Murder on Fifth Avenue: A Gaslight Mystery (23 page)

“His mother?” Malloy asked skeptically.

“We don’t like her, but she’s his mother, after all, and she apparently adores him.”

“Winston said he’s fond of his wife, too.”

“He did?”

“He could’ve been lying, but I don’t think so. I’m pretty sure they don’t hate each other, at least. Paul was angry at his father for treating Garnet badly, remember.”

“But why would he have to protect Garnet unless she was the one who stabbed Devries?”

“Maybe she was.”

Sarah nearly choked on her coffee. “But…If he was naked …” She shook her head, unable to believe it.

“Something’s going on in that house. Your father said it himself. He didn’t think I had a chance of finding out what it was, so he asked you to help. I didn’t want to say anything in front of your mother yesterday, but I’ve started suspecting that Devries had taken an improper interest in his daughter-in-law.”

“That’s a horrible suspicion!”

“I know, which is why I didn’t want to say anything before,
but I’ve been noticing how the servants protect her and nobody will tell me exactly what Paul and his father were arguing about the day he died except that it was about Garnet. And now we know Garnet is expecting a baby she doesn’t want. You thought that was because she didn’t want a child by her husband, but what if Devries had fathered it?”

Sarah shuddered. “That would certainly explain why she said it had been spawned by a monster.”

“Yes, it would. And if Devries had tried to have his way with her that morning, and she’d stuck him with a nut pick—”

“A
what
?”

“A nut pick. Those things you use to pick out the nut meat when you’re eating walnuts?”

“Was that what killed Devries?”

“It’s the right size and shape, and he really liked walnuts and ate them all the time, and one of the picks is missing from the nut bowl in his bedroom.”

“Oh, my.”

“Yes, oh, my.”

“What are you going to do?”

“I’m not sure. First of all, I have to wait for the medical examiner to do the autopsy and tell me for sure what killed the valet. I can’t accuse Paul Devries of murder and then find out he ate a bad oyster or something.”

“You certainly can’t. How soon will you know?”

“Not until tomorrow afternoon.”

“Mr. Devries’s funeral is tomorrow.”

“I know. Are you going?”

“I hadn’t thought about it. Will you be there?”

“I’ll go to the church, but I won’t be welcome back at the house afterwards. I’d like to know what goes on there.”

Sarah had performed this duty for him before. “My parents will be going. I’m sure they’d take me with them.”

“Would you mind?”

“Actually, I’d like an opportunity to see Garnet again. She asked me for a…She called it a
remedy
, something to get rid of the baby. I won’t do that, but there are plenty of people in the city who would. I’m afraid she might do something dangerous.”

“If Devries did what I think he did, I couldn’t blame her.”

“No matter what he did, I don’t want to see anyone else die.”

“So you’ll go to the funeral?”

“Of course.”

They both looked up when someone knocked on the back door. Sarah hurried to admit her neighbor, Mrs. Ellsworth.

“Why, Mr. Malloy, what a surprise,” she exclaimed, a little breathless from the cold.

Malloy smiled. “Is it?” He knew Mrs. Ellsworth usually kept careful track of the comings and goings on Bank Street.

“Well, of course. If I’d known you were here, I’d have brought
two
pies, so you could take one home.” She handed the basket she was carrying to Sarah. “Although I should have known you’d have a visitor because I dropped a spoon on the table while I was making breakfast this morning. It was a large spoon, though, which usually means a family of visitors.” She shook her head as if baffled by such a mistake.

“Mr. Malloy brought Brian with him,” Sarah said.

Mrs. Ellsworth smiled approvingly. “Oh, well, that explains it! How is that darling little boy of yours?”

“He’s very well. You can see for yourself if you stay for a while.”

“Would you like some coffee?” Sarah asked.

“I’d love some,” she said, pulling out a chair. “I don’t suppose
you’re working on an interesting case or anything, are you, Mr. Malloy?”

“As a matter of fact, I’d like to ask your opinion of something, Mrs. Ellsworth,” he said solemnly.

“I’m sure my opinion would be of no help to you at all, but I’m happy to give it.”

“Do you think someone could be murdered with a nut pick?”

