For the Love of Mike (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #3)

“At least they don’t suspect us anymore,” I said. “For a while I was scared that—”

I broke off as the door was flung open and a disheveled, wild-eyed Daniel came bursting in. He looked as if he hadn’t slept in several days. His shirt collar was unbuttoned and he wore no tie. “I hope you are finally satisfied,” he shouted. “What have I been telling you all along, and you don’t listen. Did you drag her into one of your crazy schemes?”

Jacob rose to his feet. “I don’t think that’s any way to address this young lady,” he said quietly. “She has done nothing wrong.”

“Done nothing wrong? She insists on poking her nose into things better left alone,” Daniel said. “And who are you?”

“Jacob Singer. A friend of Miss Murphy.”

I saw Daniel’s eyebrow go up. “Is that so?”

“Miss Murphy came to me when she was concerned that Miss Blankenship had not shown up at the appointed time for their meeting.”

“And just what was Miss Blankenship doing in an alleyway behind Canal Street at night?” Daniel spat out the words.

“I have no idea,” I said, staring him straight in the eye. “The only matter in which she was giving me help was finding out details about that missing couple. The couple you were helping me to trace. Katherine and Michael Kelly.”

“Michael Kelly?” he said, still glaring angrily. “The man who met an unpleasant end after getting himself mixed up with the Eastmans? You sent her to investigate that?”

“No, I didn’t. I wanted to find out where Katherine had worked.” I was yelling too, now. “I had discovered that she worked in the garment industry. Nell knew all about sweatshops. She offered to find out for me. And she did find the name of the company Katherine worked for. It was Mostel’s on Canal Street—which explains what she was doing in the area to start with. Why she stayed around after dark I cannot tell you. She scribbled a note to me to say that she had learned something interesting and was going to follow up on it. That’s all I can tell you.”

Daniel’s bluster had subsided. “And she paid for the interesting fact with her life. Is any piece of knowledge worth the life of a human being?”

“Of course not. And I would not have wished her to take any kind of risk,” I said. “I had no idea—”

“That’s just it, Molly. You have no idea. If you were a cat, you’d have already used up eight of your nine lives. Maybe this will teach you a lesson you won’t forget in a hurry. If ever you get another harebrained scheme in your head, think of Miss Blankenship lying there with her head bashed in.”

“I really think Miss Murphy has been through enough for one night,” Jacob said coldly. “If you don’t mind, I’d like to take her home now.”

Daniel looked at him, long and hard, then nodded. “Well, I know where to find you if I have more questions,” he said. “But I don’t think we have a hope in Hades of finding out who killed her.”

“You have your informants among the gangs, don’t you?” I asked. “You could find out if one of the Eastmans killed her.”

Daniel nodded. “I could probably glean that fact after a while, but they’d never tell me what she discovered or who was paying them, so it would be a lost cause. There would be no point in making an arrest or trying to bring anyone to trial. Believe me, I’ve tried it often enough.” He stared hard at me again. “It could have nothing to do with the Eastmans. It could have been as simple as snatching her purse or wanting her shoes. Life is cheap in the Lower East Side, as you have just discovered. As Katherine and Michael discovered too. They are dead, Molly. A lost cause. Your friend lost her life for nothing.” He went to say something else, then tossed his head abruptly in the direction of the door. “Go on, then. You can go.”

“Thank you,” I said as I rose to my feet. As I stood up the room swung around. I teetered and swayed. Daniel and Jacob steadied me at the same moment. “I’m fine, honestly,” I said quickly. “I haven’t really eaten since midday, and then the shock.”

“I’ll give you the money for a cab,” Daniel said.

“That’s not necessary. I have money,” Jacob answered. “I’ll make sure she gets home safely.”

“Then please go and secure a cab for Miss Murphy. I’ll bring her out momentarily,” Daniel said.

As soon as Jacob had left the room Daniel spun around to me, his eyes dark and angry. “And who, pray, is that gentleman?”

“A good friend, Daniel.”

“He didn’t think he was just a good friend. I saw him looking at you.”

“Maybe more someday, then.”

“He is not of your race or religion, Molly. Don’t you see that this can lead nowhere?”

“Maybe I am becoming an expert at relationships that lead nowhere,” I said. “And I didn’t think that you and Miss Norton shared the same religion. Maybe it’s not a stumbling block when money and power are involved.”