“Are you new here?” a male voice said in my ear.
I pulled my attention from the Finneys and looked up at an eager young man in a cheap suit. Bingo, I thought. I giggled and replied, “Yes, I am. Is it terribly obvious?”
The young man smiled knowingly. “I have a nose for newcomers, I suppose.” He then tapped his nose with a finger and winked at me in a condescending way.
I batted my eyes at him and said, “A friend brought me tonight. It’s ever so exciting, don’t you think?”
“Oh, yes. I make sure to come every time the casino is open.” He swelled slightly and stuck his thumbs into his pockets. “I don’t mean to brag, but I’m very good at cards. Especially when I can find a lucky charm to help me.” He winked at me. “I’ve always thought red hair was lucky.”
It took all of my strength not to roll my eyes at him. What a pompous fool. And my hair was auburn, not red. “Have you won much tonight?” I asked instead.
He shrugged modestly. “At the moment I’m up a bit.”
“You must be good then,” I cooed.
“Would you like to watch me play?”
I couldn’t think of much that I would like to do less. “I should find my friend. But, perhaps I could watch you another time when I’m not here with someone else.” I hoped he could pick up my meaning despite being such a fool.
His eyes lit up and he nodded sagely. “Are you registered?” he asked.
I was instantly at sea. What did that mean? I opened my mouth to ask for clarification when Will arrived at my elbow.
“Did you know that Paula Dennis is here?” he hissed in my ear.
The other young man took one look at tall Will in his very fine suit and dissolved into the crowd. I gave my partner a frustrated poke with my elbow.
“Yes, I know she’s here. Also, you just scared off someone who was about to tell me how to get back in here.” Honestly, sometimes I could just throttle Will.
He looked around as though he’d just noticed where he was. “Who was about to tell you?”
“It doesn’t matter now. He took one look at you and left.” I examined Will for a moment and paused. He was clearly bent out of shape about something. “Did you have an argument with Ned?”
“What? No, of course not.” He kept looking off towards another part of the room.
Suddenly, I knew what was bothering him and had to hide a smile. “You’re upset about Paula, aren’t you?”
“I can’t believe she’s here,” Will started. “Jimmy Wilson has a lot of nerve. We need to get her home, don’t you think?”
Since I did think it to be in her best interest to leave as soon as possible, I agreed and followed Will as he made his way to her.
Paula looked up at Will as he drew nearer, delight barely concealed. To my very great surprise, Will completely ignored her and instead shoved Jimmy Wilson. Paula scampered to my side as Jimmy caught himself and turned to face Will, instantly angry.
“What are you thinking bringing Paula here tonight? Don’t you know how dangerous a place like this can be?” Will accused, fists ready clearly itching for a fight.
Before Jimmy could answer, two brawny thugs descended on them and dragged the pair out the door. Paula and I hurried behind them. Once outside, the two were dumped in the dirt. This seemed to have little impact on them. They were up and circling each other in no time.
“Why do you care, Edwards?” Jimmy shouted. “I can bring a girl anywhere I want.”
“You ought to have some respect,” Will shot back. “What would you have done if the police had raided the casino tonight? Paula might have been arrested!”
Jimmy waved a hand at me. “What about Miss Lunceford? You’re a hypocrite if you’re accusing me of being careless with my date.”
“Rose isn’t my date and she’d be fine.” Will dismissed the accusation almost thoughtlessly.
If things weren’t about to turn ugly, I might have taken a moment to appreciate the humor of the situation. Paula had made her interest in my partner clear from almost the first moment they had met. Will, on the other hand, had done just about everything in his power to keep clear of her. Now, here he was ready to fight Jimmy over her. I didn’t dare look over to see Paula’s reaction to this startling turn of events.
I stepped between the two and said, “If you’re so worried about Paula, why don’t the two of you combine your energy to finding your carriages and getting her to safety. This isn’t a safe place for a lady to wait.”
With much manly chest thrusting and eyeing each other, Jimmy and Will led the way to where our carriages waited.
“Come along, Paula,” I called. She beamed at me.
Chapter Thirteen
I awoke the next morning with a plan firmly in my mind. Lillian and Melvin hadn’t looked as if they were going to be leaving the casino any time soon when we were escorted outside. It was likely that they had stayed much later and were, therefore, not up early the following morning. It would be the perfect time to tell Mrs. Finney what I’d deduced about her son and daughter-in-law.
I debated stopping by Maple House to invite Will to accompany me, but then I remembered how he’d behaved the night before and decided that things would be far simpler if I could just go alone. He rarely minded when I tackled tricky conversations without him. And this promised to be a very tricky conversation. I prayed that Mrs. Finney would be cogent today. It would be terribly disappointing to steel myself for this only to find that she wasn’t able to speak rationally to me.
It was raining again. I was beginning to believe that Illinois in fall was little more than a long succession of rain storms with small breaks in between to keep us from losing our minds. I armed myself with Father’s largest umbrella and my sturdiest walking shoes. As I walked along at a good clip, I thanked whoever it was who decided that ladies’ fashions should not include trains for everyday wear.
