Murder on Sisters' Row (22 page)

Amy smiled the sly little grin Sarah was coming to know. “I told you little Gregory’s father was going to take care of us.”

Sarah glanced down at the child in the basket, her heart aching for the innocent babe who hadn’t asked for any of this.

“Oh, that’s just temporary,” Amy said, apparently thinking Sarah was judging her success by the quality of the baby’s sleeping arrangements. “He’s going to get a cradle and a nurse and everything brand-new.”

“That’s very nice.”

“I’m going to get everything brand-new, too, now that she’s gone.”

How very convenient for Amy. “Do you know what happened to Mrs. Van Orner?”

“She died. That’s all I need to know.”

“Miss Yingling said you had a conversation with her right before she left the rescue house the other day.”

“So what if I did?”

“I was just wondering what you talked about. Miss Biafore said Mrs. Van Orner was upset afterwards.”

“Upset? Is that what she claims? I don’t know how she could tell. The witch never let on that she was feeling anything at all. I never even saw her smile. She was a cold fish. I know everything about her. Gregory told me.”

Sarah’s stomach twisted at the thought of a man discussing his wife’s shortcomings with his mistress, but she managed not to betray her true feelings. “What did you and Mrs. Van Orner talk about that day?”

Amy smiled, apparently enjoying the memory. “She told me I was going to have to leave the rescue house. She said the other girls were complaining about me, but I knew the real reason. She couldn’t stand looking at me and my baby. She hated me because I had his baby and she never could.”

That conversation may have upset Amy, too. She wouldn’t have liked being threatened. “You must have been frightened at the thought of leaving the rescue house and having no place to go.”

“She couldn’t scare me. I told her she wouldn’t dare put me out because I’d tell Gregory what she’d done. I was going to tell him anyway—about the baby, I mean—the first chance I got. I knew he’d take care of me, too. He used to take good care of me, and I knew he would again, because of the baby. He always wanted a son, and now he has one.”

This certainly explained what Lisa Biafore had observed. Mrs. Van Orner would have been furious to hear her husband’s mistress challenge her. “Were you trying to hurt her?”

The question surprised her. “I just wanted her to know she couldn’t treat me like she treated all the other whores.”

“Do you know how she died?” Sarah asked again.

“I already told you . . . Wait, are you saying that’s why she died? Because I got her so mad? Did she have apoplexy or something?” The thought seemed to please her.

“No,” Sarah said, feeling sick. “She didn’t have apoplexy.”

Amy’s eyes lit up. “Oh, I know, she got drunk and fell down! Gregory told me how she drank all the time. She drank something funny, something with mint in the name. He told me but I can’t remember. And then she ate peppermints so people wouldn’t know. He told me all about it, and when I smelled the peppermint on her, I knew it was all true. We used to lay in bed and laugh about how she carried a silver flask in her purse and took a nip whenever things didn’t go her way. That’s what happened, wasn’t it? After I told her what for, she took too many nips and fell down and broke her neck.”

“No, that’s not what happened.”

Someone tapped on the door, and it opened before anyone could respond. Miss Yingling stood in the doorway. “Mrs. Brandt, I’ll show you out.”

Sarah thought she should probably stay and question Amy further, but she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear any more of her answers. Grateful to Miss Yingling for the rescue, she bade Amy good-bye. “You can send for me if you need anything,” she added as she stepped out into the hallway.

Amy smiled. “I won’t need anything.”

Miss Yingling closed the door behind them with more force than was necessary. “I’m sorry.”

“There’s no need to be,” Sarah said. “I really am glad to know she and the baby are safe. I was picturing her carrying him around the streets and begging for food.”

“Amy isn’t very bright, but she knows how to take care of herself.”

Sarah decided not to comment. “Do you think there’s any chance that Rahab’s Daughters will continue its work?”

Miss Yingling raised her eyebrows, surprised at the question. “That’s up to Mrs. Spratt-Williams and the others, and they aren’t likely to consult me when they make their decision.”

“I don’t suppose Mr. Van Orner would help in any way.”

