Murder On Fifth Avenue

9

WHEN SARAH WOKE UP, SHE WAS DELIGHTED TO FIND HER mother had stopped by for a visit. Mrs. Decker had been only too happy to join Catherine and Maeve upstairs for some make-believe involving the dollhouse while she waited for Sarah to finish her nap.

Maeve and Catherine had fixed her a sandwich to tide her over until supper, then the girls went back upstairs so Sarah and her mother could speak privately. They shared the details of their respective visits with Malloy while Sarah ate her sandwich at the kitchen table.

“Do you think Father will allow him to continue the investigation?” Sarah asked.

“I have no idea, although I will certainly encourage him to, if I can. I simply can’t get over Garnet being with child, though. Why wouldn’t she have told Paul and Lucretia? I gathered that her failure to produce a son to carry on the family name was a major source of Lucretia’s disappointment in her.”

“Maybe she didn’t want to say anything until she was certain. Claiming to be with child when you’re not can cause even more resentment.”

“Perhaps, but still…You said she wasn’t happy about the baby.”

“No, and that’s puzzling. Of course, if she wanted to end her marriage, a child would complicate matters tremendously.”

“Yes, it would. Although she would be a fool to divorce Paul; if she wanted her freedom badly enough, she might be willing to tolerate the disgrace and being left with nothing.”

Sarah tried to remember anything she might know about a society divorce. Alva and William Vanderbilt, Consuelo’s parents, were divorced, but Alva had somehow managed to remarry another millionaire almost immediately, so their situation was hardly comparable to Garnet and Paul Devries. Besides the Vanderbilts, she couldn’t think of any other examples. “Garnet could go back to her family, I suppose, if they would take her in, but Mrs. Devries would never allow her to take her child.”

“Heavens, no, and the law would support that. Paul would get the child, and Garnet would never see it again. That would explain her unhappiness about the baby, at least.”

“The choice between staying in an unhappy marriage or never seeing your child again is awful.”

“Women stay in unhappy marriages for far less noble reasons all the time,” her mother said. “And how unhappy can she be? Lucretia is a harridan, to be sure, but I can’t believe Paul is a problem. Surely, he doesn’t beat her or starve her or keep her locked away in the cellar. The worst I can imagine is that he neglects her, and many women would consider that a benefit.”

Her mother was right, of course. Chilton and Lucretia Devries apparently had just such an arrangement. She and her mother had reached no conclusions a few minutes later when the doorbell brought Catherine and Maeve clamoring downstairs to greet the visitor.

“Just as I hoped,” her mother said when they recognized Frank Malloy’s deep voice. “I knew he wouldn’t dare come to our house again, but I felt sure he’d be here sooner or later.”

Sarah bit back a smile. Her mother was obviously enjoying the novelty of having a murder to investigate. Or perhaps she had simply grown fond of Frank Malloy.

In a few more moments, Malloy appeared in the doorway, carrying a delighted Catherine. Sarah felt her smile growing at the sight. She had grown very fond of Frank Malloy herself.

“Mrs. Decker, I was hoping you’d be here,” he said with a grin.

“Great minds think alike, Mr. Malloy,” she replied.

“What does that mean?” Catherine asked.

“I’ll explain it to you later,” Maeve said. “Now tell Mr. Malloy good-bye. The grown-ups need to talk for a while.”

“Then can I come back?”

“Of course,” Malloy said. “Now give me a kiss before you go.”

Catherine giggled and pecked him on the cheek. Children, Sarah reflected, are excellent judges of character.

When the girls were gone, Malloy took a seat at the kitchen table. Without asking, Sarah poured him a cup of coffee.

“Have you been busy today, Mr. Malloy?” her mother asked.

“Yes, I have. I visited Mrs. Richmond and Miss English.”

“Miss English is Mr. Devries’s mistress, Mother.”

“I don’t suppose you would need me to see her as well,” her mother said. “I’ve never actually met anyone’s mistress before.”

“No, I would not,” Malloy said quite firmly.

“Pity. Oh, well, at least you can tell us what you’ve learned from these two ladies. Oh, dear, does one call a mistress a lady? I don’t believe this was covered in my deportment classes at Miss Lydia’s Finishing School.”

“Behave yourself, Mother. Poor Mr. Malloy doesn’t know you’re teasing him.”

“I think he probably does, but I should allow him to tell his story. That was covered in deportment classes. One always defers to the gentleman in conversation.”

“Which means you have to suffer through a lot of dull conversations, I’d guess,” Malloy said.

