Chapter 12: Miss Pennock

Vera held the board dinner on Thursday night in the private dining room of the Rainsford Grand.

Sixteen chairs stood around the table, and ten of them held board members.

Harold sat at the head, and Carlton sat across from me with a napkin on his knee.

Margo sat at the far end, pale, not looking at me.

I wore a gray blazer.

It was an old one, and I picked it on purpose, because I'd decided to look like myself.

Dinner went by in polite clinks.

The board members talked about occupancy and a hotel in Austin.

Nobody mentioned the necklace.

When the plates were cleared, Vera set down her coffee cup and folded her hands.

"I'd like to raise something before the vote," she said. "I'm afraid it's unpleasant."

Harold sighed.

"Vera."

"No, Harold, they have a right to know." She turned to Carlton with enormous sympathy. "Sweetheart, I'm so sorry. This is going to hurt."

"Then don't say it."

"I hired a man to look into your friend, and I have the results."

"Of course you did," Carlton said.

She slid a manila folder down the table to him.

He didn't open it.

"She's a bookkeeper," he said. "She lives in Echo Park and she doesn't own a car."

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