be more
apt to call you if they remembered anything pertinent. It also did
not help that he would be heading to an empty house when he left
here.
    He took the cup and plate Phoebe offered, with his
thanks. She really was quite stunning, her almond shaped eyes doing
nothing to mask the intelligence and kindness behind their emerald
glow.
    “I’ll have the girls questioned. They may remember
having seen the man you’re looking for.” Phoebe suddenly
remembered. “Oh. Poor Lilly. I may be mistaken, but I believe that
she and Lord Hawthorne had struck up a bit of a friendship and