by Jane, Bettie
“You suspected Eddie Howard was cheating on his wife and that his affair was his motive for killing her best friend and then kidnapping Millie and ransoming her for money. And you decided that the best course of action was for you to saunter into his apartment and accuse him of that? Were you planning on making an arrest too?”
Uh oh. This was not a tone she loved, although she was becoming all too familiar. It was his ‘I tolerate a lot of your nonsense but this too far’ voice. She’d have to turn on the charm.
“When you put it like that, I suppose it wasn’t the most well thought-out choice, but it made sense and you were busy. I was thinking I’d be ruling him out. I didn’t expect he’d actually done it or that his accomplice would show up with her whisky bottle and acid-burned wrist to confirm my suspicions. I was investigating. I was going to report back and let the police—you— do the actual policing. I truly am sorry. Believe me, it shook me up. I’ve learned my lesson. I’ll not go bursting into dangerous situations without a little more forethought.”
He raised his eyebrow and cleared his throat then stared her down.
She blushed at his deep gaze and backed down even more. “Er, uh, how about I won’t burst into a situation at all if I think it’s dangerous?”
He continued with a half-disapproving, half-flirty stare.
“Oh, fine, Inspector. I’ll not go bursting into a situation if you think it’s dangerous. Are you quite satisfied? But, you should be quite happy that I did. I’ve solved your case for you.”
His eyes softened and he reached across the desk to touch her arm. “I don’t want you hurt. No investigation is worth that.”
Her heart swelled in her chest and tears welled in her eyes, and she looked away.
“Besides, you promised me a grand New Year’s Eve bash. If anything happens to you, there goes my social life.”
She might love him forever for bringing levity into the conversation and thereby preventing tears from actually flowing. Crying in public was not her favorite journalistic tool. Not that she was above faking tears if necessary, but crying for real. Definitely not.
She composed herself the rest of the way, locking up her emotions tightly where they belonged—way out of sight. When she looked back at Jacob, he was looking past her with a bizarre expression on his face.
He stood slowly, came around the side of his desk, and planted himself between Julia and whatever, or whoever, had his attention. She had to lean around him to see what was happening.
“Mr. Howard. What brings you by tonight?”
Julia had to work to control the gasp that wanted to rise up out of her lungs. He had a knot on his head the size of a goose egg. He was still visibly drunk, but his eyes were a bit clearer than they’d been a couple hours past.
“I need to report a murder.”
“A murder. I see. Who is that has been murdered?”
The calm in Jacob’s voice seemed to come from somewhere deep in his bones. He didn’t appear to be the least bit rattled.
“I think…I think Sarah Brooks has been murdered.”
“You think?”
“Yes, a woman, I know—”
He noticed Julia for the first time.
“You! You were there. You saw ‘er. Name’s Ruth. I don’t know her last name. She’s a barmaid at the Thirsty Dog. I see her there a lot. She seems to have the wrong idea about me. She wanted me to run away with her…it seems she’s killed Sarah. That’s what she says anyway.”
“Why don’t you have a seat, Eddie. Let’s go through what you know.”
Jacob stepped to the side and pulled out a seat for Eddie, who fell more than sat into it.
Julia took a position next to Eddie but remained standing and not too close. He made her nervous. Jacob was there, of course, and nothing would happen to her, but Eddie Howard made her skin crawl.
“Ruth,” Jacob continued without missing a beat as he took his seat across from Eddie. “Why do you think she killed Sarah?”
“She said she did. She smashed my head with a whisky bottle.” He looked at Julia. “You remember, right? When she came in. She thought I was havin’ an affair with this one.”
He was looking at Jacob again but pointed at Julia.
“I assure you, though, Mr. Copper. I ain't involved with your lady friend. I swear it on my life.”
“Yes, of course, Eddie. Go on. What happened after Ruth smashed your head with the bottle?”
