Lethal Remedies

by M. Louisa Locke

  Laura asked, “Do you think he could be trying to kill her so he can get all her money?”

  “I certainly hope not. But my fear is that we won’t ever really know what happened. In that case, if someone was actually trying to kill her, what’s to stop them from trying again when she returns home?”

  Annie had just finished telling her sister-in-law about Martin Mitchell’s appearance at the boardinghouse this morning, with his news about how Charlie McFadyn had barged into the dispensary, when Tilly came over and quietly asked if she should take Abigail upstairs and try to put her down.

  Annie looked at her daughter, who was sound asleep and copiously drooling on Laura’s shoulder, and said, “Oh, Tilly, that would be perfect. And if you don’t mind waiting a bit to make sure she doesn’t wake right up again, that would be a help. Mr. Dawson will be home soon, and I’ll come up then.”

  After Tilly shifted the baby from Laura’s shoulder to her own and went up the back stairs, Annie turned to Kathleen and said, “I wanted you to tell Laura what you learned from Hilda Putki about Mr. McFadyn, but Mrs. O’Rourke and I decided that it would be best if we could spare Tilly the details about that poor girl’s experiences. That is, if you don’t mind talking while you iron?”

  “Of course not, ma’am. I’ve just these handkerchiefs and dinner napkins to finish. As you know from experience, they’re a right sight easier to do than a man’s dress shirt.” Kathleen gave Annie a saucy smile.

  “Oh, Kathleen, in my brief experience, I was as likely to burn a small square of linen as anything else.”

  Laura got up and put the kettle on, saying, “Someday, I want the full story of your time as a maid, Annie, but right now, I do want to hear about Hilda. Did she admit that this man was the father?”

  “Oh yes,” Kathleen replied. “When I told her that a Mr. McFadyn stopped by asking for her, she went white as a sheet. She then started to get out of bed, saying she had to leave the dispensary now that he knew where she was. Let me tell you, I had to talk fast to get her to settle down. I told her that Dr. Blair and Matron swore they wouldn’t let him touch her or the baby when it came, hadn’t even admitted she was there.”

  Laura chimed in, “How did he know how to find her?”

  “No one knows that for sure,” Annie said. “Although there aren’t that many places in town that would take in a young, pregnant girl, so there weren’t that many places he had to scout out. Dr. Blair said he could have gotten something out of one of the other newsboys that come to visit Jocko, the boy at the dispensary I told you about.”

  “Or one of the servants working there might have told him, especially if he offered money. Might not’ve seen the harm in it,” Kathleen added.

  “Did Hilda say how she met him?” Laura asked.

  Kathleen went over and put the iron she had been using on the stove and picked up and tested the second one that had been heating. The sizzle of her spit said it was too hot, so she held it in the air while she answered Laura. “It took some time, but she finally came out with the story. She’d been working for a couple. The husband runs a hardware store. This McFadyn’s a good friend, comes round most weekends. Hilda’s mistress goes up to bed, leaving the two men to get drunk. Hilda said McFadyn was always trying to catch her in the hallways, interfere with her. One night her master fell asleep and McFadyn snuck up on her as she was coming downstairs to use the privy. Raped her. Course, she didn’t call it rape. I’m not sure she really knows what happened, except she said it hurt and she didn’t like it.”

  Annie felt a cold chill go down her spine at Kathleen’s description, remembering her own short time as a servant and how she’d almost experienced a similar fate.

  Laura said, “And she got pregnant, after just that one time?”

  Kathleen nodded. “She says that’s the only time he got hold of her. Though I doubt she’d admit it if it happened more than once. What I do believe is she didn’t encourage him. Not like in some cases where a man sells a girl some story about marrying her or gives her stuff and she tells herself, why not have a bit of fun?”

  Annie felt a sharp pang, wondering if that had ever happened to Kathleen. But no, she was too sensible. Annie had watched how careful Kathleen was, even with Patrick, now that they were courting.

  “When did she discover she was pregnant?” Laura asked.

