Secrets in the Moon (Crescent City Werewolves #1)

Chapter Four

Cora studied herself carefully in the mirror, trying to gauge whether grey was too drab without the flash of jewelry. It was, and she quickly stripped down to the lace of her lingerie, tossing the dress onto a pile of others on the floor. Her outfit needed to be perfect.

After so many interviews with the police, she knew how uncomfortable it felt to be questioned by grim figures. She certainly didn't want to appear dour. But she also wished to be taken seriously, not dismissed as a frivolous socialite who only knew how to smoke, seduce, or scandalize. And most importantly, she needed to make Detective Hayes' jaw drop the moment he saw her.

A skirt tried on and tossed off. A shirt dismissed as too fussy. She was just reaching for a seafoam green dress that would look striking with her hair when Maisie appeared in the doorway. The maid's voice remained as crisp as her uniform as she said, "Excuse me, miss. Miss Violet Granbury is here to see you."

"What? But why on earth would she...?"

The answer came in the form of Violet herself as she pushed the maid aside, still wearing her kid gloves and sable coat. "Because, darling, I saw the papers and just had to rush over and congratulate my dearest friend on getting away with murder."

As Cora blinked, still shocked, the other girl swept her into a hug and kissed the air by her cheeks. Just as quickly, Violet spun away and sank into the nearest chair with a sigh, the movement parting her coat enough to reveal how she wore only a silk negligee beneath it. She really had come running over. Cora didn't know whether to shriek or laugh at her oldest friend for disappearing along with all the others and returning only once the clouds of suspicion had cleared.

And to sit there and act as if she hadn't avoided Cora's letters, hadn't sat in a different box at the theatre to keep from speaking to her, hadn't told reporters that Cora Marshall was nothing more to her than a fellow party girl sharing the same social circles. "Vi, I ought to slap you silly for all the things you said about me to those vile journalists."

Violet only smiled and lit a cigarette. "None of us can afford to keep grudges, ducky. Now really, how did you manage it? I want all the details, especially the sordid ones."

It was hard to find a response that didn't involve pulling the other girl's hair out, and Cora gave herself time by trying on the dress. It looked fantastic, giving her a soft, carefree appearance, but her reflection's expression still looked troubled. "There's nothing to say. I didn't get away with it because I didn't do anything in the first place. I'm innocent."

"Innocent? Is there such a thing these days?" As she spoke, Violet removed her sunglasses, revealing her face in full.

She was completely unlike Cora in looks, her hair a deep auburn that made her unusual violet eyes all the more striking. Her mouth was sharp and thin, perfect for the sardonic smile she always wore, and her long body had the starved elegance of a greyhound. Yet worrying signs were visible as well. Her ashen skin and smeared makeup suggested she hadn't bothered glancing into a mirror, and her normally sleek bob looked like a rat's nest.

Despite the knot of anger throbbing in her chest, Cora found herself drifting over to clasp the other girl's hand. "Vi, are you all right? You look tired."

"Don't lie to avoid hurting my feelings. I have none. The only heart I have is this pretty little one right here." Violet pulled her hand away to catch the gold locket hanging from her neck, and continued to play with it as she added, "What I look like is roadkill, and I feel just as awful. There must have been something in the drinks last night."

"Where did you go?"

"Freddy's, as always. The boy can never stop partying. He also saw the papers, by the way, and told me how much he hopes to see you. He's throwing something else this afternoon—an event to watch him break world records in his new speedboat."