Mrs. Finney was at home, the extremely stiff butler explained. I was shown into the morning room where the matron was holding a novel she wasn’t reading.
“Miss Lunceford, I’m very glad to see you today,” she called as welcome.
I was instantly relieved and grateful that we would be able to discuss the case today. If I’d found the older woman in a fog, I would have cried. I took a seat on the settee near Mrs. Finney and waited until tea was ordered and the butler bowed and left the room.
“How are you?” I asked.
The older woman sighed wearily. “I’ve been feeling poorly lately. I’m afraid that I don’t have much time left on this earth.”
I put my hand on hers, not sure what words would be helpful. She smiled a sad smile and patted my hand.
“Nothing has gone missing lately.” Mrs. Finney gave a hollow laugh. “Perhaps I imagined it all.”
I bit my lip. Should I tell her what I knew? The information I had would make her last days much worse. I could tell her that we hadn’t learned anything and let her go peacefully. Or I could tell her that her son and daughter-in-law were stealing from her and spending the money on gambling. Though I was, by nature, an honest person, I was reluctant to say too much. I had the power to do more harm than good depending on how I wielded what I knew.
“Mrs. Finney, we have learned some things about your missing items.” I took a deep breath and went forward carefully. “One of your maids confirmed that things are missing and she believes she saw someone take the jade cat.”
Mrs. Finney’s eyes began to sparkle and she sat up straighter, though she was so shriveled that it made little difference. “I didn’t imagine it? Things are really missing? And what about the silver?”
I nodded. “You were right about that, too. Pieces are being slowly replaced with very good copies.”
The older woman clapped her hands together. “Ah ha! I thought so.”
Despite myself, I laughed. Her self-satisfaction was so much better than her self-defeat.
“Do you know who is stealing from me? Do you know who’s doing it?�
� she leaned forward eagerly.
“I do,” I looked down and straightened my glove, unsure how to proceed.
“Is it one of the servants?” Mrs. Finney asked. From her tone, I knew that she already knew the answer.
“It is not,” I looked her squarely in the eye and waited for her reaction.
She sat back and looked away.
“Mrs. Finney, you may choose now what I say next.” I waited for her to look back at me. “If you would like, I can wish you good day and be on my way. I would like to call on you again, if you would permit it, but then we will speak only of the weather and the latest fashions.”
She patted my hand again fondly.
I put my other hand on top of hers and went on, “Or, I can tell you what I know and we can decide how to go forward. The police could become involved if you would like. But once I say the words, I can’t take them back and you’ll always know.”
We both knew what I wasn’t saying. If I told her that Lillian and Melvin were stealing from her, she would think about it when she was lucid and possibly say something when she was confused. The information could put her at risk.
“May I think about it?” she asked, sounding very much like a little girl.
“Certainly,” I smiled reassuringly. “You have only to ask.”
The tea arrived then and we spoke of other things.
***
I made my way to the Maple House upon leaving the Finney’s, pleased with how the morning had gone. I was confident that I’d made the right decision. Mrs. Finney had the information she needed to choose how to move forward. It was impossible to know which direction she would finally land upon.
As I strode into the library, shaking the water from my umbrella, I saw immediately that Will was agitated. I paused and observed him as I removed my hat and gloves.
He had a way of wearing his carefully mended suits so that they always hung well and looked effortlessly regal. This, I always thought and never said, was the true distinction between the noble families of our age and the newcomers to the upper class. There was a part of our upbringing that allowed us to be completely at home in high fashion that couldn’t be taught later in life. No wonder women fell under his spell. Without ever trying, he exuded confidence and good breeding.
Today, though, he was unable to stay still and couldn’t keep his mind on anything for long. He was rattling the newspaper and sighing loudly as I took my seat.
I told him briefly about my visit with our client and he grunted his approval in a distracted way. Finally I said, “You are positively preoccupied this morning, Will. What’s on your mind?”
He leaned forward in his chair, elbows on knees, and rubbed his hands together. His eyes scanned the back garden through the library’s windows, though I doubted he saw the landscape at all. “I want to visit Ned today. We have to talk and I don’t want Jane or the boys to overhear. Catching him at work would be best. Would you like to come along?”
It would be a very uncomfortable visit, but today seemed to be the day for those sorts of conversations. I agreed and the two of us collected our umbrellas and headed back out in the rain.
Will was quiet and, for once, I wasn’t in the mood to needle him. I knew he needed to speak to his brother-in-law and I only prayed that I might be able to keep the two from fisticuffs. When it came to Jane, Will had a bit of a blind spot. In fact, Paula Dennis was the only other person about whom I’d ever seen him react so strongly. It was a very telling observation. I tucked it away to examine later.
Ned worked for a building company. He did something that was involved with the purchasing of materials and paying of accounts. The young man who worked at the desk right inside the front door sent us back to Ned’s office without any wait. We walked down the carpeted hallway and paused to exchange a nervous look before Will raised a fist and knocked.
“Yes?” Ned called from inside.
