Murder in Chelsea

by Victoria Thompson

  “Really, Mr. Malloy,” Ozzie said.

  Frank just smiled. “And I knew he’d killed Emma Hardy—”

  “How dare you!”

  “And he’d hired some of Mr. Klink’s men to help him kidnap Catherine. Mr. Hicks was the one who guessed that, so it was just luck we found him, but he didn’t know it. He thought you’d told me everything. He believed me when I said you’d betrayed him to save your own skin.”

  She didn’t want to believe him. He could see it in her eyes, but she was no longer as certain as she had been. “Terrance would never . . .”

  “Would never what? Would never think the worst of you? He knew you’d stabbed a woman to death. He knew you’d ordered him to kill another woman and her child.” Frank paused and looked meaningfully at Ozzie. “He knew you planned to kill your own husband.”

  That was it, the one piece of information that could only have come from Udall.

  “No!” she cried, raising a trembling hand to her lips.

  “He told me how you were going to poison Ozzie slowly with arsenic so it would just seem like he was sick. He said you’d read about it in a novel,” Frank continued relentlessly.

  She shook her head, trying to deny it, but her eyes held the terror of a cornered animal. She hadn’t made a plan for this, for how she’d deal with Udall turning on her. She glanced at Ozzie, but his shocked expression told her she’d lost him, at least for the moment.

  “Terrance would never . . . He loves me!”

  “Maybe he doesn’t love you as much as you love him,” Frank said. “He turned on you in a moment when he thought you’d betrayed him. What kind of love is that?”

  “He does! He loves me!”

  “Does he love you or the money you were going to bring him? That was the plan, wasn’t it? You’d marry a rich man and get all his money. Did you think of that or did he?”

  She jumped to her feet. “It wasn’t like that!”

  “What was it like, Mrs. Wilbanks? Which one of you came up with the plan for you to marry a rich man and murder him?”

  “No, no, that was never the plan!”

  “Are you saying you married Ozzie out of love?”

  “They made me marry him! They said it was a brilliant match!”

  “But it wasn’t, was it?” Frank said, glancing speculatively at Ozzie and thinking about what marriage to him must be like. “He’s boring and stupid, and he’s not even rich.”

  “I say, Malloy!” Ozzie said, but he was too boring and stupid to know what else he should say.

  “That was the final insult, wasn’t it? Ozzie didn’t even have any money of his own,” Frank said. “At least not until his father died. Lucky for you, that wasn’t going to be much longer. But even after the old man died, you’d still have to put up with Ozzie, so you’d have to kill him. Slowly. With arsenic. Like in the novel.”

  She was thinking now. He could see it, and she’d realized she needed to win Ozzie back. “It’s not true, darling. None of it is true,” she said, sitting back down and trying to take his hand.

  He let her, but he watched her warily, as one would a poisonous snake.

  “Was money really that important to you, Mrs. Wilbanks?” Frank asked. “Important enough to kill for it?”

  “Of course not!” she said, managing some of her usual hauteur. “I’m a Van Horn.”

  “But you were a poor relation,” Ozzie said, still watching her intently and pulling his hand from her grasp. “You told me how you hated it. You hated the hand-me-down clothes and the second-best schools and the pity from your friends. You told me all about it.”

  “And Terrance hated it, too, didn’t he?” Frank said. “So you hatched this plan and started killing everyone who stood in your way.”

  “No, you’re wrong. Terrance never betrayed me. He would never do that. He loves me too much.”

  “Well, he did betray you,” Frank said, “but I’m afraid it doesn’t matter now. You see, I wanted to watch him being executed in the electric chair for killing Emma Hardy, but I would’ve been willing to give him life in prison instead in exchange for testifying against you.”

  Gilda had blanched at the mention of execution, but she lifted her chin.

  “I knew it. He won’t say a word against me, will he?”

  “He won’t say a word against anyone anymore. He’s dead.”

  She stared back at him, stunned. “Wh . . . what?”

  “He’s dead.”

  “You’re lying!”

  “No, I’m not.”

  The color rose in her face. “What did you do to him? You killed him, didn’t you?”

