For the Love of Mike (30 page)

“If he’s left the child up there, she won’t come to you,” I said. “We’ll go together. Come on.”

We held hands and shrank together, taking those makeshift steps side by side. After one flight there was no more light coming up from the street, only an eerie orange glow coming from the city streets beyond. We felt our way up. Eight steps in one direction then eight in the other, back and forth zigzagging up the side of the tower. My legs started to tremble at the exertion. Would these steps never end?

I sensed rather than saw that we had come to an opening. Cold air rushed into my face and I felt nothingness on one side of me. My hand gripped at the cold metal of the scaffolding as wind swirled around me.

Then the voice came again—a small whimper of a terrified child. “Somebody get me down, please.”

“She’s out there,” I whispered to Katherine. But how could she be? I had seen for myself in daylight that there were only cables strung across the river. Then the fog swirled and through the mist I saw that a narrow walkway of planks, about a foot wide, was strung out from the tower, running beside the bottom cable—a fine path for the workmen, I’ve no doubt, but then they were used to the height. I could only see a few feet in front of me but I could make out the shape of a small person, out there on that path in the fog.

I didn’t stop to think. “It’s all right, darling. Molly’s here. I’m coming for you,” I called. I turned back to Katherine. “You stay here and keep watch. Let me know if you hear him coming.”

Then I took a deep breath and stepped out onto the catwalk. It bucked and swayed under my feet like a live thing and I clung onto the thin cables that ran beside it, waist high—the only means of support. The wire seemed as frail and ethereal as gossamer. Cold damp air rushed up from the invisible river. I peered into the gloom, trying to make out the bigger shape of a man, but Bridie appeared to be quite alone. Had he lost his nerve and abandoned her then?

“Molly,” she whimpered. “I’m frightened. I can’t move. The man said he’d be back, but he hasn’t come.”

“It’s going to be just fine, my darling,” I said, trying to keep my voice calm and even. “I’ll get you down and we’ll go home.”

Inch by inch I moved closer to her. She was standing sideways, clinging onto that support cable with both hands. I reached her and let go with one hand to put my arm around her and give her a kiss. “See, it’s really me and you’re safe now,” I said. “Now all we have to do is move back slowly toward the tower then we can go home.”

“I can’t,” she whispered. “I can’t move.”

For a horrible moment I thought he might have tied her in some way, but then she added, “I’m scared I’ll fall.”

“You won’t fall. Look, we’ll take tiny steps, holding on, just like this. One foot. Two foot. Do it just like me.”

I started to move. I felt the walkway vibrate and sway again under my feet. I was so intent on watching her progress that I didn’t look up until Bridie screamed.

Michael Kelly was standing a few feet away between us and the tower. His arm was around Katherine’s neck and one big hand was over her mouth.

“There you are, Katherine,” he said pleasantly. “What did I tell you? They were as easy to trap as the rats on your father’s estate, weren’t they now?”

Katherine struggled as he shoved her forward. “I couldn’t believe that my own wife would turn traitor on me. What sort of wife is that? You promised to love, honor, and obey.”

He had released her mouth or she had broken free. “It was a sham, Michael. You were a sham. You used me.”

“You should have come alone like I told you, Kathy, then the child would have been safe. We’d have been off, across the bridge to Brooklyn before anyone came looking for us. Now we have to take care of them first.”

It didn’t take much intelligence to know what he had in mind. Would it be possible to survive a fall into water from this height? I wasn’t sure how high we were, but surely too high to survive a fall. I wasn’t even sure if we were over water yet.

“Why do you want me with you?” she demanded “You don’t really love me. I’ll slow you down.”

“Insurance, me darlin’. You’re my insurance.”

He pushed her closer to Bridie and me. The catwalk swayed and shuddered. Bridie whimpered again. Then, for the first time in my life I found myself face-to-face with Michael Kelly in the flesh. He was watching me with an arrogant smile at that handsome mouth. Cocky. Sure of himself. Delighted that I had been so stupidly naïve. I tried to make my brain work in an orderly fashion. Maybe I could protect myself, but how could I possibly defend myself and a small child on this gossamer thread so high above the world?

“How did you find us?” I asked, stalling for time.

“Easy.” Again that cocky grin. Enjoying this almost. “You think the Eastmans don’t run this city? They know all about you.”

I felt Bridie’s little body brush against me and was terrified that she’d cling onto me, sealing our doom.

“Bridie,” I whispered to her. “Hold on very tight to that wire and don’t move or let go until I tell you to.”

Michael had released Katherine from his grip. “Wait there,” he said as he moved past her. “I don’t need your help, but don’t think of moving. I don’t want to get rid of you too, but I will if I have to.”

“Just let us go, please,” I said in my most submissive voice. “We can’t do you any harm. At least let me take the little girl back to the tower.”

