Murder of the Mysterious Maid

by Megan Mollson

  Once my hair was arranged in a simple braid and I’d settled myself into a loose house dress, I nestled myself onto the window seat in my room and picked up my book. The house made its usual sounds, creaking and settling. We kept a housekeeper, butler, cook, chamber maid, and now a lady’s maid. I didn’t know how many of them were home, but from the complete lack of sounds of life, I guessed that I might be the only one in the house.

  It was a pleasant feeling rather than an eerie one. I enjoyed the company of other people, but there were rare times when I longed to be alone. After the strange events of the day, I had never been happier to know I wouldn’t be interrupted.

  I’d read no more than ten pages when there was movement in the hall. I frowned and hoped that it was the chamber maid returning a stack of clean linens to the closet. When my door opened and June entered, I felt that my quiet evening had been spoiled. It was a silly reaction, but I couldn’t seem to help myself.

  “Miss Rose, what are you doing here?” she seemed more upset than startled by my presence.

  “My headache was too painful and I decided to stay home. I know you were to have the night off, so don’t worry about me. I’ll take care of myself.” I wanted her to leave so I could get back to being alone.

  She looked troubled. “Would you like me to fetch you some tea? Or some supper? Cook’s out, but I could make you something simple.”

  Please, just go. “I’m not hungry for anything but quiet,” I tried to make it sound as though I was making a joke.

  “You’ll just stay in here? And go to bed early?” She was wringing her hands. I would have found her concern sweet if I wasn’t so inclined to be annoyed.

  “That sounds lovely.”

  “If you’re sure, then,” she still seemed to be wondering what her duties were.

  “Quite sure,” I said with a tight smile. “I might even get into bed as soon as you leave.”

  Her forehead relaxed. “I was just going to take your jewelry box downstairs and polish them. I thought a few of the chains needed oiling.”

  “You don’t have to do anything on your night off, June,” I said without thinking. Then I stopped. If this would get her out of my room, I didn’t really care. “But thank you for seeing to that.”

  She nodded and picked up the box from my bed then went to the door. “Have a good night, miss.”

  I sighed as soon as the door closed behind her. What was the likelihood that she would stay away? I wasn’t sure. It would be best for me to get into bed and blow out my light as soon as I could. However, I had no sooner turned my attention back to my novel than I found that I wasn’t the least bit sleepy. In fact, I was growing positively ravenous.

  I rubbed my forehead and sighed again. There was nothing for it. Even after all my assurances to June that I wasn’t hungry, I would simply have to eat. Perhaps it would help soothe my painful head. Hoping I wouldn’t draw attention, I put on my satin slippers and crept downstairs.

  Our house wasn’t as big as the Dennises. We didn’t have a separate wing for the kitchen and laundry. However, our kitchen was bordered by a hallway that led to the servants’ sitting room where I knew they also ate meals around a scrubbed wooden table. Harrison’s room was beyond this and there was an empty room for the valet or footman we didn’t currently employ. The female servants had rooms in the attic. The cook often complained about having to handle two flights of stairs, but I knew that she liked her room up there rather a lot.

  My goal was to be as quiet as possible as I moved around the kitchen filling a plate. There were voices from back in the servants’ sitting room and I guessed that Harrison hadn’t gone out as planned from the contrast between high and low voices drifting out to where I stood in the kitchen. It was just one more reason why I needed to be quiet. Harrison would make an enormous fuss if he found me taking care of my own needs.

  I stepped into the pantry and took the lid off the cookie jar. Father’s cook made the most wonderful oatmeal cookies. Feeling like a naughty child, I pulled three out of the jar and replaced the lid. Then I snaked my hand back in and pulled out one more, taking a quick bite out of it right away.

  I paused at the door to the pantry, listening for sounds of movement in the kitchen. As my ears strained for any sound, my eyes roved to the back door which stood slightly ajar. I blinked at it in confusion. Why was our back door opened? It was odd to say the least. Had someone stepped outside to visit the privy and not latched it properly?