  “Her mistress was the first to notice,” Kathleen said. “Before even Hilda, who said she couldn’t figure at first what the woman was on about, shouting at her, telling her she was a disgrace and that she was going to throw her out of the house. Sounded to me like her mistress thought it was her husband who was the father. But McFadyn, who was visiting at the time, stepped in and said the baby was his. I swear, I think that was the first Hilda had an inkling that there was a connection between what McFadyn had done to her and the news that she was going to have a baby.”

  Laura snorted and said, “Surely the girl isn’t that innocent? Is she simple-minded?”

  Kathleen frowned, and before she could respond, Annie said, “Laura, you forget the poor child never had a mother, was working as a servant by the age of twelve. And she didn’t grow up like you and I did on a ranch, where the simple facts of procreation are hard to miss. I doubt the good women of the Ladies’ Protective and Relief home that brought her up did much to enlighten her in that area, either.”

  Kathleen started ironing again and said, “Anyways, McFadyn took Hilda aside and said that he’d straightened things out with her mistress and she could continue to work there until the child came, and then he’d give her the money to take care of herself and her child.”

  Laura, more temperately, said, “And she believed him?”

  “I don’t say she believed him, but what was her choice?” Kathleen said. “Leave her position? She’d starve in a week. And she’s real determined that her child won’t grow up in an orphanage like she did. So she hoped he was telling the truth.”

  Annie said, gently, “Did she tell you what made her decide to try to get rid of the child?”

  “She won’t admit that was what she did,” Kathleen said. “She’s sticking to her story that ‘a friend,’ gave her something to drink to settle her stomach. She did confess, though, that she decided to run away when she overheard her mistress talking with her husband about McFadyn’s plans. Turns out he’s married to a wife who’s barren, and he said he got his wife to agree to adopt Hilda’s baby if it turned out to be a boy. She said that was what made her decide she would never let the man have her child, no matter what. First time I really saw some backbone in the girl, when she told me that.”

  Laura said, “What an awful man! So that’s when she left. Where did she think she could go?”

  Annie said, “Dr. Blair thinks that she was trying to make it to the Ladies’ Protective and Relief home, place where she’d lived as an orphan. Would make sense for her to go there to ask for their help.”

  Kathleen nodded. “Almost made it when she fainted, crawled into a garden. That’s where Dr. Granger’s daughter found her. Hilda thinks the world of the Grangers and the people at the dispensary. Said they were the first people in her life who showed her true kindness.”

  Nate thanked Kathleen as she helped him out of his coat in the front hall. It was wickedly cold tonight, and he’d had to stand about ten minutes on the corner of Sansome and Market before the horse car came. The last two blocks up O’Farrell from Market were the worst, the stiff wind barreling down the hills from the west had about frozen his face, and he’d forgotten his gloves again. Not surprising, given how few hours of sleep he’d had last night and Mitchell’s unexpected arrival just as he was about to leave the house.

  “The mistress is up in your rooms, sir, with Abigail. She’s teething, having trouble sleeping,” Kathleen said as she hung the coat up on the hall stand. “Would you like me to bring you up something to eat? Mrs. O’Rourke has retired, but there’s a nice slice of pot roast in the pantry that will make a good sandwich.”
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br />   “No need, Miss Kathleen, but thanks. You head off to bed yourself.”

  He opened the door to the bedroom slowly, not wanting to wake Abigail if she was asleep. As he entered the room, he saw Annie was sitting up in bed, their daughter slumbering against her shoulder. The flame in the oil lamp on the table flickered as he closed the door behind him, causing the bits of fire in Annie’s light blonde hair to sparkle. She smiled at him and put her finger to her lips.

  God in heaven, she’s so beautiful. They both are.

  Annie said very quietly, “Could put her into her crib at the foot of the bed. She’s been so fussy today, teething, I thought it might be better if she slept in our room tonight. Is that all right?”

  Nate nodded his assent and took the sleeping child into his arms, hoping the chill in his hands didn’t get through the blanket wrapped around her. She didn’t even twitch as he put her down on her back and pulled the small quilt over her. He stood looking at her for a moment, making sure she wouldn’t waken.