Rather than declare ourselves and wait to be invited in, Will turned the doorknob and opened the door, ushering me inside. I stepped in and watched Ned recognize first me and then his brother-in-law. I saw something like relief wash over his face and I knew suddenly that Ned had been waiting for this confrontation since he’d noticed Will at the casino the night before.
Will pulled up a chair for me and I settled into it, taking advantage of the crackling tension to observe Ned carefully. I saw that he had shaved hastily, based on the stubble that remained in the hard-to-reach places of his jaw and upper lip. His clothes were rumpled and his cuff links askew. In general, he had the look of one who hadn’t enjoyed a restful sleep and was very preoccupied. Had he been up all night worrying about this inevitable meeting? Had something else happened?
In fact, Will sat down and said nothing. The moment stretched and I looked from one man to the other, wondering what might happen next. Suddenly Ned pushed back in his chair roughly and got to his feet. He began pacing and gesticulating a bit madly as he talked.
“You must know by now that I have been making bets for a long time. It began when I was a young man and quite innocently, no matter what you may think. For years, I could place a wager occasionally and enjoy the anticipation of the outcome of the event. Only in the past few months have I found that I can’t seem to stop.”
Will had no compassion for his brother-in-law. He frowned and jabbed an accusing finger at Ned. “What about your family? You’d rather throw everything you’ve worked for away - ruin my sister and your children - all to place a wager?”
Ned ran frantic fingers through his already-rumpled hair. “The last thing I want is to hurt them. But something inside me starts ticking and it won’t stop until I have placed my bet. It’s like an itch that never stops. It wakes me at night and keeps me from working.”
I put a restraining hand on my partner’s arm. Ned needed to talk and Will’s agitated behavior told me that he was close to interrupting again. I knew he needed to put himself in Ned’s shoes and find some compassion if he was going to avoid hurting his sister further.
“At first, I could lose a little each week and just enjoy the fun of the game. Then I won three bets in a row and I felt like I was on top of the world. I wanted that feeling again, so I wagered more. Sometimes I won and felt like I was unstoppable. Mostly, though, I lost. Now I’m afraid that we’ll lose the house. How will I tell Jane?” Ned sank into his chair and clutched his head. “I’ve been going to the casino hoping to win back what I’ve lost, but even the games with a fair chance of winning have turned against me. I thought that if I could just win back enough to keep the house, Jane would forgive me. Now I’ve lost everything that really matters.” And Ned began to sob as though there was no hope.
For the first time, Will was sitting still. His head was down as he listened to his brother-in-law’s wrenching sobs. Finally, Will looked up and offered, “I’ll go with you when you talk with Jane, if you like. She’s always listened to me and I’ll help her to hear you out.”
Ned only cried harder for a minute before quieting and mopping his face. He was radiating humiliation and hopelessness. It was truly the most uncomfortable experience of my life. I wished heartily that I was anywhere else even as my own heart ached for Ned and Jane.
“Mother and Father will take Jane and the boys in if they need a place to go. You know they won’t let any harm come to them.” Will said, breaking the quiet.
“I can’t imagine living without them,” Ned sighed, scrubbing at his face with his damp handkerchief.
“Perhaps some time apart will help you focus on stopping gambling and let Jane find time to think,” I suggested gently. “It might be the best thing for you.”
Ned’s glum expression softened momentarily and he nodded. Then he sighed and reached into his vest, pulled out his pocket watch, and said, “I’m afraid I have another appointment soon. I could use a few minutes to myself.”
“Of course,” Will said charitably and used the arms of his chair to push himself up.
I got to my feet and
was checking for my handbag when I noticed the watch in Ned’s hand. It was solid gold and very expensive. Why would a man who claimed to be desperate for money hold on to such a watch? Even if it was a family heirloom, surely it was worth selling if it meant more money for a gambling addict.
“That’s a lovely watch,” I said.
Ned looked down at it and a curious look crossed his face. I couldn’t read it clearly, but thought it was close to fear. Why would a pocket watch frighten Ned? And why would he keep it if it was so terrible? It was only one more reason why he should sell it.
“I won a bit last night and saw it in a pawn shop on the way to work. I had to sell mine and thought this one was a good replacement.” He rose and walked the door, suddenly eager to see us leave.
In that instant, pieces clicked together and my knees weakened. I sank into the chair as each one snapped into place. Hugh Meriwether’s maid had said a gold watch had gone missing the night he was killed. Click. Jane had mentioned that Ned was terribly upset the night of Hugh’s death. Click. What if Hugh Meriwether was Ned’s bookie? What if Ned had gone there after work to confront him? If Ned had killed Meriwether, he would be afraid to get rid of the watch since the police might be on the lookout for it. Click. Had he killed Hugh? Or had he just happened by on the same evening? Was his fear because he’d been the killer or was it because he was afraid of being accused of the murder but was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time?
Ned and I stared at each other, each afraid of what the other might know. Will looked between us, his brow furrowed as he wondered what was going on.
“What do you know about Hugh Meriwether’s death?” I asked quietly.
Betting on Death Page 10
