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

"Oh no, sir. I promise you I wasn't thinking of stealing anything."

"Then what?" He came closer and closer until I could feel his hot, alcohol-laden breath on my forehead. He grabbed my wrist and twisted it backward, making me cry out in pain. "Come on, tell me. Who sent you? Who's paying you?"

"Nobody, sir. I've just arrived from Ireland. I know nobody in this city. I meant no harm, I tell you."

My eyes scanned the room, trying to come up with a plausible answer. Could I have left something there this afternoon? Dropped a key? Left my mop in the corner? My eyes fell upon the diplomas. "All right, I'll tell you," I said, and he dropped my wrist. "I saw your diploma this afternoon, when I brought you your lunch. I wanted to sneak another look at it, to see-- to see if you came from the same part of Ireland as me. I thought I caught the same accent that I have, sir, so I just wondered ... I'm sorry.

It was stupid of me, but I'm new here, sir, and I'm feeling homesick."

It was the weakest of excuses. He was staring so hard at me that I could feel his eyes boring into my head. And my mother always said I was a terrible liar. He'd only have to look at me long enough and he'd know. And then what? Daniel had told me that he was a ruthless man. He couldn't risk my staying alive, knowing what I knew.

He grabbed my chin and forced it up, so that he was staring straight into my eyes. "There is no place for snoops in this household, young woman," he said. "I don't care how innocent your motives were, I don't like servants I can't trust. I won't fire you tonight, because I want my wife's dinner party to go smoothly, but first thing in the morning you pack your bags and you are out of here! Do you understand me?"

"Oh yes, sir. I'm so very sorry, sir."

I hung my head and played the role of the penitent. At least he had decided I was merely stupid and not dangerous.

"Now get back to your duties!" he thundered and waited until I was in the hallway before shutting the door behind me.

A blast of cold air announced the arrival of yet another guest. The alderman left me and headed down the stairs. "Daniel, my dear boy. How good of you to come!"

"I wouldn't have missed it for the world, Alderman. So good of you to ask me."

I tiptoed to the top of the stairs and peeked down. Daniel Sullivan had just arrived at the party.

Twenty-two

Somehow I made it back to the kitchen. How could I have been so stupid, so naive? He must have known about the alderman all along! Since the moment I arrived here I had heard that the police were in the pay of Tammany Hall, but I had never thought to include Daniel. Of course, considering I had been smitten with him from the beginning, I had only seen what I wanted to see. And to be fair, Daniel had tried to warn me off enough times. He had tried to keep me from getting into a situation I could not handle.

Now I saw that I had got it all wrong--the newspaper article about the Plumbridge Nine

had nothing to do with the reason O'Malley was coming to New York. O'Malley was a known blackmailer. Obviously he had caught wind of Alderman McCormack's skimming the cream off donations intended for the freedom fighters in Ireland. What a plum for a blackmailer--the darling of the Irish in New York, the great philanthropist, robbing the very people he claimed to champion? He must have contacted the alderman to make his demands and then he was stupid or presumptuous enough to come to New York in person. Of course he had to be silenced instantly. The alderman couldn't risk his coming ashore to New York. He couldn't risk delegating the job. He had to take on the task himself.

In which case--I went one step further--it was he that I saw that night. If he hadn't already recognized me, he soon would. I must get out while I still had a chance. And go where? I asked myself. A man as powerful as Alderman McCormack could hunt me down wherever I went. And I could no longer rely on Daniel Sullivan to protect me. I felt tears stinging in my eyes and I wasn't sure whether they were tears of anger or disappointment. I had no choice but to bluff it out. There was the smallest chance he hadn't put my face to the woman with the child he had encountered on Ellis Island. There was also the smallest chance that he hadn't suspected me of finding the secret drawer. In which case I could disappear in the morning and go as far away as possible--which wasn't very far, seeing the amount of money I had.