  “No, as much as I might have wanted to, I didn’t. He killed himself.”

  She shook her head. “He’d never do that!”

  “I blame myself. I should have seen it coming. After I got him to tell me everything, I admitted that I’d lied to him and you hadn’t betrayed him at all. I guess he couldn’t stand the thought of you finding out what he’d done, so he hanged himself in his cell last night.”

  The pain in her eyes was so raw, for a moment Frank almost pitied her, but only for a moment. Then she started to wail, a primal cry of agony and loss. At the sound, the parlor doors burst open and Lynne and Michael Hicks rushed in.

  Gilda had slumped to the floor, and Ozzie was backing away from her in horror.

  “Are you going to arrest her?” Lynne asked, eyeing Gilda with disgust.

  “Yes. Her family will probably have her released by tomorrow, but at least Ozzie won’t be defending her anymore.”

  “I’m going to speak with her family, so they understand what she and Udall have done,” Michael said.

  “It probably won’t make any difference. They still won’t want one of their own tried for murder, and quite frankly, I doubt I can prove anything against her if she did stand trial. The only witnesses against her are dead.”

  “I doubt her family will want a murderess living with them, though, so I imagine they’ll make some arrangements for her,” Michael said.

  Frank knew about those “arrangements.” “Just so long as she can’t hurt anyone else.”

  * * *

  DAVID WILBANKS’S FUNERAL WAS HELD ON A BEAUTIFUL spring day almost two months later. Fortunately, he’d recovered enough after Catherine’s kidnapping to enjoy a few more visits from his daughter, but eventually, he’d asked Sarah not to bring her anymore. He didn’t want Catherine to see him and be frightened by his condition, and Sarah couldn’t blame him.

  Malloy had accompanied Sarah and her parents to the funeral. Michael Hicks took her and Malloy aside for a moment after the graveside ceremony and asked them to come to his office the next day.

  “It has to do with Mr. Wilbanks’s estate,” he said.

  Remembering they were in a cemetery, Sarah fought to control her outrage. “Mr. Wilbanks left Catherine something in his will after all, didn’t he?”

  But Michael Hicks merely smiled. “I assure you, he did not. It’s something else entirely.”

  “Can’t you just tell us what it is?” she asked.

  “Sarah, this is a funeral,” Malloy said.

  “Besides,” Hicks said, still smiling, “I’m an attorney, and we must do everything in a proper way.”

  So the next afternoon, Malloy came by, and they took a cab uptown to Michael Hicks’s office.

  Sarah had to admit she could understand why he’d wanted them to meet him there. The rich furnishings were probably meant to intimidate people into doing whatever their attorney advised. Well, she wasn’t feeling the least bit intimidated, and she had no intention of allowing David Wilbanks to dictate to her from his grave.

  “I’ve asked you both to come here today because the terms of Mr. Wilbanks’s will affect both of you. I know what you’re thinking, Mrs. Brandt,” Hicks said, “but David was very careful to follow your wishes. He left nothing to Catherine or to you.”

  “Then why are we here?” Sarah asked.

  Hicks cleared his
throat. “In view of what happened, Mr. Wilbanks was extremely concerned about his son’s future.”

  “His son?” Malloy said.

  “Yes, Ozzie had been taken in by an adventuress who apparently intended to murder him for his money. David was already concerned about Ozzie’s ability to manage his inheritance before any of this happened, and he wanted to ensure Ozzie’s happiness and security for as long as he lives. To accomplish this, he created a trust to benefit Ozzie. A trust is a legal entity into which a sum of money is invested. The beneficiary receives the income earned from the invested funds but cannot spend any of the principal. This ensures that the income lasts for life, and David invested just enough to allow Ozzie to live comfortably but not enough to make him attractive to someone like Gilda again.”

  “I saw the announcement of their divorce in the newspaper,” Sarah said.

  “Yes, her family was furious, of course. They assumed Ozzie would continue to pay for her care in that place they put her.”

  “It’s in Switzerland, isn’t it?” Sarah asked.

