Bitter Spirits
Page 17
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“Did a man kill himself in this house?”
“No idea. A San Francisco judge built the house after the earthquake. My parents bought it a few years ago.”
“Interesting. Would you like me to get rid of it?”
“That’s why I called you out here.”
Not because he craved an excuse to see her again.
“Your wish, my command, Mr. Bootlegger.” She smiled so beautifully, he nearly forgot all about the ghost standing between them. As whorls of white puffed from her mouth, she reached out with splayed fingers and touched the man. He crackled, then simply . . . disappeared.
Gone.
Along with her snowy breath, which petered out after a couple of exhalations.
Winter stared at her, unable to speak. “Well done,” he finally managed to say.
Aida folded her arms under her breasts and looked him straight in the eye, one side of her bewitching mouth cocked in a self-assured smile. “That’ll be fifty dollars.”
• • •
Two nights later, standing behind a folding screen in her dressing room at Gris-Gris, Aida was still giddy about that fifty dollars. Well, not so much the money as the wicked postcard collection. And not so much the postcards as the way she’d felt when Winter towered over her like some erotic heathen god. For the umpteenth time, she reminded herself how reserved he’d been after she’d banished the ghost in his study. He barely said another word, just handed her some bills from his pocket—who carries around that much cash?—then clammed up when his housekeeper came in the room.
“You haven’t heard from him since,” she murmured to herself as she tugged a beaded green gown over her head. It was a straight-cut gown with a dropped waist, a nice fit, but it had a line of buttons in the back that she couldn’t reach. Should’ve thought of that before she put it on. Maybe one of the chorus girls would help her. A knock sounded on the door. She peered around the side of the screen to see Velma’s head poking into the room.
“Oh, good. You’re dressed,” the club owner said.
“Actually, I’m glad you’re here, because I need help reaching—”
Velma didn’t wait for the end of her sentence, just swung the door open while speaking to someone in the hallway. “She’s all yours, but don’t hold her up. She’s due onstage in fifteen minutes.”
Aida slipped back behind the screen and stood on stockinged tiptoes to see over the top.
It was him.
Damn.
“Velma!” she called out.
Her boss just shrugged and shut the door, leaving her alone with Winter Magnusson, who was looking warm and handsome in a smoky brown suit and chocolate coat.
“Hello, Miss Palmer.”
She tried to prop her arm on the screen in an attempt to look casual and slipped. As if her heart wasn’t already beating fast enough to make its way into a Poe story. “Err, hello.”
“You are dressed behind there, aren’t you?”
“Just putting on . . . shoes.” Shoes? She winced. “What brings you by? Another ghost?”
He squinted at her for a moment, probably wondering why she wasn’t coming out from the screen, which would be the normal thing to do if she were dressed, then held up a dark bottle. “Krug. Champagne. From France.”
What were they celebrating? Her discovery of his erotic postcard collection?
“Just a token of thanks for getting rid of my ghosts, since I didn’t pay you for the prostitute.”
“The what?”
He stilled. “The first ghost. The night we met.”
Oh. “How did you know she was a prostitute?”
He tapped the bottom of the bottle against his gloved hand, then walked to the dressing table and set it down. “Hope you like it.”
“I adore champagne, and if it’s the same stuff you sell to Velma, it’s terrific.”
“Better. But don’t tell her. It’s personal stock.”
“Ah, well. I’m . . . honored. Thanks. You didn’t have to.”
“My pleasure.”
“She wasn’t yours, was she?”
“What?”
“The Chinese prostitute. Had you seen her before she was a ghost? As a paying client, I mean.”
She hadn’t realized he’d been tense until his face relaxed into a smile. “No, Miss Palmer.” He removed his hat and ran a palm over his hair. “Not that night or any other.”
“Good to know.” She propped her chin atop the screen and arched her back while attempting to fasten a button. If she held her breath and reached with her fingertips, she might get one or two—
“Speaking of ghosts, I was wondering if you’d be interested in doing a séance for someone. An old family friend who lives in Sea Cliff.”
“Oh?” Aida stopped struggling with the button. “Where is Sea Cliff?”
“Small neighborhood on the other side of the Presidio. Very exclusive.”
“As exclusive as Pacific Heights?”
Winter strolled to the dressing screen, reaching inside his coat for an envelope. “Sea Cliff is all new money. Big homes, right up near the bay.”
She panicked and made herself smaller. “Sounds swank.”
“Depends on your style.” He hung his hat on a corner of the screen, propped an elbow on the top edge, and handed the envelope over. “The séance would be after a dinner party this weekend. The job pays well. Read it.”