  Well, it didn’t matter much to me. I was about to walk over and close it when voices sounded in the kitchen and I sank back into the deeper shadows of the pantry. Oh, please don’t come in here, I prayed.

  There was a man’s voice, though I realized with a jolt that it wasn’t Harrison’s voice. Who was in our kitchen?

  “Go back into the sitting room. I’ll take it from here,” the stranger said.

  “Please, sir. Don’t go to Miss Rose’s room. I already got her jewelry box. There’s nothing valuable there now.” It was June and she sounded very upset.

  What in the world were they talking about? I tried to make sense of the words, my mind absolutely unwilling to recognize them for what they really were.

  “I’ve had enough trouble in this town,” the man’s voice was growing mean. “This place had better be worth it.”

  “I don’t know that there are many valuables here,” June was afraid, I could tell. “I never found a safe or any locked boxes.”

  “You’re still too green to know that what’s valuable in wealthy houses like this one is rarely money. Jewels, paintings, even figurines can be worth enormous sums. Flora and Hal knew what to look for. I’m sorry I have to work with anyone as stupid as you are.”

  I bit my lip. This man was a thief and June was working for him! Betrayal nipped at my fingers and I had to fight to keep from growing angry. I needed to stay sharp and losing my temper would only make me do something rash.

  “Robbing the chief of police is too dangerous,” June wheedled. “I don’t like it.”

  “You didn’t seem to mind when I offered you a hundred dollars to take this position,” the man sneered. “You thought it was a good idea then.”

  Her voice was petulant as she said, “I needed the money to care for my sister. I never thought it was a good idea.”

  “Well, your sister will be alone in this world if anything goes wrong tonight. It’s bad enough that the girl is here when you assured me she’d be out.”

  “She was sick. No one could have predicted that. I made her promise to stay in bed. As long as you don’t go near that room, she’ll never know you were here.”

  The man laughed cruelly. “If I didn’t know better, I’d think that you were worried I might harm your mistress. Do what I tell you and I’ll leave her alone. If you put one toe out of line, I’ll make sure she never wakes up.”

  “Are you going to stab her, too?” June cried.

  “I learned the hard way that stabbing is too messy. I’ll put a pillow over her face and she’ll be dead in a matter of minutes. But you know I’ll do it. I killed my own wife when she turned on me. I have no qualms about killing a spoiled socialite. Now, let’s get moving. We’re wasting time talking. Fetch me a candle and I’ll start in the front room.”

  I bit my lip as June’s footsteps moved toward the pantry. My heart pounded behind my ribs and I was sure that my breathing was audible. She stepped into the room and reached for the candles, then turned and our eyes met.

  My mind flashed with ideas. I should put a hand over her mouth to silence her inevitable shriek. I should push her back into the pantry and run out the door. I should beg for mercy.

  Her eyes grew wide, but she made no noise. June glanced toward the kitchen where her partner waited and then she looked back at me, raised a finger to her lips, and walked out without a word. I listened as the man fumbled for a match and lit the candle. He issued instructions to June and then his footsteps echoed down the hallway.

  In a moment, Ju
ne was back.

  “I’m so sorry, miss! I’m so sorry!”

  “What’s going on, June?” I shoved my plate onto a box on the shelf. “Are you helping that man to rob us?”

  She was crying, her voice full of fear. “My sister is not right, miss. She’s simple and I’m the only one left to care for her. I have to pay someone to watch her all the time. Someone must have told that man about me because he knew I was desperate to earn more money. I didn’t think I had a choice when I agreed to help him.”

  She sniffled piteously. “But then I started working here and you were so nice to me. I felt terrible about what we were going to do. I tried to tell him to stop but he wouldn’t listen. He thinks that robbing the chief of police will be some sort of triumph.”

  Surprisingly, my heart went out to the girl. I found that I understood her predicament.

  “Do you think you could run for the police?” I asked.

  “I don’t want to leave you here, miss,” she shook her head.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ll stay here. He won’t think to look in the pantry.”

