The Yellow Lantern

by Dicken, Angie;

  Braham hurried through the front door, not wanting to mess with the stable just yet. He took off his hat and coat and followed voices from the kitchen.

  He stopped when he heard Audra’s sharp question, “Did you not mix the elixir for the girls, knowing that death would provide you exactly what you need?”

  He held his breath, praying that the answer would come from anyone but Miss Clay.

  “I only thought of helping them when I mixed the elixir.” Her gentle tone seemed pure, innocent. But Audra’s mention of death as Josie’s commodity kept Braham hidden in the shadows, hoping that Josie would secure her innocence before he had to interrogate her further.

  “You are desperate to get a body to the doctor you work for, aren’t you?”

  “Please, Audra, do not speak so loudly.”

  Braham’s blood rushed to his ears. What did she mean? Josie had mentioned that the doctor was a wicked man. He pushed against the wall, trying to make sense of—a body? What was this?

  “That is the whole reason you left Ainsley and came to Gloughton, is it not? Alvin told me everything before I chose to leave him for good. I don’t know how you do it, Josie Clay.” She sniffed. “That whole grave-robbing business is too much for me. I would rather die than continue such a charade. It’s why I ended it with that Alvin. Who wants to marry such a person?” Braham stepped closer.

  Grave robbing?

  Josie had said she was worried about grave robbers the night of Aunt Myrtle’s funeral. Braham stumbled back and caught himself along the chair rail. Was it a ploy? He caught Audra’s eye as she stood against the opposite doorway. A thin smile broadened on her lips, and her gaze fell on Josie, whose back was to him. “We are very thankful that you did not steal away that sweet Myrtle Bates. I heard that Mr. Taylor stopped you from going through with your plan.”

  Braham burst into the room. “What is this about?”

  Josie swiveled in her seat and stood. “Braham—I mean, Mr. Taylor, please—” Her ivory skin had not one tinge of pink to it. She was pale, bloodless. Perhaps heartless, if any of what he heard added up to her guilt.

  “Tell me,” he barked. “What was your intent for my aunt?”

  “No, I refused—I couldn’t go through with it—” She lunged toward him, her small hands clutching at his. They were cold. He withdrew his fingers. “Please, Braham!”

  His mouth went dry, and every beat in his chest pounded harder than the one before. “You—you stayed after the funeral for …” He grabbed his mouth, his fingers shaking against his jawbone.

  “I insisted you stay with me because of what I told you.” Her lip quivered as she spoke. All her color was back, and she seemed as adamant to convince him as she had been the day Amelia hurt her arm in the factory. “I knew if you stayed, your aunt would be safe.”

  “But you are in a plot with the doctor, are you not?”

  She lowered her eyes, and her shoulders began to shake. No sound came from her, but he could see the tears fall to the floor.

  “You poisoned the women for, for—”

  “Bodies,” Audra spat.

  Braham shot Josie a look. She lifted her shoulders. “I didn’t poison anyone,” she cried. “At least, I didn’t mean to.”

  Braham sank to the bench and leaned his head on his fists. “Miss Clay, do you wait to steal a body?”

  “It is not as it seems. I was forced into it. I needed to supply Dr. Chadwick before—”

  “I cannot believe this.” Shock whirred through Braham’s body. “When you first came to the factory, I wondered about your associations. Everything you’ve been to me seemed good and pure, but everything you’ve hidden has erased it all.” He turned from her, unable to focus on this person he’d been so close to loving. “Please leave. You are no longer an employee here.”

  “I am not the person they want me to be. I do not want to be a part of it—I—I—”

  “Go,” Braham shouted and left the room. He cringed at Josie’s sobbing outburst and her footsteps running from the kitchen. The door slammed shut.

  How could he have been so foolish? From the very beginning he was not sure about that man who had brought her here. Even Aunt Myrtle had warned him about a woman who’d show up for a job at such an hour as twilight.

  It was all clear to him now. That mill girl was not the bright light in his life of loneliness. She was a stranger to him. He wished he had never hired Josie Clay.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  The warm breeze whipped against Josie’s skin, mixing her tears with droplets of sweat. She had been found out, and while she expected to burn with shame, she was at least free from hiding her terrible purpose from Braham.

