by Rhys Bowen
I was ushered into an attractive front hall, decorated with hunting pictures, a curly hat stand, and an old wooden chest.
The maid went ahead of me through the doorway on the right. “A Mrs. Sullivan, ma’am. She is staying at the house across the street.”
“Of course she is,” said the voice. “Show her in, Maude.”
And I was invited into a charming sitting room. The furniture was very old and well polished. The sofa had comfortable cushions on it and the chairs needlepoint antimacassars. It smelled old—a mixture of beeswax, woodsmoke, and lavender water. A tiny old woman, wearing a white lace cap of a style that had long gone out of fashion, was seated in a high-backed chair near the window. Her face was smooth and pink, without a wrinkle in sight and her blue eyes were still bright.
“I’ve been watching you,” she said. “I am Miss Gallinger—Catherine Swan Gallinger to be precise.”
“Mrs. Daniel Sullivan,” I said, taking the bony little hand she extended to me and shaking it gently for fear it might shatter. “Molly Murphy Sullivan.”
She beamed. “I’m so glad you’ve come to visit. How kind. I rarely get visitors these days. Do sit down. Maude will bring us some coffee, or would you prefer lemonade?”
“Coffee would be lovely, thank you,” I replied as I took another high-backed chair close to her. “And it’s good of you to see me. I’ve wondered about this house every time I’ve passed it. Have you lived here a long time?”
“I was born here, my dear. My father was a sea captain, as was his father before him. He was lost at sea and I remained as companion to my dear mama. She died many years ago and it’s been my house ever since. I’ll die here soon and am content to do so.”
I nodded, wondering how to put what I wanted to ask. Again she gave me the right opening. “So you’re staying at the haunted castle, are you?”
“Haunted?” I asked. “Why haunted? Have you seen a ghost there?”
She had a delightful melodic laugh. “Oh, no. It’s just what we old-timers called it when we saw it being built. Why would anyone want to build a haunted castle, we asked ourselves? But then I probably shouldn’t make fun of it if you are connected to that family. And it has had more than its share of tragedy, in its few short years, hasn’t it?” She pulled back the lace curtain to take another look at it. “First the granddaughter and now we understand that Mr. Hannan has died tragically. I watched all those policemen coming and going. Tell me, do they suspect foul play?” She was looking at me eagerly.
“I believe they do,” I said. “Miss Gallinger, you are—” I paused, fishing for the right words—“you are so well positioned here to see who goes up and down this street, and I imagine you have a lot of time on your hands.”
She gave that musical laugh again. “A polite way of saying I’m a nosy old lady. But you’re quite right. Looking out of my window and catching glimpses of other people’s lives is about all I can do these days. We can no longer afford a carriage so I can’t go out. And I can only take a few steps. So I have to live vicariously.”
“The evening that Mr. Hannan was killed,” I said. “Did you see him arrive?”
“Oh, yes. He came in a hansom cab from the station.”
“How do you know it was from the station?”
Another laugh. “Because I recognized the horse. That cab picks up passengers from the trains.”
“What time was this?”
“It was just dark. Around seven-thirty, I’d say. I had not yet been summoned to dinner and I always dine at eight.”
“You are sure it was him?”
“Oh, yes. I see rather well for my age and I saw his face in the lantern light as he paid the cabby.”
“Was he alone?”
“Yes, quite alone. He went in through the gates but he didn’t go to the house. I believe he went off toward the outbuildings.”
“You didn’t see anyone else arriving either before or after him, did you?”
“I saw a young man. Skinny, not well dressed. He came not too long afterward. He tried to get in to the estate but the gates were locked. He spoke to someone through the gate but he was not admitted. So he went away again.”
“He didn’t try to get in by another way?”
“Not as far as I could see. It was quite dark by then, remember, but I think I spotted him walking back into town.”
“And after that?”
“After that the dinner gong went.”
Coffee arrived along with slices of rich fruitcake. The maid poured for us.
