Private Dick Casefile 01 - Lily White Rose Red by Catt Ford Page B

I’d interrupted a shopping trip.
    “Would you mind asking your driver to bring me back to my car?” I asked.
    Lily nudged me, and I got out, giving her my hand to help her step out of the car. First she swung those fabulous legs out, clad in black hose. Several men passing stopped to ogle her as she emerged and smiled up at me.
    “Don’t be ridiculous, Grey, darling. You’re coming in with me.”
    “Shopping?” I asked dubiously. Not my idea of a fun time. I wondered if she was going to try on dresses and ask my opinion. That could prove to be deadlier than catching a killer.
    “We’re getting you a new tie. You’re still wearing that hideous one,” she said, flicking the tie over my shoulder.
    “No, this is the other one,” I started to explain, glancing down at the one I was wearing. If Miss McIntyre thought the first one was hideous, this one didn’t stand a chance. It was paisley, and even I didn’t like it. I would be embarrassed to wear this tie to one of Artie’s fights.
    Even though it was his.
    On the other hand, if I had to question Phil Mar—anyone apart from the thugs I usually ended up chasing, I needed a better tie. I shut 66

    CATT FORD

    my eyes, trying to remember what kind of tie Mr. Big had been wearing when we met, but the gloss of his looks kind of blurred the details for me, and I was lost.
    “I can see you in a lovely purple tie, Mr. Randall.” I opened my eyes and growled at her. “Purple!” Miss Lily McIntyre threw back her head and laughed. You read about that in books, but she made it seem fabulous and exciting, not affected like an actress might do. “Not something bright, like an Easter egg. Something subtle, mysterious, sophisticated.” Well, no one had ever called me sophisticated before, but I was willing to learn. “I’m kind of busy—”
    “Not in that tie on my behalf,” Miss McIntyre said. She slipped her hand into the crook of my elbow and hung on tight. “Come along, darling. I can call you Grey, can’t I? And you must call me Lily.”
    “Miss McIntyre—”
    “We’re going to know each other quite well, Grey, darling. No formality between friends. And one day you’ll have to explain to me just how you came to own something so ugly.” She started dragging me inexorably toward the doors. “Think of this as your moll giving you the darb steer and putting you wise, shamus.”
    Her fur thing made my nose itch as she swept me along into the store. I didn’t want to actually hurt her making my escape, and maybe she did know what she was talking about with the ties, although purple—

    Lily White, Rose Red: Grey Randall, Private Dick Casefile #1
    67

    Chapter 4: I Get My Man (Temporarily)

    I SMOOTHED my new tie and wondered if Reggie would appreciate it.
    Probably not. Philistine. He had to wear a department-issue dark blue tie, and my new one was a smoky blue and pure silk. I’d never had a silk tie before. Of course, he probably wouldn’t even notice how well it went with my charcoal grey suit once I started asking him questions about Barry Jazz Morgan.
    My suit had passed muster with Lily, although she had muttered once or twice about how could I pick out a nice suit and be blind to the kind of tie I wore. I was glad the suit passed muster, because as it was, she’d bought me three new ties and would have forcibly thrown away the one I was wearing if I hadn’t claimed it was borrowed and I had to return it. Which was true. Artie was going to be really happy to get it back.
    I waited for Reggie at a table in Nancy’s Diner, seeing as I didn’t have to sneak up on him this time. When I first came in, Nancy commented favorably on the tie too, so maybe Lily was right.
    Reggie sighed when he slid into his side of the booth. “Lieutenant Steele sent his love.”
    “Oh, give mine to him. And a kiss.”
    Reggie shivered. “Please. Only in my nightmares. Sorry about that, but you should have let Sergeant Thomas call back for me.” I shrugged. “Ask me