Murder on Fifth Avenue: A Gaslight Mystery by Victoria Thompson Read Free Book Online

saw him. His visits didn’t always make her happy, but he certainly made her life more interesting.
    “I’m sorry to call so late,” he said, stepping into the entryway.
    She closed the door and took his hat and coat. He looked tired. “You know you’re always welcome, but you’re especially welcome this evening. I need to find out what you’d like me to ask Mrs. Devries tomorrow.” She managed not to laugh out loud at his expression.
    “How—Your father…?”
    “He stopped by to see me after he left you. Come into the kitchen. Have you eaten?”
    “The Devrieses’ cook took pity on me. I could use some coffee if you have any, though.”
    “How is Brian doing in school?”
    “He’s learning to sign new words every day. I can’t keep up with him.” Sarah could see his pride in his deaf son’s progress shinning in his eyes.
    “Hello, Mr. Malloy,” Maeve said as they entered the kitchen. “We’re so glad you came. We’ve been sitting here trying to figure out what Mrs. Brandt and Mrs. Decker should do tomorrow when they visit Mrs. Devries.”
    Malloy’s expression grew even more amazed, and he plunked down in one of the kitchen chairs as if he’d been punched. “What did your father say to you?”
    Sarah found a cup in the cupboard and filled it from the remains of the pot she’d made earlier for her parents. “You probably think he forbade me to get involved in investigating Mr. Devries’s murder and that I plan to visit the widow tomorrow out of spite.”
    He glanced at Maeve, who was grinning. “Are you telling me he
didn’t
forbid you to get involved?”
    Sarah set the cup on the table in front of him. “Not only did he not forbid me, he asked me go along with my mother on her condolence call to see what I could find out about the Devries family.”
    “Why would he do a thing like that?”
    Sarah took a seat. “I hope you won’t be insulted, but he said he thought something odd was going on in that house, and he didn’t think you would be able to find out what it is.”
    “He’s right about that.”
    “Which part?”
    “Both parts.”
    “Oh, dear. I just hope
you
didn’t come here tonight to forbidme from getting involved, because I couldn’t possibly disobey my father.”
    That bit of nonsense made Malloy smile, as she had known it would. “As a matter of fact, I came here to ask if you could possibly go with your mother or at least ask her to see what she could find out about the family.”
    “I’m starting to think I must be dreaming, Maeve. Malloy and my father are
both
asking me to help in a murder investigation.”
    Maeve grinned. “It does seem strange.”
    Sarah turned back to Malloy. “I guess this means you really weren’t able to find out anything useful.”
    Malloy sighed. “I spent all this time since your father left the Devrieses’ house questioning the servants. All I found out is that nobody in that house would have hurt Devries and that he had an appointment this afternoon with some mysterious Italian fellow nobody there has ever seen.”
    “Italian?” Maeve said. “They use those stilettos, don’t they? Isn’t that what stabbed Mr. Devries?”
    “Could be. It makes sense, at least. But I don’t know who this Italian is or why he was meeting with Devries. Devries might not have even met with him after all. He could be completely innocent.”
    Maeve frowned. “Whether he met with him or not, they’ll try to blame him.”
    “Of course they will,” Sarah said. “We’ve seen firsthand how much people distrust the Italians. That’s why it’s important for Mr. Malloy to find out the truth.”
    Sarah turned to Malloy, expecting a confirmation. Instead he said, “So your mother is going to call on Mrs. Devries tomorrow?”
    “Yes, and my father asked me to accompany her so I could ask some nosy questions and find out why none of his family members seemed the least bit grief-stricken that Mr. Devries is dead.”
    “Did he tell you the