“Miss Gallinger, did you see anyone come to the house earlier in the day who wasn’t a family member?”
“Only you and a man I presume is your husband. Good-looking fellow, isn’t he?”
“Yes, he is,” I said. “But he’s been ill since you saw him. He came down with pneumonia.”
“I suspected something of the kind, didn’t I, Maude?” she asked. “When they sent for the doctor in the middle of the night I knew something was wrong.”
Clearly she didn’t miss a thing. I tried to think what else to ask her. “You heard, presumably, about the little girl who died, didn’t you?”
“The one eight years ago? Oh, yes. I heard about that. Such a shame. She was a pretty little thing, and friendly too. I could walk in my garden in those days and she used to wave to me through the gate. She blew me a kiss once.”
“And her sister?”
“Always two steps behind the other child, and certainly not as friendly. There’s something wrong with her, isn’t there? That’s why he brought her here to live and had the special quarters constructed for her?”
I stared at her in amazement. “You knew about that?”
“Oh, yes. How could I fail to know when I watched the workmen going in and out, bringing supplies in after dark, and they weren’t local men either. He brought the child in after dark too, so I realized she was supposed to be some kind of secret.”
“Do many people know about her?”
“Only myself and Maude, of course. I am not one to gossip, so I have never seen fit to mention her to visitors.” She took a sip of coffee, then looked at me, bright eyed. “Is that why you’ve come to see me? You hope I might have seen something that sheds some light on two baffling deaths?” Before I could answer she went on, “Oh, yes. I never did quite accept that the child’s death was the tragic accident they claimed it was. Children are resilient you know. They don’t fall easily and if they do fall they don’t die easily. So unless she landed wrongly and broke her neck, I don’t believe our cliffs are tall enough to kill anybody.”
“What are you suggesting?”
“It did cross my mind that she might have been dead before she was thrown over the cliff.”
I sat in stunned silence. I could hear the coffee cup rattling in my nervous hand. My brothers and I had fallen occasionally while we clambered on the cliffs at home and had seldom come away with more than scrapes and bruises. Of course a strong push from her sister would have sent Colleen plummeting down, and could have killed her, especially if she was facing away from the cliff edge and fell onto the back of her head. But what if she also had been poisoned first? Not that we’d have any way of finding out now, would we? I couldn’t see the family agreeing to unearthing her remains. I sensed Miss Gallinger staring at me while all this went through my mind.
“I can see you have questioned this too,” she said. “Are you a family member, my dear?”
“No, my husband was a business associate of Mr. Hannan, that’s all. No connection to the family.”
“If you don’t mind my saying so, you seem extremely interested for one who has no connection to the family.”
I smiled. “You are very astute. If you really want to know, I’m afraid the girl will be blamed for her grandfather’s death. And I’m also afraid that the local police won’t manage to find the true culprit.”
“And you think you will have a better chance of doing this than a policeman?” She cocked her head on on
e side, like a bird.
“No, of course not.” I laughed, feigning modesty.
“You may well do better than our local police,” she said. “Prescott was only made chief because of family connections. He hasn’t exactly demonstrated any great skills that I have witnessed. Good luck to you, my dear. I like a resourceful woman. I always felt I should have been able to make much of my life if I hadn’t been saddled with Mama.” She pulled back the drapes and peeked out of the window. “I believe you may have visitors,” she said, and indeed Sid and Gus were walking up the street toward the front gate.
“You’re right,” I said. “These are my friends from New York.”
“Staying at the Roman Palace, no less,” she said dryly. “My, but you move in exalted circles.”
“The Roman Palace is owned by my friend’s cousin,” I said. “She’s a Walcott.”
“Well, she would be, wouldn’t she?” She reached out and patted my hand. “You’d better run along then. But I’ll keep my eyes open for you, just in case there is anything else to be seen.”
“Thank you.” I smiled at her fondly. “I have enjoyed talking with you. I’d like to come again.”