“I was out for some time, you see. That one packs a wallop. When I came to, she was waitin’ for me. She said she arranged it perfectly for us. She said that she murdered Sarah and then kidnapped Millie so that Ruth and me, we could run away together. Said she got a thousand pounds off Meredith. One thousand pounds! Obviously she is lyin’. No way Meredith gave ‘er a thousand pounds. That one’s tight with ‘er money. Just ask Millie. So maybe she’s lyin’ about Sarah, too? You—” he pointed back at Julia, “you told me Millie had been kidnapped, so she must be tellin’ the truth about that at least.”
He stopped to catch his breath. The alcohol was rolling off of him in waves, and Julia had a sudden need to sit down, feeling like she was trapped back in his flat with Ruth. She stepped farther from Eddie and leaned against the nearby wall to keep herself upright.
“I’m afraid she’s not lying to you, Eddie. Sarah Brook was murdered and brutalized yesterday and left on the steps of Parliament. She was tortured so horribly we couldn’t make an ID, but she was found with your wife’s purse. When we came by your flat yesterday, we were looking for Millie after realizing that it wasn’t her body that had turned up.”
Eddie’s lower lip trembled and Julia thought it was maybe the first time he’d displayed an emotion other than angry, lazy drunk since she’d met him. Not that lazy drunk was an emotion, precisely. In Eddie’s case, though, perhaps Mr. Webster would make an exception and put a picture of Eddie next to “angry, lazy drunk” in his dictionary.
“Sarah is…I can’t believe it…Sarah is dead? Truly dead?” His eyes gave away his shock.
Every time he said Sarah’s name, the angry mask he wore seemed to crack, replaced with twitching eyes and quivering lips and shaking hands, and revealing a more complicated person underneath than she’d expected to find.
“I’m afraid so. Do you have any idea why Ruth targeted her? Did she say anything to you?”
“Yes. She said she knew about Sarah and me…I loved ‘er, you see, Sarah, that is…and so Ruth said she had to get her out of the way so we could run off together. Then she said she did some figurin’ and we’d need some money. I think I must have told ‘er at the tavern that my wife’s family came from a lot of money. And I’ve complained enough to Ruth about Millie. She knew I wasn’t happy with ‘er. But, Sarah…my dear sweet Sarah. I can’t believe Ruth killed her.”
He put his head in his hands and cried wracking sobs.
Just when Julia thought nothing could surprise her. Sarah, the hero of suffragists, like Julia and other young women across the UK, was having a torrid affair with the likes of Eddie Howard, an angry drunk reduced to heartwrenching sobs at the loss of his love?
What in the world did these West End girls see in these East End boys?
Jacob’s interview continued. “Where is Ruth now, Eddie?”
Eddie lifted his head, fighting to compose himself.
“I—I didn’t know what to do. She scares me, that one. I told ‘er I’d run off with ‘er but that I didn’t believe she had that much money. She said she’d get the money and meet me back at my flat and that then we could leave together. As soon as she left, I came straight here. I think she might kill me if I don’t agree to go with 'er, you see? I need police protection.”
“So let me get this straight, Eddie. You were not having an affair with Ruth. She was only your barmaid. You were, however, having an affair with Sarah Brook, your wife’s best friend. Is that about right?”
“Yessir. That’s about the size of it.”
“I see. And you would like the polic
e to protect you from this woman, Ruth?”
“Yessir, officer. Please. Very much so. She’s a true stalker, that one. I’m not safe. I’m tellin’ you. If she knows I don’t wanna go with 'er…she’ll kill me. I know it.”
“Don’t you worry, Eddie. We’ll take good care of you. I’ll get you situated here in one of our interview rooms where you’ll be safe and then we’ll go to wait at your flat for Ruth to return with the money.”
“You should hurry. She’ll be back soon. And she is gonna be real mad when she finds me gone. Be careful, sir.”
Jacob smiled, and Julia held back a giggle.
“Of course, I’ll be careful. Thank you for the warning.”
He got Eddie Howard situated in an interview room and met Julia in the lobby of the building.
“Jacob, I have a thought. It’s going to maybe sound a bit farfetched, but will you hear me out?”
