I nodded, lips tight. “Got it.”
He grinned at me, then took off with Daisy to the right. I took a deep breath and headed left, into the heart of the pandemonium. I rubbed my sweaty palms on my jeans.
I could do this. I’d done it before. I grimaced. And had almost been killed when I’d been alone with a murderer and had no way of defending myself or contacting Peter. Just like now….
I rose on my tiptoes, scanning the crowd. Where could Aileen be? I headed toward a row of changing rooms, cordoned off by hanging black sheets. As I continued to scan the crowd, I passed by a rack of clothes, densely packed with gowns and feathered coats.
Something clamped around my left shoulder. I had just enough time to turn and realize it was a person’s hand before I yelped and was yanked inside the rack of clothes.
22
MADELINE
Heavy coats crushed me from every angle, and sequins scratched my skin. I opened my mouth to scream, but the hand that had yanked me into the rack of clothing clamped down over my mouth. I thrashed to get free, but the dense garments enclosed me in darkness.
“Hush, honey, it’s just me.”
I blinked in surprise, no longer struggling. Dark, almond-shaped eyes came into focus, illuminated by a glowing white light. The woman dropped her hand from my mouth and glanced at it, frowning. “You licked me.”
“Madeline?” I gulped, embarrassment burning my chest. “And yeah—it was all I could think to do, okay?”
She winked, and held her lit wand up higher. “The one and only.”
I shot her a flat look. “Why are you hiding in a garment rack?”
“Ah, that.” She pressed her eyes shut. “I can explain.”
I jerked my left arm free from a tangle of clothes and rubbed my scratched shoulder. The garments muffled the cacophony of sounds around us. “Please do.” I really wished I could call Peter for backup—this was getting weird.
“Listen.” She waggled her brows. “I think we’re onto something.”
I frowned, feeling doubtful. “We?”
She nodded. “You know that photograph you found in Li Fan’s office?”
I took a shallow breath and eyed the clothes that nearly crushed me from every side. “You’re lucky I’m not claustrophobic.” I sighed. “But yes—what about it?”
“I held on to it.” Madeline bit her lip, eyes glinting with excitement. “There was a girl in it that looked familiar—but I couldn’t quite place her.”
Now she had my attention. “I had the same thought.”
She grinned. “It was Aileen Shen. I saw her photograph in the Conch when they ran the story of Bel Hahn’s death. She’d been interviewed.”
“Huh. Are you sure?” I bit my thumbnail. Yes… now that I thought about it, it made sense. It was Aileen in that photograph of all the sweatshop workers.
Madeline nodded. “Definitely. I confronted Xiu about it—blew my cover to get her to talk. Turns out, Aileen Shen worked in the sweatshop for years. She had no family and lived in business-provided housing.” Madeline rolled her eyes. “It’s just shacks that allowed Li Fan even more control over her workers. Anyway—” She waved that part of the story away. “The way Xiu tells it, Aileen was an ungrateful brat, always thinking she was above her station in life.” The reporter flashed her eyes. “Apparently, Aileen left to go be an assistant designer for Bel Hahn.”
I frowned at her. “What?”
“And get this—Li Fan didn’t let her go easily. She only let her out of her contract—”
I held up a hand. “Wait—the sweatshop workers have contracts?”
Madeline nodded, an eager grin on her face. “They do if they’re provided food and housing. Apparently Aileen owed Li Fan a small fortune.”
I shook my head. Poor Aileen. The slums didn’t let you out easily. I knew that firsthand.
“So Li Fan only let Aileen take the job if she agreed to pay her a percentage of her earnings for the next couple of decades.”
“Huh.” I nibbled at a fingertip. “Which would give Aileen a motive for killing Li Fan.”
Madeline nodded.
“But what about Bel Hahn?” It didn’t make sense. “Why would Aileen want the woman who gave her her big break dead?”
Madeline shrugged. “Not quite that far yet.”
I frowned. “So Aileen is definitely our connection between Li Fan and Bel Hahn. She herself admitted to having access to the new designs. And she could have brought them to Li Fan to manufacture knockoffs. That would’ve given her the chance to steal a vial of spider venom.” I shook my head. “But why?”
Madeline winked. “Let’s go find out.” She tipped her head to the side, but I held up a hand, stopping her from leaping out of the garment rack.
“Hold on—how’d you know to come here?”
She grinned. “I called into the station to find your Officer Flint, and the station manager told me he’d be here.” She winked.
I made a face. “She just told you where he’d be?”
The reporter grinned. “I’m a member of the press—I’ve got special privileges, honey! But I didn’t want to confront a possibly dangerous woman alone—that’s where you come in.” With that, she gripped my wrist and dragged me back out of the clothing rack.
23
AILEEN
Madeline pulled me along, brushing past lines of anxious, shifting models with wild hair and makeup. We skirted shouting coordinators and workers frantically making last-minute alterations.
She glanced over her shoulder at me, dark eyes sparkling. “She’s doing fittings at the moment.”
I stumbled over a pair of high-heeled leather boots. “You found her already?”
She nodded. “I just didn’t want to confront her alone.”
My stomach clenched. Without my powers, she basically was. I patted the gumball-sized earpiece in my pocket. Now would be the time to call for Peter and Daisy—if I was capable of it.
I gulped. I could ask Madeline to do it, to use the device, but she had a keen mind and it would only raise her suspicions… and Peter’s. I doubted she’d drop it until she
