Judge a Murder by Its Cover - Chapter One

Chicago 1928

Belle Stevano wondered if she could make it up the stairs before she dropped. Seven months pregnant, with the possibility of twins, made her shake in her boots. Her cousin, Cameron, had delivered her suitcase to the room. She sat on the edge of the bed and looked around. The room was lovely. The scent of lavender and lace curtains revealed a feminine touch. Probably Aunt Addie's before she passed away.

Uncle Archibald Lemon proved accommodating, allowing her to move into his sprawling mansion on Prairie Avenue, an elite urban Chicago neighborhood, without much fuss. His current tenants, Dulcie Nye, a writer for The Delineator Magazine, and her cousin Cameron O’Neil, had just gotten engaged the day she arrived. Katie O’Sullivan, another tenant, already had one foot out the door, as she was going to marry her handsome beau and Attorney General of Illinois, Garrett MacMillan, in a few months.

Overall, the situation was a blessing in disguise for a woman who needed to reinvent herself to survive. Her last boss sent her packing when her burgeoning stomach made him suspicious of her condition. He asked, and she told the truth, and he showed her the door.

She lay back on the comfortable bed and looked up at the ceiling. Her mother died when Belle was a young girl, and these days, her father’s best friend was a bottle of rum. She didn’t blame him. He did his best, but her mother’s death had changed everyone’s life.

Her twin sister had escaped from home by marrying a banker and now had two children to seal the deal. Her sister spent her life serving on boards and committees. They rarely spoke anymore...after her pregnancy became obvious. Apparently, she was a source of embarrassment to the family. She wouldn’t have traveled from San Francisco to Chicago to beg for a room if she hadn’t been desperate.

She wanted — no, needed — a new lease on life. As a court reporter, she should be able to find a job, but then who would help with her child?

A soft knock on her door interrupted her thoughts. She angled up on one elbow. “Come in,” she said.

“Sorry to disturb you, honey,” Katie said. “We wanted to see if you needed anything.” She’d been told Katie was a gifted singer on her way to the top of her career.

Dulcie trailed in behind the beautiful blonde woman. “Don’t worry about anything, luv. Just rest from your long trip. Blimey, you must be knackered. No worries. We’ll be in-laws soon, or something like that.”

Katie chuckled. “Something like that. By the way, knackered means exhausted. It won’t take long to get the hang of Dulcie speak, as we call it. You’re Archie’s niece and Cameron’s cousin. Family. And whatever brought you here is your business. Please let us know what you need, and we’ll do our best to help. But for now, get some rest. Maria, Archie’s cook, will make breakfast in the morning, and then you can sort everything else out with him.”

“We just wanted to let you know, so you don’t have a cack attack,” Dulcie said. “Archie’s a good bloke, and if you need us, we can’t resist a good chin wag. So rest, and we’ll figure out everything tomorrow.”

Belle lifted herself off the bed. “You don’t know how wonderful your words sound.” She covered her mouth with her hands, and a sob caught in her throat.

“Pish posh,” Katie said, putting an arm around Belle’s shoulder. “We girls need to stick together. We’re outnumbered most of the time.”

After the women left her bedroom, she undressed and put on her only nightgown. She would need to buy new clothes. She had left home in such a rush that she only packed what could fit into one suitcase. Luckily, she had squirreled away some mad money, so she could pay her bills for a while. But she would need to find a job quickly. Unfortunately, there weren’t many employers looking for a woman in her condition. What a dilemma.

Would Archie and the others think the worst of her when they had to introduce her as Miss Stevano? Sometimes, when she looked in a mirror, she didn’t recognize the sallow-faced woman looking back at her.

But at least they couldn’t find her now and take her baby away…

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