As I went to go she said, “That family, they are great ones for secrecy, aren’t they? Such a lot to hide. All those comings and goings through the little door in the ivy.”
I turned back quickly. “Really?” I asked. “Who, for example?”
“The brother, for example.”
“Joseph Hannan or the priest?”
“Not the priest. The one who resembles Brian Hannan. Always slipping out—or helping a young woman to slip in.” She grinned wickedly. “And his son too. Slipping out, slipping in at the oddest hours.”
“I suspected that,” I said. “He seems like a devious one to me.”
“He went out that evening, you know. I was going to bed, looked out and I saw him. About nine-thirty or ten.”
“Interesting.”
I saw Gus and Sid opening the gate and going through. I knew I had to leave but I didn’t want to abandon this treasure trove of information.
“And I’ll tell you another one,” Miss Gallinger said. “The young woman. The daughter, isn’t she? Very beautiful, but also quite devious. She used to slip out a lot. In fact the day that the girl died, I don’t believe her mother was even there.” She paused for effect. “I never did find out where she went. Do tell me if you ever learn, won’t you? I should be most interested.”
“I will,” I said. “But I really must go now.”
“Of course you must,” she said. Then she called after me, “Take care, my dear. I suspect that the Hannan clan are not the nicest of people in some ways. It’s never good when people acquire money and don’t know what to do with it.”
Twenty-nine
Sid and Gus were just closing the front gate behind them when there was a clatter of horse’s hooves and a cab came up the street toward us at a lively clip. As I watched it came to a halt outside the gate. The cabby climbed down to assist the passenger and out climbed Daniel’s mother.
“Holy Mother of God,” I muttered. That was all I needed right now. But of course I hurried across to join her like a dutiful daughter-in-law.
“Mrs. Sullivan. How good of you to come,” I said.
“As if I could stay away with my boy lying at death’s door,” she said. “Why are you not at his side?”
“He is a lot better than when I sent you the telegram,” I said. “Still not his usual self, but at least that awful fever has broken.”
Gus and Sid had come over to join us as Mrs. Sullivan paid the cabby and the cab departed.
“You remember my mother-in-law, don’t you?” I said. “Mother Sullivan, you remember my two bridesmaids, Elena Goldfarb and Augusta Walcott.”
“Of course I do. I suppose you are here because your family owns one of the cottages, Miss Walcott?” Mrs. Sullivan was all charm and politeness.
“We’re here to support Molly,” Gus said. “She was so worried about Daniel and we thought she needed company.”
“How very kind of you. Molly, you are lucky to have such considerate friends,” she said. “But don’t let’s stand here. Take me to my boy.” I opened the gates and ushered them through. “My my,” she said. “What an imposing-looking place. Not that I’d want it for myself … drafty inside, is it?”
“Rather gloomy,” I said, “but we are not staying there. We are in the little guest cottage on the property. It’s rather cramped, as you’ll see.”
I led them up the path and the thatched cottage came into view.
“Good heavens, now why would anyone build an old thing like that,” Mrs. Sullivan said. “No wonder Daniel got sick. I’m sure that thatch harbors all kinds of insects and diseases.”
“Mind how you go,” I said as I led her up the stairs, with Sid and Gus bringing up the rear.
“Look who I found on my way back from town,” I said, ushering them in to Daniel.
Daniel’s eyes widened. “Ma, what are you doing here?”
“Your wife sent me a telegram that you were at death’s door. I came as soon as I could,” she said. She sat on the bed beside him and took his hand. “How are you, my dear? You don’t look well at all.”
“Certainly feeling better than I was yesterday,” Daniel said. “It was good of you to come.”
“I’ll stay and help Molly take care of you now that I’m here,” she said. “You need building up, that’s for sure. What have you been eating?”
“Very little,” I said for him. “He doesn’t want to eat.”
Mrs. Sullivan patted his hand as if he were a child. “Don’t worry, his mother knows what to tempt him with. If your wife will show me to my room, I’ll go straight down to the kitchen and make you your favorite things.”
