The Edge of Dreams (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #14)

Secret society. I toyed with the words. One of the victims was a student at the university here. Wasn’t that the sort of thing with which rich young boys might amuse themselves? If I were looking into this investigation myself, I’d start with Simon Grossman. I’d find out whether he came from an affluent family and what circles he moved in. Because his death was the only one that was clearly a murder. Perhaps he had been part of the secret society but had objected to the killings—had threatened to go to the police and so had to be silenced in a hurry.

A group such as that could work together to derail a train. But then the question arose as to why they’d send their notes to Daniel. Still, I felt a glimmer of excitement as I lay back to sleep. It was that old feeling of being the hound and catching the first scent of the fox. And as soon as I was able, I’d go to that café, just south of Washington Square, and ask a few questions for myself.





Eight

It was not a restful sleep this time. I was in a dark and confined space, hanging over a cliff.

“Let go of the baby or we’ll all plunge to our deaths,” someone was shouting.

“I’m not letting go of my baby,” I screamed back, but he was wrenched from my arms. I awoke sweating, my heart pounding. It was a grim reminder that I wasn’t going to get over the train crash in a hurry.

When Daniel stopped by to visit later that evening, he reported that he had sent a telegram to his mother, asking her to come as soon as possible. And I, in turn, was able to tell him that I had arranged for Wanamaker’s to bring a selection of bedding to Sid and Gus’s house for my approval.

“What?” Daniel demanded. “Have you lost your senses, Molly? Has living with rich friends gone to your head?”

“I don’t see why you’re so upset,” I replied, feeling my own hackles rising. “You said you’d left it to me to select things like linens that women supposedly know about. Well, I’m about to select. And since I can’t go to the store, the store has to come to me.”

“Yes, but…” Daniel spluttered. “Asking a store to bring you a selection? You know they’ll only send their most expensive items. We are not rich, Molly. You know that. Besides, I’ve already asked my mother to bring any extra bedding she might have. My mother never throws away anything. I’m sure she has the quilt I had on my bed as a child among the many items stashed away in her attic.”

“Daniel Sullivan!” I stood up, glaring at him. “If you think I am going to begin my new life in my new house with the castoffs from your mother’s attic, you can think again.”

“Only until we have time to make proper choices, and to budget what we can afford, Molly. And you know my mother has very good taste.”

“Oh, I see.” I was pacing now, oblivious to the twinges of pain in my side. “You come in here, announcing that you’ve selected beds at Sloane’s. You choose all the furniture for our house, without consulting me, but you begrudge me the selection of the sheets for my own bed?“

He took a step back, surprised by this outburst. “Whoa there.” He held up his hand. “I tried to re-create our house exactly as it was. I thought you’d be pleased. I wanted to surprise you.”

A small voice in my head whispered that he had done a nice thing for me, but I couldn’t let go of the anger that surged up whenever I felt powerless. “Maybe I didn’t want our house exactly as it was,” I said. “Some of that furniture was yours. Your choice, your taste. Well, I’ve been through a lot this year, Daniel, through no fault of my own. You should want to make it up to me.”

“Some people would give their eye teeth to spend a summer in Paris,” Daniel said. “I don’t think we can consider a sea voyage and a summer in Europe a hardship.”

“Yes, a summer in Paris is a wonderful thing, but not when I had to go through—” I stopped short, remembering once again that I had never told Daniel the true details of what had happened to me in Paris, not wanting to upset him at such a difficult time.

“Had to go through what?”

“Worrying about you,” I said quickly. “Trying to recover from losing my home, nearly being killed, nearly losing my child, and not knowing if you were dead or alive. Not knowing if the gang would seek me out in Europe. It was hardly a carefree time for me, Daniel.”

“I see.” He nodded. “Of course you have been through a lot this year. Which was why I wanted to make it up to you. I tried to bring back your house as you remembered it. I worked hard at it, Molly, traveling all over the city in my spare time, having friends keep their eyes open for various items of furniture. And I think I did a pretty darned good job too.”

He was yelling now too. We were facing each other like two dogs meeting unexpectedly, fur bristling. That small voice was louder now, telling me not to go on with this.

“You did, Daniel. I’m sorry.” I put a hand on his shoulder. “But I don’t want to feel that you’ve taken over everything. I’m trapped here with painful ribs. You’ve invited your mother without consulting me. And now you tell me she’s going to be bringing her sheets and quilts with her and you don’t want me shopping for my own. It’s no wonder I’m upset.”