The Family Way (Molly Murphy, #12)

“Was she one of the young mothers?”


“She was. An Irish girl. Light hair.”

She was still smiling sweetly as she shook her head. “We novices don’t come in contact with the young women who stay here. Mother doesn’t think it’s wise for us to see that other side of life. She thinks we’ll fall in love with the babies and not want to stay.”

“And you don’t think you would?” Sid asked.

“Oh, no,” she said. “I saw what you’d call normal life did to my mother. One baby after another and her growing weaker and weaker until she was just a shadow of the person I remembered. That’s not for me, thank you.”

“But isn’t what you’re doing running away not running toward?” Sid demanded. I could tell she was all ready to talk this girl out of her decision.

“We should be going, then,” I said hastily. “I wish you well.”

“Thank you.” She paused, taking in our faces. “You are probably the last outsiders I will be able to chat with like this. I go into retreat tomorrow before I take my first vows.” She glanced back into the darkness. “I should probably go back inside.”

The big door closed with finality. I turned to walk away. Sid caught up with me. “Why did you say you didn’t want to go in and see one of the sisters, Molly? You know we were dying to look around inside.”

“I’m sorry,” I said. “I wasn’t thinking. After I heard the news about Katy I was so upset all I wanted to do was to get away. Besides, you wouldn’t have seen much. They take you into a little parlor opposite the front door and you have to talk to the nuns through a carved wooden grille in the wall. It’s so dark that all you see is a vague shape.”

“I would still have wanted to see that,” Sid said. “Wouldn’t you, Gus?”

“I could see no reason to talk to one of the sisters,” I said. “It would obviously have been painful for them to speak about Katy and they might have tried to foist another girl onto me when I am not really in a position to take one now.”

We summoned the cabby who had been waiting in the deep shade of the fir trees.

“You really must have developed an instant bond with this girl, Molly,” Gus said. “You seem deeply affected by this news.”

“I am affected by it,” I said. “She was so young, so fresh-faced and cheerful, and it seems like such a horrible, senseless end to her life.”

“I suppose one can understand how it happened,” Sid said. “If the place is as old and crumbling inside as it looks from the exterior then there are bound to be dark and broken staircases, aren’t there?”

I nodded, trying to make myself agree with this, but I couldn’t. I sat staring out straight ahead of me.

“And if she was in the late stages of pregnancy she could hardly see where she was putting her feet on the steps,” Gus added. “And I’m sure one’s balance is off-kilter. One small stumble and she fell.”

“I suppose so,” I said. “But I can’t help thinking—” I left the rest of the sentence hanging in the humid air.

“You can’t help thinking what?” Sid demanded.

“Katy fell to her death right after she had told me her suspicions about Maureen. Maybe she remembered some other details. Maybe she confided her suspicions to someone else.”

“Are you trying to say you think that foul play was involved?” Gus asked. “That somebody deliberately pushed Katy down the stairs to stop her from talking?” She looked at me and a smile spread across her face. “Molly, you have spent too much time investigating crime. This is a convent. In spite of the way Sid and I were joking about it, I’m sure the inhabitants are nice, normal, and gentle women who do not make a practice of pushing people down stairs.”

“A tragic accident, Molly,” Sid reiterated. “Accidents happen. Nothing sinister about it. Just coincidental that she spoke to you before she died.”

I sat there silently. Then I dared to voice the thought that had crept into my mind. “I can’t help wondering now whether something bad happened to Maureen. Perhaps she didn’t run away at all. And Katy figured it out and…”

Gus put her hand over mine. “Molly, my dearest. I’m afraid your current delicate condition is making you overemotional. You’re reading too much into this. Maureen took her chance to run away while everyone was at breakfast, but she didn’t have time to go back for her possessions. And poor Katy fell. Please accept those things and let this be. I’m sure it’s not good for you to be thinking such worrying thoughts at this time. You should be thinking calm and happy thoughts for the baby’s sake.”

“Yes,” I said. “You are right. I should let it go. There isn’t anything I can do anyway.”