Murder in Murray Hill (Gaslight Mystery) by Victoria Thompson Read Free Book Online

We’ll think about it. My mother’s clothes would be too old for her anyway. Let me see what she wrote.”
    In the end, Frank walked out of Sarah’s house with Maeve’s letter, copied over in Sarah’s handwriting, with Mrs. Ellsworth’s return address on it, and signed
Sarah Smith
.
    Maybe, he thought as he walked off into the springtime dusk, Grace Livingston had come home today. He’d stop by her house on his way to the newspaper in the morning in hopes of finding her safe and sound.

3
    H ow exciting!” Mrs. Ellsworth said when Sarah had explained the plan to her over coffee the next morning. “I’m happy to help. That poor young woman. I can’t imagine how terrified her father must be. I’ll do whatever I can to bring her safely home.”
    “I know you will, but you must be careful. We don’t want to put you in any danger.”
    “Oh, pooh. What danger could I be in? No one is interested in an old woman like me.”
    Sarah frowned. “We don’t know much about this fellow, but he could be violent, and if he came to your house looking for someone, he might not want to believe he had the wrong house.”
    “He’s not going to come to my house. Someone might see him. He’ll meet Maeve in a park like he did all the others.”
    “You’re probably right, but just in case, you shouldn’t open the door to anyone you don’t know, especially when you’re home alone.”
    Mrs. Ellsworth smiled at that. “I’m hardly ever home at all! I’m usually here with you and the girls. Which reminds me: Would you and Mr. Malloy be willing to live in this neighborhood if you could find a suitable house?”
    Sarah had no idea how to answer a question like that, especially because Mrs. Ellsworth was all too easily encouraged to interfere in their lives. “We really haven’t had time to think about where we want to live, I’m afraid.”
    “You need to think about it, then. I’m sure he doesn’t want to remain engaged forever, and you’ll never fit him and his boy into this place. And what about his mother?”
    Sarah suddenly felt a little dizzy. “His
mother
?”
    Mrs. Ellsworth nodded knowingly. “Those Irish mothers never want to give up their sons, you know.”
    Sarah
didn’t
know. She suddenly realized she knew very little indeed about Irish mothers. “I’ve never noticed Mrs. Malloy being overly fond of her son.”
    “And what about her grandson? She’s been taking care of him since he was born. And didn’t you say she takes him to school every day?”
    Fortunately, Maeve and Catherine chose that moment to join them in the kitchen. Mrs. Ellsworth had found some strawberries at the Gansevoort Market that morning, and she was going to help the girls make a strawberry shortcake.
    Sarah was looking forward to eating the first of the summer fruits. Maybe Malloy would stop by later to enjoy it with them.
    • • •
    F rank regretted stopping at the Livingston house the instant the front door opened. Mr. Livingston himself stood there in his shirtsleeves, looking as if he hadn’t slept all night. For a second, hope lighted his eyes, but then he saw Frank’s expression, and it died instantly, leaving behind the kind of black despair Frank had seen all too often in his career with the police.
    “You haven’t found her.” He stood back so Frank could enter.
    “And I don’t guess you’ve heard anything from her.”
    “Not a word.” Livingston pushed the door shut and sighed.
    “Can I speak with you privately?” Frank asked, glancing at the servants clustered anxiously at the end of the hall.
    Livingston led him into the front parlor and closed the door behind them. “You’ve found out something.”
    “I found out this Milo fellow places an ad in the
World
every week, and he’s met other women in the park where he probably met Grace.”
    “Dear God.”
    “Yes, well, that probably also means he lets them go when he’s finished with them.”
    Livingston groaned and slapped both hands over his face.