“But never when I am in your company, Mr. Malloy.”

Malloy raised his eyebrows, but he said, “I am happy to report that Mrs. Richmond is alive and well.”

“That’s good news,” Sarah said.

“What is her first name? I keep thinking I must know her.”

“Terry, she said.”

“What an odd name. I suppose it’s short for Theresa or something. It still doesn’t ring a bell, although the Richmond part does.”

“I don’t think you’d know her, except that she’s Garnet Devries’s mother.”

Sarah and her mother gaped at him. “Her mother?” Sarah said.

“Yes. Remember when I told you that Angotti went to see her, and when he heard her story, he decided she didn’t deserve to be murdered? That’s what he told Devries the day he died, at least.”

“I can’t believe Chilton would want to harm his son’s mother-in-law. That doesn’t make any sense,” her mother said.

“It makes more sense when you find out how Garnet came to marry Paul Devries.”

“Was it an arranged marriage as you suspected?”

Sarah looked at her mother in surprise. “Was that how you got on the subject of Consuelo Vanderbilt?”

“Don’t interrupt, dear.”

Sarah could see that Malloy tried very hard not to smile, but he failed. “It was an arranged marriage, but the circumstances were a little different than we thought. It turns out Devries got Garnet’s father to invest all his money in a business deal, and he lost everything. Her father killed himself, and left Garnet and her mother penniless.”

“We’ve heard stories like that before,” Sarah said.

“This one is a little different, though, because Devries offered Mrs. Richmond a settlement if Garnet would marry Paul.”

“How odd,” her mother said.

“And not at all how things are done,” Sarah said. “If money changes hands, it’s usually the other way around. The bride pays a dowry to the groom’s family.”

“But why would Chilton have to pay someone to marry his son? None of this makes any sense.”

Both women looked to Malloy for an explanation, but he just stared back at them, looking extremely uncomfortable. Casting about for a reason for his unease, Sarah said, “Does Paul have some unspeakable disease?”

Malloy studied his coffee cup for a long moment. “Maybe you already know this, but some men prefer the company of other men.”

“Of course they do,” her mother said. “That’s why they have all those clubs where no women are allowed.”

But Sarah knew that wasn’t what he meant. “Do you mean romantically?”

He continued to study his cup. “That’s one way to put it.”

“And you think Paul…?”

“He has a friend named Hugh Zeller. Do you know him?”

“I know his family,” her mother said, frowning. “What do you mean romantically?”

Malloy gave Sarah a desperate look. She rescued him. “Mother, some men are attracted to other men in the same way most men are attracted to women.”

“You mean…romantically?”

Sarah nodded.

“But that’s ridiculous! It’s…It’s not even possible!”

Sarah would save explanations for sometime when Malloy wasn’t present. “Nevertheless, it’s true.”

Sarah’s mother needed only a few moments to come to terms with such an amazing fact. “So you think Paul is one of these men?”

“I suspect it, yes,” Malloy said.

“But if he prefers men, why would he get married at all?”

“To conceal it, Mother. Men like that usually find themselves the subject of ridicule and worse. Paul would probably be ostracized from society if people suspected.”

“Oh, my, now that you say it…Is that why Harold Lake went off to Europe and never came home?”

“Yes, it is.”

“Oh, my. I always wondered, but no one would ever tell me a reason. How awful for him.”

“And Paul would suffer, too,” Sarah said.

“So it would also explain why Devries chose to marry his son off to a girl whose family had no power or influence,” Malloy said.

“And who wouldn’t complain or cause a scandal when she found out her groom preferred the best man,” Sarah said.

“But Garnet is with child. You told me so yourself,” her mother said.

Malloy cleared his throat. “Just because Paul prefers the companionship of men doesn’t mean he wouldn’t fulfill his marital duties, too. I understand his mother is anxious for a grandson to carry on the family name, so he probably felt a…a duty.”

“Mother and I have been trying to figure out why Garnet would have wanted a divorce. This would explain it.”

“But we still don’t know why Chilton wanted to kill Garnet’s mother,” her mother said.

“I have a theory about that, too,” Malloy said.

Sarah and her mother both looked at him expectantly.

“Mrs. Richmond said that Garnet had written to her asking if she could come to live with her. Mrs. Richmond had moved back to Virginia and was staying with her own mother. She said she knew Garnet was unhappy, but she wouldn’t tell her why, so Mrs. Richmond came to the city a few weeks ago to find out what was wrong. Garnet still wouldn’t tell her, but Devries might’ve been afraid Mrs. Richmond knew about Paul and would cause trouble and maybe even help Garnet get away.”

