The Other Lady Vanishes (Burning Cove #2)(38)

She had a few trademarks. One was her maroon lipstick. She also had a habit of appearing in public dressed in a single color from head to toe. Today was no exception. Every item of clothing that she wore—the flowing, high-waisted silk trousers, the silk blouse with its billowing sleeves, the chunky-heeled sandals, and the little confection of a felt hat—was in a rich shade of cream. Her dark hair was parted on the side and fell in waves to her shoulders. Her eyes were enhanced with mascara and eyeliner. Her brows were thin and gracefully arched.

She seemed utterly oblivious to the fact that everyone in the tearoom was staring at her.

“Movie stars,” Adelaide whispered. “Not a subtle bunch, are they?”

“No, but they can sure sell tea,” Florence said.

“True. There’s an additional benefit to having Miss Westlake drop in for tea this morning. Her presence will change the topic of conversation out there.”

“Don’t hold your breath.” Florence wiped her hands on a towel. “I’ll get her seated while you fix her tea. Expect she’ll be wanting her usual.”

Florence bustled out of the kitchen. Adelaide got busy preparing a fresh pot of Tranquility tea.

Florence hurried back into the kitchen. “She wants to talk to you.”

Adelaide groaned. “You mean she wants to interrogate me about what happened yesterday morning?”

“Probably. Apparently everyone, including some movie stars, is interested in the psychic who predicted her own death.”`

“I’m going to stick with my story. As long as the cops are investigating, I can’t say much.”

“Good luck.”

Adelaide set the teapot and a dainty cup and saucer on a tray. “I’ll be polite. I just won’t give her any information.”

“You could try changing the subject by asking her about the wonders of that diet drink she’s always so eager to talk about.”

Adelaide shook her head. “I can’t understand how she could allow herself to believe that diet tonic actually works. Paxton is nothing but a snake oil salesman.”

Florence chuckled. “If the rumors are true, she’s having an affair with Dr. Paxton. Maybe she’s in love with the man and just wants to do him a favor by helping him market his tonic.”

“Maybe. But I’m telling you, the reason Paxton’s tonic has been so successful is that fancy bottle. Packaging is the key. I need to work on our tea labels. Also, we need a catchy slogan.”

“No need to fuss with the labels and such, not when we’ve got stars like Vera Westlake dropping in for a pot of one of your special tea blends.”

Adelaide smiled. “You’re right. Miss Westlake may be promoting Paxton’s tonic, but she’s also selling a lot of tea for us, isn’t she?”

“Yes, indeed,” Florence said.

Adelaide carried the tray with the pot of Tranquility tea out into the tearoom and set it down on Vera’s table. She had to resist the urge to curtsy.

“Good morning, Miss Westlake,” she said. “Thank you so much for stopping by Refresh today. I’ve got your special blend brewing in the pot. It will be ready in a few minutes. Would you care for some tea cakes or cookies?”

“You mustn’t tempt me,” Vera said with a languid smile. “When I crave sweets, I reach for a bottle Dr. Paxton’s Diet Tonic. It works wonders. I wouldn’t want to spoil the effects by snacking on cakes and cookies.”

Vera had the smoky voice of a nightclub singer. She managed to make the sales pitch for Paxton’s tonic sound like an invitation to an exclusive private party. Adelaide knew that everyone in the tearoom had just heard her praise.

“Will there be anything else?” Adelaide asked.

“I understand that you’re the one who found Madam Zolanda yesterday morning.” Vera visibly shuddered. “It must have been a terrible shock for you.”

“Yes, it was,” Adelaide said. “I’m afraid I can’t talk about it. The police are still investigating.”

“According to the local paper, you were not alone.”

“No, I wasn’t alone.”

Vera sighed. “One shouldn’t speak ill of the dead, but Madam Zolanda was a fraud.”

Adelaide cleared her throat. “A lot of people are convinced that she had genuine psychic powers.”

“Nonsense. There is no such thing as paranormal abilities.”

“You were not one of her clients, then?”

“Of course not.” Vera looked out the window, a faraway expression on her lovely face. “Still, it’s all very sad, isn’t it? She must have been planning to take her own life when she made that final prediction. She would have loved seeing herself in the headlines.”

“You were at the Palace when Zolanda gave her final performance?”

“Yes. Dr. Paxton wanted to attend. He thought it would be amusing. He asked me to go with him, so I did.”

“I’m surprised, given your opinion of Zolanda’s talents.”

Vera turned away from the view out the window and smiled a surprisingly wistful smile. “Don’t misunderstand me. While I’m certain Zolanda had no real paranormal talents, I did find her act entertaining. You saw the audience. Everyone enjoyed the performance.”

“Yes.”