“Negligence,” Lenny said, shaking his head. “Nah, it weren’t Mick’s fault. He’s really careful about packing everything down tight. I helped him myself last night and that gargoyle was jammed down in the corner where an earthquake wouldn’t have shifted it.”

Pansy stared at him. “You sure it wasn’t a different gargoyle?”

“We only removed one, didn’t we. The others are still on the other three corners of the roof.”

“Then how did it fall on Charlie’s head?”

Lenny nodded. “That’s a good question. I’m beginning to wonder that meself.”

Pansy felt a stab of fear, though she wasn’t sure exactly what frightened her. “Well, then, your boss must not have done as good a job as you thought. Anyhow, I’d better get along. Mrs. Chubb will be wondering where I am.”

Lenny stretched out his hand and laid it on her arm. His fingers felt strong and warm through the thin material of her sleeve. “So when do you get time off?”

“Not until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Yeah? Wanna go for a walk somewhere?”

“I might.” She pulled away from him, unsettled by the thrills chasing down her spine. “I’ll let you know.”

He grinned, showing even white teeth. “I’ll wait for you by the gate. Tomorrow afternoon. Three o’clock.”

Heart pounding, she gave him a quick nod of her head, then shot through the door and slammed it behind her.

Much to Cecily’s dismay, P.C. Northcott arrived at the club before Dr. Prestwick later that morning. Madeline had decided to wait there for her husband, thus sparing herself the long walk home with the baby.

Although Madeline was used to walking what seemed to Cecily to be impossibly long distances, carrying her rapidly growing daughter around with her had somewhat limited her stamina. Besides which, flakes of snow had begun to float in on the wind, and Madeline had no desire to trudge through a snowstorm.