“That’s not much of a reason to murder someone,” her mother said.

“There really aren’t many good reasons to murder someone,” Malloy said. “Most times it’s some stupid thing nobody else cares about. Protecting his family’s good name was probably important to Devries, though, so it might’ve been enough for him.”

“I should like to meet this Italian gentleman who refused to kill Mrs. Richmond,” her mother said. “How interesting that he seems to have more honor than Chilton Devries.”

Malloy rolled his eyes, but her mother didn’t notice.

“I don’t suppose you learned anything useful from Miss English,” Sarah said.

“Just that Devries wasn’t stabbed through any of the clothing he kept there either.”

“But wouldn’t a man sometimes be undressed when in the presence of his mistress?” her mother asked. “I mean, that is the nature of their relationship, isn’t it?”

Malloy managed to maintain his composure, although his face grew extremely red. “Miss English isn’t the sort of girl who could stick a knife into a man.”

“Nonsense. Every girl could stick a knife into a man with the right provocation.”

“But Miss English also isn’t the sort of girl who could lie about it afterwards. I wish I thought she did it, but she’s just not that clever.”

“What about the maid?” Sarah asked. “You said she might be capable.”

“She’s not really the maid. She’s Miss English’s stepmother.”

“How interesting,” her mother said. “I had no idea that one could bring along family members when one became a man’s mistress.”

This time Sarah rolled her eyes. “I’m sure there’s a lot you don’t know about mistresses, Mother.”

“Quite the contrary, my dear. Mistresses are often the topic of conversation among my friends. I know a great deal about them, although this Miss English sounds a bit out of the ordinary. Most of them, I’m told, are wicked and scheming women whose primary interest is using their charms to amass jewels and money from rich, besotted men before their beauty begins to fade.”

“Maybe Miss English will learn to be wicked and scheming as time goes on, but for now she’s just a silly girl whose protector is dead and who doesn’t know where her next meal is coming from.”

“Good heavens! You make her sound pathetic.”

“She is.”

“Sarah, isn’t there someone who could help her?” her mother asked. “One of those charities you’re always getting involved with?”

“She would be welcome at Hope’s Daughters, but I can’t imagine she’d be willing to go there,” Sarah said, naming the mission where she volunteered.

“We could visit her and suggest it,” her mother said.

Sarah and Malloy both stared in admiration at the way she had so neatly contrived a way for her to visit the girl. “Mother, Father would murder me if I allowed you to call on Chilton Devries’s mistress.”

“Only if he found out,” her mother said slyly.

Malloy cleared his throat again, drawing their attention. “I do have a visit you can make. I need for you to call on Mrs. Devries again, Mrs. Decker.”

“Whatever for?”

“To distract her, because I really need Sarah to visit Garnet Devries. Mrs. Richmond doesn’t know what drove Garnet to consider divorcing Paul, but maybe Sarah can find out now that we’ve figured out Paul’s secret.”

“How can I distract her? Lucretia will never allow Sarah to be alone with Garnet.”

“She won’t know about it. I’ve been thinking about this, and I think it will work, but you’re the ones who know all the rules about rich women visiting each other, so tell me if you think so, too. Mrs. Decker, you call on Mrs. Devries alone. While the two of you are busy in the parlor, Sarah arrives and asks to see Garnet. I’m going to guess Garnet will be happy for a visitor, and Sarah can insist she doesn’t want to bother Mrs. Devries or something. Is that possible?”

Her mother frowned, but Sarah thought of a way she could get in. “What if I was bringing her something?”

“What could you be bringing her?” her mother asked.

“I don’t know. It doesn’t even have to be anything real. I could carry a basket filled with towels and covered with a napkin. I don’t have to say what I’ve brought her, just that it’s important for me to give it to her myself, and the maid won’t dare question me.”

“Could you ask to see Garnet privately?” Malloy asked.

“Of course I could. I could say it was personal. The only problem would be if Garnet refuses to see me.”

“And we won’t know that until you try,” her mother said. “We need to hurry, too. I saw Chilton’s obituary in the newspaper today. The funeral is set for Monday, and I’m sure Lucretia will leave the city immediately afterwards.”

“Where will she go?” Malloy asked.

“Probably to Europe. Someplace warm where she doesn’t have to observe the strict rules of full mourning the way she would here where people know her. Nothing is duller than New York when you’re in mourning.”

“Would she take Paul and Garnet with her?”

