Murder on Pleasant Avenue
Page 22
“So she told you what happened to her.”
“Yes. She was so ashamed. She thought I couldn’t possibly love her anymore, and that’s why she left the settlement house. She’d escaped him, but she would never be able to escape what he’d done to her.”
That did make sense, and it did give McWilliam an excellent reason to kill Esposito. Frank just had to be sure. “But you couldn’t have gone there intending to kill him.”
“Why not?” He seemed genuinely baffled.
“Because . . . How did you intend to kill him? With your bare hands?”
“I . . . I hadn’t thought about it.”
“Because you couldn’t count on finding a weapon at the apartment, and you didn’t take a weapon with you, did you?”
“I told you, I hadn’t planned.”
“How did it happen, then?”
“What do you mean?”
“How did you come to kill him? Did you knock on the door and he just let you in?”
“He didn’t know it was me. He opened the door and I forced my way inside.”
“And then what?”
“Then I told him what I thought of him, what an evil man he was and how he didn’t deserve to live.”
“And he just stood there and listened?”
“Yes, he did. It made me furious, and when I thought of what he’d done to Jane, I . . . And then I saw the knife.”
“Where was it?”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you saw it. Where was it?”
“It was . . . on the table. I picked it up and stabbed him.”
“How did you do it? Show me.”
“Show you what?”
“How you did it. Pretend you’re holding the knife and show me how you did it.”
“I . . .” He looked at his hands for a moment, then closed his right one into a fist, holding the imaginary knife. “Like this.” He raised his arm and pretended to stab Frank in the chest.
“Thank you, Mr. McWilliam. That was very informative.”
“I can’t imagine how.”
Frank just smiled. “Now tell me why you haven’t bailed yourself out of jail yet.”
“I . . . I didn’t think I deserved to be out of jail.”
“Do you have any money? I know they don’t pay you much at the settlement house. What I mean is, can you afford to pay your bail?”
“I . . . I suppose.”
“What about your family? Could they help you?”
He winced. “I haven’t told them yet.”
“They’ll find out, Mr. McWilliam. They’ll have to live with the shame of having a son who is a murderer.”
His face twisted in pain. “I didn’t think of that.”
“Well, think of it. I’ll speak to an attorney I know, and if you need help paying your bail, let me know.” He handed McWilliam his card and left him gaping in surprise.
* * *
* * *
When he got back home, Frank found Gino in the garage, working on the motorcar. Frank wondered, not for the first time, if the machine really needed so much attention or if Gino just enjoyed taking it apart and putting it back together.
“How is McWillliam doing?” Gino asked when he saw Frank in the doorway.
“Not well. He didn’t think he deserved to get bailed out, but I went to Nicholson’s office and they said they’d take care of it.”
“They probably won’t be too happy to have a confessed killer back at the settlement house.”
“I’m sure you’re right, but after talking to him, I agree with Maeve. I don’t think he did it either.”
“Why not? If he knew what Esposito had done to Jane . . .”
“He did. He admitted it, but . . . You saw Esposito’s body. Where was he stabbed?”
“In the stomach.” Gino laid down the part he’d been inserting into the engine and demonstrated being stabbed in the soft part of his upper abdomen, just below the ribs.
“That’s what I thought, but that’s not what McWilliam said. He claims he stabbed Esposito like this.” Frank demonstrated an overhand thrust. “I didn’t think to ask if they’d done an autopsy, but I’m guessing the knife hit that big vein that runs down from the heart. I forget what they call it. I’ve seen people stabbed like that before, though. You don’t last long if that vein gets cut.”
Gino nodded. “What did he say about Mrs. Esposito?”
“That he didn’t kill her. He didn’t even know she was murdered.”
“That’s interesting.”
“Yes, it is. If the same person who killed Esposito didn’t kill his wife, then who did and why?”
“And why did they kill his wife at all? She must’ve known something or seen something when she went to the flat the night Esposito was killed.”
Frank sighed. “Too bad she didn’t tell Sarah about it when she had the chance. But at least we know she was definitely murdered. That coroner said she was poisoned, and you don’t serve yourself tea in two cups and make it look like you had a guest if you’re going to kill yourself.”
“Do we think she would have invited Balducci or one of those other thugs in for tea?”
“I doubt it, and besides, Balducci doesn’t seem like the type to use poison. Why wouldn’t he just shoot her or stab her or choke her?”
“But why would anybody poison her? Or kill her at all, for that matter?”
“If we can answer that question, I think we’ll know who killed both of them.”
* * *
* * *
Sarah was just coming down the stairs when Malloy came into the foyer. He’d obviously entered the house through the back door. “You’re back.”
“Yes, I saw the coroner and then I went to visit McWilliam at the Tombs.”
“What did the coroner have to say?”
“Arsenic.”
Sarah winced. “That poor woman.”
“And since her maid found the tray with the tea things, I think we can be pretty sure she didn’t kill herself.”