“Sure, I happen to like the way your brain works.”
She smiled a response but moved right into what she’d been waiting to say.
“I have a theory. Even I wonder if my imagination is working overtime.”
“Out with it, then.”
“You didn’t get a close look at Ruth, when she was dressed as a man, I mean, on the park bench. You were far away. From where you were sitting, what did you notice about her?”
“I didn’t notice it was a her. I thought she was a smallish, thin man. Why?”
“She is. Very small framed.”
“I am not following you.”
“You saw Sarah’s body. Or at least the outline of it. She is a bigger woman with generous curves. I can’t help but wondering how the much-smaller Ruth could have moved on the body own. I’d bet Sarah weighed at least twice what Ruth does. Wherever it was that she killed her and tortured her, she then had to move her to Parliament. In broad daylight.”
“I see your point. You did say that this Ruth packed quite a punch with that whisky bottle, though. Maybe she has tremendous upper body strength. Adrenaline is pretty powerful.”
“Maybe.” Julia wasn’t convinced. “There’s more. When I was talking with Millie earlier today, and before when I was talking to Meredith—they both said they didn’t think Eddie had it in him to be violent. What do you think?”
“I didn’t get that sense from him. I’ve been wrong before, though. You are convinced she couldn’t do it by herself?” Jacob confirmed.
Julia spoke her thoughts aloud. “Millie knew about the multiple affairs. She couldn’t divorce Eddie. It’s not legal. Meredith wouldn’t part with her family money—not as long as Eddie was in the picture. Millie knew that, Eddie confirmed it tonight. Do you suppose that Millie knew who her husband was having an affair with? Sarah was her best friend. That would be devastating information.”
“Are you suggesting that Millie killed Sarah, worked with Ruth to arrange the ransom and kidnapping to get Meredith’s money? Then blamed the police?”
“I know, I told you it’s a stretch.” Julia thought for a moment. “Ruth said something tonight though that I didn’t quite put together until Eddie spoke with you. She mentioned Eddie’s wife thinking she got one over on her. I didn’t know what it meant, and I still don’t, but what if they were working together and once Ruth got the money, she ran?”
“It’s plausible. Do you think Millie knew Ruth, though? Eddie couldn’t even remember her last name and she murdered for him and stole a thousand pounds in the name of love.”
“Ha. Love. Right.”
“You know what I mean.” Jacob considered. “It’s possible Ruth was working with someone. We’ll bring her in tonight and interrogate her. See if we can get to the bottom of it.”
“What if—”
Jacob groaned. “What if what? Time is a bit of the essence here. She could already have returned to his flat. We have no idea how long it took him to find his way here.”
“What would it hurt to test out my theory? I could call Millie with the shocking news that her husband killed her best friend and reveal that Sarah was having an affair with him. I could let her know that he was working with Ruth and that we are going to arrest her tomorrow morning. I could hint that she might be staying with Eddie at her flat. Only some good old-fashioned gossip, if you will. If she had nothing to do with it, Millie will be devastated at the news of her friends betrayal but that will be that. If she wants to get the money from Ruth, she might try to get over there tonight. You could get permission from Eddie to wait inside his flat for Ruth to come back and then when—if—Mille shows up to take the money, you won’t need a confession.”
She took the first breath she’d had in a long while and let it out again.
“What do you think?”
“I think that you are a devious woman. I think that I’ll not ever cheat on you, because I’m certain I would be on the losing end of that game.”
“So you think we should try it?”
He let out a long, slow breath and scrubbed at the stubble on his jawline. “You go ahead and call over there. Disseminate your gossip. I’ll head to the Howard flat, after I get permission to enter, and we’ll wait for the fireworks. But you’ll stay here at the station. I’m not going to put you in the middle of a potential catastrophe. But, you are right. If she did in fact work with Millie, we need to know about it.”
Julia let out a very unladylike squeal and kissed Jacob on the cheek.
“I’ll see you back here after the dust settles,” he told her.
