The Golden Room

'You did the right thing,' said Minna. 'You can have the run of the place, except for a lovely private restaurant we keep open for our friends.'

'May I ask – is that where you made your money?' said Bruce.

'Heavens, no. After we left Kentucky, we inherited a fairly decent sum of cash. We had good advice about investing it, and we doubled and redoubled our money. We bought this house and furnished it. It seemed a good idea to turn part of it into a restaurant, not only to take care of our overhead but as a means of entertaining our business friends. We also had parlours for cocktails and conversation. We even hired six women, singers and dancers we'd known in our stage days. They put on floor shows in return for room and board. Now, to get back to the Armbrusters -'

'Oh, yes,' Cathleen said happily, 'Mr and Mrs Armbruster are eager to meet you and Aunt Aida before the wedding. I hope you have time for that.'

'I do,' said Minna.

'They're hoping we can all have lunch at their home the day after tomorrow.'

'Aida and I will be happy to join you,' said Minna, rising. She gestured for Cathleen and Bruce to remain where they were. 'Just wait a little while until I can make arrangements to get you settled. We'll have a quiet supper in my study later. Right now there are a few things that require my attention.'

Once she had left the Gold Room, Minna stopped a servant in the hall to ask if he had seen Edmund. She was told that Edmund was dusting in the library, and she went to find him.

'Edmund,' she said. 'Do you know where my sister is?'

'Yes, Miss Everleigh -'

'There is to be no more mention of the Everleigh name,' Minna said sharply. 'Not while my relatives are here. We're Aida and Minna Lester for the next two weeks. You know the situation, don't you?'

'Miss Aida told me to post a sign, and then she explained everything.'

'Good. Where is Aida now?'

'In the Japanese Room with all the girls, Miss Lester. She's giving them the same instructions she gave me.'

'Thanks, Edmund. I better get there fast,'

When Minna reached the Japanese Room, she paused to catch her breath, and then quietly opened the door and peered inside. Aida was the one who first met her eyes. Aida was seated on the carved teakwood chair on the dais beneath the yellow silk canopy. In a broad semi-circle were the girls of the Everleigh Club, seated on divans, chairs, and cushions, listening attentively as Aida spoke. The perfume fountain in the centre of the room was shut off.

After nodding a welcome to Minna, Aida resumed speaking. 'Now that you've heard what is going on and how we are to proceed, let me sum it up for you so that there can be no mistakes.'

Minna decided to intervene. She stepped into the Japanese Room and called out, 'Aida, may I break in with a few words?'

'Of course.'

Minna crossed the room and ascended the dais to stand beside Aida. She addressed her older sister. 'Aida, what we arranged so hastily has a few flaws. Now that I've spoken to Cathleen and Bruce, our niece and nephew, I have some afterthoughts, and would like to revise our plan.'

'Whatever you say,' said Aida agreeably.

Minna turned to face the small assemblage.

'I'm sure Aida has told you of our original plan to keep all of you here during this crisis. Well, I don't think that will work. With so many girls here, we and our relatives would be at great risk should one of you suffer a slip of the tongue. It would be hard for Aida and myself to pretend that this is our personal home. Furthermore, it would be difficult to pretend that you are all a floor show, since most of you can't sing or dance at all. I have a compromise in mind.'

She glanced at Aida, whose face registered only her usual gracious, slightly inscrutable expression. Minna turned to the girls once more.

'We will keep the dining-room open. I have told our niece and nephew it is a room reserved for our wealthiest friends, a profitable enterprise that enables us to pay some of our overhead expenses. Cathleen and Bruce understand the dining-room is off limits to them. I wouldn't want them to wander in and hear from some drunken diner that this is actually a brothel.

'As for you girls, I think six of you should remain here to play hostesses in the dining-room. No nonsense beyond that. The others can take vacations in the city. You will receive the full amount of your average weekly earnings. You can take up in hotels – although I instruct you to avoid any sexual activity on your own or in any other brothel – and do whatever else you want. You will return here to work in two weeks. Be sure to let Aida and myself know where you will be staying, so if need be we can locate you. Now, any questions?'

A redhead named Cindy held up her hand. 'Who stays on here, and who are the ones to go on vacation?'

'Very well,' said Minna. 'I'll name the six of you who remain to receive guests in the dining-room. The others will leave as of this evening. Aida and I, with Edmund's help, will find you hotel rooms. The six who'll stay are – you, Cindy, and Margo, Belle, Phyllis, Dagmar, and the new girl I just hired to replace Fanny – you, Karen. The rest of you, have a good time off, and be back here in two weeks to the day. Good luck.'

The following day, since she had the afternoon off, Karen Grant telephoned Mayor Carter Harrison and asked to meet with him.

An hour later, she was seated across from the mayor in his City Hall office.

'Some good news, I hope,' said Harrison.

'Not yet, but soon. There will be a slight delay before I can come up with any concrete evidence for you.'

'What do you mean?'

Karen went ahead. 'I was told to expect a visitor, a male visitor, when there was an unexpected intrusion. Two young relatives of the Everleigh sisters arrived from Kentucky, one of them a niece who is to marry the son of a prominent businessman.'

'Go on.'

'Well, the niece and nephew were sent to stay with their aunts. They were told the Everleigh sisters are highly placed socialites. To keep the niece and nephew from knowing what their aunts really do, all sexual services in the Club have been postponed. For two weeks the Club is to be no more than a legitimate home and restaurant.'

'Two weeks! You mean that until then I can have no evidence that the Club is a brothel?'

'None whatsoever, Mayor. Let me explain -'

Carefully, Karen recalled what she had heard from Aida and Minna and tried to repeat what she could remember to the mayor.

'There you have it,' she said, and sat back. 'A hiatus.'

'For the time, a hiatus.'

'Yes, until the day after the wedding. The relatives will leave, and the Everleigh Club will resume as a brothel. So I'll have time on my hands. Do you want me to pick up on some of my secretarial work for you?'

'God, no,' said Harrison quickly. 'I don't want you seen near my office. You are to stay around the Club, work evenings as a restaurant hostess, and keep on the alert. When the time comes, and you get the evidence, inform me at once – I'll shut down the Everleigh Club for ever. Karen, I mean to win this one.'

'You will, I promise you.'

'Don't try to reach me or take any chances. Just wait. Do you mind?'

'Not at all. The Everleigh Club, whatever its shame, is, I have to admit, a fascinating place to be. The gaudiest place you've ever seen in your life. I don't mind taking it easy there. And Minna Everleigh herself is an interesting person. By the way, her real name is Minna Lester. Her niece and nephew are Cathleen and Bruce Lester.' Karen picked up her purse. 'I'll keep an eye on all of them. Next time I see you, I hope I'll be the bearer of good tidings.'