Miss Yingling came as close to laughing as Sarah had ever seen. “No, and I believe I can be certain about that.”

They’d reached the stairs, and Sarah stopped, forcing Miss Yingling to stop as well. She gave Sarah a questioning look.

“I’ve been thinking about Mrs. Van Orner’s death,” Sarah began, feeling her way carefully. “I got the idea that the police believe someone at the rescue house put the poison in her flask the day she died, but that’s not the only possibility.”

Miss Yingling held herself very still. “What other possibility is there?”

“Someone in this house might have done it. They could have even done it the day before, maybe
days
before, and Mrs. Van Orner just happened to drink from the flask that day.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because you would know if that’s possible. Could she have been carrying the poisoned flask around for days?”

Miss Yingling considered the question carefully. “No.”

“You seem very sure.”

“She filled her flask every morning. You can ask her maid, if you like. She filled it every morning because it was empty from the day before. She filled it that morning as well.”

“You saw her?”

“No, of course not, but I know her habits. Mrs. Brandt, someone at the rescue house put the laudanum in her flask. That’s the only place it could have happened.”

“But who would have wanted her dead?”

Miss Yingling slowly turned her head until she was looking at the closed door to Amy’s bedroom. Then she slowly turned back to Sarah. “Someone who had something to gain by her death.”

Unfortunately, Sarah was starting to believe that, too.

 

 

“
G
OOD HEAVENS,” MRS. DECKER EXCLAIMED WHEN they were safely ensconced in the Decker carriage again. “I’ve never seen a prostitute before in my entire life and today I saw two.”

“And what do you know now that you didn’t know before?”

“That they look exactly like everyone else.”

Sarah couldn’t help smiling. “What were you expecting?”

“I don’t know. I suppose I thought they’d look . . . depraved or something. That girl Amy did look like a trollop, the way she was dressed, or rather,
not
dressed, but I gather she’d been resting or something.”

“I’m sure she was. According to the other women at the rescue house, that’s one thing she’s good at.”

Mrs. Decker leaned closer to Sarah, even though they were completely safe from eavesdroppers. “Did you get the impression when she burst in that she thought Van Orner and Miss Yingling were having a tête-à-tête?”

“I did. I’m sure that’s why she was so angry. She was quite shocked to see us sitting there with them.”

“I can’t imagine what Gregory plans to do with those two women now.”

Sarah rolled her eyes. “I think you could if you gave it a moment’s thought.”

“Oh, Sarah, I don’t mean that. I mean how does a gentleman explain the presence of two young women in his home with no wife to serve as a chaperone?”

“Hundreds of gentlemen live with unchaperoned young women in their homes. They’re called maids.”

“Those women aren’t maids.”

“No, they aren’t, Mother, but he could pretend they’re some sort of servants.”

“His dead wife’s secretary and a woman who used to be his mistress and now has a child named after him?”

“I’ll admit, that is a bit difficult to explain.”

“And whatever her past, I’m sure Miss Yingling would like the world to believe her to be a respectable young woman now. Will she jeopardize that to remain in Gregory’s home?”

“I have no idea,” Sarah said with a weary sigh. “I don’t understand any of these people.”

“Did you learn anything at all while you were upstairs?”

Sarah mentally reviewed her conversations with Amy and Miss Yingling. “I learned that Amy did know about Mrs. Van Orner’s drinking. It seems Mr. Van Orner told her all about it, for her amusement.”

“That cad!” Mrs. Decker exclaimed.

“I suppose if you’re unfaithful to your wife in one way, it’s not a very big step to be unfaithful in all ways.”

“I believe I could forgive your father for seeking the delights of another woman’s bed, if he were truly repentant, but I would never forgive him for speaking about me to a trollop!”

“I know. That’s a completely different kind of betrayal. Amy said they’d lie in bed and laugh about her drinking.”

Mrs. Decker gasped in outrage.

“But all of that aside,” Sarah continued, “the fact is that Amy did know about Mrs. Van Orner’s flask.”