“Thanks for listening to me, Jacob.”
“Thanks for having a brain that is perfect for my occupation. It’s very helpful.”
Chapter 11
11:30pm
December 21, 1921
Watson Residence
Mayfair, London
“Hello, Julia? Do you know what time it is?”
“Hi, Meredith. Yes, I’m sorry to bother you so late. I know we agreed to let Millie rest until morning, but there’s been a development and I need to speak with her. Would you put her on the phone, please?”
“What’s the development?”
Julia tried to think quickly. She felt guilty that she was being less than honest with her friend, but it seemed like the best course of action. Hopefully Julia’s imagination was running wild and Millie was, in fact, an innocent victim of several crimes.
“I need information from her about one the barmaids that the Thirsty Dog. The police may be making an arrest tonight, and I told Jacob I’d tried to get as much information about this Ruth woman as soon as possible.”
“Certainly, I can do that. Oh, Julia?”
“Yes?”
“I noticed something today that I wanted to bring up earlier, but it slipped my mind with your earlier fright.”
“Sure, what is it?”
“When I was helping Millie get cleaned up earlier, I noticed she had some markings on her arm. They weren’t big, but they were very distinct. They looked like the burns on Sarah’s body.”
Silence hung in the air between them, the crackling of the phone connection the only sound.
To Julia, it was one more piece of confirmation that she was right about Millie. She wasn’t sure what that information meant to Meredith.
“Do you think,” Julia asked carefully, “that the people who kidnapped her tortured her the same, but not as bad, as what they did to Sarah?”
“I don’t know what to think. Earlier when you were visiting with us, Millie spoke of wanting to get my money back, which is fine. Obviously, I’d like it back too. However, she didn’t mention anything at all about wanting to capture the people who did this to her. It might not seem so strange to you, but I was around when she was assaulted by the police back on Black Friday in 1914. She went on and on and on about it. She was righteously, indignantly angry. As she should have been, of course. It’s strange to me that she’s not angrier now. She also doesn’t seem to be too broken up about Sarah being dead. They’ve been best friends for years. Something isn’t right, Ju
lia.”
Julia’s confidence in her earlier hunch solidified with every word Meredith spoke.
It occurred to Julia all at once that if Millie was capable of murdering her best friend in such a violent way, would she think twice before doing the same thing to her sister?
Now her bravado and excitement at helping solve the crime felt like a much riskier action. Was it safe for Meredith if Julia told Millie about Ruth and the money? It wasn’t a gamble she was willing to make.
“I’ll tell you what, Meredith. Why don’t you wake her, let her know that I’m on my way to ask some questions. I agree that something isn’t right. We’ll figure it together. In person.”
“Thank you, Julia. I’ll see you soon.”
The drive to Meredith’s went quickly and this time the butler was waiting at the door to receive her. Meredith and Millie were sitting in the parlor.
“Hello, Meredith, Millie. How are you two darlings doing? I’m so sorry to pull you from your slumber. I have some information that I thought you’d want to know immediately and it felt better to tell you in person. I’m hoping, also, that you’ll be able to provide us with anything to help us. The police might be making an arrest tonight.”
“Oh, that’s wonderful. Don’t worry about waking me up. It was a fitful sleep anyway. Was it Eddie? It was, I knew it!”
“It’s possible Eddie was involved. Do you know someone named Ruth from the Thirsty Dog?”
Millie took a sip of the tea that was growing cold in front of her. “I think that is the name of the woman I told you about before. Does she have anything to do with this? I knew she was up to no good with my husband.”
Julia observed that Millie appeared to know a lot of things.
“Millie, I’ve got some bad news for you. Eddie was indeed having an affair, but not with Ruth. With Sarah.”
Millie’s face fell and her shoulders slumped. She was silent, simply staring into her tea.
Meredith put a comforting arm on Millie’s knee. “Darling, are you quite all right?”
Mille swallowed slowly and raised her head, looking directly into Julia’s eyes. “I see.”