“I’m really not up for waffles and that kind of stuff, Ma,” Daniel said.
“Then I’ll poach an egg just the way you like it, and some stewed fruit, maybe? With a vanilla sauce?” She nodded with satisfaction when he didn’t answer. “Come on then, Molly. Where am I to sleep?”
“I’m afraid there’s just one small bedroom through here,” I said. I opened the door. It did look dark and gloomy, with the window opening at the back of the house onto pine trees.
“It will have to do,” she said, the disapproval clear in her voice. “I’m surprised they didn’t invite you to come up to the castle when Daniel became ill.”
“They have their own problems at the moment,” I said. “The owner of the castle, Alderman Hannan, was found dead two days ago.”
“God rest his soul.” She crossed herself. “What a shock. Heart, was it?”
“No, a fall from the cliffs.”
“I thought I overheard someone in the train talking about the alderman’s death, but I didn’t realize it was the man who owned this estate. They were saying what a good thing it was for Tammany Hall. Apparently he was supporting one candidate to head up Tammany but the rank and file wanted another man—silent Charlie Murphy, I believe they called him. Alderman Hannan was dead set against this Murphy and everyone feared a rift. The two men opposite me said that his death was a godsend. I thought that was a funny way to put it, don’t you?”
I nodded. “Strange. But then Tammany politics have always been strange, haven’t they?”
“They’ve done plenty for the Irish, so we can’t say too much against them.” She looked up as Sid put her bag on the chair beside the bed. “Thank you, my dear. Now show me where the kitchen is and I’ll get started.”
“We have a local girl who’s been cooking for us,” I said.
“Splendid. Then she can help me.” With that Mrs. Sullivan marched down the stairs and into the kitchen. I pitied Martha. I went back upstairs to find Sid and Gus standing talking to Daniel.
“Don’t worry, Captain Sullivan, we are not about to tire you with idle girlish chitchat,” Sid said. “But do let us know if there’s anything we can do, other than keep dear Molly company.”
“You’re most kind,” Daniel said, “and frankly there’s nothing I do need at the moment. I confess to feeling as weak as a kitten.”
“Well, isn’t this turning into a merry party,” I said, joining them.
“Why on earth did you have to send a telegram to my mother?” he asked with a resigned sigh.
“The doctor told me to prepare for the worst and to notify your loved ones. I thought she ought to know,” I said. “I didn’t expect her to show up here.”
“You obviously don’t know my mother well enough yet.” He managed a tired smile.
“Anyway, I’ve seen the doctor’s wife and he will include you in his daily round,” I said. “Maybe he can make you up a suitable tonic. But in the meantime, what about some fresh air? Could we assist you downstairs, between us, or at least put you beside the open window?”
“I don’t think I could tackle the stairs yet,” he said. “But I could sit in the window if it would make you happy.”
We moved the little armchair and then helped him across to it, surrounding him with pillows and rugs. When we’d finished he had to laugh. “Look at me, I look like a ninety-year-old.”
“I brought you a copy of the Times when I was in town,” I said. “And some grapes and oranges.”
He took the newspaper. “I might manage a grape,” he said.
“And you remember the portrait of the little girl,” I said. I wondered why I found it so hard to use her name.
“In the gallery? You didn’t buy it, did you?”
“No. It had gone. The man at the gallery said that the painter had taken it back. He thought maybe he had found his own buyer. I thought it might be interesting to find who had wanted to buy the picture at this exact moment.”
Daniel wagged a finger at me. “Molly, what are you up to? Remember I warned you about getting involved in a case that doesn’t concern us. The local police are handling it and we should leave it to them, however annoyingly slow they seem to be. Now you women please leave me to enjoy my newspaper.”
As we went down the stairs Gus whispered to me, “He’s not looking well yet, is he, Molly? I hope sitting in the chair is not too much for him.”