  Annie got out of bed to stand beside him and said, “Did you speak to Kathleen? She said she would be glad to get you something to eat.”

  “Yes, I did, but I sent her off to bed. I need sleep more than I need food, and she’s had an even longer day than we’ve had. Also, Uncle Frank brought in some fruitcake that a client gave him that I nibbled on this evening. Not as good as Mrs. O’Rourke’s, but very sustaining.”

  As he started to undress, Annie taking his clothes from him to put in the wardrobe, he said, “I’m sorry to hear that Abigail’s had a hard day. Were you still able to go to the dispensary for your morning meeting?”

  “Yes, in fact, I went again in the afternoon, taking Kathleen with me so she could speak with Hilda while I was talking to Mrs. Truscott.”

  Nate was about to question her about why she’d taken two trips but then stopped, knowing she might see that as a criticism. If he was honest, he supposed it was. He was glad that he’d refrained when she went on to say that by taking two trips, she didn’t have to leave their daughter alone for any length of time and that she’d taken advantage of Caro Sutton’s offer and used her carriage and driver for both trips.

  Nate took his nightshirt from Annie and said, “Can I assume that nothing happened today that needed my legal advice? Richard Truscott didn’t come calling with the police?”

  “Not as far as I know. Now come to bed and I will tell you all about my day, and you can tell me about yours.”

  He poked at the embers in the fireplace to make sure they were scattered, putting up the fire screen as well. Then he brought the lamp over to put beside the bed, where Annie was now sitting with a shawl around her shoulders, ready for what she called a good cozy chat. He was glad to see her sounding so cheerful. Such a difference from last month when Abigail’s first two teeth started coming in and his wife seemed as crotchety as their child was each evening when he got home.

  He listened as Annie recounted succinctly the outcome of her morning meeting over the financial status of the dispensary. Sounded like at least the formal part of her job was going smoothly since she said she wouldn’t have any trouble completing the auditor’s report by next week’s board meeting. He was also glad to hear that Mrs. Truscott seemed on the mend, although he agreed with Annie’s concerns about what would happen when she regained her health and decided to return home.

  Annie said, “The problem is that she believes that if she convinces her husband and aunt to abide by her wishes and dismiss Dr. Skerry, everything will be all right and nothing more will happen to her.”

  “She could be right, Annie. Even if Dr. Skerry, for whatever reason, was giving her a dose of drugs to make her ill on purpose, once the doctor and her drugs are banished, everything may go back to normal.”

  Annie frowned. “Even if that’s true, shouldn’t we be doing something to make sure Dr. Skerry doesn’t do something similar to some other patient? I mean, what if she’s been systematically making people ill?”

  “Like some sort of serial poisoner? I don’t know, Annie. That doesn’t sound plausible. Wouldn’t people get suspicious?”

  Nate paused, trying to recall a case he had read about in law school, some English doctor who was dubbed the Prince of Poisoners. But this man’s targets had been family members, not patients. He thought he wouldn’t mention this to Annie, but maybe it would be worth talking to his law partner, Able Cranston, who specialized in criminal law. He might know of other cases.

  “And, if it turns out it isn’t Dr. Skerry who is behind the poisoning,” Annie said, “then the most likely suspect is Richard Truscott, and his intent might be murder. That would be even worse. What’s to stop him from waiting a bit and then using some other method to kill her and get all her money?”

  “That’s all speculation for now. Let me tell you about my conversation with Sergeant Thompson.”

  Annie seemed disappointed that Thompson hadn’t thought there was any way he could get a warrant to search the Truscotts’ house, but she perked up when he told her that the sergeant knew all about Charlie McFadyn, which seemed to match what Kathleen had learned about him from Hilda.

  Nate said, “Sure sounds like McFadyn is the father, and he sounds like a thorough bounder. Thompson suggested you might be able to find out more about him if you asked Kitty’s father, seeing that McFadyn works for Boss Buckley. Peter Blaine certainly struck me as the kind of man who likes to know everything he can about his enemies, including the men who work for them.”

