The Toast of the Town (Fox & Oakby Murder Mysteries Book III)

Seven O Six

"Petra, I need you to make your friend change her mind."

Petra lowered one corner of her newspaper and gave the man a sarcastic look.

"Pardon?" she asked.

"Ms. Fox still hasn't accepted my offer," the Titan said in a disgruntled tone.

Petra laughed and shook her head.

"Something tells me that what you consider an offer could have sounded more like an order to her," she said and picked up her cup. "And despite the appearances, I don't think she takes orders from anyone."

"I was civil," he said, and she snorted.

"I do not doubt that... but were you enticing?"

It was his turn to say, "Pardon?" Petra ever so enjoyed when he raised his eyebrow in this sardonic manner!

"Well, you see, John," she drew out and took a sip of her tea. "She's a busy young woman. She has her children, she has a challenging and rewarding job, and she's building her artistic career. She'd just moved in with the man she's madly in love with. Why would she want to take time out of her day to help you?"

"I assumed that's just the sort of a thing she does," he said haughtily.

Petra snickered. The phrase sounded amusing in his posh pronunciation.

"And what sort of a 'thing' would it be, may I ask?" 

"Meddling. Sleuthing. Asking questions and looking for clues." He waved his long-fingered hand in the air, and Petra followed the movement with her eyes. "Something must... 'entice' her in it."

"If memory serves me right, each time Ms. Fox ever meddled, sleuthed, asked questions, and looked for clues, was because she was asked," Petra said. "The first time, when Mrs. Fitzroy had met her unfortunate demise, there were many people who would have faced all sorts of unpleasantries if the truth hadn't been discovered. And don't forget about the poor Headmistress. The woman hardly made it out alive."

Petra looked over the plate of soldiers in front of her and plucked the one that seemed sufficiently charred. She loved them almost burnt, and the Titan's housekeeper, Fellowes had been increasing the amount of charcoal on them more and more each day. Bless her. Petra felt cherished.

"And then with the murderous Serbs," Petra continued, dunking her soldier with precision, "There was this Asian girl, Ibaa, who asked Imogen for help. She didn't want to go to the police herself, but she knew something was wrong with the deaths. And even if you think about my silly adventure–" Petra pointed at her leg in the plaster cast. "I've gotten Imogen involved, and she ended up held at gunpoint and tied up in the middle of the night in Miss Rosa's tearooms. And just because she was worried I'd be hobbling around the town in search of my assailants."

"I was there, darling," he murmured.

"Exactly. And it caused quite a tension in her relationship with your son, to say frankly." Petra bit into her toast and chewed. "So, unless you make her an 'offer' she can't refuse, I don't think you should expect her to agree."

The Titan drew his eyebrows together. While he pondered, Petra enjoyed her breakfast.

"So, she likes helping people," he finally said. "Carolina does require assistance."

"Have the police been questioning her?" Petra asked.

"I'm not sure. I haven't spoken to her since her visit."

"Why? I thought you promised to help!" Petra clicked her tongue in frustration. "She probably counts on you! And it couldn't have possibly been easy to come to you with such a request!"