Miss Castle:
After you left my office, I remembered an urgent matter. Due to the disruption of our usual morning routine, I overlooked this in my haste. This matter is of great importance and must be kept absolutely confidential. I’ve gone to deal with it and will be away from the office for some time. Once I have a confirmed schedule, I will contact you. During this period, I will not be available.
Halsey
Peggy looked at the note. “Oh,” she said, “Kimberley and Halsey, both playing the same tricks, birds of a feather.”
Peggy blinked and turned on her irresistible charm towards Mrs. Maxwell, the apartment manager. “I certainly hope you won’t find me too bothersome, Mrs. Maxwell, but a girl’s got to live, you know.”
Mrs. Maxwell gave a slight nod, almost imperceptible. She peered at the visitor through narrowed eyes, which were half their normal size due to the puffiness around them. Her hair was dyed a bright orange, and her cheeks were caked with rouge. “Apartments are hard to come by these days,” Peggy continued. “Of course, I read about the unfortunate death of Stella Lane in the papers. So I thought, the apartment must still be available, and I know you’ll need to rent it out. Some might not want to move into such an apartment, but I wouldn’t mind at all. Oh, I’d love to be the first to apply.”
This time, her nod was slightly more noticeable. Then Mrs. Maxwell said, “Not right now.”
“Why?”
“I can’t show you in.”
“Oh, but you must have the key—”
“The police have sealed both the front and back doors. They’ve been looking for fingerprints.”
“Fingerprints!” Peggy exclaimed, “What do they hope to find with fingerprints?”
“I don’t know. They’ve dusted the whole place with powder and told me not to go in. They’ve sealed the doors, so as long as the seals are intact, no one’s been inside.”
“Oh, could you at least tell me about the apartment?”
“Oh, I can do that.”
“What about milk delivery?”
“Milk can be delivered through the back door.”
“And how is garbage collected?”
