Sweet Revenge

straight, staring at the camera, but hereyes were carefully guarded. She clung to her mothers hand—or Phoebe clung to hers.
    “Such a sad thing. Phoebe never made another really good film. Just ones where she took her clothes off and such.” She turned the pages to a different Phoebe, one with lines around the eyes and dresses cut to show off still-smooth breasts. There was a vacant look to her face and a desperation to her smile. Replacing innocence was a hard edge. “She did one of those layouts for a men’s magazine.” Mary wrinkled her nose. She was anything but a prude, but there were limits. “Had an affair with her agent, among others. There were hints, though, that he had an eye for her daughter. Filthy stuff for a man of his age.”
    Something curled in the pit of Philip’s stomach. “What was his name?”
    “Oh, Lord, I don’t remember, if I ever knew. It might be in here somewhere.”
    “Can I take this along with me?”
    “Of course. Does it matter, Phil?” She laid a hand on his as he closed the book. “Whoever her parents were, whatever they were, doesn’t change who she is.”
    “I know that.” He touched his lips to her cheek. “She needs to.”
    “She’s lucky to have you.”
    “Yes.” He grinned and kissed her again. “I know.”
    When the buzzer sounded, Philip checked his watch. “That’ll be Stuart, prompt as always.”
    “Shall I heat up the tea?”
    “It’s warm enough,” he told her as he walked to the door. “Stuart.”
    With his nose and cheeks reddened by the wind, Spencer stepped inside. “Miserably cold. We’ll have snow again after nightfall. Mrs. Chamberlain.” He took her offered hand and patted it. “Good to see you.”
    “You’ll warm up with a nice cup of tea, Mr. Spencer. Phil will pour. I’m afraid I have a few errands to run.” She slipped into the black mink her son had given her for Christmas. “More cakes in the pantry if you want them.”
    “Thanks, Mum.” He drew her collar together. “You look like a movie star.”
    Nothing could have pleased her more. After giving his cheek a pinch she went out.
    “Lovely woman, your mother.”
    “Yes. She’s thinking of going on a cruise with some greengrocer named Paddington.”
    “Greengrocer? Well.” Spencer folded his coat, laying it neatly over a chair before turning toward the tea tray. “Sure shell be sensible about it.” He helped himself to the tea. “I thought you were taking the holidays off.”
    “I am.”
    Spencer lifted a brow. It rose a fraction higher when Philip drew out a cigarette. “I thought you’d given those up.”
    “I did.”
    Spencer added a squirt of lemon. “Seemed time that I filled you in on Paris.”
    Though he already knew precisely what had happened, he took a seat and prepared to listen.
    “As you suspected, the countess was marked. We had an agent inside undercover as kitchen help, and two more in the field. Our man must have sensed it, because he moved a little too fast. Set off an alarm. That’s a first for him.”
    Philip poured a second cup of tea, then sent Chauncy a warning look. “Indeed.”
    “The outside men caught a glimpse of him, another first, though the description’s vague at best. Both of them claim he must be as native to Paris as a sewer rat, but that may be because they lost him.”
    “The countess’ jewels?”
    “Safe.” Spencer heaved a pleased sigh. “We fouled up the works for him there.”
    “Perhaps more than that.” Philip offered the cakes. Spencer resisted a moment, then broke off a bite. “I’ve heard some rumors.”
    “Such as?”
    “They might be nothing more than that, but I’ve had my ear to the ground. Did you know our man has a woman accomplice?”
    “A woman?” Spencer forgot the cake and reached for his notebook. “We’ve had nothing on a woman.”
    Philip flicked the ash of his cigarette. “That’s why you need me, Captain. I don’t have a name, but she’s a redhead,a bit of a tart, and only bright enough to carry out his orders.” He had to smile at that, thinking how furious the description would make Adrianne. “In any case, she talked to a contact of mine.” He held up a hand, anticipating. “You know I can’t tell you, Stuart. That’s been part of the deal from the beginning.”
    “One I regret making. When I think of all the lowlifes and petty thieves I could brush off the streets … never mind. What did she have to say?”
    “That The Shadow, you know they call him The