At the sight of the girls, Brian’s hands started flying.
“What’s he saying?” Sarah asked.
Malloy chuckled. “I have no idea.”
“Aren’t you learning the signs, too?”
“I know a few, but he’s going way too fast for me.” Malloy tapped Brian on the shoulder to get his attention, then made a few slow, simple signs to him. “I told him to go play,” he said to Maeve.
Catherine clapped her hands in delight and started up the stairs at a run. Brian didn’t hesitate an instant, following at her heels. Maeve followed more sedately, as befitted her position as an adult.
“I’m so glad you came,” Sarah said when they were alone in the entrance hall. She couldn’t help smiling. She was simply too happy to see him. “Catherine’s been asking me when she’d see Brian again.”
“My mother needed a day of rest. She’s not getting any younger, and I know it’s hard for her taking Brian back and forth from school every day.”
“Did she know where you were taking him?”
“No.” He returned her smile. Mrs. Malloy didn’t approve of his friendship with Mrs. Brandt.
“Come and have some coffee. There’s some cake for later, too.”
“Mrs. Ellsworth?” Sarah’s neighbor often brought them desserts.
“Oh, no, Maeve and Catherine made this one themselves. They’re getting very good. I have some news for you, too, about Vivian Van Orner’s murder.”
“What?”
“It’ll keep for a few more minutes,” she teased.
Malloy followed her into the kitchen and took a seat at the freshly scrubbed table while Sarah made the coffee and set it on the stove to boil. Then she sat down opposite him at the table. How often had they sat just like this, talking about such important things? It felt entirely too natural.
“I found Amy,” she said.
“You did? Where is she?”
“At Van Orner’s house.”
His surprise was almost funny. “Van Orner? How many women does he have there now?”
“Not counting his maids? Just the two, Tamar Yingling and Amy Cunningham. That’s her last name.”
“Just two? Good God! Not many women would say just two when they’re talking about whores. Are you saying this Amy packed herself and her baby up and sashayed straight over to Van Orner’s house as soon as she heard his wife was dead?”
“Something like that, although I’m not positive she actually sashayed.”
Malloy didn’t smile. He was still too stunned. “I suppose you discovered this when you and your mother went to visit Van Orner.”
“Yes, against your advice, I might add. Look at what we would have missed if we’d listened to you.” Malloy just glared. She ignored him. “I don’t think Van Orner intended for us to know Amy was there. I asked to see Miss Yingling, and he sent for her. Amy must have thought she and Van Orner were meeting alone or something. She came barging into the front parlor barefooted in her dressing gown.”
“Your mother must have loved that,” he said with a grin, imagining the scene.
“Oh, she did. I managed to get Amy alone for a few minutes. I asked to see the baby, and she took me upstairs. She told me Van Orner is going to hire a nurse for him and in general gave me the impression she’s there to stay.”
Malloy gave a low whistle.
“She’s not very sorry Vivian Van Orner is dead. And poor Miss Yingling is mortified that we discovered Amy is living there. She also hinted—very strongly—that she thinks Amy is the one who poisoned Mrs. Van Orner.”
“I thought her running away made her look guilty, but running to Van Orner might even be worse.”
“I thought the same thing. After Mother and I left, I realized I needed to tell Mrs. Spratt-Williams that I’d found Amy. She’s been very worried about her.”
“She’s the only one.”
“Yes, she is. Everyone else wishes Amy would disappear. Amy made a friend in Mrs. Spratt-Williams, though. She told the woman her sad tale, how her father killed himself after financial ruin and her mother sold her to a family friend to become his mistress when she was still a young girl.”
“That is sad, but lots of girls have it much worse,” he reminded her.
“I know, I know. I’m not trying to win your sympathy. I’m just telling you how Amy won Mrs. Spratt-Williams over. I have to say, though, that after Mrs. Spratt-Williams and I talked about it, she also decided Amy was probably the one who killed Mrs. Van Orner.”
“Amy is winning the vote,” he observed.
Sarah folded her hands on the table. “I keep thinking there must be someone else who had a reason that we don’t know about to want Mrs. Van Orner dead.”
“That’s always possible. But if they killed to keep it secret, we aren’t likely to find it out now.”
The coffee started to boil, and Sarah got up to take it off the stove and pour them each a cup. When they were settled at the table again, Malloy carefully examined his spoon.
“What are you doing?”
“Making sure I only have one.”
Sarah gave a yelp of laughter before she could stop herself.
“What are you going to do now?” she asked when she had composed herself. “About Mrs. Van Orner, I mean.”
“I have to go see Mr. Van Orner and tell him what I know. He might want to get rid of Amy by charging her with his wife’s murder, but he might not. If he doesn’t, there’s no point in arresting her because he’ll just bail her out and the whole thing will get pigeonholed.”
“It will get what?”
“Pigeonholed. Don’t you know how the courts work?”
“Apparently not.”
“When somebody gets arrested, the judge can set bail. If the arrested person gets bailed out and money is paid to the right people, their case papers get stuck into one of the slots in this big wooden case where they’re supposed to be stored—they call them pigeonholes—except nobody ever takes them out again.”
“You mean the case is forgotten?”
“Completely forgotten. Lots of murderers are walking around free because their case was pigeonholed.”
Sarah hadn’t thought she could be shocked any more by the level of corruption in the city. “That’s horrible!”
“That’s the way it is. So I’ve got to find out what Mr. Van Orner’s pleasure is in this matter, and I have a feeling the pleasure he gets from Miss Amy is going to win out over justice for his wife’s murder.”
“It does seem likely.” Sarah sighed. “But if you’re going to see Mr. Van Orner, you should wait until midmorning tomorrow. Miss Yingling is taking Amy out shopping, and I’m sure you don’t want her around when you’re talking to Van Orner.”
“Thanks, I’ll do that.”
“Well,” Sarah said, brightening, “let’s try to forget all this ugliness for the rest of the day and enjoy ourselves.”
“That’s a great idea.”
The children had a wonderful time, and everyone decided the cake was delicious. Mrs. Ellsworth stopped by to say hello and bring some cookies she had just baked. No one wanted Malloy and Brian to leave, but when the time came, they all gathered in the front hallway to say good-bye.
They were laughing at something Catherine had said when the front doorbell rang.
“Ah, a baby being born, I’ll wager,” Mrs. Ellsworth said as Maeve opened the door.
The young woman on the doorstep seemed taken aback to find so many people staring out at her, but she said, “Mrs. Brandt?”
“I’m Mrs. Brandt,” Sarah said, stepping forward. She realized the girl looked familiar.
“I have a message for you, from Mrs. Spratt-Williams.” Of course, she was Mrs. Spratt-Williams’s maid. She handed Sarah an envelope. “I’m to wait for your answer,” she added.