  “He will. He said that cooks often hide cash in their pantries. Let’s both go for the police.”

  “I only have my slippers on. I’d have to go back upstairs to find better shoes.” I chewed my lip.

  “I’ll get them for you, miss. I know just the pair. If he hears me walking about, he won’t think anything of it.”

  I nodded and she scurried off, as quiet as a mouse. I prayed silently as I paced in the confined space, unable to stand still as I waited in the dark. I begged God to keep the servants away until the thief had left. I pleaded that June might return quickly and safely. I suggested that the thief would be better occupied at the front of the house until June got back.

  Footsteps nearby made me freeze in place. Were they a woman’s or a man’s? I couldn’t quite decide.

  “What are you doing with those shoes?” a man’s voice pierced the quiet.

  “I… I…” June fumbled.

  “Where’s the girl? Did you warn her to get away?”

  “No, I swear, I didn’t!” June was growing desperate. Then she cried out in fear.

  “What’s her name? Tell me!” The man demanded.

  “Miss Rose.”

  He called to me, “Miss Rose! I know you’re down here.” His voice was silky smooth and full of danger. “Come out now or I’ll kill June. I’ve a pistol pointed at her head at this very moment.”

  I felt as though someone had punched me in the stomach. My mind reeled, trying to think of some way to make this situation turn out all right. When nothing came to mind, I took a deep breath and stepped into the kitchen.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Time was moving strangely. I could almost feel it rushing past and yet it paused as I picked up interesting details. The pistol pressed against June’s head. The dark-haired man wearing a gentleman’s suit. The sound of my slippers on the kitchen floor. I’d been afraid earlier that day when facing a man with a knife. Now, June’s life was in danger and I knew this man had killed before. He was the murderer we’d been searching for. Terror kept clawing at me and I was having trouble breathing.

  I thought of and discarded a dozen plans as I walked slowly into the light of the lantern June must have brought from the sitting room previously. How long ago had Father left? Would he be returning soon? When would Harrison or the cook or anyone else come back? Did I have a chance of distracting this man and running to the telephone?

  I didn’t have any answers, but I knew I needed time to think. I had to stall him as long as I could and hope against hope that help could be summoned.

  “You’re growing sloppy,” I said boldly. “I suppose that’s what happens when your partners are dead or in jail.”

  He jerked in surprise. He hadn’t expected me to know who he was. Well, if that shocked him, I was about to positively knock him off his feet.

  “Your name is Donald, isn’t it? I’m sorry, I don’t know your last name, Mr…”

  Again, he gaped at me, trying to understand how I knew so much. But, I knew far more about this man than he could guess. I went on. “Is it Dilmount or Dobson? Or were those both no more than aliases your wife used?”

  He raised an eyebrow and straightened. “I had no idea you were so well informed, Miss Rose. I suppose being the daughter of the police chief means that you’re privy to information the general public doesn’t know.”

  I shrugged as though we weren’t in mortal peril. “I know a great deal, but I still have some questions. They are only little things, but I wonder if you’d be willing to sate my curiosity.”

  “What do you want to know?” He appeared amused at this turn of events. Perhaps he’d be willing to humor me.

  “Why exactly did you kill Flora? Oh, it doesn’t really matter, but I was wondering. Was she getting too close to Hal? Did she want to give up the life of crime? Had she hidden something valuable away?”

  He chuckled wryly. “You do know a lot, don’t you? I didn’t intend to kill Flora. We argued about the future and one thing led to another and she hit me. I grew angry and before I realized what I’d done, I’d stabbed her.”

  “I suppose she wanted to retire from her life of crime since she was carrying your child.”

  “She did. How did you know she was expecting?”

  I ignored this question. “You heard someone coming and had to break the window to escape,” I finished the story for him.

  “That’s right. Now, Miss Rose, I need to make sure that you and June here are out from under my feet. I’m going to finish this job and get out of this stinking town. If the pair of you follow my directions, I’ll let you live. Now, start walking upstairs.”