“You’ve already done me harm,” he said. Then he came at me. The one thing in my favor was that I was ready for him. While I talked I had released one hand quickly to hitch up my skirts enough to move my legs. As he came toward me I held on grimly with both hands and kicked out backward, like a mule. I heard the grunt of air escaping, letting me know that my kick had been high enough to do damage. I had brought one of my brothers to his knees once with a similar move. He teetered for a moment, fought to regain his balance, then as he teetered backward he made a grab for the foot that had kicked him. His hands fastened around my ankle, almost jerking me off the catwalk. I clutched at the wire as his full weight tugged at me. Bridie screamed, the catwalk swung wildly, and then there we were, poised at the edge of eternity, Michael hanging over nothingness and about to pull me with him.

“Let me up again,” he shouted. “If I go, I’ll make damned sure you all go with me.”

My brain was racing, trying to work out how I could pry his hand loose without sacrificing my own balance. In the short seconds that I hesitated Michael grabbed at the planks with his other hand and hauled himself back onto the catwalk.

“You’ve made enough trouble,” he gasped, clambering to his feet. “Why couldn’t you have left us alone? I might have spared the child, but not now.” He looked past me to Katherine. “When I give you the nod, we throw her down. Ready?”

“No,” Katherine said. “No, Michael, I’m not doing it. I’m not helping you again.”

“Don’t be a fool, Katherine. Don’t think you’ll get off free. You won’t. I’ll tell them you begged me to kill that woman. I’ll tell them it was you who made me do it.”

“Thank you for making up my mind for me,” Katherine said. “I would have done anything for you once, Michael, but not now. But then I really loved you once. This proves that you never loved me. Why don’t you go, while you still have time? I’ll grant you that much.”

“You’ll grant me? You are in not in a position to grant me anything, Katherine. If you won’t help me, I can do it alone. I don’t need your stinking help to get rid of a couple of scrawny females. But, by God, you’re going to be sorry.”

Katherine stuck out her chin defiantly. “I’ll help her. It will be two against one and likely enough we’ll all go down.”

At that moment a light shone out from the tower, cutting an eerie swath through the mist.

“You out there,” a big voice shouted. “Police! We know you’re there, Kelly.”

“Take one step out here and I throw them down—all of them,” Michael shouted back.

“We’ve got sharpshooters aiming at you. We don’t need to take a step,” the voice shouted back. “Come quietly or you’re a dead man.”

Michael grasped at Katherine.

“Come with me, Katherine,” he pleaded. “We’ll get away. We’ll escape. If they catch you, they’ll send you to jail. They’ll send you home.”

“You’d better run if you don’t want to be caught,” Katherine said evenly.

“Katherine!” He reached out to her.

She knocked away his hand. “Go, Michael.”

Michael glanced back at the light, then forced his way past me and Bridie, pushing us aside. I held onto her grimly, thinking he might try to throw us over as he passed, or take Bridie hostage again, but I need not have worried. He was anxious to get away and hardly noticed our presence.

“Hold it right there, Kelly,” the voice behind us shouted.

Michael had started to run away, teetering, staggering out along the catwalk that disappeared into the fog.

“Duck down, ladies,” the voice commanded. A shot whizzed over our heads, then another. Michael teetered, then, as if in slow motion, he fell and was swallowed up into the night. We didn’t even hear a splash.

Twenty-nine

S
trong arms helped us back to the safety of the stairway. Even as I stood on the solid wood of the landing again I felt myself swaying.

“You’re all right now, ladies,” the helmeted figure said. “You’re lucky that we got here when we did, and that Higgins is such a crack shot.”

Another constable reached out to scoop up Bridie into his arms. She cried out in fear.

“It’s all right, darling. These nice policemen are here to help us,” I said. “They’ll take you down to the ground again. We’re following right behind.”

“Just a minute,” Katherine said. “I’m feeling faint. I have to sit down for a moment.”

“That’s what comes of wearing corsets,” I said, helping her to the step.

“You mean you don’t?”

“Never have,” I said.

“But don’t your insides rattle around? That’s what Mother said would happen if I didn’t.”

“I’ve never felt them rattling around yet,” I said. “Put your head down until you feel better.”

“Thank you, Molly.”

I perched on the step beside her and put my hand on her shoulder.

“It was all so horrible, wasn’t it?” she whispered.

“Very horrible,” I said. “Especially for you.”

“For me? It was you he was trying to kill.”

“But you loved him once,” I said. “I had no second thoughts about fighting for my life.”

“I still can’t believe . . .” she began and put her hand over her mouth. “I thought I was so strong and brave but . . .”

“You were, very strong and brave. You had to make some horrible choices out there. Your parents would be proud of you.”

“I’m not going back to them,” she said, looking up suddenly. She got to her feet. “I’m recovered now, thank you. Let’s go down.”

As we made our way down the steps a man came up toward us, taking the steps two at a time. In the dim light of the flashlight behind us I took in the unruly curls, the square jaw, and for a horrible moment I thought that it was Michael, and he had somehow survived the shooting and the fall. Then as he came closer to the light I recognized him.

“Daniel!”

