“You. What are you doing here?”
“I’m here to see your father.”
Another look of pure terror. “You’re not going to tell him, are you? About the checks, I mean. Because I don’t make a habit of it and—”
“I’m not here to tell him about what I saw,” I said. In mid-sentence I saw my opportunity. “If you can do me a favor,” I added.
“A favor? It’s no good asking me for cash. As you have observed, I am constantly hard up.”
“It’s not cash I want. It’s the return of that locket to its rightful owner. It belonged to her grandmother and it means a lot to her.”
“But I can’t ask Letitia for it back.”
“If you could maybe substitute another piece of jewelry and explain the locket’s history, I’m sure she could be persuaded.”
Ben sucked in air through his teeth. “Another piece of jewelry. That means money, which I don’t seem to have at the moment.”
“Then the promise of another piece. You gave her something which was not yours to give. You helped yourself to what you found in your father’s drawer. The piece was only being pawned with the expectation of being retrieved.”
“I just don’t see how—”
“Then I shall be forced to tell your father what you did. I may also be forced to mention the checks.”
He paced nervously. “All right. I’ll do what I can. Where can I find you?”
“My card.” I handed it to him.
He glanced at it. “Discreet investigations? You’re actually a professional dick? So that’s why you were snooping around. Detecting what, may one ask?”
“Something I have come to share with your father, as soon as he returns.”
As if on cue the front door opened. “Millie—my hat and gloves!” a voice boomed. He spied us through the half-opened door and came through, his hat and gloves still in his hand. “Miss Murphy.” He looked surprised.
“Mr. Mostel.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t home to receive you.”
“Your son was keeping me well amused, thank you.” I glanced at Ben whose eyes were riveted to my face.
“At least the boy is good for something then,” Mostel said. “Off you go then, boy. With your father out of work, it will be up to you to support the family from now on.” Then he laughed at Ben’s stricken face.
“Very droll, Papa,” Ben said. “Now if you will excuse me. A pleasure talking to you, Miss Murphy.”
“And you too, Mr. Mostel. I look forward to hearing your future—news.”
Ben nodded and beat a hasty retreat.
“If we really did have to rely on the boy, we’d all starve,” Mostel said genially as he pulled up a chair. “Now to what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?”
I took a deep breath, was about to tell him, and changed my mind at the last moment. “I came to express my condolences at the loss of your factory.”
He nodded. “A sad business, Miss Murphy.”
“It is indeed. I hope you were insured.”
“Naturally, but what use is insurance money? I’ll have lost the profits from the holiday season by the time I’m up and running again.”
“And your workers will have lost their income for the whole holiday season too, which for them will mean going without food and heat.”
“That is naturally regrettable. Let us hope they find jobs with other shops.”
“You will be rebuilding again, surely?”
“I was only renting space so that decision is not mine to make. I rather think that I will reopen across the bridge in Brooklyn. Plenty of room to expand over there and a workforce ready and waiting.”
“And your old workforce?”
“Is welcome to reapply if they care to ride the trolley across the bridge. But I rather think I’ll take Mrs. Mostel to Florida for the winter before we make any plans. New York doesn’t agree with her delicate constitution.”
I studied him sitting there relaxed and smiling, with his tailored suit and its velvet collar and his gold watch chain strung across his vest and I thought of Sarah’s one room. My conscience whispered that I should just keep quiet about what I had found out. On the other hand, I was damned if he’d get away without paying me.
I took a deep breath and plunged right in. “I came today because I found out which of your girls was spying for Lowenstein.”
A broad shrug of his hands. “As if that’s any use to me now, Miss Murphy. Lowenstein will have the Christmas market to himself and mazeltov to him.”
“I also came to collect my fee.”
This jolted him from his complacency. “Your fee? You expect me to pay you now when I have become a penniless beggar out on the street with no income?”
“Enough income to take Mrs. Mostel to Florida for the winter.”
“But Miss Murphy, surely you must see that—”
“Mr. Mostel,” I interrupted. “Did you or did you not hire me to find the spy in your midst? Did we not shake hands over the deal?”
“We did, Miss Murphy, but circumstances have changed.”