  At each turn in the road, she would stop, catch her breath, and then weep in her arm, praying and begging forgiveness. No matter how much she resisted, Audra’s mention of being desperate for a body was not entirely true—she’d wanted far more than one. Josie’s desires assumed that the outcome was indeed deaths and robbings.

  As she turned toward Gloughton to gather her belongings, she noticed Daisy trudging down her lane from the market square, both arms carrying baskets.

  “Daisy, wait!” she called, her voice hoarse from crying.

  Daisy spun around and waited, but as she did, she kept looking up and down the lane, as if she were in enemy territory and any moment a creature would pounce upon her.

  “What is it?” she seethed as Josie drew close.

  “Please, I want you to know that whatever happened to that elixir, I did not mean for it to.”

  “I believe it was arsenic in the little blue bottle we found,” Daisy snapped.

  “I only deal with herbs and plants. I do not own one ounce of arsenic.”

  Daisy narrowed her eyes.

  “You have to believe me.” How did she become the center of blame when she was only trying to help? Minnie appeared ahead on the road but stopped when she saw them. “Minnie was there when we were making the batch. Could she have accidently put the wrong ingredient in the rest of the elixir? The first elixir we made did nothing but help my roommates.”

  Daisy frowned. “I had never seen that bottle before. Minnie said she found it where you were preparing the elixir.”

  “I have no blue bottles. Only green.” She pulled an ointment from her pocket. “See.”

  Josie shoved it into Daisy’s hand. “You must believe me.” Minnie continued to glare from the top of the hill. “Maybe she isn’t telling the truth, Daisy. I have never even seen that bottle before.”

  “Why should I trust you, Josie Clay? I’ve known Minnie since she was a young girl. I’ve known you for a few weeks.”

  “You do not need to trust me. I am leaving—going home to be with my father until his time is up.” Josie did not deserve trust anymore. She only wanted to do all she could to help. “But I will tell you what I know about ridding the body of poison. You must go to the Bates estate right away and help those women.” Daisy began to turn away from her, shaking her head. Josie clutched her arm and leaned in, widening her eyes. “It is absolutely necessary that you do, Daisy Young. Not one of those mill girls must perish. You are the only one left to help them.”

  “Josie—”

  “You’d better speak with Audra also. She’s convinced that I poisoned the girls too.”

  “Do you think Minnie did this?” Daisy muttered.

  Josie shrugged. “I do not know what she would have against me or the mill girls. But the poison found its way to the girls, and now it’s up to you to save them. I have a long journey home.”

  Daisy nibbled on her lip then said, “Very well. Tell me what to do.”

  As Josie explained, she looked over to the hill. Minnie was gone.

  Braham sat at dinner not having any appetite at all. Audra had explained how she’d found out about Josie. When Alvin had confessed his business with corpses, Audra was shocked and broke it off with him the night of Aunt Myrtle’s funeral. She had also discovered that Josie was waiting for Alvin
in the graveyard. Audra had immediately warned Gerald, and Gerald used his fists to make sure that Alvin and Josie’s plan would not go through.

  Braham stirred his stew, not seeing it. Audra’s story played over and over in his mind. Although Audra was not usually trustworthy, everything she said added up. Everything, except the fact that Josie had begged him to stay with her. She did not want to be alone that night, and she did not want to run the risk of grave robbers. It was not a ploy. Was it a change of heart?

  He slammed his fist on the table and groaned. How had Josie Clay become part of such a scheme? And why would she injure so many women but save his elderly aunt? He was wrong. Something didn’t measure up at all. The goodness he saw in Josie far exceeded the accusations being made against her.

  “Braham?” Daisy stood at the dining room entrance. She had been upstairs helping the women for at least an hour.

  “Come in, Daisy. Would you like Minnie to get you some?” He lifted his spoon and let its contents pour back in the bowl with a slosh.

  She shook her head and took the seat directly next to him. “I must tell you something.”

  “What is it?”

  “I do not believe Josie intended to poison the women.”

