The Dangerous Ladies Affair Read online

  “It occurs to me,” she said in lowered tones, “that I have never been to your flat.”

  He said blankly, “My flat?”

  “You’ve never described it and I’m curious. I should like to see it.”

  “… You would? When?”

  “Now. Tonight.”

  In the light from the cab’s interior lamp, John’s jaw hung agape like a puppet’s; for once he was utterly speechless. It was Sabina who had to give his Leavenworth Street address to the driver.

  Authors’ Note

  There was in fact a California State Woman Suffrage Convention held in San Francisco in November of 1896. Its delegates wore badges such as the one described here, and the campaign was in fact headed by Susan B. Anthony. Unfortunately, her tireless efforts and those of dedicated proponents such as Sabina and Amity Wellman were in vain. The proposed amendment to the state constitution giving women the right to vote was soundly defeated, owing in large part to the powerful Liquor Dealers League and the considerable clout the organization wielded with both Democratic and Republican politicians. It was not until 1911, thanks to a new, more widespread, more determined suffragist movement risen phoenix-like from the ashes of the 1906 earthquake, that California women were finally granted voting rights.

  Steamboats were still a primary mode of transportation between San Francisco and Stockton in 1896. The Captain Weber was an actual stern-wheeler that made the daily overnight run; the descriptions herein of her route and her physical characteristics are as accurate as research can make them. Also as stated, the stern-wheeler was operated by the Union Transportation Company and owned by Sarah Gillis, widow of the original owner and an ardent member of the Stockton branch of the Woman’s Christian Temperance Union; thus, the Captain Weber and her sister boat, the Dauntless, were the only two dry packets on the San Joaquin River. There were none on the Sacramento River.

  In the closing years of the century several small hamlets and enclaves did dot the islands of the delta, among them Rye and the settlement of Locke, founded by Chinese who toiled as farm laborers. Kennett’s Crossing, however, while representative of these isolated communities and their citizens, exists only in our fevered imaginations.

  M.M. / B.P.

  BY MARCIA MULLER AND BILL PRONZINI

  NOVELS

  Double

  Beyond the Grave

  The Lighthouse

  The Bughouse Affair

  The Spook Lights Affair

  The Body Snatchers Affair

  The Plague of Thieves Affair

  SHORT STORY COLLECTIONS

  Duo

  Crucifixion River

  NONFICTION

  1001 Midnights

  About the Authors

  MARCIA MULLER is the New York Times bestselling creator of private investigator Sharon McCone. The author of more than thirty-five novels, Muller received the Mystery Writers of America’s Grand Master Award in 2005. You can sign up for email updates here.

  BILL PRONZINI, creator of the Nameless Detective, is a highly praised novelist, short-story writer, and anthologist. He received the Grand Master Award from the Mystery Writers of America in 2008, making Muller and Pronzini the only living couple to share the award. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Authors’ Note

  By Marcia Muller and Bill Pronzini

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

  THE DANGEROUS LADIES AFFAIR

  Copyright © 2016 by Pronzini-Muller Family Trust

  All rights reserved.

  Cover art by Fred Gambino

  A Forge Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates

  175 Fifth Avenue

  New York, NY 10010

  www.tor-forge.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

  The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

  ISBN 978-0-7653-8105-7 (hardcover)

  ISBN 978-1-4668-7679-8 (e-book)

  e-ISBN 9781466876798

  Our e-books may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at 1-800-221-7945, extension 5442, or by e-mail at [email protected].

  First Edition: January 2017