Alibi In High Heels

'Ah,' Pierre said, his fingers flying over his keyboard. 'We have one Mademoiselle Charlene Dunn, checked in last night. You wish to call her room, oui?' he asked.

I nodded. 'Please.'

Pierre pulled a phone out from behind the desk and set it on the counter, dialing the room number. He handed the receiver to me just as it was starting to ring.

On the third one Charlene's voice came through.

'Hello?'

'Hi, Charlene. It's Maddie Springer,' I told her.

There a slight pause on the other end. 'Yes? What can I do for you, Maddie?'

'I was wondering if I could come up and talk to you for a moment?'

Again with the pause. 'Well, I was just on my way out. I'm due at the Hermes show today.'

'Please,' I said, appealing to that famous British etiquette. 'I'll just be a moment. It's about Felix.'

'Oh.' I heard her breathe deeply into the receiver. 'Alright, I supposed I could spare a moment. I'll meet you in the lobby.'

'Thank you.'

I hung up, handing the phone back to Pierre.

'Thank you, Pierre,' I said. Then looked down at his nametag. 'Sorry, I mean, Andres.'

He shrugged. 'As long as you keep the Rosenblatt away from me, you may call me anything you like.

* * *

Dana and I settled into a pair of cream colored chairs situated around a dark, cherry end table in the lobby to wait for Auntie Charlene.

'This is ridiculous,' I said. 'There is no way Felix killed two women. It just isn't like him.'

'Maddie, just because he's a good kisser-'

'I never said he was good!'

Dana shot me a look. 'You didn't have to. You blush like a virgin every time I mention it.'

Dammit if I didn't feel my cheeks go red. I crossed my arms over my chest, trying my best to hang onto some shred of dignity.

'And your point?' I said.

'My point is let's talk to his Auntie.'

I didn't respond. Mostly because I knew she was right. Not about the kissing thing, but about the possibility that Felix could have a hand in this. Not that I actually thought he'd kill two women. Even a slug like Felix had his limits. But that maybe, somehow, he was inadvertently mixed up in all this.

We didn't have to wait long, as a few minutes later Charlene stepped off the elevator, dressed in a light, cream colored pantsuit, a soft peach blouse underneath. A tiny frown of concern etched her features, settling between her pale blue eyes. 'Sorry, to keep you waiting,' she said, her lightly accented voice as evenly modulated as ever.

'No problem. Charlene, this is my friend, Dana. Dana, Felix's Aunt Charlene.'

Dana raised an eyebrow at me. Then leaned in and whispered, 'This is dear 'old' Auntie?'

No kidding.

'Hello, lovely to meet you.' Charlene extended a hand in Dana's direction.

She shook it as Charlene perched straight backed on the edge of an armchair facing us.

'So, what is it I can do for you today, Maddie?' Charlene asked.

'I wanted to ask you about Felix.'

'So you said on the telephone.'

'Specifically…' I looked to Dana, not sure how to broach the subject in the face of Charlene's very prim and proper demeanor.

Dana rolled her eyes at me. 'We were wondering if he's shown any special interest in fashion lately?'

Charlene raised one perfectly plucked eyebrow. 'I think everyone in Paris has this week, don't you?'

'I mean, maybe less recently than that. In the last few months,' I said, thinking back to when Angelica said Gisella had signed on at Donata's agency.

The little frown lines deepened and I steeled myself against warning her that she was going to have to Botox that out if she kept it up.

'I'm not really sure I know what you're getting at. As I'm sure you know, Felix doesn't really, uh, dress to trends,' she said. A kind way to describe his fashion sense.

'Let me ask you something else,' I decided. 'Have you ever heard of the model Donatello Gardini?'

'Yes.'

I sat up straighter, suddenly on high alert. 'You have?'

Charlene nodded slowly. 'He was quite well known in Europe in the seventies. One of the first male models to catch the public's attention, I believe. Though, I'll admit, it's not a name I've heard much talk about.'

'You haven't?' I shot Dana an I-told-you-so look.

'No, as you'd expect he's long gone from the scene, by now.'

'So, no one has, say, been asking you questions about him?' Dana asked.

She shook her. Then gave a small smile. 'Just you.'

'Not, say, Felix?' Dana pressed.

She cocked her head to the side, blonde hair falling over one shoulder. 'No,' she said slowly. 'Why would he?'

Dana shrugged. 'Well… I thought perhaps he might be an… acquaintance of Felix's.'

'Not as far as I know. Donatello has been long gone from the fashion scene. You have to remember, this was before anyone really paid attention to male models. From what I understand, he was hot for a season or two, then faded into relative obscurity.'

Or so Donata would have liked people to believe.

'So, you don't happen to have any of his magazines or photos do you?'

'But, of course.'

Dana nudged me in the ribs and shot me an I-told-you-so look of her own. 'You do?'

She shrugged. 'I'll admit, I'm a bit of a fashion groupie. I've got back issues of Vogue since 1963. Donatello is in quite a few of the early issues.'

'Where are these magazines?' I asked.

'Back at the castle. I'm sorry, I really don't understand what this has to do with anything,' Charlene said, standing up. 'And, I don't mean to be rude, but I really must be going or I'll be late for the Hermes show.'

'Of course,' I said, gathering my crutches and rising. 'I don't want to take up any more of your time. Thanks so much.'

Once she had crossed the lobby, her backside swaying Marilyn Monroe-esque in her tight skirt, Dana rounded on me. 'See! I told you Felix knew about Donatello!'

I shook my head. 'Just because his aunt has fashion magazines with the guy's picture in them doesn't mean Felix was blackmailing Donata.'

'No, but he could have been.'

I bit my lip. 'Okay, fine. He could have been.' I paused. 'But you heard what Charlene said. If Donatello was really such a big deal way back when, anyone with some time on their hands could have dug up those old pictures. And any one of the people on our suspects list knows more about fashion and the industry than Felix.'

Dana let out a long sigh. 'Yeah. You're right. Which I guess brings us back to square one.' She looked down at her watch. 'Listen, I have to get down to the tents for my final fitting. I'll see you there later?'

I nodded. 'I told Jean Luc I'd be in at three.'

Dana and I split, her catching a cab and me heading for the elevators back up to my room. I stopped at Mom and Mrs. Rosenblatt's first, but no one was in. I was beginning to wonder about those two. I briefly contemplated calling Mom's cell, but I knew that meant explaining the whole arrest thing and honestly, I just didn't have the energy for that at the moment.

Instead, I walked across the hall to my own room, threw open the door, and lay on the bed, staring at the