Oh Danny Boy (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #5)

“Not to see Bridie, I’m afraid. Her camp is somewhere in the wilds of Connecticut. No, I decided to pay a visit to Miss Norton.”


“Molly! What on earth for? That was either brave or foolhardy of you.” She looked more amused than horrified. “I’m amazed you’ve returned unscathed. I should have thought she was the last person on earth you’d want to confront at this moment.”

“That’s true. It wasn’t the most pleasant of encounters. But I needed to know if she or her family had anything to do with Daniel’s arrest.”

Sid frowned, then nodded. “Oh yes, I see. You suspected that she may have wanted to bring about his downfall out of spite. From what you’ve told us, she definitely had that in her character. And what did you discover?”

“Not much. I am fairly sure that she herself had nothing to do with getting Daniel arrested. She looked quite shaken when I told her about it. But of course, her father or a relative could have taken the matter into his own hands, unbeknownst to her, and set out to teach Daniel a lesson.”

“How would you find that out?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea. The truth is, Sid, that I’m very much an amateur when it comes to detective work. I seem to stumble upon things more by luck than by skill. If only Paddy Riley hadn’t been killed, I might have learned true detective skills; but as it is, I just have to muddle through.”

“So what will you do now?” she asked.

I had to take a deep breath before I said, “I don’t know. I just don’t know. But I can’t give up for Daniel’s sake. I’ve just written to him again, asking for all the details he can give me. Then I’ll proceed from there.”

“He can’t be much of a gentleman if he gives you details of gangland transactions and expects you to investigate them,” Sid snapped. “You’re well rid of him, Molly. It was pure infatuation on your part. Put it behind you.”

“I gave him my word, Sid,” I managed to say, sounding miraculously calm. “I’m going to do what I can.”

“All this rushing around in the heat isn’t good for you,” she said, frowning as she examined me. “You look quite flushed. I hope you haven’t yet dined. We were waiting for you to dine with us tonight and you can be the first to hear our big news.”

“Big news?” My heart leaped alarmingly.

Her face lit up. “Well, I suppose I shouldn’t keep you in suspense. That’s not fair, is it? You know that Gus and I have been experimenting with various Eastern lifestyles—”

They’re moving to China or Japan, I thought in panic.

“—Well, we’ve finally made up our minds. We are going to take up Buddhism. From now on every living creature will be sacred to us, and we shall eat no more fish, fowl, or flesh. So Gus has prepared our first vegetarian meal tonight, and we want you to partake of it with us.”

I was so relieved I could have wept. “I’d be delighted,” I said.

As soon as she had gone, I leaned against the cool wood of the front door, limp with relief. I hadn’t realized until now how much I had come to rely on them. They were my only friends in the world. Without them I’d have nobody.

“So tell them the truth,” I muttered to myself, but I couldn’t. I couldn’t force myself to say those words out loud to another living soul because by saying them out loud, I’d make them real.

And now Sid had made me feel guilty about not visiting Bridie. Of course I should have done so. I was the closest to a mother that those children had, and I had become remarkably fond of them. Even as those thoughts passed through my head, another idea sneaked in to join them. I could always marry Seamus. I could never love him but he was a good man, and I already loved his children. They’d like nothing better than to have me as their mother.

“Rubbish,” I said out loud, and dismissed the idea as quickly as it had come. I might be desperate, but I still had my pride. I wasn’t marrying anyone for convenience.





TEN