Murphy's Law (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #1)

"I'm thinking spring is a long way off in this place," Michael muttered.

We watched as the big liner inched into her berth. Crews stood ready with gangways. People rushed to go below and find their luggage.

"Hold on a tick." One of the stewards stopped the stampede. "Where do you think you're rushing to?"

"Getting our luggage," the woman said. "You lot ain't going nowhere tonight," the sailor said. "Ellis Island don't process nobody after five o'clock, so you'll have to sleep on board and take the ferry in the morning."

"You mean we can't get off here?" a voice demanded belligerently. "What are the gangways for then?"

"Only the first-and second-class passengers are allowed to disembark," the seaman said grandly. "You lot have to clear Ellis Island before they'll let you land. Have to make sure you ain't bringing no filthy diseases into America, don't they?"

Dejected, we shuffled down below again. With the setting of the sun it had become too cold to stay on deck and too disheartening to watch the privileged classes go ashore, laughing and joking as porters staggered behind with their cabin trunks.

At least it was our last night on the ship, and there was no thud, thud of engine noise going through our skulls and nobody was being sick. They even served a passably good boiled beef and pease pudding for us and everyone was in high spirits as we went to our berths. I was coming back from the women's bathroom when a hand grabbed my wrist. I cried out in alarm as O'Malley pushed me into a dark recess.

"You've been avoiding me, Mrs. Kathleen O'Connor," he whispered, his big face close

to mine. "What a shame. We could have become really good friends."

"Never in a million years, O'Malley. I'm rather choosy about my friends."

He laughed, flashing all those horse teeth at me. "I'm thinking you can't afford to be so choosy from now on, Mrs. Kathleen O'Connor. You might find that you owe a friend a favor--a really big favor."

"What kind of favor? What friend are you talking about?"

"Me," he said. "By the time we step ashore, you'll be owing me a favor, for not telling what I know to be true."

I felt physically sick but determined to call his bluff. "Which is?" I demanded.

"That you're no more Kathleen O'Connor than the man in the moon. I look at those children and I see Kathleen O'Connor's features in their faces. The real Kathleen--the one I knew when she was a young girl. I don't know what you've done with her, what trick you're playing. Maybe you and her husband plotted the whole thing between you. Maybe you're his fancy woman and you've done away with her. But whatever it is, you're trying to pull the wool over the eyes of the American authorities."

"You're talking rubbish," I said. "I never heard such rubbish in my life. You tell that to the American authorities and they'll send you home for being crazy."

"I imagine it would be easy enough to get the truth out of the children," he said.

That felt like a blow to the stomach. "You have no decency and no shame," I said.

He laughed again. "You're right. And you're not about to convert me now."

"All right. If you really want to know the truth," I said, moving closer to him so that we couldn't be overheard. "Kathleen is dying. This was the only way to get her children to their father. She begged me to do it for her. Now are you satisfied?"

For just a second his expression wavered, as if he might, after all, be human underneath. Then he smiled again. "Very commendable of you, whoever you are."

"The little ones know nothing of this," I said. "And they're not to know. It's Kathleen's wish. Do you understand?"

His grip on my wrist tightened. "So you'll be a free woman once you step ashore in New

York? No little children like millstones around your neck? No man to fetch and carry for?"

I said nothing.

"Then I'm thinking we could come to a very nice deal that might suit both of us, Mrs. Kathleen O'Connor, or whatever your name is."

"A deal--why would I be wanting to do a deal with you?"

"Because you've no choice?" He was still smiling. I longed to slap his face again, but he had me pinned against the wall, my wrist firmly in his grasp. "If they find out who you really are, they'll send you back again, quick as a wink. Likely as not, they'll send the children back, too. What a sad thing that would be ... and I'm the only one who knows the truth."

I looked at him with loathing. "So what are you trying to say?" I managed to get the words out evenly. I wasn't going to let him know I was afraid of him.

"I'm saying that you'll be earning good money in the city, a smart woman like you. Enough money to share with an old friend--an old friend who knew how to keep his mouth shut." He was grinning.