Page 40 of Murder on the Upper East Side

‘It’s a privacy thing,’ Theo said. ‘Limits visibility into guest rooms from the street.’

Hannah nodded. ‘Staff stairwell, two hidden balconies. Any other secret rooms I should know about?’

Theo grinned. ‘There’s a reading nook in the library, behind one of the shelves.’

‘Found that. Anything else?’

Theo shrugged. ‘Not that I know of. And I know this place pretty well.’

Hannah frowned, considering the implications. The staff stairwell could have provided a route between floors for the killer, but she wasn’t sure to what end. The reading nook had the portal window, but it wasn’t an access point to the outside or another room. But could a hidden balcony have provided an escape route for Madison’s killer? She glanced around. There was no nearby fire escape, no stonework to use as a foothold. It seemed highly unlikely.

Below, two white NYPD cruisers and an unmarked black sedan were parked in the loading zone. It was after midnight on a typically quiet street on the Upper East Side, but word of the high-profile death that had taken place here just hours ago had clearly spread. Of course, people would have seen Madison’s body being wheeled out on the stretcher when it was still broad daylight. Maybe they didn’t know it was Madison DuPont beneath the sheet, or perhaps the rumours were already flying. Either way, a corpse being wheeled into an ambulance from the exclusive Lenox Club was news.

Almost four hours later, the sidewalk buzzed with looky-loos trying to get a peek inside the shuttered club. Two more uniformed officers were stationed at the front door, which had been blocked by a pair of sawhorses. A young woman dressed for an evening at a high-end nightclub was speaking with one of the uniforms, a man so young he surely had to be new to the force, clearly trying to flirt her way in. He was turning a bit pink, or perhaps it was a trick of the streetlight glow, but he didn’t budge from his station at the door.

‘Quite a kerfuffle for the Upper East,’ Hannah murmured.

‘Quite,’ Theo said grimly. ‘Thought the fresh air would be nice, but I didn’t realise it would be like this.’ He turned to face Hannah. ‘Anyway, back inside, before I interrupted, was there something you wanted to tell me about Gemma? About PhotoGate?’

‘Right.’ Hannah placed her hand on Theo’s forearm. Being out in the cool breezewasnice, despite the crowd of onlookers below. Being here with Theo was nice. Warmth flooded her chest. ‘You could have laid into Gemma. Distanced yourself from the whole mess. But you didn’t, even though it cost you. You were always different from the rest.’

Theo frowned, then pulled his arm away. Hannah startled.

‘You’re too kind,’ he said, voice flat. ‘When it counted, I wasn’t any better than Madison. I think you know that.’

Hannah studied his face. He was referring to the end of senior year, of course. To the conversation she’d overheard between Theo and Madison, that night after prom.

As she recalled what had been said – how furious Theo had been with Madison – doubt began to flood Hannah’s thoughts. Maybe sleeping with Theo had been a mistake. If he’d killed Madison, or if he was covering for Elle, he could easily use the events of the past hour against her: admitting she’d had a crush on him back in high school, sleeping with him now. It would make her look desperate, if spun the wrong way. It wouldn’t be hard to paint Hannah as a hanger-on, eager to be part of Madison’s crowd, yet always a bit on the outside. Wouldn’t be hard to cast her now as someone still eager to claim what she’d never had back at Prescott.

Seen in the right light, all her actions could easily appear to be the work of a sad, bitter woman: the article railing against the one per cent, sleeping with Theo.Killing Madison.

She turned back towards the room, feeling suddenly chilly. Theo followed her inside, something unreadable in his eyes.

‘I’m going back down now,’ she said softly. ‘You should probably wait a bit before you follow.’

He nodded and closed the balcony doors behind them.

‘Hannah?’ His voice reached her halfway to the room door. She spun back around. He was standingvery close to her, his breath hot on her neck. She hadn’t heard him walking after her.

‘Yes?’ Her heart picked up. She took a step back.

He extended his arm, and she dug her nails into her palm, forcing herself not to flinch.

Theo looked at her quizzically, then down to the pair of black heels in his hand. ‘Found your shoes.’

3 January 2017

Instagram

Image one: Madison DuPont and handsome British university student Bradley Fairfax, eyes intensely locked in front of the giant fir in the Great Hall at Bellport House on Montauk.

Image two: Theo Fitzgerald looking distracted at JFK airport, the handle of his carry-on in one hand and phone in the other. He’s grinning at something on his screen.

TheUpperEdgeLove was certainly in the air over winter break. Rumour has it Madison has a new British beau, and has Theo already moved on from Elle, afterallegedlycheating with Gemma Phipps? He seems so nice, but this boy is a heartbreaker – twice.

@CarinRutherfordOoh. Cute!!

@Margaret_KensThe absolute NERVE.