Male voices run together in my mind. Deep. Some of them have the distinctive North Shore accent, and some of them don’t. I squeeze my eyes and concentrate.
One voice floats above the crowd. It’s lighter than the others. Not as masculine. The voice stops speaking, then starts again. I peer into the lobby and look at everyone. There are a lot of conversations going on, but I zero right in on the one I’m listening for.
The speaker is a short, thin man wearing a three-piece suit. His wildly curly hair peeks out from under a top hat, and . . . hang on a second. I stare at the man’s hands. They’re small. Delicate. I look at his feet. Same thing. That’s not a man at all.
That’s Eta. Pretending to be a man.
I squint. Eta is white. Violet is not. I guess I never really stopped to think about this before. Just then, a man with white hair and a white beard strolls into the lobby and extends his hand to Eta. She takes it, shakes it firmly, and then she follows him down another hallway.
I need to see where they’re going.
I take a deep breath and step out into the lobby, then walk across it like I own the place. Confidence can get you anywhere.
Except when it can’t.
A big arm reaches out to stop me halfway, and a man in a gray, three-piece suit with a gold pocket watch chain pinned to his vest stops me. I have no idea who he is, but from the way he’s looking at me, I think it might be a good guess that he does actually own this place.
“Who are you, and where are you going?”
I bow my head at him. “I’m one of Bessie’s girls, sir.”
“Are you now?” He draws himself up tall.
I do the same. Two can play at that game. “I am.”
“Then you wouldn’t mind if I escorted you to Bessie right now so she can confirm your employment.”
Shit.
“Actually, I’m supposed to be with them.” I nod my head down the hallway as Eta and the group of men get farther and farther away from me. But then they stop at what looks like the last door before the hallway curves to the right. They all file into a room.
“That,” the man says, causing my head to snap back to him, “is a financial meeting that I’m certain doesn’t concern you.”
“I’m . . .” I’m what? Think! I say the first thing that pops into my head. “I’m to make sure your guests are well accommodated, Mr. Thomson.” The name is a complete guess. I’m at the Thomson-Houston Electric Company, so I just threw it out there. But from the way the man’s lips press together and his chin tilts down, I instantly know I’ve guessed wrong.
“My name is Bauer,” he says with a telling look. “Now, since you’ve clearly been here before and are in my employ, I’d like for you to lead the way to Bessie.”
And I’m done for.
But then a girl right about my age strolls into the lobby. A floor-length black dress hangs off her skeletal frame, and she’s wearing a long apron and a lacy cap that looks like something I wore with a Halloween costume when I was five. She meets my eye, and I instantly read her. She has meek, little mouse written all over her, from her timid expression to her hunched shoulders; and I pounce like the lion I need to be.
“She knows me!” I cry, pointing to my mouse. “She can confirm I work here.”
Bauer turns to the girl, and his face dawns with recognition. “Annie, know this young lady?” His arm flies in my direction.
I stare at Annie and raise my eyebrows at her, hoping I’m being both persuading and intimidating.
“I do, sir,” Annie says. “She’s new.”
Bauer brings his hand to his chin and takes a long breath. I can see he’s mulling over the whole thing—deciding whether he wants to be a hard-ass and press me on this or just let it go—and I bow my head to him like Annie did. Sometimes winning means knowing when to submit.
Then Bauer pulls out his pocket watch and takes a quick glance before tucking it away. “Very well then.” He turns and starts down the hallway after Eta and the other man.
I wait until he’s out of range before turning to Annie. “Hey look, I really appreciate what you—”
And then I stop. Because I have completely neglected to realize how the parable of the lion and the mouse ends. But it’s clear Annie hasn’t. My meek, little mouse has fire in her eyes.
“That’s going to cost you,” she says. “I don’t know who you are or what you want, but unless you want the coppers hunting you down, I suggest you pay up.”
“I don’t have any money,” I say. It’s partly the truth. I don’t have any 1890s money.
Annie clicks her tongue and takes a step back, eyeing me from head to toe. And then she zeroes in on my wrist. On my bracelet.
“No,” I say. No. She can’t have it. It’s the only thing I have left connecting me to Abe, to my past.
“My brother’s a cop,” she says. Brother sounds like bruddah. “In Boston. He’ll hunt you down.”
He won’t, actually. I’ll be long gone by the time he gets word. But that doesn’t change the fact that Eta is right down the hallway and I’m wasting time.
My hands are tied. I slip the bracelet off my wrist and squeeze it tight in my palm before I hand it over. Annie smirks, and I want to punch her. But I don’t. I take off down the hallway.
Annie follows me. I hear the triumphant pat pat pat of her buckled shoes on the wooden floor behind me.
There’s a rolling cart with a sterling pot, several teacups, and a platter of pastries and rolls outside a door. Male voices echo into the hall.
Jackpot.
I pull the car closer and place my hand on the doorknob, but Annie steps in front of me and grabs the cart handle. My charm bracelet slides down her wrist, and I tense my shoulders.
“I’m supposed to service the meeting,” Annie says.
“Yeah, well, now you’re not. So let go of the handle or I’ll break your wrist.” I’d like to say it’s an idle threat, but I’m not so sure.
“My bruddah—”
“Is a cop. Yeah, I know. Screw your brother.” I’m sure she’s probably never heard my modern-day insult before, but her narrowed eyes tell me she’s caught the gist. “Now step aside.”
She stares at me for a few seconds before raising her wrist and flicking it back and forth to make my bracelet jingle. Then she gives me a smirk and backs up to let me pass.
I take a breath. Focus on what’s important, I remind myself. I swing open the door and take hold of the cart. “I suggest you make yourself scarce,” I hiss to Annie.
I duck my head as I roll in the cart. I don’t think Eta will know who I am, but you never know. Alpha sure knew everything about me from childhood. Maybe Eta will, too. I keep my head down and peer up out of the tops of my eyes. Bauer sits at the head of the table, and a number of men line each side. Eta sits in the middle, on the right side, in front of the window. I can feel Bauer glare at me as I push the cart past.
“I suppose my main question,” Bauer says, “is why you’re interested in investing in the company now. Why not seven years ago when we first started?”
I settle into the corner of the room and turn my back to everyone as I pour tea into the cups. That’s a really good question. I want to hear Eta’s answer.
Eta smiles politely. “I’m sorry, I was under the impression I was to meet with the president of the company.”
Bauer’s lips press together. “Mr. Coffin is unavailable today. I assure you I am well prepared to hear your proposal. Now why are you just offering it today?”
Eta pauses for several seconds, then her shoulders relax and she leans forward and rests her forearms on the table. “My company has not been around for seven years,” she says. “We only started last year, making investments in those companies we feel have real potential but could use a greater financial backing. Thomson-Houston Electric is such a company.”