“I don’t know, but I will certainly ask her tomorrow,” her mother said with a smile.

“Before we go any further with this plan,” Sarah said, “we need to know if you’ve reported all this to my father.”

“Yes, I saw him just before I got here.”

“Oh, my,” her mother said. “I just remembered that he was going to decide whether you should continue your investigation or not.”

“Yes, he was.”

“Did you tell him your suspicions about Paul Devries?” Sarah asked.

“Yes.”

She winced. Her father detested scandal. She couldn’t imagine him allowing such a thing to become public knowledge, and if Malloy continued to investigate, it probably would.

“Mother, I believe we will need to keep our visit to the Devrieses a secret from Father.”

“Oh, no,” Malloy said in surprise. “The whole thing was his idea.”

SARAH SHOULD HAVE BEEN USED TO WAITING. SHE MADE her living waiting for babies to be born, and they were notorious for taking their time about it. Still, the fifteen minutes she and her mother had decided she should wait in her mother’s carriage before trying to get in to see Garnet Devries seemed to stretch interminably. They had determined her mother might need a little extra time in case Lucretia Devries kept her waiting. Finally, the watch pinned to her bodice showed she could safely begin her attempt to see Garnet.

The maid who answered the door seemed harried and dismayed to find a second visitor on the doorstep in so short a time. “We’re in mourning, miss,” she said, glancing meaningfully at the enormous black wreath hanging on the door.

“This isn’t a social call,” Sarah said. “Mrs. Paul Devries called on me at my office the other day, and I promised to bring her a remedy.” She nodded at the basked she carried over one arm. “If you would just tell her I’m here.”

“A remedy?” Plainly, she wanted to know what it was a remedy for, but her training forbade her from inquiring. “Couldn’t you just leave it for her?”

“Oh, no, I must give her instructions, and they are quite detailed. Really, I’m sure she’ll be happy to see me. And if not, I’ll be on my way.” Sarah smiled, trying to look nonthreatening.

The maid didn’t smile back. “Please wait here.”

Another eternity stretched as Sarah stood in the foyer studying the very ugly wallpaper and hoping no one would alert Mrs. Devries that someone else had arrived. To her relief, the maid seemed much happier when she returned.

“Mrs. Paul Devries will see you. She said you should go to her bedroom.”

“That will be fine.”

The girl led her up two flights of stairs to the third story of the house. Several doors opened off the hallway. The girl took her to one of them and knocked, then opened it for Sarah.

The room was a surprise. Furnished with intricately carved mahogany furniture, it was decorated in shades of dark red. Burgundy silk covered the walls and hung in heavy folds at the windows. The coverlet on the canopy bed was striped in cream and crimson. Not what Sarah would have considered restful colors, but the décor set off Garnet Devries’s dark beauty and complemented her name.

Garnet stood in the middle of the room, her hands clutched anxiously in front of her. “It really is you,” she said when the maid was gone.

“Of course. How are you feeling?”

She looked pale and drawn, and she still wore a dressing gown. “The girl said you brought me a remedy.” She glanced at the basket.

“I’m afraid that was a lie I used to convince her to let me see you.”

Her shoulders sagged with what might have been disappointment, although Sarah couldn’t imagine why she’d be disappointed. “Oh. I thought…Well, no matter. I’m still pleased to see you, although you didn’t have to lie. I would have welcomed a visit from anyone.”

“I wanted to talk to you privately, and I thought if I simply called on you, your mother-in-law would insist on intruding.”

“I’m sure she would have, but I believe she already has a visitor.”

“Yes, my mother.”

Garnet blinked and then smiled her appreciation. “How very clever of you, Mrs. Brandt. I find I like you more and more with each meeting. Please, sit down.”

Garnet’s spacious bedroom had a small sitting area near the fireplace. One overstuffed chair with an ottoman dominated the area, and several slipper chairs stood nearby. A hastily discarded blanket indicated Garnet had been curled up in the chair when Sarah’s visit had disturbed her. She took her seat again and propped her feet on the ottoman. Sarah took one of the slipper chairs and set her basket on another.

“What’s in there?” Garnet asked, indicating the basket.

“Just a folded towel. How are you feeling? You look a bit…tired.”

“How tactful of you. I look haggard and ill. Mother Devries has told me so more than once.”

“But surely she understands that in your condition-”

“She knows nothing about my condition.”

Sarah raised her eyebrows with a silent question, but Garnet did not answer it. “You won’t be able to hide it forever,” Sarah said finally.

“No, I won’t.”

