“You’d better run if you don’t want to be caught,” Katherine said evenly.
“Katherine!” He reached out to her.
She knocked away his hand. “Go, Michael.”
Michael glanced back at the light, then forced his way past me and Bridie, pushing us aside. I held onto her grimly, thinking he might try to throw us over as he passed, or take Bridie hostage again, but I need not have worried. He was anxious to get away and hardly noticed our presence.
“Hold it right there, Kelly,” the voice behind us shouted.
Michael had started to run away, teetering, staggering out along the catwalk that disappeared into the fog.
“Duck down, ladies,” the voice commanded. A shot whizzed over our heads, then another. Michael teetered, then, as if in slow motion, he fell and was swallowed up into the night. We didn’t even hear a splash.
Twenty-nine
Strong arms helped us back to the safety of the stairway. Even as I stood on the solid wood of the landing again I felt myself swaying.
“You’re all right now, ladies,” the helmeted figure said. “You’re lucky that we got here when we did, and that Higgins is such a crack shot.”
Another constable reached out to scoop up Bridie into his arms. She cried out in fear.
“It’s all right, darling. These nice policemen are here to help us,” I said. “They’ll take you down to the ground again. We’re following right behind.”
“Just a minute,” Katherine said. “I’m feeling faint. I have to sit down for a moment.”
“That’s what comes of wearing corsets,” I said, helping her to the step.
“You mean you don’t?”
“Never have,” I said.
“But don’t your insides rattle around? That’s what Mother said would happen if I didn’t.”
“I’ve never felt them rattling around yet,” I said. “Put your head down until you feel better.”
“Thank you, Molly.”
I perched on the step beside her and put my hand on her shoulder.
“It was all so horrible, wasn’t it?” she whispered.
“Very horrible,” I said. “Especially for you.”
“For me? It was you he was trying to kill.”
“But you loved him once,” I said. “I had no second thoughts about fighting for my life.”
“I still can’t believe . . .” she began and put her hand over her mouth. “I thought I was so strong and brave but . . .”
“You were, very strong and brave. You had to make some horrible choices out there. Your parents would be proud of you.”
“I’m not going back to them,” she said, looking up suddenly. She got to her feet. “I’m recovered now, thank you. Let’s go down.”
As we made our way down the steps a man came up toward us, taking the steps two at a time. In the dim light of the flashlight behind us I took in the unruly curls, the square jaw, and for a horrible moment I thought that it was Michael, and he had somehow survived the shooting and the fall. Then as he came closer to the light I recognized him.
“Daniel!”
“Thank God you’re safe,” he gasped as he saw me, and he grasped my shoulders as he fought to regain his breath. “I came as soon as I heard.” His gaze went past me to Katherine. “You must be Miss Faversham. I’m Captain Sullivan of the New York police. I’m glad to see you safe and sound. What happened to Kelly?”
“Higgins shot him, sir. Fell into the drink,” one of the constables said.
“Good work, boys. I passed the little girl at the bottom of the tower. She’s with her brother.”
“Her brother? What’s he doing here?” I asked.
“He was the one who came to find me,” Daniel said. “Smart lad, that one. He came home and found the note that Kelly left for you and came to tell me right away. I was out on a case unfortunately, so they sent a constable to fetch me and dispatched sharpshooters straight to the bridge.”
“We could have handled it without your men, you know,” I said. “Katherine and I had the situation under control.”
“Oh, you did, did you?” Daniel gave me a quizzical look.
“Absolutely.” I picked up my skirts and pushed past him to descend the final flight of steps.
When we reached the bottom of the tower and came out onto the dockside we found that a crowd had gathered. It took me a while to pick out Bridie, standing to one side, holding Shamey’s hand.
“Molly!” they cried and ran to me.
I knelt to hug them both, and couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks. “You see,” I said to Shamey through my tears. “You see how good it is to go to school now? You might not have been able to read the note.”
We were laughing and crying at the same time. I looked up to see Daniel watching us. I got to my feet.
“I’d better get these children home now. It’s past their bedtime.”
“I’ve a carriage waiting,” Daniel said. He took my elbow and steered us though the crowd.
“Don’t we need a statement first, sir?” one of the constables asked.