“Yes, I think we can. What about McWilliam?”
“I was just telling Gino I don’t think he’s our killer. He didn’t even know how Esposito was stabbed.”
“Oh dear, that’s awful. Didn’t you tell him that we don’t think Jane Harding could have done it?”
“I tried, but he still wouldn’t budge. He seems determined to accept the blame regardless.” He looked her up and down approvingly. “Where are you going?”
He’d noticed she was dressed for a formal visit. “To see Lisa Prince. She sent me a note asking me to call on her at my earliest convenience.”
“Do you suppose Jane heard that McWilliam had confessed?”
“It’s possible, I suppose, although I doubt Mrs. Prince hears much gossip from Italian Harlem.”
“Maybe someone from the settlement house sent word to Jane.”
“That could explain it. Everyone there seemed to know about their relationship, even though they thought it was a secret. It would be natural for them to think she’d want to know. But we can only guess. I’ll find out for sure when I get there.”
“Will you tell Jane about McWilliam if she doesn’t already know?”
“Of course. I also intend to encourage her to visit him and assure him that she’s innocent, so he doesn’t have to sacrifice himself to save her.”
“I hope she has better luck than I did.”
* * *
* * *
Lisa Prince was waiting for Sarah in her parlor and she welcomed her warmly. Sarah was a little surprised to see that she was alone. She’d been sure the invitation to visit had been made on Jane’s behalf.
“Thank you for coming, Mrs. Malloy,” Mrs. Prince said when she had instructed her maid to bring them tea.
“Yes, she is.”
When she didn’t offer anything else, Sarah asked, “Has she had any news from the settlement house?”
“Not that I know of. Has there been some?”
“Yes, although I’m afraid it isn’t very good news.”
A worried frown marred Mrs. Prince’s lovely face. “Will it be upsetting, do you think?”
Sarah really had no idea, so she said, “It might be.”
“You will think me terribly inhospitable, but Jane is still, well, not exactly good company, although she still hasn’t done anything that would justify putting her out. Joe is rapidly losing patience with her, I’m afraid. I’ve thought about writing to her parents, but she hasn’t even told them that she left the settlement yet, so that feels a bit like tattling.”
“I can see your dilemma. Hasn’t she said anything about her future plans?”
“No, she hasn’t. At least she’s started going out, although not on actual visits. She only goes for walks in the park and shopping trips where she doesn’t buy anything. I know she doesn’t have a lot of spending money, but I’d be happy to supply her with whatever she might need.”
“That’s very generous of you.”
Mrs. Prince waved away the compliment. “This news you have for Jane, may I ask what it is?”
Sarah hesitated, not exactly sure how to approach the subject, but Mrs. Prince misunderstood her hesitation.
“I’m not asking you to betray her confidence, of course. If it’s some kind of secret that I shouldn’t know, then by all means, don’t tell me, but . . . Well, Jane can be rather volatile, and if it’s something that will upset her, perhaps it would be better if she didn’t know at all.”
“I’m actually not sure how she will take this news, Mrs. Prince. Perhaps I really should tell you first so you can be the judge.”
Lisa Prince squared her shoulders, as if bracing for a blow. “All right.”
“You’ll remember when I was here before, I told you that the man who was the head of the Black Hand, the gang that was kidnapping people, had been killed.”
“Yes, I remember it very well. You and Jane were trying to decide who might have killed him. You thought his wife might have done it, or maybe it was Jane who thought that.”
“Yes, we did think that, but . . . Well, his wife is dead now, too.”
“Dead? How did that happen?”
“Someone poisoned her.”
Mrs. Prince gasped. “Poisoned! How awful.”
“It is awful, and now we don’t think she killed her husband at all. We suspect that she may have figured out who did kill him and that person decided to make sure she never told anyone else.”
“And that’s what you wanted to tell Jane?”
“No, not at all. What I need to tell Jane is that Christopher McWilliam has confessed to killing Nunzio Esposito, the man who was the leader of the Black Hand.”
“Christopher?” she echoed, horrified. “Why on earth would he do a thing like that?”
“That’s just it. We don’t think he did.”
“Who doesn’t think so?”
“My husband and his partner and I.”
“But not the police?”
“The police tend to believe people when they confess to murder.”
“I suppose they would. I really don’t know much about these things, I’m happy to say.”
Sarah tried a reassuring smile. “There’s no reason why you should, and I sincerely hope you never have to learn more. In any case, we are very much afraid that Mr. McWilliam suspects that Jane Harding is the one who killed Esposito.”
“Jane?” she echoed, only this time she didn’t seem at all shocked or horrified. “Why would Jane have killed him? Or anyone, for that matter?”
“Because Esposito is the man who, uh, had Miss Harding kidnapped.” Which was all Lisa Prince really needed to know about that terrible episode.
