He put his hand on the knob of the front door and pulled it wide.
The doorway was filled by a huge middle-aged man with plastered hair, a full moustache, an expensive suit, and carrying a cane.
He had a calling-card in his free hand, and he offered it to Holmes. 'I am William A. Pinkerton, supervisor of the Chicago branch of Pinkerton's National Detective Agency,' the man announced. 'I'm here at the instigation of Miss Minna Ever-leigh, your employer, who feels you may give me some help in a matter I'm investigating.'
Glancing at the calling-card, Holmes said graciously, 'To be sure. Please come in.'
Leading Pinkerton to his office, Holmes cast a sidelong look at the sliding door. It was tightly closed, and if Greta was still voicing her confusion, she could not be heard.
After seating Pinkerton in his office, Holmes took his own place behind the desk.
His posture one of hospitality and relaxation, he said, 'What can I do for you, Mr Pinkerton?'
Pinkerton was not one to delay. 'Miss Everleigh is distressed because three of her girls have disappeared in the last two weeks. This is something that has never happened at the Club before.'
'I'm sorry for her. Of what help can I be to you?'
'Miss Everleigh thought it might be useful if I questioned you for some clues to their whereabouts.'
'Who are these girls?'
Pinkerton extracted a pad from his pocket, and flipped the pages. 'Miss Fanny Spenser, Miss Avis Kaufman, Miss Greta Ryan. They are all young prostitutes employed by the Everleigh sisters. Do you recognize their names?'
Holmes bobbed his head. 'I think I do. While I never knew their last names, I do recognize the first names. Fanny, Avis, Greta. Yes, I've medically examined them.' He seemed to recall something. 'As a matter of fact, now I do remember. I missed Fanny and Avis on my last visits to the Club. I meant to ask Minna where they were, but it skipped my mind.'
'Then Greta. She was one of the girls Miss Everleigh housed in the Tremont House Hotel. She checked out late this morning. What is unusual is that neither she nor the other two informed Miss Everleigh that they were leaving. They just left without word as to their destination. They simply vanished into thin air.'
Holmes shook his head sympathetically. 'Too bad. Still, why would Minna have you question me about them?'
'Because you were the one person who saw them regularly and intimately, and Miss Everleigh hoped that you might
have heard from one or all of them – about any plans they might have had.'
'I see, I see,' said Holmes. 'Well, there is some conversation when I'm examining the girls, but rarely anything meaningful. Let me concentrate on the last times I saw these girls. Fanny, you say?'
'Fanny Spenser.'
'The last time I saw her was a few weeks ago. I can't remember anything noteworthy that she had to say. Oh, something about being displeased because her income would be reduced for a while. One might say she was complaining about this, and hinting that she had heard of a few houses in Nashville and San Francisco that paid as well as the Everleigh Club and guaranteed work regularly.'
' Nashville and San Francisco,' repeated Pinkerton, making notes. 'We'll check around.'
'As to Avis,' continued Holmes, 'I do recollect that she mentioned being tired of prostitution, and planned to one day give it up to take on some other line of work.'
'Did she speak of what line of work? Or where such a job might exist?'
'I'm afraid I can't recollect. My memory for names isn't what it used to be.'
Pinkerton looked down at his notes. 'Greta Ryan.'
'You know I examined her early this morning at her hotel,' Holmes said openly.
'I know you did,' said Pinkerton.
Holmes shrugged. 'She seemed quite satisfied with her lot. I had the impression that she was pleased with her vacation. She spoke of catching up on her shopping. I think she mentioned seeing some kind of garment that she wanted to purchase at Carson, Pirie, Scott. That is the most I can remember, I'm afraid.'
'Yet, she did not go shopping today, because she packed her bags and checked out of the hotel.'
'I am truly surprised,' said Holmes.
Pinkerton lifted his big body out of the chair. 'I appreciate your cooperation, Dr Holmes. If you can jog your memory to recollect any more, I wish you'd give me a call with any information, no matter how seemingly insignificant. You have my card with the telephone number. Do phone me if something comes to mind.'
Holmes was on his feet. 'I will, you can be sure. We must help Minna get her girls back.'
He preceded Pinkerton to the front door and showed him out, securing the lock firmly behind his visitor.
Returning to his office, he chuckled. He'd done a smooth job, and that fool of a detective had swallowed it whole. No one, anywhere, was smarter than Herman Holmes, and no one more clever and deceptive.
Still chuckling, he crossed his office to the levers and brought up the top lever, turning on the gas.
Goodbye, dear Greta. When he had his scalpel in hand, he would have another orgasm with her – the most exciting one of all. He could almost hear the gas hissing into the airtight room. It was a wonderful day, wonderful.
Once back in his own cluttered office, safe behind his own cluttered desk, William Pinkerton fished about in his jacket for a notebook, found it, and turned to the pages on which he had scrawled during the Dr Holmes interview.
On his way to the office, he had intended to phone Minna Everleigh and inform her that nothing had come of the meeting with Dr Holmes. But now, finishing with the notebook, he had second thoughts.
Pinkerton telephoned the Everleigh Club, and waited patiently until Minna Everleigh came on.
'Miss Everleigh. This is William Pinkerton again.'
'Yes?' Her voice was eager.
'I've just come from a meeting with Dr Herman Holmes. While he was cooperative, I'm not certain the meeting was
productive. I have a few leads on your missing girls, but they are vague. I will pursue them, but if nothing comes of them, I would like to pursue another course.'
'What course?'
'It involves Dr Holmes's veracity.'
'You think he was misleading you about Fanny, Avis, and Greta?'
'Possibly. At any rate, do you mind if I pursue this investigation a step further?'
'Will that be expensive?'
'It won't cost you a penny, unless I get results. Is that agreeable?'
'I couldn't ask for anything better.'
'I'll go on then,' said Pinkerton. 'Let's see what happens.'
SEVEN
Minna Everleigh summoned Karen Grant to her office. Minna, remaining seated, pointed Karen to a chair.
'There's something I'd like you to do for me,' Minna began.
'If it's something I can do, I'll be glad to.'
Minna shifted in her chair. 'Have you ever been to Marshall Field's department store downtown?'
Karen smiled. 'He advertises it as 'Everybody's Store', so I'm sure everybody has been there. Yes, it was one of the first places I visited when I came to Chicago.'
'Very well, then, I want you to do me a favour. I had intended to escort my niece, Cathleen, to Marshall Field's to select her wedding gown. I myself spend a fair amount of time and money there. The clerks and managers know me well, and so does Mr Marshall Field himself. Did you see him standing near the door?'
'No, I didn't.'
'Well, he may approach and question you as a new customer. If you want to avoid this, you'd better know what he looks like. He's a grey-haired man in his late sixties, pink cheeks, about six feet tall. He's a bit hunched