S
ARAH’S PARENTS WERE HAPPY TO COME BY FOR HER ON
their way to the funeral the next morning, but Sarah didn’t have any opportunity to tell her mother Malloy’s theories about Paul and Garnet Devries because she didn’t want to discuss it in front of her father. Malloy himself should make that report and only after he’d been able to confirm or refute his suspicions about Garnet and Mr. Devries.

The service itself was an ordeal. She could hardly sit still while she listened to several of Chilton Devries’s friends speak of him as if he’d been a paragon of virtue. Typically, the son of the deceased would also give a eulogy, but Paul remained in his seat, staring straight ahead, his pale face expressionless. Beside him, his heavily veiled mother appeared frail and distraught, clinging to his arm as if it were a lifeline. Of course, no one could actually see her expression through the veil, so for all anyone knew, she was snickering with delight.

Paul’s sisters and their families took up the rest of the front pew and most of the second one. The girls looked appropriately bereaved, although Sarah never saw either of them shed a tear. The person Sarah had most wanted to see wasn’t present, however. Garnet Devries had not come to the church.

If Malloy’s suspicions were right, Sarah could certainly understand why Garnet had refused to mourn the man’s death.

As they filed out of the church, Sarah’s heart went cold when she overheard another guest say Garnet was too ill to attend. She thought of Roderick, poisoned and dying and how Malloy had found him too late. She was being silly, she knew, but she couldn’t help feeling a sense of urgency to get to the Devrieses’ house as quickly as possible to make sure.

“Mother, I’m going to go check on Garnet,” she whispered as they made their way down the crowded aisle.

“But we have to go to the cemetery,” her mother whispered back.

“You do, but I don’t.”

“But we’ll have the carriage. How will you get there?”

“I’ll walk.” Sarah craned her neck. “Malloy is in the back. I’m sure he’ll go with me.”

No one seemed to notice when Sarah slipped away and found Malloy in the shadows.

“What’s the matter?” he asked when she reached him.

“I heard someone say Garnet was too ill to attend. I want to go straight to the Devrieses’ house and make sure she’s all right.”

“Do you really think somebody would’ve killed her right before the funeral?” he asked with a trace of amusement.

“I have no idea, but if somebody tried, I’d like to find out as soon as possible.”

He couldn’t argue with that logic. They found a side door to the church and slipped out into an alley so they would avoid the crush of mourners waiting in front of the church for their carriages.

“I doubt we can find a cab,” Malloy said as they stepped out into the wintery air.

“We can walk. It’s not far.”

They walked a while in silence, making their way through the midday shoppers and nannies pushing baby buggies. Malloy moderated his pace to match her shorter one. Finally, he said, “If Paul was protecting Garnet, he’s not likely to have killed her himself, you know.”

“I’m afraid logic isn’t going to have any effect on me today. I’ve been trying to convince myself that she’s simply ill because she’s with child or even that she pretended to be ill so she wouldn’t have to sit and listen to those insufferable men talk about what a wonderful person Devries was. None of it has made me any less uneasy.”

“What did your father say when you told him what we talked about yesterday?”

“I didn’t tell him anything. We have no proof, and he won’t be eager to believe one of his friends had forced himself on his daughter-in-law. I’m not anxious to believe it myself.”

“Do you think you could get Garnet to admit it to you?”

“Perhaps, if I can meet with her alone, but even then, she may not admit it. Few women would, and Garnet isn’t the sort who bares her soul easily. She didn’t even confide in her own mother, and she was quite angry with me the last time we met, you’ll remember.”

“Try, at least, because if you can’t, I doubt your father would approve of using my methods on her, so we might never find out.”

Sarah sighed as they turned the corner and could see the Devrieses’ house down the block. “I just remembered that my father called you in on this case because he thought he might not want to see the killer punished at all. I wonder if he still feels that way.”

“We talked about that on Saturday night, and he’s changed his mind.”

Sarah blinked. “Why?”

“Because he wants to see Roderick’s killer punished.”

“He does? Good heavens!”

“Why are you so surprised?”

Sarah had to think about this for a moment. “Because…I’m afraid I would have thought my father would consider Roderick’s death of little consequence, certainly as compared to the death of one of his friends, and he wasn’t even sure he wanted to see Devries’s killer punished.”

