At my slight nod he jumped to his feet, extended his hand, and with a gentle tug, helped me to my feet. Then he shrugged into his suit jacket and offered me his arm. While we strolled toward the platform, I was overcome by an inexplicable and strange sensation. I couldn’t understand my reaction. It was as if I were drawing strength from Josef’s sturdy arm. My feet seemed to float across the grass, and I felt safe at his side. Is this what love feels like? I wondered. Surely not. I couldn’t love someone I barely knew. I ventured a sidelong glance at Josef’s profile. He possessed a quiet strength that I admired. You simply respect him, I told myself.
He slowly pulled me into his arms for the first dance. My pulse quickened, and a surge of heat coursed down my arms, leaving my palms wet and my body trembling beneath his strong hands. We circled the floor, and Josef held me close while my heart hammered a message that spoke of much more than respect—my heart spoke of love. I must regain control of my emotions, I thought. Yet I knew I could not.
When our third dance came to an end, we were standing near Mr. Lundgren and Mrs. Wilson. I’d been surprised to see the older couple take to the dance floor, but they appeared to be having an enjoyable time. Mr. Lundgren suggested a change of partners, and when the music began, I circled along the platform with him. I’d been watching the small children and nearly toppled into him when he came to an abrupt halt.
I looked up and was struck dumb at the sight of Detective Lawton with his hand on Mr. Lundgren’s shoulder. “May I be so bold as to break in and finish this dance with Miss Brouwer?”
Mr. Lundgren appeared momentarily confused but quickly recovered. “She’s a fine dancer, but I’m in need of a glass of that lemonade.” Before I could object Mr. Lundgren strode off toward the refreshment booth on the other side of the pavilion. No doubt the detective’s sly use of my name had caused Mr. Lundgren to think I’d be pleased to dance with the man who’d cut in.
Although Detective Lawton held me at a proper distance, his mere presence at the concert set me on edge, and a shiver danced down my spine. There was no reason to play coy with the investigator. He was here for only one reason—me.
I worried what Josef would think when he saw me dancing with this stranger. If I could hurry the process, perhaps the detective would depart. “What is it you want, Detective? I’ve already answered all of your questions.”
“Lovely dress you’re wearing,” he replied. “I’m surprised you can afford such quality on the pay you receive at the factory.”
The inference as well as his tone annoyed me, but I wanted to be rid of him, so I explained where I’d gotten it. “If you don’t believe me, you’re welcome to check with Miss Galloway when she returns from the shore.”
“So you know the family is gone?”
“Of course. I was invited to accompany them, but I couldn’t be away from my work.” I met the detective’s intense stare with one of my own. “Do you truly believe I stole Mrs. Galloway’s jewelry?”
“I’m not certain what to believe. You’re the most likely suspect. No one else who has had opportunity to steal the jewelry is in need of money. And you were in the house the only time the safe may have been left open.”
I wanted to point out there were members of the household staff who were in greater need of money than I, but I wasn’t about to point a finger at them. “I’ve heard tell that some people commit crimes not for the money but for the excitement it creates. And you surely know there are people who put on an appearance of wealth but are really suffering financial problems.”
“You are an astute young lady, Miss Brouwer. Are you referring to anyone in particular?”
“If I were in your position, I would be very interested in Tyson Farnsworth.”
He tipped his head back and looked down at me. His bulging eyes and rather flat nose put me in mind of a walrus. And his somewhat rotund figure added to the mental image.
“Really? And why do you think Mr. Farnsworth could prove to be a viable suspect?”
“For one thing, he lies. More than you can even imagine.” With fine-tuned precision, I enunciated the final two words. I wanted to make certain the detective understood Tyson Farnsworth didn’t merely experience an occasional slipup in his stories. The man was a well-seasoned liar.
When the detective asked for verification, I told him of Tyson’s expulsion from college and his concealment of that detail from Augusta and her parents. “Tyson told us he’d finished school a week earlier than Ronald Galloway, but Ronald told me Tyson had been expelled and forbidden to take his final exams.”