  “Yes, and I understand she isn’t doing well at all. Udall’s suicide completely unhinged her. But Ozzie has chosen to cut all ties to her, so she’s their problem now.”

  Sarah probably should feel sorry for the woman, but she decided that was asking too much.

  “All of this is very interesting, Mr. Hicks,” Malloy said, “but you still haven’t told us why we’re here.”

  “I’m getting to that. I just wanted you to understand Mr. Wilbanks’s concern for his son. As I said, he only put a portion of his estate into the trust for Ozzie. The rest he has left to you, Mr. Malloy.”

  Sarah thought she had misunderstood him, and apparently, Malloy did, too.

  “I don’t understand.”

  “Mr. Wilbanks was very impressed with the way you handled the entire situation with Catherine, Mr. Malloy. He could also see how much you genuinely care for his daughter, and he wanted to leave her in safe hands. Obviously, Ozzie is in no position to take on the care of a young child, and he did not want to burden Mrs. Hicks and myself with his illegitimate child, whose very existence is painful for my wife. Mr. Malloy, he has named you as Catherine’s guardian until she turns twenty-one or marries, whichever comes first, and he has left you the balance of his estate so you can provide her with the life he would have given her had he been able to raise her himself.”

  Malloy sat there a full minute before he replied, obviously as stunned by this news as she. “But Mrs. Brandt is Catherine’s guardian,” was all he could manage.

  “Not any longer, I’m afraid.”

  Malloy turned to her as if expecting her to have some explanation. She stared back, completely dumbfounded. She felt as if the earth had tipped on its axis. Nothing made sense anymore, but she knew what Hicks was telling her would change her life. She just couldn’t figure out how yet.

  “But Mrs. Brandt is the one who’s raising Catherine,” Malloy said. “Why didn’t he leave Catherine to her?”

  “Mr. Wilbanks was old-fashioned. He’d want a man to be looking after his daughter’s well-being. Besides, Mrs. Brandt has already said she would refuse any inheritance.”

  Sarah was still trying to make sense of this. “What does this mean for Catherine? Will she have to go live with Mr. Malloy?”

  “Mr. Malloy is her guardian, and he can make whatever arrangements for her that he feels are suitable.”

  “So she can continue to live with me?”

  “If Mr. Malloy agrees, yes.”

  She could see Malloy was getting angry, and she didn’t blame him. She was pretty angry herself. How dare Wilbanks do this to them?

  “You said he left me some money,” Malloy said. “If Mrs. Brandt could refuse it, I can, too, can’t I?”

  “Yes, you certainly may refuse it, but please understand, if you do, it will go to Ozzie. This would violate the intent of Mr. Wilbanks’s plans to protect his son and would leave Ozzie vulnerable to every gold digger in the city. He is also an inveterate gambler, so perhaps my fears are unfounded. Perhaps he will lose the entire fortune at cards before he falls prey to another wicked woman. In any event, you would also be denying Mr. Wilbanks the right to provide for Catherine.”

  “A girl doesn’t need a lot of money to grow up happy,” Malloy said.

  “No, but money can prevent a lot of misery.”

  Sarah had a hundred questions, but she decided they should get one thing settled first. “You said Mr. Wilbanks left his son part of his estate and Mr. Malloy the other part. How much money will Mr. Malloy inherit?” After all, a few thousand dollars was nothing to get upset about. How much could be left after he set up the trust for Ozzie?

  “I won’t have an exact figure for several months, of course, but when everything is settled, it should be approximately five million dollars.”

  “Five million dollars!” Malloy fairly shouted.

  “Give or take a few hundred thousand.”

  Malloy shot up out of his chair and was gone, leaving the office door hanging open behind him.

  Sarah and Hicks stared after him for a long moment.

  “I don’t believe I’ve ever had anyone react like that to being told he’d inherited five million dollars.”

  “And I don’t believe I’ve ever seen Mr. Malloy quite so angry,” Sarah said.

  “Do you think he’ll refuse to accept it?”

  “I have no idea.” Sarah realized she had no idea about anything at all. She felt as if someone had bashed her in the head and left her reeling. “Mr. Hicks, why on earth did Mr. Wilbanks do this?”