Sarah had no idea what to say next. She stared at Garnet, trying to read the emotions behind her calm façade, but Garnet had learned to hide them too well. Where should she start? How much should she confess to already knowing about her? What question would Malloy ask to get the conversation started? Something shocking, she was sure. She settled for, “Have you told Paul about the baby?”

She stiffened. “No. He wouldn’t have been able to keep it secret from his mother, and I don’t want her to know.”

“Why not?”

Garnet seemed almost amused by the question. “Really, Mrs. Brandt, I don’t think I’ve ever encountered anyone quite like you.”

Sarah winced in dismay. She was making a botch of this. “Oh, dear, I suppose I’ve forgotten everything my mother ever taught me about good manners, haven’t I?”

“I’m not sure if it’s good manners or not, but certainly no one in society would have ever asked such an honest question.”

“I don’t suppose they would, and I shouldn’t have either. Your decisions are none of my business.”

“But I can’t fault you for being curious, I suppose. Most women in my position would be thrilled to find themselves with child, wouldn’t they?”

“Most of them, yes, but not if they were so unhappy they were contemplating divorce.”

Her eyes widened. “Who told you that?”

“Then it’s true?”

“I’m sure every married woman has contemplated divorce at one time or another.”

“I doubt many of their husbands are aware of it, though.”

“Ah, Paul told you. No, wait, he wouldn’t have told you. He would have told that policeman your father brought here. Did he tell you? Is that how you found out?”

Sarah could also choose not to answer questions. “I also know about Paul.”

This time, Sarah saw real emotion flicker across her face. For just an instant, Garnet was afraid, but she hid it quickly. “What do you know about Paul?”

“I know about his friend Mr. Zeller. I know they’re more than friends.”

The color rose in her face. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“That’s the wrong answer, Mrs. Devries. You should have said, Of course they’re more than friends. They’ve known each other for years. They’re more like brothers. Or something like that, if you want to pretend ignorance.”

“I’ll try to remember that next time someone pries into my husband’s private life.”

“I’m sorry. I’ve angered you.”

“I don’t think you’re sorry at all. I think you intentionally angered me.”

“I wasn’t sure talking about Paul would make you angry. I had to find out.”

“Why?”

“Because I want to find out the truth.”

“The truth is that Mr. Devries is dead and no one really cares, so why should you?”

Sarah was starting to wonder herself. “My father cares. He wants to know what happened.”

“And what good will that do?”

“You’ll have to ask him, I’m afraid. He feels he has a duty to an old friend, I believe.”

“Chilton Devries was no one’s friend.”

“I’m not surprised you think so, after what he did to your father.”

This did shock her. “What do you know about my father?”

“I know Mr. Devries convinced him to invest in a business venture that failed.”

“I thought you said you were interested in the truth. That isn’t the truth.”

“What is the truth?”

“He cheated my father and ruined him. He did it on purpose, too.”

“What makes you think so?”

“I don’t think it; I know it. Oh, he pretended to be sorry when my father killed himself. I don’t think he expected that. He just wanted my father to be humbled and compliant so when he suggested I marry Paul, he wouldn’t be able to refuse.”

“You could have refused.”

Garnet actually laughed at that, an ugly, bitter sound that held no hint of happiness at all. “Oh, yes, I could have refused, and my mother and I could have moved into a tenement and eked out a living making paper flowers or rolling cigars for sweatshops, the way immigrant women do, until we starved to death.”

“Didn’t you have anyone you could turn to?”

“My grandmother, but she’s what we call the genteel poor. She owns a large house and a lot of land, but she can’t farm it herself. She rents out the fields to tenant farmers and lives on the pittance they pay her if the crops don’t fail. She can hardly keep herself, so no, there’s no one. When Devries offered my mother a settlement, we couldn’t turn it down.”

“That was kind of him.”

“So we thought at first, or that maybe he felt guilty, but I didn’t know him very well then. He was simply buying Paul a wife, and he got off cheap. When he suggested I marry Paul, I was actually relieved. I liked Paul, you see. He can be charming, and I thought…Well, I didn’t know anything then. My mother would be taken care of, and I would have a husband and a home. I thought we would both be safe.”

The despair in her voice cut Sarah like a knife. “I’m so sorry.”

“Are you? Then perhaps you’ll really bring me a remedy.”

Sarah frowned. “What?”

“A remedy. For this thing.” She touched her abdomen. “Don’t midwives know secret medicines that can solve a problem like this?”

Sarah shook her head. “I don’t…I can’t help you.”