“Anything else?”
I bobbed my head, eager to continue. “He also lied about being sick in order to avoid church services. Then he feigned a miraculous recovery and told the maid he’d gone home to visit his parents. Oddly enough, the evening before he’d said his parents were traveling. In fact, that was the reason he’d given for coming to Collinsford unannounced.” I also cited Tyson’s departures on the two weekends when I’d been a guest at the home. “Did he mention those excursions to you?”
“Please remember that I am the one asking the questions, Miss Brouwer.”
I was pleased to see that the detective appeared taken aback by my revelations, and I decided to press my position. “If I were the detective assigned to this case, I would talk to Tyson’s family and inquire why he’s spending his summer in Collinsford rather than at home. At the very least, you’d think he would be working alongside his father in the family’s business, wouldn’t you?” I asked with arched brows.
He appeared to be considering what I’d told him, but when he didn’t reply, I grasped his hand a little tighter to squeeze out a response. He startled at the pressure and met my eyes. “Mr. Farnsworth has as many suspicions about you as you seem to have about him.”
“Can I assume you’ll investigate my theories as closely as you have his?”
He chuckled. “Mr. Farnsworth and his family are well acquainted with the Galloways, while you’re more of a newcomer into their lives. Except to confirm you don’t have the jewelry in your possession, I haven’t been able to investigate you very well, Miss Brouwer.”
I didn’t know how he had determined I didn’t have the jewelry hidden in my room, but I didn’t want to ask. No need to give him further reason to doubt me. But something in my demeanor must have revealed my interest, for he grinned and said, “I searched your room after you and Mr. Kaestner left the boardinghouse.”
Before I could discover how he’d acquired a key to enter my room, the music stopped and the crowd swirled around us. I’d begun to question his entry into the boardinghouse and didn’t see Josef standing nearby.
“This man is a friend, Carrie? I heard him say my name, yet I do not know him.”
I startled and glanced over my shoulder and into Josef’s eyes; they had turned ominously dark. I wondered if this meeting would bring my short-lived friendship with Josef to a halt.
Stretching forward, the detective offered his hand. “Detective Nelson Lawton, Collinsford Police Department.”
Josef wasn’t quite so quick to extend his hand, but he finally reached out when the detective took another step toward him. “Josef Kaestner, which you already know.”
The detective nodded. “Manager and part owner of the carousel factory.”
Josef glowered. “How do you know this?” He glanced in my direction.
“I didn’t tell him,” I said, feeling the need to defend myself.
“Mr. Galloway told me who you are and where you live—primarily because I was questioning him about Miss Brouwer.”
Josef’s attention shifted back and forth between the detective and me. “You have some special reason for asking these questions?”
“I do, but it might be better if Miss Brouwer explained. Right now, I need to go back to the police station and investigate some information Miss Brouwer has given me.”
Josef watched the detective until he disappeared in the waning evening light and then turned back to
face me. “We can sit on the blanket while you tell me.”
My hands were sweating and my heart pounded beneath my rose-colored bodice as Josef escorted me across the grass. Once the police had become involved, the Galloways had given up control of the investigation. Why had I suggested the police be contacted? If I’d kept that thought to myself, Mr. Galloway would have probably received a payment from his insurance company, and life would have continued as usual. Instead, the matter remained under investigation.
I’d observed the worry in Josef’s eyes—or had it been suspicion? How much should I reveal? My thoughts twisted like a tangle of crochet thread.
The conversation didn’t go as well as I’d hoped. Because I didn’t want to tell him I was the primary suspect in the investigation, I zigzagged around most of Josef’s questions. I did tell him Mrs. Galloway’s expensive necklace and rings had been stolen, and the police had been contacted at my suggestion. That much was true, and it made me sound more like a partner in solving the crime than a suspect. By the time the conversation ended, Josef seemed convinced I was helping the detective solve the crime—and I said nothing to change his mind.
