The Darling Dahlias and the Texas Star

Now, Lizzie knew for certain that Charlie was jealous. So there had been something between him and Miss Dare! Was he still carrying a torch for her? How did she feel about him? What did this mean for Fannie? But she couldn’t ask those questions.

Charlie broke the silence. “When she can get work,” he went on after a moment, “she still flies stunts for the movies. But times are tough. Up until the last couple of years, the studios were paying good money for stunt pilots. Fifty dollars for a single spin. A hundred for flying upside down. Once, Lily agreed to crash an airplane into a tree—she got twelve hundred dollars for it.” He blew out a stream of blue smoke. “But she never does that stuff for the money. She does it for the thrills. The riskier the better, as far as Lily Dare is concerned. She burns the candle at both ends, as they say.”

Lizzy was still trying to figure out why Charlie was telling her all this. “I guess I don’t quite understand,” she said. “If stunt flying is what Miss Dare loves to do, does it matter that she sometimes—?” She hesitated, trying to find a way to say it, then settled for the word Charlie himself had used. “That she’s a schemer?”

“Sure, it matters,” Charlie said, leaning back in his chair. “Take this sabotage business, for instance. Lily didn’t tell me what was behind it. In fact, she was deliberately secretive. But I got the impression that Rex Hart is somehow involved.”

“Rex Hart? But he’s her partner, isn’t he?”

Charlie nodded. “They got together fairly recently, I understand. But that’s just an impression, so don’t quote me. Anyway, there have been several threats—or sabotage attempts, or something.”

“What kind of threats?”

“She didn’t say.” Charlie’s voice dropped. “Of course, Lily would never admit to being afraid of anything or anybody. The Texas Star likes to pretend that danger is her middle name. But I know her well enough to know that she’s scared.” His voice dropped even lower. “I can’t tell you what she’s afraid of, but she’s scared.”

Lizzy paused, considering. “Of course, there’s danger and there’s danger,” she said thoughtfully. “Miss Dare is probably a lot more comfortable with the danger she’s trained herself to handle. Danger in the air is something she knows how to deal with. Danger on the ground is something else altogether.”

“That’s it exactly, Liz,” Charlie said. “You’ve put your finger on it. And whether she thinks she’s the one who’s in danger or whether it’s somebody else, I don’t know.” He leaned forward. “But I do know this, Liz. We have to be on the lookout for trouble while she’s here. And I think you can help.”

“Me? But I don’t—”

Charlie interrupted her. “Look. I intend to hang around the airstrip as much as I can and keep an eye on her plane, make sure there’s no repetition of that sabotage. I understand that Lily and that aerialist—Angel Flame, she calls herself—are staying with the Kilgores while they’re here in Darling. And you and Mildred Kilgore are friends.” He gave her a raised-eyebrow look. “True?”

Lizzy nodded slowly. Yes, they were friends, although she and Mildred didn’t see much of each other outside the Dahlias’ meetings these days. The Kilgores lived practically next door to the golf course. They belonged to what Lizzy thought of as Darling’s “high society.”

Charlie was going on. “So I thought maybe you could keep an eye on things at the Kilgore place. While Miss Dare is staying there, I mean.”

Keep an eye on things? “I don’t know how I can do that, Charlie.” Lizzy paused, wondering if she should tell him about the awkward corner she had backed herself into—about her date for the party—and then decided against it. “I’m a guest at the party Friday night. The only reason I’m there is to present the plant—the Texas Star—that the Dahlias are giving to Miss Dare. Most of the time, I’m not invited to country club parties.”

Charlie was silent for a moment. Then he sighed. “I see. Well, there’s probably nothing you can do, then.” He looked embarrassed. “Oh, hell,” he muttered. “I guess I shouldn’t have opened my big mouth. Sorry I bothered you with this, Liz.”

Lizzy reached out and put her hand on his arm. “Oh, don’t be sorry!” she exclaimed. “I’m glad you told me. Maybe I can think of some way to help.” She hesitated. “Would it be okay if I shared some of what you’ve told me with Mildred? I wouldn’t say anything about your knowing Miss Dare, of course. But I can at least alert her to the possibility of trouble. And if I talk to her, maybe I can figure out how to be of more help.”

Charlie pulled his brows together. “Well, I don’t know—”