Mrs. Prince considered this. “I can see why Jane might have had a reason to hate this man, but . . . Why would Christopher think she was the one who killed him?”
“I don’t really know, and quite frankly, we aren’t absolutely sure that is why he confessed, but we are very sure he is innocent, and Miss Harding is the only person we can imagine him making such a sacrifice for.”
Before Mrs. Prince could react, a knock at the door told them the maid had arrived with their tea. Mrs. Prince allowed the girl to pour and serve it while she was obviously still trying to make sense of all Sarah had told her.
When the maid had finally left, she drew a deep breath, as if gathering her courage. “Let me guess, you want to tell Jane all of this and ask her to convince Christopher he doesn’t have to make this terrible sacrifice for her.”
Sarah frowned. “I have a feeling you don’t think this is a very good idea, Mrs. Prince.”
Lisa Prince leaned back in her chair and bit her lip. Obviously, she had something important to say and just as obviously, she was loathe to say it.
“Perhaps if you tell me the reason you wanted me to call on you today, that would help,” Sarah said.
Sarah had learned from Malloy that the best thing to do, when someone was reluctant to speak, was to simply wait. People hated silence and they would often betray even the strictest confidences to fill it. So she waited, although it seemed to take forever for Mrs. Prince to make up her mind.
Finally, she surrendered. “When you were here before, you told Jane that this woman, this gangster’s wife . . . What was her name?”
“Mrs. Esposito.”
“That she had a diamond of some kind.”
“I think I said a diamond ring, although that was a guess.”
“And that her husband had taken it and given it to his . . . to some woman.”
“Mrs. Esposito apparently believed he was going to give it to her, yes.”
Lisa Prince drew another breath, although this one was unsteady. Plainly, she hated this. She hated all of it, particularly what she was going to say next, and Sarah tried to set her face so she wouldn’t react too strongly to whatever it was and frighten her.
“Mrs. Malloy, I think I told you that Jane’s family was never well-to-do and that she never had nice things.”
“Yes, you did tell me that.”
“You will understand my surprise then, when my maid informed me that Jane has secreted in her dresser a diamond necklace.”
XIII
Sarah’s mind was racing. What did this mean? What did it prove? A diamond necklace. No wonder Olympia Esposito had been so incensed over its loss. Something like that would indeed provide a woman with security if she should be left widowed. She could even sell off the diamonds one by one, if it came to that.
But what did it mean that Jane had it? Where and when had she gotten it? Did Esposito give it to her? Did she take it from him after he was dead? But how would she have done that if she really was hiding away in her room at the settlement house all night?
Even more disturbing was the question of why she had it. If Esposito had given it to her, did that mean that he thought of her as his mistress and not as his captive? A man might delude himself that a woman he ravished had welcomed his attentions, but would a man as worldly as Esposito be deluded enough to believe she loved him? Enough to believe she was going to stay with him voluntarily? Enough to give her something so valuable?
None of this made sense.
“Could this necklace be the thing this man’s wife said he took from her?” Lisa Prince asked when Sarah didn’t respond.
“I think it’s very likely.” What should she do now? Ask more questions, of course, but what would Malloy want to know? Nothing that Sarah felt comfortable asking Jane Harding outright, for fear of
how she might react. But could she get her to admit something accidentally? Perhaps that was the best course for now. “Mrs. Prince, you mustn’t say anything to Jane about the necklace.”
“I wouldn’t know what to say. I didn’t want her to think the maid was going through her things. She was just putting away the underclothes she had washed for Jane. When she saw it, she thought she should tell me, since something so valuable should be locked up.”
“I understand completely, and I also understand that you don’t want to upset Jane. That’s why you shouldn’t mention it, and tell your maid not to mention it either.”
“But where did she get it? I mean, obviously from that Italian woman or her husband but . . .”
“Don’t try to figure it out. Don’t worry about it at all. I’ll speak to my husband and we’ll decide what to do.”
“I wish I could stop worrying. I don’t think I want Jane in my house anymore, if she was involved with this awful man.”
“Remember she was kidnapped. She was an innocent victim,” Sarah tried.
“Kidnapped people don’t receive diamond necklaces, Mrs. Malloy.”
Which was only too true. How could she handle this without revealing to Jane that they knew about the necklace? Because if Jane was volatile, that would certainly set her off, and if Jane wasn’t an innocent victim, she might be a killer.
“I think I know how to handle this, Mrs. Prince. I just need for you to sit there looking concerned and not saying anything. Whatever you do, don’t mention the necklace, now or after I leave.”
“I understand. What are you going to do?”
Sarah told her and Mrs. Prince seemed somewhat relieved. When Sarah had answered all of her questions, she sent for Jane.
“You’re like a bad penny, aren’t you?” Jane said when she saw Sarah.
“Jane, is that any way to treat a guest?” Lisa Prince chastened her.
“She’s your guest, not mine. If you’ve come to ask me more questions, I haven’t remembered anything else.”