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

“You’ve got to learn to stand up for yourself like your brother Malachy,” she said. “You tell him who the man was, and no doubt someone will teach him a lesson he won’t forget in a hurry. Malachy has a real protector now, and that applies to you too.”


“Yes, Mah,” he said. He smiled shyly at Bridie. He was probably a year older than her but hardly any taller. As fat as his mother was, he looked as if he never got a good meal.

“This is your cousin Bridie come to visit,” I said. “And you remember me? Molly? I stayed with you once, and then you came and stayed with me.”

“I know,” he said. “Hello, Bridie. It’s grand to see you looking so fine.”

“Thank you, Thomas.” She looked down, suddenly shy too.

“Thomas,” Nuala said. “This lady might have an errand for you.”

“That’s right, Thomas,” I said. “I need you to find a boy for me. This boy delivered a message to police headquarters on Mulberry Street.”

“Is he in trouble?” Thomas asked, frowning.

“Not at all. He did nothing wrong. It’s just that the man who gave him the note to deliver might have done something wrong, and we have to find him before he can hurt more people. It’s no use if grown-ups ask questions, because the boys won’t rat on each other. But you can tell the boy that the police won’t question him. They’ll leave him alone. We just need a description of the man who paid him … and paid him well, I suspect.” I paused, then, taking a risk, I said, “Whatever the man paid him, I’ll pay you.”

“Is that a fact?” Thomas’s face lit up. “All right. I’ll do it. Tell me all about it.”

I told him everything I knew, leaving out the fact that this man had murdered a whole list of people. No sense in scaring him. Thomas told me his brother could help him put the fear of God into the boys and get them to fess up. This wasn’t what I’d had in mind, but I saw it could be useful. Nobody willingly crossed someone connected to the Eastmans.

As Bridie and I made our way down the stairs and took in a breath of good sea air, we both gave a sigh of relief.

“I don’t think you wanted me to visit my relatives at all,” Bridie commented as we made our way back along Fulton Street to the El station. “I think you wanted the boys to do that job for you, and you needed an excuse to visit them.”

I looked down at her sweetly innocent face and smiled. “You are becoming too sharp for your years, young lady.”

We walked on. “I wish I could live with you, Molly,” she said. “I don’t remember my real mother very well. I know she was kind and gentle and had a soft voice, but I don’t really remember her. So you’re the only mother I’ve got.”

Before I could answer she went on, “I know that I should keep on with Mrs. Sullivan, because she’s been so good to me and she’s lonely up there, all alone.”

I wanted to tell her the plans in store for her, but as I hadn’t discussed the matter with Daniel yet, I had to stay silent. “You know I’d love to have you here with me, anytime,” I said, “but you’re right. Mrs. Sullivan has been good to you. Your father wanted us to find you a place as a maid, you know. Mrs. Sullivan took you in, started to train you for domestic service, and then became fond of you. Now you’re turning into a young lady.”

“I know,” she said. “I’ve been very lucky.” There was a long silence, and then she said, “You know sometimes I have bad thoughts.”

“Bad thoughts? You?”

She nodded. “Sometimes I hope that my father won’t come back, because I don’t want to go back to living how we did, with Cousin Nuala. Then I’d really have to be a servant, wouldn’t I?”

I looked down at her worried little face. “I don’t think we’d let you go back to living with Nuala now,” I said. “Even if your father returns soon, he won’t want to be bothered with a young girl. He’ll be happy someone else is taking care of her welfare.”

I saw her face light up. “You think so?”

“What would Seamus know about raising a young woman?” I said.

“I don’t think Cousin Nuala knows much about it either,” she added with a grin.





Twenty

We had only just arrived home when Sid and Gus called to say they were starting their search for Dr. Werner and asked if I wanted to go with them, but I refused this time. Frankly, I was exhausted by that simple little jaunt to Nuala’s. And I’d have been no use, having no experience of universities or medical schools.