“You may be interested in a discovery I made, Mr. Chambeaux.” She set her purse on the corner of Sheyenne’s desk, then held out the black ledger. “While cleaning the pawnshop to rent to a new customer, I discovered loose floorboards under the front display case. I should have known to look there ahead of time. Snazz always had a hiding place for his furry porno magazines when he was younger. I found a second ledger, one that appears to record all transactions.” She opened the cover. “I know how much you wanted to have the other one. If you match the final bid, I can sell you this alternate copy.”
She had my full attention now, but she wouldn’t let me touch the book.
“Missy Goodfellow’s assistant already bought the original ledger,” I said.
“My brother kept two sets of books, one for show and one with the real information. Standard shady business practice. I have every reason to believe that this is the accurate record.”
I wasn’t surprised. In fact, after working for the Smile Syndicate, Angela Drake should have known that questionable businesses kept two sets of books.
“I believe the bid was for a thousand dollars, Mr. Chambeaux?” Alice said, her eyes twinkling.
I felt a heaviness in my chest.
“That was never a serious bid, Alice. I was just provoking Angela into raising her price. I can go back to the”—I swallowed hard—“seven fifty that I offered, since I no longer have exclusive access to the information.”
“Seven fifty was not the final bid, Mr. Chambeaux.”
Sheyenne interrupted. “Mr. Chambeaux already made you hundreds more by bidding against Angela Drake. He inflated the price you received, and this money is just gravy. Five hundred is all we’re willing to pay. Since the auction, we’ve made great progress in solving these pending cases, and any information in the ledger is no longer as relevant as it was. In fact, in another few days we’re likely to solve the cases, and then we won’t need the ledger at all.”
“But this book contains the correct and accurate information!” Alice insisted, sounding flustered at Sheyenne’s tough negotiation.
“Moving on,” Sheyenne said sweetly. “Do you want the five hundred or not?”
I definitely wanted to see the information there, but I tried not to show my excitement. Sheyenne, fortunately, was a better and tougher haggler.
“Very well,” Alice said. “That amount will allow me to upgrade my cabin on the cruise.”
“I’ll write you a check,” Sheyenne said.
After the gremlin sister headed off to the Trove National Bank to cash the check, I picked up the black ledger and let out a long sigh. I said, with all the sincerity I possessed, “I don’t know what I’d do without you, Spooky.”
She took the ledger book out of my hands. “I’ll go over this and analyze the information. I’m good at details like that.” She looked at me with her spectral blue eyes. “And you just keep thinking about how much you need me.”
CHAPTER 38
When Mavis Wannovich called, Sheyenne acted as the moat dragon. She covered the phone with her insubstantial hand, which I wasn’t sure would muffle the sound. “Beaux, Mavis wants to come into the offices and talk with you in person. She sounds insistent.”
Just then, Francine burst through the door, grinning and frenetic with energy, puffing a long cigarette. “Wait until you hear what just happened!” She took a quick drag. “I got my job back! Stu said I could be his bartender again! He even brought me flowers, a box of chocolates, and a carton of my favorite cigarettes.”
I said to Sheyenne, “Please tell Mavis I’ve got another client right now, but I’ll be in touch—honest.” Mavis was probably getting anxious for her vampire ghostwriter to get started on the Shamble & Die Penny Dreadful detective novel. “I promise she can have all the time she needs, but it’ll be a few days.”
As Francine danced with far more exhilaration than I had ever seen her show, Robin cautioned, “I hope you didn’t agree to anything in writing. The Smile Syndicate is trying to butter you up so that you’ll drop the charges.”
Francine was not allowing any rain on her parade. “Stu did butter me up. That’s all I wanted—to be appreciated.”
“Your customers appreciated you, Francine,” I said. “You’re the best bartender we ever had.”
She reached out to pat my cold hand. “I know you appreciated me, dear. That show of support was the most touching thing I ever experienced—but it didn’t make me vindictive against the Goblin Tavern,