  Annie said, “I’m not sure the good women of the Pacific Dispensary would want me to go that route. But I will keep it in mind. Remember how I discovered that Dr. Skerry’s brother had some role in the Workingmen’s Party? If he’s still active in politics, you don’t suppose he’s hooked up with this Buckley? That could mean Skerry’s brother, and maybe even Dr. Skerry, might know McFadyn.”

  Nate was always surprised by how his wife’s mind worked as she constantly tried to put pieces of any puzzle together. He said, “You think Dr. Skerry and Charlie McFadyn could somehow be working together in some fashion? That’s a nasty idea. But I guess it could happen.”

  Annie nodded. “What worries me the most is I can’t let go of that sentence in Richard Truscott’s letter, accusing the dispensary of malpractice. What if McFadyn somehow learned that Hilda tried to terminate her pregnancy and he told Skerry. I mean McFadyn must have some sort of inside information or he wouldn’t have come into the dispensary expecting to find Hilda. What if Dr. Skerry then used that information to spread the rumor that it was the staff at the dispensary who had been involved with this illegal act? A rumor like that, more than anything, could permanently ruin the dispensary.”

  Chapter 38

  Tuesday evening, March 7, 1882

  Pacific Dispensary for Women and Children

  * * *

  Ella stood for a moment on the back stairs, trying to decide whether or not to go down to the kitchen and get something to eat before she went up to her room in the attic. It was seven-thirty, she had just finished evening rounds with Mrs. McClellan, and for once there appeared to be no crises brewing in the dispensary. The ear operations on the two patients this afternoon had gone well, and both of them had eaten dinner with some relish, having fasted before their operations. There were even two empty beds in the second nursery, and she hadn’t seen any children today that she felt were ill enough to suggest they be admitted. Except for Hilda, all the maternity beds were filled with women who were happily taking care of their new babies, and Mrs. Truscott was showing rapid improvement, even eating a soft-boiled egg this evening with some beef tea. This should make life a little easier for Mrs. Kibler, the assistant matron, and the two nurses, Kate Dewar and Bessie Kirk, who were on duty tonight.

  Nevertheless, anxiety gnawed at her. Maybe it was simply exhaustion. Too many nights when she didn’t get enough sleep, including last night when she stayed up to finish looking over her notes for today’s operations. Although, if she were honest, i
t wasn’t the operations today that had kept her awake for hours last night. She had found herself going over and over the confrontation with Richard Truscott, wondering if she could have handled him better, found a way to placate him. His anger seemed so out of proportion, almost as if he didn’t want to hear that his wife’s condition was improving. In addition, there was no getting around the threat to the dispensary in his parting words.

  Then there was Dr. Harrison Granger, whose behavior yesterday shocked her. She couldn’t imagine being so disrespectful to her own father, no matter how irritated, even angry, she got with him. And in front of someone else! To make matters worse, after Truscott and his companions left, Harrison came out of the office and said that the dispensary should never have gotten involved with doing any operations that required opening up the peritoneum, operations like the ovariotomy they did on Mrs. Truscott. He blamed his father for encouraging the doctors to do so, saying it would be a shame if his father’s refusal to see the danger in this kind of operation led to the downfall of the dispensary.

  Ella knew from the courses she’d taken with the son that he had reservations about any abdominal surgery. He’d pointed out that mortality rates were still quite high and that, until there was an improvement in methods of sterilizing equipment, the risk of postoperative infection would remain a problem. But for him to suggest that Mrs. Truscott would have been better off if she hadn’t been operated on seemed completely wrong-headed. But what if he’d shared that view with Richard Truscott?

  Her stomach churning at the thought, Ella decided to forgo a trip down to the kitchen. Instead, she would brew a pot of tea on the spirit stove she had in her room and have a few cookies from the tin one of her patients had brought her yesterday by way of thanks.

  Just as she turned to go up the next flight of stairs, she heard shouting coming from the second floor. She ran into the hallway, almost colliding with Mrs. McClellan, and saw Phoebe Truscott clinging to the door frame and pointing back into her room as she cried out hoarsely for help.