A Murder Most Dapper | A Werewolves in Space novella

Country Club Chatter

The country club was as big as one could expect from a floating city with limited space, but it did have a great amount of amenities and Oliver could see the appeal of such a place. He'd gladly take his tea here on occasion, if he weren't a world-famous detective with a hard past and a chip on his shoulder. 

"Oliver," Juliet groaned. "You can't go in there with this detective act if you're to appear with me. Chadwick Mistkettle would never look at me the same again! And I don't even want to know what Cecilia Darling would say behind my back."

"I can't help what I am, Jules," Oliver said as he walked up to the grand brass doors of the Brasslantis Country Club.

"But, Oliver... two hours ago you were-"

"Juliet!" A throaty voice called from a balcony above. The left wing of the club was only one story tall, leaving space for an elaborate rooftop terrace where many socialites were taking afternoon tea.

"Oh wonderful," Juliet muttered. "Speak of the devil and she shall appear."

"Who is that?" Oliver asked, puling one of his goggle lenses down over his eyes for a slightly magnified view of the woman above them.

"That's Cecilia Darling," Juliet grumbled. "Widow to the late Marshall Darling, and inheritor of the Darling Brass Refinery. She's also the queen bee of the country club's tea terrace."

"Interesting," Oliver said. "Is she a suspect?" 

"I don't think so, but let's go see her. Maybe she knows something." Juliet cupped her hands by her mouth, careful not to dislodge any of her steam-powered rings on her delicate hand. "Hello, Cecelia! Save me a seat, will you? I'm on my way up!"

"So what does she want with you?" Oliver asked, pulling a smoking pipe from somewhere in his coat.

"When did you start smoking a pipe?" Juliet asked.

"Oh, sweet Juliet," Oliver chuckled. "All great detectives do it."

"Of course they do," Juliet mumbled. "Come on, let's get up there."

Juliet pushed open the grand doors to the Brasslantis Country Club and the pair were greeted by a line of servants on either side of the grand foyer. It made quite a show. What wasn't trimmed in brass was trimmed in the finest imported leathers. The whole club was a jewel of the finest things Brasslantis had to offer, it was no wonder a woman like Juliet would spend her days here.

"Come on," Juliet said, drawing Oliver's attention away from the details of the foyer. "The tea balcony is this way."

Juliet took an elaborate staircase to the upper floor, and Oliver followed while puffing on his pipe. Windows revealed that the back of the country club included an actual garden, with real grass an everything.

"Well twist my whiskers!" Oliver exclaimed. "Bringing that much soil from the surface must have cost a fortune!" 

"Hush," Juliet said as they reached the top of the stairs. "You're going to make us sound like bumpkins. Just let me do the talking for a while, will you?"

The pair of the walked through a large double doorway to an open air tea parlor. A dozen tables sat around a beautiful brass steam-powered fountain. A sculpture of none other than Luca Cardego, celebrity billionaire and the man who made it possible for Brasslantis to be founded. There were other notable figures as well in the form of sculptures and art that lined the terrace. Wait staff pushed carts of tea and snacks around, offering their goods to the tables of country club elite.

"Juliet!" Cecelia called. Oliver looked to the woman making a scene with his renowned detective skills. She sat at a table near the railing, which was how she must have spotted Juliet in the first place. Her hair was in an elaborate bun, with the tiniest top had Oliver had ever seen right on top but artfully tilted to the side. She had a number of steam-powered pieces on her person. Several pocket watches, brass goggles with at least a dozen lenses, and what would appear to be a clockwork corset, tightening and loosening as she tried to breathe. Around the table, Cecelia was surrounded by three friends of equal apparent wealth.