  “For exactly the reason I told you. He saw how much you and Mr. Malloy care for Catherine, and he wanted her to remain with you.”

  “But I intended to raise Catherine anyway.”

  Hicks leaned back in his chair and folded his hands on his shiny desktop. “May I be frank with you, Mrs. Brandt?”

  “I hope you will.”

  “Mr. Wilbanks did not want Catherine raised by a single woman alone. He wanted her to have the family that had been denied her.”

  “But she still doesn’t have a family.”

  “Not yet.”

  “What does that mean?”

  “I’m sure you’ll figure it out, Mrs. Brandt. Do you have any more questions?”

  None that she wanted to ask now, she realized. “I should try to find Mr. Malloy.” And find out what he was thinking and what he was going to do and how it would affect the rest of her life.

  “Please tell him I am at his disposal to answer any questions he may have, and I’m sure he’ll have many. And Mrs. Brandt, please encourage him to accept the money. Making these arrangements gave Mr. Wilbanks great peace in his final days, knowing Catherine would be well taken care of.”

  Sarah stepped out onto the sidewalk and looked up and down the street, but she saw no sign of Malloy. Where would he go? What would he do? She tried to think of someone whose counsel he might seek, but no one came to mind except herself. Maybe she’d find him waiting for her at her house. She started walking, heading in the general direction of home and scanning the sidewalk on both sides of the street for a glimpse of Malloy. Eventually, she got all the way home without finding him.

  * * *

  THE NEXT MORNING, FRANK KNOCKED ON SARAH’S DOOR, then wiped his damp palm on his pant leg. This shouldn’t be so hard, not after all they’d been through together. Not after the conversations they’d had about matters of life and death, the things they’d talked about, the times they’d saved each other’s lives. In spite of all that, they’d never discussed really important things, though. He’d never told her how he felt about her, and he had no idea how she felt about him. Well, that wasn’t strictly true. He knew she was fond of him. But that was all he’d allowed himself to know.

  She opened the door, which he hadn’t expected. He’d thought the girls would open it, as they usually did, and he’d have a minute or two to adjust to seeing her. But there she was, and she smil
ed the way she always smiled at him, the smile that haunted his dreams.

  “Malloy. I’ve been so worried about you. Come in.”

  “Where are the girls?”

  “They went to the market with Mrs. Ellsworth.” She took his hat and hung it up. “Would you like some coffee? Mrs. Ellsworth brought over a cake.”

  “Yes, thanks.”

  He followed her into the kitchen the way he’d done so many times, but this time he really let himself see her, the gold of her hair and the shape of her body. She was beautiful. Too beautiful for the likes of him. That was what people would say, and it would be true.

  To his surprise, she didn’t ask him any questions. She served him coffee and a piece of cake he didn’t want, and she sat down across from him and waited.

  “I’m sorry I left like that yesterday.”

  She gave him her kind smile, the one she gave Catherine when she was upset. “I probably would’ve done the same thing in your place. That was quite a shock.”

  “Yes, it was, and I don’t think I’ll get over it for quite a while.”

  “Mr. Hicks said to tell you he’ll be happy to answer any questions you have.”

  “I saw him this morning.”

  “You did?”

  “Yes. Like he thought, I had some questions.” If she only knew.

  “Have you decided what you’re going to do?”

  Frank leaned back in his chair. “I’ve decided what I want to do.”

  “Oh, Malloy, I know how angry you must be at Mr. Wilbanks, but I’m sure he thought he was doing this for the best. Men like that always think they know what’s best for other people.”

  “Lots of people think that,” he said.

  “Yes, especially when those people are their children. He wanted a good life for Catherine, and heaven knows, she’s had a hard time of it until now, so she deserves it. I just hope you’ll let me continue to keep her, at least for the time being. She’s lost so much, and another change would be upsetting to her. You’ll always be welcome to visit her, of course. You are her guardian, after all, and—”

  “Sarah.”

  She stopped, flushing, and he realized she was as nervous as he. Did she really think he’d take Catherine away from her?