Later that night when I returned to my bedroom, I considered everything I hadn’t told Josef. I should have been completely honest with him. What was it I feared? Did I believe he, too, would consider me the best possible suspect? Surely after spending time with me over the past month and a half, he wouldn’t so quickly judge me. After all, neither the detective nor Tyson had convinced the Galloways I was a thief—and it certainly wasn’t from lack of trying.
Yet I hadn’t wanted to divulge Tyson’s unwanted advances to Josef. He would surely confront the wealthy young man. I could see it unfold before my eyes. The two men would argue; Tyson would feign ignorance; and the moment Josef was gone, Tyson would run to Augusta. He would tell her I had been secretly attempting to win his attentions. Instinctively I covered my ears. Moments later a tear trickled down my cheek. Augusta was desperate for Tyson’s affection. She’d made it clear she hoped to marry him. In her current state of mind, he could convince her of anything. Our friendship would lie in ruins. A flash of pain seared my brain. I massaged my temples and asked myself why it mattered what Josef thought.
The investigation had nothing to do with my performance at work, and my employment was the only thing Josef controlled. And perhaps my heart. That nagging thought had returned every day since it had first flitted through my mind late last Sunday night. Now that seed of thought had taken root and sprouted tendrils. Long taut vines that constricted each time I made a decision or spoke a word that affected my relationship with Josef. I must be careful to protect my heart. Over and over, I repeated the phrase. I hoped it would safeguard me from pain.
CHAPTER
21
June 7, 1890
A week later Josef and I were walking side by side after work and were nearing the boardinghouse. “You could still change your mind and tell Miss Galloway you have other plans,” he said.
“I could, but she would be slow to forgive. They are leaving for the summer months to enjoy the cooler weather at the home of friends in the Thousand Islands. We won’t see each other until they return in early September.”
“Augusta must always come first? Do you think she chooses you over Mr. Farnsworth?”
Without looking, I could see the disappointment in Josef’s eyes, just as I could hear it in his voice. Unable to give him an answer that would satisfy either of us, I offered a shrug in reply. He deserved more, but I didn’t want to be dishonest. Even more, I didn’t want to wound him with hastily spoken words.
Instead of continuing up the steps to the boardinghouse, he grasped my elbow. “If it is so important that she see you before she goes to this summer place, do you not think she could come here to visit with you on Sunday afternoon?”
There would be no escape, but nothing I said would please him. “I have given my word that I will attend, Josef. She is my friend, and I can’t break my promise. You would expect the same from me, wouldn’t you?”
His beetled brow told me he was at least considering what I’d said. Finally he nodded. “Ja, I would expect that. But I would do the same for you. I do not think Augusta does this. She is selfish with you.”
He was correct in his assessment of Augusta. She did expect me to be at her beck and call, and I didn’t think she’d ever change her plans on my account. I’d never asked her, but I knew it would require a matter of life and death if my request infringed upon her time with Tyson.
“You’re correct. She is selfish, but this is a farewell party of sorts. And if you want my company, I will be at your side for the remainder of the summer concerts and dances.”
“That would be gut. And when Augusta comes home from her summer island, you will be strong and can tell her no.”
I studied him for a moment and gave a firm nod. Convinced I must make a change in my relationship with Augusta, I determined to take control of my own social life—beginning tomorrow. “I’d better hurry, or I’ll not be ready when Augusta arrives for me.”
Josef laughed and shook his head. I knew what he was thinking. The Galloways would send a carriage, but Augusta wouldn’t be inside. Though she promised to come, she always sent someone in her stead. Josef’s laughter rang in my ears as I hiked my skirt and scaled the two flights of steps to my room. Who would arrive this evening?
I hadn’t organized my clothes before leaving for work. Now I needed to decide what I would wear. At least I wouldn’t be spending the night, so I didn’t need to pack a bag. Since the Galloways planned to depart on Sunday morning, I had a perfect excuse to return home when the party ended.