  “I am having a hard time believing it as well,” he confessed. “But what about the bottle?”

  “If it was not mine, and it was not Josie’s, the only person who possessed it—”

  “Minnie?”

  “Yes?” Minnie said as she brought a basket of rolls into the room. Daisy and Braham just stared at her. She slowed her pace.

  “Where did you get that bottle, Minnie?” Daisy asked.

  “I told you, it was on the counter near where Miss Clay washed the other bottles.” Her teeth rested on her lip, and the corner of her mouth twitched just as it had done early that afternoon.

  Braham stood up and walked over to the maid. She flinched but faced him. “Minnie, are you certain?”

  Her eyes widened, and she looked over at Daisy.

  “Josie had never handled that type of poison before,” Daisy explained. “And she insisted on giving me the remedy to flush it out of the girls. I just don’t see why she would want to hurt them.”

  “Minnie, would you want to hurt the mill girls?” Braham furrowed his brow, wondering if her timidity was actually a sinister disguise. But the maid began to fiddle with her fingers, took in a deep breath, and fell into a dining room chair, crying like the child she seemed to be.

  Daisy rushed around Braham and took Minnie by the hands. “What is it, friend? What happened?”

  “I—I shouldn’t have done it. I knew it was wrong.” She took a folded napkin and wiped her eyes. “But Audra promised that I could finally leave this place if I did.”

  “Audra?” Braham seethed. “What does she have to do with it?”

  “She has everything to do with it.” Minnie slumped back in the chair, letting out a long sigh. “I swore I’d never say anything, but seeing the effect of the poison on the girls has haunted me every night. At first she tried poisoning the soup Fran made. Audra even offered to help serve it that evening. But Josie’s first batch of elixir actually healed some of the girls, so I put the poison in the rest of the elixir.” Her chin wobbled. “Audra was so desperate and scared me into it.” Minnie glanced at the kitchen door. “The stew in there is contaminated as well. Audra made sure of it before she left.” Minnie grimaced. “Audra has promised some men terrible things, Mr. Taylor.” Her voice shook. She leaned over and searched the room with a frantic gaze until fixing her eyes on him again. “Bodies. She needs bodies, Mr. Taylor, and she used Josie to cover it all up.”

  Braham arrived in Ainsley at the break of dawn. His distress induced an urgency that stole his breath away.

  Audra had been the biggest culprit of all. Unfortunately, she had disappeared. Not even his factory overseers and the hired night watches could find her. Minnie had mentioned there was a meeting occurring in an undisclosed location. The body snatchers were preparing to provide a whole caravan of bodies, and Audra was on her way because she was the network’s southern-based spy.

  Had she arranged for that body snatcher to take Aunt Myrtle’s body?

  Braham ground his teeth, disgusted by it. No doubt Audra would have little conscience in doing so, with Aunt Myrtle paying no attention to her these past years. Thank the Lord for Gerald’s interference.

  Braham was perplexed by the whole thing. According to Audra, Gerald had defended his aunt’s body. If that was true, an uexpected pride for Gerald fanned in Braham. There was some decency in the younger Bates after all. He must be informed of the Jennings sisters’ involvement in this morbid circle of crime. Especially since Audra was ever after his affections.

  Unlike her sister though, Minnie was a fragile thing through her entire confession, increasing sympathy more than anger. But the fact that she had been convinced to help in such a scandal forced Braham to keep her in the constable’s custody indefinitely.

  Audra had done one helpful thing in all of this. She had mentioned the name of Josie’s village in the conversation that Braham had overheard. Now, Braham must find Josie and discover if she had any clues as to where Audra might be.

  Ainsley’s main street was nothing more than a cluster of houses and shops on one side of a green, and a church and short building on the other. The building sat beside a graveyard. A sign hung above the door, swinging in the warm morning breeze. Braham stood directly beneath it and read, OFFICE OF DR. CHADWICK.

  Was the doctor behind that door now, conversing with Josie on their next move—the next grave they would stake out and desecrate?

