Tell Me, Pretty Maiden (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #7)

“You left the theater with Annie and John Jacob Halsted to go out to a late dinner,” I prompted as Dr. Birnbaum and Elizabeth sat beside us in my living room.

“Annie?” She closed her eyes and a great shudder went through her. “They killed Annie,” she said at last.

“I know.”

“They would have killed me, too.”

“I’m sure they would. So what happened when you reached the Silverton Mansion? Did Mr. Halsted rob the place? Did Annie help him?”

Her pretty eyes opened wide. “It wasn’t JJ,” she said. “We got there and JJ stopped the automobile to open the gates and suddenly this man jumped into the front seat and he held a gun up to Annie’s head. He shouted at JJ to drive as fast as he could or he’d kill us. He had a great sack with him. JJ did what he said and drove away. When we came to a wooded area the man made us stop. He made us get out and clear away the snow and hide the sack with branches over it and then pile snow on top. And when we had finished, he turned to JJ and he said, ‘We don’t need you anymore,’ and he shot him. Just like that.” Her voice trembled and tears started to run down her cheeks. “Then he made Annie and me cover his body up with branches and snow until it was hidden. Then he made us get into the car again. He had that gun beside him in the front seat all the time.” She looked up at us hopelessly, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Elizabeth put a hand onto Jessie’s arm. “You don’t have to go on right now. It’s not wise to distress yourself so much after what you’ve been through.”

“No, I want to tell you,” Jessie said. “When we came to a town he found a telephone at a tavern. He took us in with him and he had the gun pointed at Annie’s side. He said if we made one sound, we’d both be shot. We knew he meant it. He made a telephone call to someone.”

“In what language?” I asked. “Did he speak English?”

“His English was not too good,” she said. “He was speaking Italian, I believe. Then he made us get back in the auto and he drove really fast toward New York. We came around an icy bend and he lost control. We skidded into this big tree. I was thrown out and I don’t remember anymore.”

She paused. I handed her a glass of water and she took a sip. “Now comes the hard part,” she said. “When I came to, I was lying on the ground in the darkness. I crawled around and I found Annie. She was badly hurt and in a lot of pain. I saw that the man was still in the front seat of the car, but he looked as if he was dead. I wanted to go and get help, but Annie didn’t want me to leave her, so I stayed with her. We were sure that help would come eventually.

“Then after a long time we heard a sound and a motor vehicle of some sort was coming toward us. I jumped up and waved my arms. It stopped. Three men got out. They saw our wreck and they started speaking fast in Italian. One asked me what happened and I told him. Then they talked fast again. They took the dead man and put him into the trunk of their auto. Then they saw Annie. She was lying there and couldn’t move.

“I said, ‘Please help my friend. We must get her to a hospital.’ And do you know what they did? One of them took out a gun and fired it at her. Bang. She was dead. I tried to run away. They fired after me and I thought they’d kill me, too, but they ran after me and grabbed me and shoved me into the automobile. They put Annie’s body in the seat as well, beside me. When we came to a creek, they stopped and threw her body into the water. Then they drove on.” She looked up with despair written on her face. I took her hand. “That’s when it all becomes hazy,” she said. “I know we crossed a bridge and I knew I had to escape. I remember jumping out and then I just ran and ran. That’s all I know.”

After I had settled Jessie, I sent a note to Mrs. Goodwin and asked Mrs. Tucker to resume her role as nurse. After all I had been through, I didn’t feel up to facing Miss Van Woekem with the news just yet. Mrs. Tucker arrived and proposed that Jessie go back to her house to recuperate. “I’ve all my own cooking utensils there,” she said, “and this young one needs good nourishing food.” I thought that was a splendid idea, just in case any of those gang members ever came looking for her at my place.

“I don’t know where I’ll go after that,” Jessie said. “I don’t think I can go back to New Haven. I couldn’t bear it.”

“Let’s not worry about the future,” Mrs. Tucker said. “All we have to do right now is fatten you up.”

“Not fatten me up or I’ll never be able to dance again.” Jessie actually smiled.