I managed to complete my toilette quickly, and as promised, Mrs. Wilson scaled the stairs and laced me into my corset. I’m not certain which one of us was breathing heavier when she finished. Dropping into the chair beside the window, she mopped her forehead with a corner of her apron.
“We’ve finished the task none too soon. Your escort has arrived.” She leaned closer and peered down at the street. For a moment I thought she might stick her head out the open window. “Driving a roundabout rather than the big fancy carriage.” Her brow tightened into a frown. “It’s that detective from the police station. What was his name again?”
I closed the distance in record time. Holding the fullness of my skirt aside, I stepped close to Mrs. Wilson and peeked across her shoulder. My heart skipped several beats before it raced into double time. In a silly effort to slow the quickening thud within my chest, I placed my hand on my bodice. It didn’t help.
“Carrie?” Mrs. Wilson was staring at me, her eyebrows resembling two thin question marks. “What is his name? Larson?”
“No, it’s Lawton.” In an effort to avoid further questions, I crooked my finger at the older woman, retrieved my reticule from atop the bureau, and stepped to the door as rapidly as my gown would permit.
Mrs. Wilson pushed up from the chair. Her breathing remained labored, and it was obvious she didn’t want to face the two flights of steps that awaited her. No matter she would be going down rather than up—she declared either way was a chore at her weight and age. She followed behind and clung to the handrail as we made our descent.
“Why did they send the detective to escort you?” she hissed when we reached the first landing.
Glancing over my shoulder, I touched my index finger to my pursed lips. “Shh. He’ll hear you,” I whispered.
“Don’t be silly. He’s out on the front porch. How can he hear us all the way up here?”
I continued my descent and was far ahead of Mrs. Wilson when I turned around and said, “Trust me. He has excellent hearing. Take your time. There’s no need for you to greet him.”
Those words were all it took for the older woman to step lively. “I don’t want the detective to think I’m impolite, Carrie.”
“We must be brief. I don’t want to be late. I promised Augusta I would arrive in time to help her with her hair.�
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The older woman clucked her tongue. “She has a maid but still expects you to help her. I believe Miss Galloway needs to think of someone other than herself.”
“Augusta frequently styled my hair when I was staying at their home.”
The only sign that Mrs. Wilson heard me was a soft grunt.
Fortunately, Detective Lawton refused her invitation to step inside. Mrs. Wilson frowned at his negative response, but I breathed a sigh of relief.
Once we were on our way, I turned to the detective. “Is there some particular reason that you’re acting as my driver, or did you request the duty?”
“With the Galloways preparing to leave for the summer and the crime still unsolved, I wanted the opportunity to speak with you alone and make certain you’re not planning to leave Collinsford.”
My muscles tightened and I gripped the edge of the seat. He still considered me his prime suspect, and that annoyed me in the extreme. After advising him I had no plans to leave Collinsford, I expressed my irritation. He merely shrugged and tweaked one end of his mustache, obviously unmoved by my outburst. I found his silence maddening.
Once I’d settled myself, I decided to try again. “If it wouldn’t be a betrayal of your position, I would appreciate knowing if you’ve investigated anyone else with the same zeal you’ve directed toward me.”
“I have.”
I stared at him and waited. He didn’t say anything more. “You have? That’s it? You have nothing more to add?”
“No.” He shook his head.
I wanted to shout that I deserved more of a response but knew it would serve no purpose. The detective didn’t plan to divulge the results of his investigation—if, in fact, he had investigated anyone other than me, which I truly doubted. I folded my hands in my lap, tightened my lips into a thin line, and decided I, too, would remain silent.
Save for the clopping horses’ hooves, the remainder of the ride passed in disquieting silence. When we arrived at the Galloway residence, the detective assisted me down. “If you decide to travel outside of Collinsford, you should advise me prior to your departure.” Dark pinpoint pupils bored into me while he awaited my answer.
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