All three suddenly recalled the fainting aunt, who relieved them of concern by appearing in the doorway and then walking weakly to a chair Peter pushed forward for her. She
“Poor girl,” Mrs. Brace said. “She’d been caring for little Elizabeth for the weekend while her brother and his wife were away. Of course she’s been desolated.”
“And little need for it from that point of view,” Inspector Harrity said. “This job had been planned a long time. Think of them renting a house all open like this! Here they could settle in with the stolen baby and wait their good time to collect ransom.”
“Her brother being a wealthy man,” Mrs. Brace inserted tidily, as if to make sure there were no loose ends.
“I can never thank you all enough,” Margery said faintly. Mrs. Brace reached for the baby and said, “You are still shaky, aren’t you? Better let me take over.”
Margery hesitated to surrender the child, not unnaturally in view of having recovered her only minutes before, and Peter said kindly, “Don’t worry, Margery. Mother is very capable.” He watched indulgently as the baby changed hands. “There’s nothing my mother likes so much as taking over,” he added reassuringly.
Margery pushed at her brown hair and said, “I suppose I look awful.”
“Awful is hardly the word I’d use,” Peter told her approvingly, then asked suddenly, “Do you happen to like beef stew?”
Margery looked surprised. “As a matter of fact I do,” she told him. “But why?”
“I needn’t have asked, really,” Peter told her. “My mother leaves nothing to chance.”
Table of Contents
COPYRIGHT INFO
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
The MEGAPACK™ Ebook Series
ACCUSED
THE SEARCH FOR A DEAD MAN'S BODY
MURDER—EARLY AMERICAN
POOR SHERM
THE HARRINGTON FARTHING
IS THERE A DOCTOR IN THE HOUSE ?
THE PERFECT HUSBAND
SILENTLY, SILENTLY
THE CRIME THAT DID NOT FOLLOW
The 2nd Golden Age of Mystery and Crime MEGAPACK ™: Ruth Chessman Page 15