In Like Flynn (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #4)

“You're a strong, independent woman, Molly Murphy,” Sid said firmly. “Face him, tell him what you think of him and get it overwith.”


“You don't know Daniel. He has too much Irish blarney in him. This time I have resolved to be strong. Never seeing him again is the only way of accomplishing this. And I fear that involves leaving the city.” I touched Gus’s shoulder as I walked across the kitchen. “Thank you for the breakfast. I am quite revived and restored, and I'm off to look up Nebraska on the map.”

I let myself out of their front door to the sounds of their renewed laughter. Then I paused, glanced down Patchin Place tomake sure that it was devoid of life before I sprinted across to myown front door opposite. This was no way to live, to be sure.

Silence engulfed me as I closed my front door behind me. No little high voice singing, no Shamey leaping down the stairs yelling, “Molly, I'm starving. Can I have some bread and dripping?”

My friends were right. I was missing the O'Connor children. I had felt myself encumbered by the O'Connors since I arrived in New York, but also responsible for them, since they had essentially saved my life. I had posed as their mother to bring them across from Ireland, when their own mother found that she was dying of consumption and not allowed to travel. Thus I had been able to escape Ireland with the police on my tail. So I could hardly abandon them. And the poor little mites with no mother, too. Seamus and young Shamey had gone to the country to be with Bridie during her recovery, Seamus hoping to find some kind of farm work to support them.

As I stood lost in thought, there was a plop and the morning post landed on the doormat. I picked up two letters. The first in Daniel’s black, decisive hand, went straight in the rubbish bin. The second a childish scrawl I didn't recognize, liberally dotted with ink blots. I opened it and saw it was from the O'Connors.

Dear Molly,

My Pa telled me to rite this as he don't rite so good. [Little Shamey had clearly not benefited much from his recent schooling.] We're doing fine here. Bridie is up and walking agin. Pa and me is camping out in a farmer’s bam and we're helping him with the harvest. You shud see me Molly. I can lift great bales of hay, jest like a man. Pa likes it so good out here he says he don't want to go back to the city where there is sickness and gangs and all. He’s trying to get a job all year on a farm. I wish you'd come out here and join us, Molly.

Then underneath in an even more illegible scrawl, “It don't seem the same without you, Molly. I know there’s no question of love between us, but we get along fine, don't we, and the children already think of you as their mother.”

I put down the paper hurriedly on the kitchen table. If I read this right, I now had three unwanted suitors. I wished I hadn't left The Times over at Number 9. Nebraska was sounding better by the minute!

An hour later I had come to one big decision. I was not going to mope around feeling sorry for myself any longer. Sid was right. All my life I had been a fighter not a coward. I should face Daniel, once and for all. I was going to put last night’s dream down to a sluggish liver and get on with my life. Having made this momentous decision, I decided to celebrate. Gus and Sid had been so good to me and I had imposed upon their generosity, giving little in return. So tonight I would cook them a grand dinner, as a thankyou. It would take my mind off things to keep myself occupied.

I wasn't going to try and compete with the exotic fare that they ate, but I decided that I couldn't go wrong with cold chicken and salad for a hot summer night. Chicken was a luxury I could ill afford at the moment, funds not being too plentiful. I hadn't had an assignment since I returned from the mansion on the Hudson, almost a month ago now. And I was still owed my fee for that assignment. But since Daniel Sullivan was the one who owed it to me, I'd rather starve than ask him for it. I suppose my behavior could be construed as childish, but this time I was resolved to befirm.