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

"You're telling me my job again," he said, but he was grinning. "Although I rather fear that we're too late. Any useful evidence has been destroyed. If there was a group shot, the killer has done away with it."

More policemen had arrived on the scene. A crowd had assembled outside the door and there were angry murmurs. "I saw her the other day," I heard one of them saying to the arriving police. "She was hanging around the market on Hester Street."

"She was asking questions about poor Mr. Levy earlier today."

Daniel gave me an amused glance. "You're lucky I'm here, aren't you? You're the prime suspect in their eyes. You'd be facing a lynch mob." He took my arm and helped me to my feet. "Come on. I'll have my constable take you home now. Cherry Street, isn't it?"

"Look, Captain Sullivan," I took a deep breath. "I'm not living there. I--I moved out. I'm living in the ladies' hostel down by the Battery Park."

He moved closer to me, so that the other policemen couldn't overhear. "What happened?"

"Uh--things weren't going too well, between me and my husband."

He nodded with understanding. "It's not always easy after such a long separation, is it? People change over the years. I've seen it happen before."

I managed a small, suffering smile, thinking it better for once to be silent.

"And what about the children? Are they at the hostel with you?"

"They're staying for now with his cousin's family. It's better for them to be with a family while I find a place and work." These lies were becoming

positively stupid now. Stop before it's too late, Molly.

"And you? What will you do now?" "Find a job. Get on with my life. See how things turn out."

"On your own? Get on with life on your own?"

He sounded shocked, and I realized that it wasn't going to be easy to free myself of my mythical husband. A woman who left her husband and children would be frowned upon and considered loose. I needed to change the story.

"Very well, if you must know the whole story. I've discovered my husband has taken up with another woman. So the sooner I find a decent situation for myself and the children, the better."

He nodded. He was trying to look sympathetic and sad, but he wanted to grin. I can't tell you how much that lifted my spirits.

"I'd take you home myself," he said, "but I have work to do here."

"That's all right. I'll be sensible and go straight home, I promise."

He smiled. "I'm going to make sure of that. Take Mrs. O'Connor home, Constable. She's staying with the good ladies of the Bible Society. She surely can't come to any harm there."

I turned back to look as he ushered me out of the door. He was staring after me.

The constable ushered me through the crowd, who muttered and glared at me. Someone spat at my feet.

"I had nothing to do with it," I started to say, but the constable grabbed my arm and shoved me through the crowd. "Come along, ma'am. Better not say anything right now when they're riled."

He took me through backstreets and alleys until I saw the twinkle of bright lights ahead and realized where we were. "Oh, this is the Bowery, isn't it? Look, you don't have to come all the way with me. I'll be just fine from here." I was imagining the look on the receptionist woman's face if I arrived with a policeman holding my arm. She'd probably take me for drunk and disorderly.

"The captain told me to take you home," the constable insisted.

"It's only just down this street, isn't it?" I said. "And what could happen to me with all these people around?"

He was still looking worried. "Look, Constable," I said. "I'm staying with the Bible Society ladies. I'm afraid they'd get the wrong impression if a policeman brought me home my first night."

He smiled. "Oh, I see what you're getting at. All right then. I don't suppose much can happen to you between here and there. If you get worried, you'll find plenty of our men patrolling this street. Lots of Irish saloons and Italian taverns, and when they meet ..." He tipped his hand to his helmet. "I'll say good night then, ma'am."

"Thank you, Constable. I'm most grateful." He swung around to the right and I turned left, into the Bowery. It was the height of evening traffic. Customers were pouring out of cabs and into eating houses and theaters. Shoppers were coming out of stores with laden baskets. All in all a merry scene. I hurried through the crowd, admiring, every now and then, a particularly fine bonnet. Maybe I'd have an ostrich feather like that on my hat some day. ...