“Did you find out if someone could have put the poison in the flask the day before?”

“Miss Yingling said Mrs. Van Orner emptied her flask daily, so it seems likely someone put the laudanum in it the same day she died.”

“Someone at her house still could have put it in before she left home that morning.”

“Yes, but who?”

“Miss Yingling, for one. I don’t like her at all. She’s a bit of a . . . a
prig
, although it sounds odd to say such a thing about a woman with her past.”

“I know what you mean, though. I think she’s just trying very hard to be what she thinks a respectable woman should be.”

“Do you think she imagines Gregory is interested in her?”

Sarah considered this. “I have no idea, of course, but it’s interesting that while Mrs. Van Orner was alive, she took great pains to make herself plain and unattractive, but as soon as Mrs. Van Orner died, she changed her clothes and her hair and every part of her appearance to make herself as beautiful as possible.”

“A woman only does that when she wants a man to notice her,” Mrs. Decker said.

“Or when she wants to influence him,” Sarah said. “According to Malloy, she first made the change when she went to speak with Van Orner about allowing the police to investigate the murder.”

Mrs. Decker considered this. “Gregory could easily have forbidden the police from getting involved. He could have just claimed Vivian died of some mysterious ailment and let her be buried quietly. Even if he suspected she’d been murdered, no one wants their family secrets dragged through the newspapers, and they certainly don’t want to be involved with the police . . . No offense to Mr. Malloy, but you know very well—”

“Yes, I know very well what people in your social set think of the police, and you’re right, no one with the means to prevent it would allow them to be involved in their lives.”

“So Vivian’s death could have passed with little notice from any but her closest friends, and yet Gregory chose to let Mr. Malloy investigate.”

Sarah was beginning to see the point her mother was trying to make. “Yes, why would he do such a thing? If he was devoted to his wife, he might want justice, but . . .”

“Believe me, he was not devoted to Vivian.”

“Then it doesn’t make any sense.”

“Just as important, why did Miss Yingling work so hard to convince him to accept Mr. Malloy’s assistance?”

“And she did work hard. She changed her entire appearance, becoming a woman he couldn’t fail to find appealing before making her case to him.”

“Even more amazing, she succeeded,” Mrs. Decker said. “She must have some influence over him, more than his wife’s secretary should have, at any rate.”

“Miss Yingling thinks Amy poisoned Mrs. Van Orner.”

Mrs. Decker looked at Sarah in amazement. “Does she? How do you know?”

“She made it very clear to me that she believes Amy is the only one with something to gain from Mrs. Van Orner’s death.”

“I don’t know if she’s the only one, but she certainly did stand to gain. She’d get nothing but crumbs as long as Vivian was alive. Gregory might have taken her as his mistress again, but he’d never acknowledge the child openly. Vivian would have made sure of it. She’d never allow him to humiliate her like that.”

“How could she have stopped him?”

“She would make sure he understood that she would win the support of the wives of all his friends. He’d be socially ostracized. Even though his friends might not care what he had done, their wives would make certain he was never invited anywhere. The threat of such a fate would be enough to ensure his discretion.”

“Now he doesn’t have to worry about that,” Sarah mused.

“No, he doesn’t, but I still don’t understand why he’s letting the police investigate the murder.”

“I got the feeling the whole thing was Miss Yingling’s idea. She dressed up and went to see him, sort of like in the Bible, the way Queen Esther dressed up to go see the king to plead for the safety of her people.”

“It’s a trick as old as time.”

“And she convinced him to do it.”

“Yes, she did,” Mrs. Decker said with a frown. “But why? Why would she care so much?”

“Maybe we misjudged her. She had good reason to be grateful to Mrs. Van Orner, who’d rescued her from the depths of degradation and given her a place in her own household and a respectable way to earn her living. I can’t even imagine how grateful I’d be to someone who had done that for me.”

“You’re right. I hadn’t thought of it that way before. She hasn’t shown it, but she must be devastated that Vivian is dead.”

“And if Vivian was murdered, Miss Yingling would surely want to find out who did it and see them punished.”