“Can’t or won’t?”

“Garnet, what you’re asking is…I know you’re angry and upset right now, but this baby is part of you, too. You can learn to love it…”

Fury flashed in her eyes. “Love it? How can I love something spawned by a monster?”

Sarah instinctively reached out and touched Garnet’s arm. “I know how shocked you must have been when you found out about Paul and his friend, but he’s not a monster. If you find it too difficult to live with him, I’m sure he’ll provide a house for you someplace else now that his father is dead and he has control of everything. I know several couples who live apart except for certain social engagements where they must be seen together. An arrangement like that could suit you very well. You might even bring your mother to live with you.”

“And Paul’s mother would want the child,” she said, her voice oddly hollow.

“Don’t be too hasty. You may want it yourself when you see it.”

She smiled then, but it was little more than a grimace. “You are a good person, Mrs. Brandt.”

“I don’t think I’m particularly good. I’m just trying to be a friend to you.”

“Thank you for that. No one has been kind to me in a very long time.”

Sarah’s heart ached at the pain behind her words. “Did your mother come to see you yesterday?”

“Oh, yes, and now I know how she found out about the child. You told her, didn’t you?”

“No, I haven’t met your mother. I told Mr. Malloy.”

“Ah, and he’s also the one who told her Devries was dead, I suppose. She doesn’t think I should leave Paul either.”

“You should certainly consider it very carefully before making a decision. Has anyone explained to you what will happen if you do leave him?”

“I haven’t really inquired. Divorce isn’t a subject one raises in casual conversation.”

“Then allow me to. If you had come into the marriage with any property or a dowry-”

“Which I did not.”

“But if you had, it became your husband’s when you married. If you divorce, he would keep it all, every penny. He would be under no obligation to give you anything except the clothes on your back. He could put you out without so much as a change of linen.”

“I couldn’t even keep my clothes?”

“Not if he didn’t allow it. And needless to say, he would no longer support you in any way. And your children are also his property. I know you think you don’t want this baby, but you may feel differently when it’s real and you can see it. If he chooses, you would never be allowed to see your child again. You’re a lovely young woman, and if you had been widowed, you might be able to remarry, but few respectable men would be interested in a divorced woman except as a mistress. You’d also find none of your current friends would receive you any longer.”

“You make the tenement life sound almost attractive, Mrs. Brandt.”

“The tenement life might still be in your future. You need to know what you’ll be facing.”

“And yet you’ve managed without a husband.”

“I was fortunate to have a trade. I’d learned to be a midwife before I met my husband.”

“And he left you a respectable widow. I don’t think Paul will be so obliging.”

Sarah couldn’t conceal her astonishment.

“Oh, I’ve shocked you. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean it, you know. Poor Paul.”

How odd. She sounded almost as if she felt sorry for him, when moments ago she’d called him a monster.

Garnet sat up a little straighter. “Well, in any case, things have changed now that the old man is dead.”

“Yes, they have.”

“Do you…? Does Mr. Malloy have any idea who…how it happened?”

“I’m afraid not. Except we know someone stabbed him, of course.”

“Stabbed him with a knife, you mean?”

“They aren’t certain what it was.”

“I see. What else has Mr. Malloy found out?”

“Oh, yes, he also suspects Mr. Devries was undressed when he was stabbed.”

Her eyes widened. “Undressed? How can he possibly know that?”

“Because he hasn’t found holes in any of Mr. Devries’s clothing.”

“Holes?”

“Yes, if someone stabbed him through his clothing, there would be a hole.”

“Oh, of course.”

Sarah thought Malloy would probably ask her something directly, if he were here. “Do you think…?”

She stiffened slightly. “Do I think what?”

“Do you think Paul could have stabbed his father? I understand his father was undressed when they argued that morning.”

She seemed to grow even paler. “I…I don’t know.”

“Or Mrs. Devries? She saw him that morning as well.”

Garnet had gone very still. “Anything is possible, I suppose. They certainly hated each other.”

“Do you know what Paul and his father argued about that morning?”

Sarah saw the emotion flicker across her face again. Anger. Or something very close to it. But she said, “I have no idea.”

Sarah knew they had argued about Garnet, and she could tell Garnet knew it, too. But why would she lie about it? “Paul said his father was being cruel to you.”

“I suppose Paul said he was defending me.”

“Do you doubt that?”

She shrugged one shoulder. “What does it matter? The old man did what he wanted, and nothing Paul said would change that. Now, Mrs. Brandt, I’m afraid I’m not feeling well. I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”