Page 16 of Murder on the Upper East Side

‘What do you believe?’ she asked. ‘You and Theo are close.’

Bash shrugged again. ‘He says it isn’t him in the photos, and Gemma Phipps isn’t Theo’s type. But ultimately, it doesn’t matter what Theo did or didn’t do. His character is on trial.’

Hannah’s head spun. Hadn’t Bash claimed he’d slept with fourteen girls over summer break? No one seemed to be slapping a red A on his Prescott blazer. Then again, Bash wasn’t in a relationship with Elle Harrington.

‘But why should—?’ Before Hannah could get the rest of her question out, a flurry of activity coming from the library caught their attention.

Because this was a Harrington affair, and no one would be caught dead raising their voice or making a scene, the flurry was limited to Elle standing abruptly from her seat by the low-burning fire and Theo stalking away from Elle, across the room. He picked up a signed copy of a biography of Chief Justice John Roberts, which he almost certainly did not intend to read. Beatrice rose to place a hand on Elle’s shoulder, then glared at the other girls from Mr Harris’s seminar, who scurried from the room.

‘What’s happening?’ she asked Alice St Clair, a round-faced and rather mousy girl from their class, as she hurried from Elle’s side into the living room.

Breathlessly, Alice collapsed on the sofa beside Hannah and Bash. Her dark eyes darted furtively between them, then she leaned in, keeping her voice at a near-whisper. ‘Theohas just broken up withElle. In front ofeveryone.’

‘Oh, Christ.’ Bash placed his now-empty scotch ona Moroccan tile coaster and strode with purpose across the room and into the library.

‘So hewascheating?’ Hannah whispered to Alice. Her stomach clenched. Had she been wrong to trust Elle’s assertions that it hadn’t been Theo in the photos, to give him the benefit of the doubt?

Alice couldn’t keep the broad, and very much not reserved, grin off her face. ‘Maybe. Or maybe Theo was just sick of putting up with her.’

‘What do you mean?’ No one would deny that Elle was kind of a bitch, but Hannah had to assume Theo had known that going in…

‘TheolovesElle,’ Alice continued. ‘Or at least, he used to. But Elle treats him like shit. Elle has their entire future mapped out, but last month, she joined Elizabeth Romero for a week in Mallorca instead of going upstate to support Theo when his family broke ground on Orchard & Vine.’

‘Orchard & Vine?’ She peered around Alice on the sofa. Through the library’s open doors, she could see Bash standing beside Theo, giving him what looked like a stern talking-to, an odd sight given the half-head Theo had on Bash. Elle and Beatrice were nowhere to be found, and Hannah imagined they’d probably retreated to Elle’s room.

Alice nodded. ‘It’s going to be Concord Hospitality’s newest venture, in the Hudson Valley. Farm-to-table, very intimate, located on the Fitzgeralds’ upstate property. The whole thing has beenso hardon Theo.’ Her voice dripped with pity.

Concord Hospitality was the Fitzgeralds’ restaurant group, family-run for three generations. It was expected Theo would follow in his parents’ footsteps. The Concord Room, a French American fine dining establishment, had opened on East 87th and Lex in the late ’70s and still accepted reservations via personal concierge only. In the decades that had followed, the group had opened three more restaurants in the city – a modern American brasserie in Tribeca, a formal event space near Rockefeller Center and a hidden cocktail lounge in the West Village.

‘Hard why?’ Hannah asked.

Alice’s voice dropped even lower. ‘With the Fitzgeralds constantly travelling to Hudson and back, Theo was on his owna lotthis summer. Sure, Elle and Theo spent a week together in Paris with the Harringtons, but when Theo needed her, she had other priorities. It’s like she loves the idea of a life with Theodore Fitzgerald, but I’m not always sure she likeshimthat much.’ Alice straightened up on the couch, small mouth twitching. ‘And after these past few weeks, all the speculation about the Gemma Phipps photos, I think Theo finally had enough. Maybe being with Elle Harrington just didn’t seem worth it anymore.’

At that moment, Madison breezed in from the terrace in an Oscar de la Renta midi dress in deep aubergine. Her red waves tumbled loosely down her back.

‘Where’s Elle?’ she asked Alice sharply. ‘And whatare you doing in here, gossiping? Why didn’t you come get me immediately?’

Alice got to her feet, stammering. ‘I’m sorry. She went to her room, I think? With Beatrice?’

‘Unbelievable.’ Madison cast Hannah an icy glare, then shouldered sharply past them, towards the back of the penthouse.

‘I’d better…’ Alice trailed off, then slunk after Madison. It seemed unlikely she’d make it past the threshold of Elle’s bedroom door.

Left to her own devices, Hannah stood and made her way over to the Harringtons’ butler, an older man named Charles Stewart, who was making his rounds with a silver tray. As she reached for a glass of red wine, she thought she caught a flash of disapproval in his eyes, but he kept his lips pressed together tight. Everyone else was drinking, and Hannah could have one glass without her parents suspecting anything. She’d felt perfectly sober after that glass of champagne last New Year’s, after all.

She wandered out onto the wraparound terrace. It was occupied by a couple of the Harringtons’ friends, but now devoid of anyone from Prescott. Cashmere throws had been draped over chair backs, a nod to the autumn chill likely to set in before the party concluded. But she had no intention of sticking around that long. It had been nice to be invited, but Elle was dealing with breakup drama, and Hannah was still on Madison’s naughty list, so she took a healthy sip of wine, then another, and pulled out her phone.

Things are getting weird over here. Meet me at the Harringtons and let’s take a walk?

Hannah placed her phone on a small teak patio table and waited for Oliver Morgan to text her back. She didn’t have to wait long.

What’s going down at Chez Harrington? The Upper Edge has been suspiciously silent all night.

Theo dumped Elle and now it’s all hands on deck. Which is my cue to head out. Can you meet me or not?

Ooh, drama of the highest order. Yeah, I can meet up. Give me fifteen to get over there.

Fantastic. Text me when you’re close and I’ll meet you out front.