“No idea. A San Francisco judge built the house after the earthquake. My parents bought it a few years ago.”
“Interesting. Would you like me to get rid of it?”
“That’s why I called you out here.”
Not because he craved an excuse to see her again.
“Your wish, my command, Mr. Bootlegger.” She smiled so beautifully, he nearly forgot all about the ghost standing between them. As whorls of white puffed from her mouth, she reached out with splayed fingers and touched the man. He crackled, then simply . . . disappeared.
Gone.
Along with her snowy breath, which petered out after a couple of exhalations.
Winter stared at her, unable to speak. “Well done,” he finally managed to say.
Aida folded her arms under her breasts and looked him straight in the eye, one side of her bewitching mouth cocked in a self-assured smile. “That’ll be fifty dollars.”
• • •
Two nights later, standing behind a folding screen in her dressing room at Gris-Gris, Aida was still giddy about that fifty dollars. Well, not so much the money as the wicked postcard collection. And not so much the postcards as the way she’d felt when Winter towered over her like some erotic heathen god. For the umpteenth time, she reminded herself how reserved he’d been after she’d banished the ghost in his study. He barely said another word, just handed her some bills from his pocket—who carries around that much cash?—then clammed up when his housekeeper came in the room.
“You haven’t heard from him since,” she murmured to herself as she tugged a beaded green gown over her head. It was a straight-cut gown with a dropped waist, a nice fit, but it had a line of buttons in the back that she couldn’t reach. Should’ve thought of that before she put it on. Maybe one of the chorus girls would help her. A knock sounded on the door. She peered around the side of the screen to see Velma’s head poking into the room.
“Oh, good. You’re dressed,” the club owner said.
“Actually, I’m glad you’re here, because I need help reaching—”
Velma didn’t wait for the end of her sentence, just swung the door open while speaking to someone in the hallway. “She’s all yours, but don’t hold her up. She’s due onstage in fifteen minutes.”
Aida slipped back behind the screen and stood on stockinged tiptoes to see over the top.
It was him.
Damn.
“Velma!” she called out.
Her boss just shrugged and shut the door, leaving her alone with Winter Magnusson, who was looking warm and handsome in a smoky brown suit and chocolate coat.
“Hello, Miss Palmer.”
She tried to prop her arm on the screen in an attempt to look casual and slipped. As if her heart wasn’t already beating fast enough to make its way into a Poe story. “Err, hello.”
“You are dressed behind there, aren’t you?”
“Just putting on . . . shoes.” Shoes? She winced. “What brings you by? Another ghost?”
He squinted at her for a moment, probably wondering why she wasn’t coming out from the screen, which would be the normal thing to do if she were dressed, then held up a dark bottle. “Krug. Champagne. From France.”
What were they celebrating? Her discovery of his erotic postcard collection?
“Just a token of thanks for getting rid of my ghosts, since I didn’t pay you for the prostitute.”
“The what?”
He stilled. “The first ghost. The night we met.”
Oh. “How did you know she was a prostitute?”
He tapped the bottom of the bottle against his gloved hand, then walked to the dressing table and set it down. “Hope you like it.”
“I adore champagne, and if it’s the same stuff you sell to Velma, it’s terrific.”
“Better. But don’t tell her. It’s personal stock.”
“Ah, well. I’m . . . honored. Thanks. You didn’t have to.”
“My pleasure.”
“She wasn’t yours, was she?”
“What?”
“The Chinese prostitute. Had you seen her before she was a ghost? As a paying client, I mean.”
She hadn’t realized he’d been tense until his face relaxed into a smile. “No, Miss Palmer.” He removed his hat and ran a palm over his hair. “Not that night or any other.”
“Good to know.” She propped her chin atop the screen and arched her back while attempting to fasten a button. If she held her breath and reached with her fingertips, she might get one or two—
“Speaking of ghosts, I was wondering if you’d be interested in doing a séance for someone. An old family friend who lives in Sea Cliff.”
“Oh?” Aida stopped struggling with the button. “Where is Sea Cliff?”
“Small neighborhood on the other side of the Presidio. Very exclusive.”
“As exclusive as Pacific Heights?”
Winter strolled to the dressing screen, reaching inside his coat for an envelope. “Sea Cliff is all new money. Big homes, right up near the bay.”
She panicked and made herself smaller. “Sounds swank.”
“Depends on your style.” He hung his hat on a corner of the screen, propped an elbow on the top edge, and handed the envelope over. “The séance would be after a dinner party this weekend. The job pays well. Read it.”