  His heart sank at the thought of the beautiful healer being a part of this business. He could not bring himself to face her or that man just yet. He slunk away from the place and found a seat on the steps of the church. Josie had recoiled at the mention of the doctor and Alvin. Yet she was the same as them, wasn’t she?

  Before he could even utter a prayer, Dr. Chadwick’s door opened, and a hunchbacked woman shuffled onto the porch. She carried a wooden box and a candle near its wick’s end. She blew it out with thin lips and then tossed the candle into the shrubbery lining the graveyard fence.

  She was muttering to herself when Braham approached her as she slammed the door shut.

  “Do not bother, son,” she crowed when she saw him. “The doctor’s abandoned us for good. Says he’s got plans in Boston now.” She adjusted the box on her hip. Piercing clinks of glass and metal made a clatter.

  “Actually, I was not looking for the doctor.”

  “Oh, really?” Her gray hair frizzed from beneath a black scarf around her head, and she wiggled her large bulbous nose. “Surely you aren’t needing me?” She cackled. “However, I am out of work now and could use a good master who’ll let me cook and clean for him.” She smiled, showing a gap of missing teeth. “Are you in need of a house servant, sir?”

  He gave a weak smile. “I apologize, but I am not in need of a house servant.” Although Minnie might have to forfeit her position now. “I am actually looking for someone who used to work here.” He cleared his throat. “Do you know where I might find Miss Josie Clay? I believe she has returned to Ainsley.”

  The woman considered his words then shook her head. “No, there’s nobody by that name. I am the only employee of Dr. Chadwick’s.” She sniffled. “Or was.”

  “I do believe Miss Clay worked here a few months ago.”

  The woman continued past him, adjusting the box and causing a ruckus in the early morning quiet. “Nah, the only person who worked here before passed away. Poor Josephine.” She clicked her tongue then turned to him. “Who’d you say again?”

  “Josie Clay?”

  “Ah, I see your confusion. Josephine Clayton is the girl who was here. Not Josie Clay. Pretty close to the same name though.” She seemed amused. “Josephine Clayton died, just like her mother, only two years later.”

  “Her mother?” His mouth went dry.
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br />   “Yes, she was a wonderful herbalist. The best. Josephine assisted Dr. Chadwick and had quite the knack for remedies. God rest her soul.” The woman continued to walk away. “I live only round the corner in the small cottage by the brook. If you change your mind and need a servant, do not forget me,” she called over her shoulder as she wobbled down the path.

  Braham stood, frozen. Did everyone in this village think that Josie was dead? “Excuse me.” He ran up to the woman. “Please, where is Miss Clay … Clayton’s home?”

  “Her father’s farm is just east of town. Though he’s not kept it up. I do believe they took him away already. Debtors’ prison in Ashton.”

  Braham resisted dropping his mouth in shock.

  Josephine Clayton was the same as Josie Clay. And she was considered dead by all she knew.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Josie stared at the notice in her hands. She was too late. Father had been taken away. But the bloodied wooden stakes she’d found by the front door suggested that he was better off behind the walls in Ashton than facing the torment of the network’s men.

  She sat at the small wooden table in the kitchen, alone, watching the flames devour the stakes. She should not even be here. The house was no longer theirs. But she had a key and nowhere else to go.

  The house was in disarray. Dirty pots and pans filled a washbasin. The floor was in need of a good sweeping, and Mother’s curtains were encased in cobwebs that shimmered in the early sunlight.

  She found some bread in the cupboard and nibbled on it, wondering how she might save her father. One thing she knew for sure, she would never turn to crime again. The look in Braham’s eyes bore a hole through her heart and cloaked her in disgrace. He did not just seem disappointed, or even horrified. He’d looked at her the way she felt about Alvin. He had been disgusted.

  “Lord, I am not the same as Alvin. Please, forgive me.”

  As she walked through the house of her childhood, she reminisced in the times when her mother lit up the room. The parlor, where they spent the most time, had a big hearth in its center with shelves on either side holding jars and hooks tied with hanging herbs for drying. Father never cleared it after Mother passed. Josie ran her finger along the shelves, reading the Latin names on the labels. She could almost hear her mother’s voice in her own.