“I would’ve thought that, too. In fact, I think he was a little hurt when I said so.”

“Really?” Sarah could hardly believe they were talking about her father. “He’s changed.”

“Maybe.”

“You don’t think so?”

They’d almost reached the Devrieses’ front steps, and they slowed their pace.

Malloy looked down at her. “I don’t think a man can change who he really is.”

“But he’s behaving so differently than…than I’ve ever known him to. That’s what he and my sister used to argue about. He didn’t think people like Roderick were important.”

“Maybe he’s just changing his idea of what’s important.”

“I’d like to think so, but can he really do it? What if it turns out Garnet stabbed Devries while she was trying to protect her honor? Could you bring charges against her?”

“Not for killing Devries, but if she killed Roderick to cover it up, then, yes, I could.”

“But would my father?”

“Let’s hope we don’t have to find out.”

Sarah sighed again. They’d stopped at the foot of the Devrieses’ front steps. “What are you going to do now?”

“I’m going to see the medical examiner and find out what killed Roderick. I’d like to question Paul Devries, but I guess I’ve got to wait until tomorrow to do it.”

“Oh, yes. You wouldn’t dare question him about killing his father on the very day of the funeral.” She looked up at the Devrieses’ front door with its black wreath. “But this is the perfect time to question Garnet about her demons.”

The maid who answered the door stared at Sarah in alarm. “Are you coming from the funeral already?”

“Oh, no,” Sarah said, feeling guilty for causing her a fright. “They’re just on their way to the cemetery. I came to see Mrs. Paul Devries. I heard she wasn’t feeling well, and I wanted to see if there was something I could do for her. I’m Mrs. Brandt. I was here to see her the other day, you’ll remember.”

The girl sighed with obvious relief and admitted Sarah. “I’ll tell her you’re here.”

“Is she very ill?” Sarah asked, her earlier concerns rushing back.

“Oh, no,” the girl started to say, then caught herself. “I mean, I’m sure I don’t know.”

Sarah felt her own surge of relief. “Is she in bed?”

“Oh, no, ma’am. She’s up and dressed for the wake. She just didn’t feel like she could make the trip to the church and out to the burial.”

“If you’ll take me to her, I’ll see what I can do for her.”

The girl would know she should announce Sarah and see if her visit was welcomed before taking her upstairs, but Sarah knew how harried she and the other servants would be preparing for the funeral dinner. She might be able to take advantage of this.

“There’s no need to announce me. I’m sure Mrs. Paul will be happy to see me.” And if she wasn’t, the poor girl would
probably never know it. Sarah smiled as reassuringly as she knew how, and finally the maid relented.

“Follow me, please.”

She took Sarah up to the third floor, to Garnet’s bedroom. At her knock, Garnet bid her enter, and she said, “Mrs. Brandt is here to see you.”

Sarah didn’t wait to hear what Garnet might have replied. She slipped in behind the maid and said, “When I heard you were ill, I came at once.”

Sarah wasn’t sure who was more startled, Garnet at Sarah bursting in on her or Sarah at finding she wasn’t alone.

G
ARNET ROSE TO HER FEET, AND SO DID THE OTHER LADY
who had been sitting with her in front of the fire. Both wore the unrelieved black of full mourning. The contrast of the black with Garnet’s pale face was startling. She really did look ill, and Sarah wondered if she dared ask if Garnet had found the
remedy
she had been seeking. Common wisdom said there were mysterious herbs or potions a woman could take to rid herself of an unwanted pregnancy, but Sarah knew such treatments were either completely ineffectual or potentially lethal to the mother as well as her child. She couldn’t ask until she knew who this other woman was, however.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you had a visitor,” Sarah said.

“Would that really have stopped you?” Garnet asked.

“Garnet,”
the other woman chided in a tone Sarah recognized instantly as one her mother often used on her. That and her slight resemblance to Garnet told her the woman’s identity.

“You must be Mrs. Richmond,” Sarah said. “I’m very pleased to meet you.”

“And, Mother, this is Mrs. Brandt,” Garnet said, “about whom you have heard me complain. Mary Catherine, could you bring us some tea and cakes? I know you’re being run ragged, but I’m afraid my guests might grow faint if they have to wait until the funeral dinner for something to restore them.”