  I did as he instructed. I knew his name and his face. It could make a difference so long as I lived to tell about it. Still, I wasn’t counting on it. He was a violent man and had killed before. There was no telling what he would do to make sure he escaped.

  We were taken into my bedroom and Donald pulled out a length of cord from his pocket to tie us up. I wanted desperately to believe that he was going to let us live, but once our hands were tied, we would be at his mercy.

  “How did Flora escape the Grand Hotel? Where else have the two of you worked?” I asked without preamble, hoping to get him talking again. “Did you know you killed your own child when you killed your wife?”

  “Shut up!” Donald snapped and slapped me hard across the face.

  I fell to the ground, momentarily stunned as my ear rang and pain exploded, radiating down my neck.

  “Miss Rose!” June screamed.

  I looked up and saw him trying to hold my maid as she fought to reach me. She scratched and clawed at him until he pulled out his pistol once again.

  “I see that the two of you are going to be more trouble than you’re worth.” He cocked the gun.

  Without stopping to think, I jumped to my feet and pushed his arm up. The shot rang out but I knew the bullet had gone over June’s head. Donald growled and swung his hand at me again, though this time I was able to dodge it. Remembering the incident earlier, I looked around for something to use as a weapon.

  My eyes landed on my dressing table and I grabbed the silver-backed hairbrush and whirled around. June was dodging Donald’s fist and, as he swung, he turned his back on me. I lifted the brush and slammed it down on the back of his head. Without waiting to see if he was dead, I grabbed June and we took off running.

  Heavy footsteps and muttered curses in my bedroom warned that Donald wasn’t far behind. I hadn’t even succeeded in knocking him unconscious. We wouldn’t make it out of the house and if we did, there was no way we’d be able to get far before we were caught.

  I ducked around a corner and pulled June with me. “Hide upstairs. I’m going to run down and telephone the police.”

  June nodded wordlessly and I slipped down the back stairs. I ran across the kitchen, down the hallway and skidded into the front room. I picked up the ear piece
, turned the crank, and prayed that the operator wasn’t otherwise engaged.

  “How may I direct your call?” a businesslike voice asked.

  “Send the police to number four Oak Drive. There’s an intruder. Please hurry!”

  Message delivered, I returned the ear piece to its hangar and looked around for a place to hide. Footsteps on the stairs warned that Donald was coming my way. I dashed to the fireplace and grabbed up one of the pokers before diving into the cranny between the fireplace and heavy grandfather clock.

  I could hear Donald’s breathing as he moved through the dining room. Footsteps echoed as he strode into the parlor.

  How long would it take the police to arrive? Had my message been sent through? What if the operator had gotten our address wrong?

  I thought my heart would explode as I heard the first footstep in the office. He was moving carefully now, sure that he was closing in on his quarry. I could hear him breathing heavily and he prowled and I knew that he would hear me if he only stood still. His footsteps paused and I closed my lips and my eyes, willing myself to stand completely still.

  A scream escaped me when his hand closed around my arm and jerked me from my hiding place. My eyes flew open and I tried to pull back my arm so I could hit him with the fireplace poker.

  He blocked my swing with his arm and hit me again. My face, already throbbing from his first slap, felt like it had been hit by a brick. I fell to the floor and wondered if I cared enough to get up. I was disoriented and the burst of pulsing energy that had guided me was starting to drain away.

  I blinked up at him and, through my one working eye, saw that I was looking down the barrel of his pistol.

  He laughed. “It looks as though I win.”

  I gulped and held up my hands uselessly. Was this it, then? Would Donald win after all?

  Suddenly, a flying shape knocked the burglar to the ground. I scrambled back from the two wrestling figures. They were shadowed blurs as the exchanged punches and grunts. The two rolled apart and came up crouching, facing each other. As they circled I recognized Cal Lloyd. I didn’t have time to wonder how he’d known that I was in trouble as the two drew closer to me again.