Felicity Carrol and the Murderous Menace
Page 29
“What?”
“Whoever killed him sealed his mouth with wax.”
“Oh, my.”
“Can you examine the body and tell me what you think?”
“My pleasure, Inspector.” Now she was truly home.
* * *
The case Jackson Davies mentioned did intrigue her, especially after Felicity inspected the body at the London coroner’s mortuary. The wax used to close the mouth smelled of turpentine, chalk, and shellac, ingredients that went into sealing wax. Yet the wax felt grainer and also carried a smell that told Felicity the material was used to seal wine bottles. Davies smiled and said the victim’s brother owned a wine shop and that gave him a lead. He headed off to arrest the brother, she surmised.
Finally, she headed home to Carrol Manor with Helen and Robert. When she arrived, she found the estate in fine shape, and the servants welcomed her. Helen had a grand time introducing her new husband to everyone.
“I like England, Miss. Very green,” Lowery told Felicity.
“Very good, Robert.” She had asked him where he might want to work on the estate, and he had told her on the grounds.
“I’d like to be outside and then come home to my loving wife.”
She introduced him to John Ryan, who was in charge of the grounds. After a few days, the men appeared to be on their way to becoming friends.
Summer had come to the land, and Felicity enjoyed the season and peace. Although she realized she would soon get bored with all that summer and peace.
A week after returning, Felicity headed to a nearby clearing of rock and dirt behind the house. She had asked John Ryan and Robert Lowery to help her move all the files, notes, reports, newspaper articles, and photographs pertaining to the murders in Whitechapel and Placer, Montana. They were placed into a pile, which she doused with a good helping of coal oil.
“Want Robert and me to take care of this, Miss Felicity?” Ryan asked.
“We’d do a good job,” Lowery added.
“I know. But I must do this myself. You two fine men go have a cup of coffee. Cook has made an outstanding apple tart with your names on it.”
Both men nodded and headed off to the manor, talking as they went.
Taking a box of matches from her pocket, she lit one and threw it on the pile, which exploded into flames. Stepping back, she watched the papers curl and whiten into ash. Onto the pile of fiery papers, she added the hurtful memories of her father. His neglect and disapproval. His inability to show any love for her. She had carried the feeling so long, she feared its burden until she died. In Montana, she had even suspected an innocent man of murder because he reminded her of her father, revealing her own resentment against him for not loving her. A resentment mighty as her heartbreak.
She also tossed onto the fire the guilt she had taken on over his death. The moment had come for release. There was too much to do in this world. Bits of red-lined ash floated up into the sky like unfulfilled wishes, but one of her wishes had been realized. That she find her way in the world.
The apple tart cook had prepared sounded like her idea of heaven—if she believed in one. Felicity turned back to the house and breathed in sugar and contentment.
ALSO BY PATRICIA MARCANTONIO
Felicity Carrol and the Perilous Pursuit
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Patricia Santos Marcantonio was born in Pueblo, Colorado. She has won awards for her journalism, short stories and screenplays."Red Ridin’ in the Hood and Other Cuentos" has earned an Anne Izard Storyteller’s Choice Award; and was named an Americas Award for Children’s and Young Adult Literature Commended Title, and one of the Wilde Awards Best Collections to Share; with recommendations from Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books.
This is a work of fiction. All of the names, characters, organizations, places and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to real or actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Copyright © 2020 by Patricia Marcantonio
All rights reserved.
Published in the United States by Crooked Lane Books, an imprint of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Crooked Lane Books and its logo are trademarks of The Quick Brown Fox & Company LLC.
Library of Congress Catalog-in-Publication data available upon request.
ISBN (hardcover): 978-1-64385-289-8
ISBN (ebook): 978-1-64385-310-9
Cover design by Shira Atakpu
Book design by Jennifer Canzone
Printed in the United States.
www.crookedlanebooks.com
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First Edition: February 2020
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