In Like Flynn (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #4)

I held my breath as I lifted the lid, half afraid of what I might find, even though I fully believed that the sisters were fakes. The first thing I came across was black fabric, neatly folded, then a magazine with a hole cut from a page with a pair of scissors. There was nothing suspicious about cutting out a favorite article or recipe, so I put it aside and pulled out a cloth bag. The objects inside it were most intriguing: two round wooden disks with straps attached to diem. As I held them up, they reminded me of cymbals and on im-pulse I clapped them together. The noise was so loud that I started and almostfellinto the open trunk.

I stared down at the disks and smiled. I had heard that sonorous clap before, when Chief Ojuweca arrived. But the two sisters were sitting in a circle, holding hands with the participants. Unless—I perched on one of the dust sheets, pulled up my skirts, and strapped the disk to the inside of my knee. Then I did the same with the other one. Then I lowered my skirts and clapped my legs together. I wasn't as skilled at it as they obviously were, but it still sounded quite convincing.

Now that I had unmasked one trick, I felt a lot better. I lifted out the magazine with the hole in it and the damaged page turned to reveal what was on the other side—it had been a full-page picture of a young woman, only the face was now missing. I could guess what that face looked like—it had appeared from the side of Miss Emily’s head, seemingly coming as ectoplasm from her ear. I had no idea how the ectoplasm was produced, but knowing that the face had an earthly origin made mefeelmuch better.

Next to the magazine was a scrap offlimsywhite fabric, which looked as if it had once been part of a petticoat or nightgown. I threw it up into the air and itfloateddown quite nicely. So that was the spirit that Miss Emily had quickly pocketed from behind the chair last night. I was dying to find out how the chief’s face and the walking hand worked, but I had to be aware of time too. I went across to the window and peeked out. No sign of them yet.

Then I wondered if any of the other items in the attic were theirs as well. I turned back the sheets only to find a broken washstand and a hatbox full of outmoded hats. These had obviously been stored in the attic for some time. I covered them in their dust sheets once more and, glancing back across the room, I realized that my footprints were now all too visible. The Misses Sorensen would know I had been up here unless I found a way to wipe out my prints. The only thing I could think of doing was to give the floor a good sweep. But that would mean going down to the kitchen and finding the broom. Maybe if I dragged one of those cloths over the floor I could spread the dust around and make the prints less obvious. I went to the far comer to take the cloth from the most unobtrusive object and my foot kicked against something small.

I bent to pick it up. It was a toy wooden camel.





Twenty-three

Istared at the little camel, trying to come up with the implications of what I had found. Its mate was still living in the Noah’s ark in the nursery. It had been Brendan’s favorite toy. But he was a toddler. He could never have come up here on his own to drop the camel, unless … unless he had been brought up by someone else. My heart was racing so fast now that I could hardly breathe. Was it possible that he had been hidden up here instead of being buried on the estate, as the kidnapper said? In which case … I stood looking at the various humps and bumps around the room. Was it possible that he was still up here?

I shook my head against the absurdity of this idea. Surely they would have searched this place. Surely they would have heard him crying. Surely dogs would have smelled him out. But I had to know. I started pulling off one cloth after another, opening one box and trunk after another until I had gone through the whole attic and found nothing. He wasn't here. But I had an overwhelming feeling that Brendan had been kept here at some moment during the kidnapping and that might be important.