“Thank God you’re safe,” he gasped as he saw me, and he grasped my shoulders as he fought to regain his breath. “I came as soon as I heard.” His gaze went past me to Katherine. “You must be Miss Faversham. I’m Captain Sullivan of the New York police. I’m glad to see you safe and sound. What happened to Kelly?”

“Higgins shot him, sir. Fell into the drink,” one of the constables said.

“Good work, boys. I passed the little girl at the bottom of the tower. She’s with her brother.”

“Her brother? What’s he doing here?” I asked.

“He was the one who came to find me,” Daniel said. “Smart lad, that one. He came home and found the note that Kelly left for you and came to tell me right away. I was out on a case unfortunately, so they sent a constable to fetch me and dispatched sharpshooters straight to the bridge.”

“We could have handled it without your men, you know,” I said. “Katherine and I had the situation under control.”

“Oh, you did, did you?” Daniel gave me a quizzical look.

“Absolutely.” I picked up my skirts and pushed past him to descend the final flight of steps.

When we reached the bottom of the tower and came out onto the dockside we found that a crowd had gathered. It took me a while to pick out Bridie, standing to one side, holding Shamey’s hand.

“Molly!” they cried and ran to me.

I knelt to hug them both, and couldn’t stop the tears from streaming down my cheeks. “You see,” I said to Shamey through my tears. “You see how good it is to go to school now? You might not have been able to read the note.”

We were laughing and crying at the same time. I looked up to see Daniel watching us. I got to my feet.

“I’d better get these children home now. It’s past their bedtime.”

“I’ve a carriage waiting,” Daniel said. He took my elbow and steered us though the crowd.

“Don’t we need a statement first, sir?” one of the constables asked.

“The morning will do, Higgins. You get back to HQ and make your report. I’ll join you as soon as I can.”

Daniel handed us into the carriage, then climbed in himself. It was a tight squeeze. I took Bridie on my lap and Katherine balanced Shamey on hers. Daniel was beside me. I was aware of the pressure of his body against mine. Would I never get over these stupid feelings when he was near me? I stroked Bridie’s hair and pretended I didn’t notice him.

“I suppose it’s a waste of time to ask, but what in God’s name made you decide to climb a half-built tower with a man like Kelly?” he demanded.

“The answer to that is simple,” I said. “He took Bridie.”

“You could have come to me for help, as young Seamus here so properly did.”

“And when he spotted the first police uniform, what do you think he would have done with her?” I demanded. “Anyway, we had no idea we were going up to a place like that. The note said the end of Delancey Street. I didn’t think about the half-built bridge.”

“That’s one more of your nine lives gone,” Daniel said. “I hope it gave you enough of a scare up there to seek a more sensible occupation in the future.”

“Something like a companion, had you in mind?” I said, turning away from him. “I find such jobs to be more of a strain on the heart.”

“You did very well, Seamus, my boy,” Daniel said, leaning past me to ruffle Shamey’s hair. “Your father will be proud of you. If you go on like this, I might be able to use you as a messenger when you get a little older.”

“Really?” Seamus leaned forward to look at Daniel. “How old do I have to be?”

“You have to have enough schooling so that you can read longer notes with harder words,” I said and saw Daniel’s smile.

The bright lights of the Bowery flashed past us. A theater performance had just ended and the crowd spilled off the sidewalk forcing our horse to slow to a walk.

“Where can we take you, Miss Faversham?” Daniel asked Katherine.

“She’s staying across the street from me, with my friends,” I said.

“Ah. Across the street. A good thought,” Daniel said. “And may I say, Miss Faversham, or rather Mrs. Kelly, that I commend your bravery tonight. I can only tell you that you’ve had a narrow escape in more ways than one. The man you married was a dangerous thug, wanted by police both here and in Ireland. Had you stayed with him, you would soon have become part of one of the most violent criminal elements in the city, from which there would have been no escape.”

“I realize that,” she said, “and I suppose I should be grateful, but it’s all been rather a shock. I did love him, you know. You can’t just stop loving someone, just like that.”

I could feel Daniel looking at me.

“No,” he said. “You can’t.”

Katherine sighed. “I expect I’ll get over him with time. I come from tough stock, you know. My father fought in the Khyber Pass.” She gave a sad little chuckle. “I’ll be all right.”

The carriage slowed and came to a halt.

“We’re here,” Daniel said and lifted the children down, then assisted Katherine and myself from the carriage. His hand lingered against mine. When I tried to pull mine away he was looking at me again.

“Are you going to invite me in tonight?” he asked.

“I think not. The children are tired. But thank you for escorting us home.” I gave a correct little nod of the head, equal to anything Miss Arabella Norton could produce.

The children had run ahead to the front door. Seamus opened it and the worried look melted instantly from his face. “Oh, so there you are. I wondered where on God’s earth you’d all got to. I’ve been worrying about you.”

“We’re all just fine, Seamus. And these children are ready for some bread and milk and bed.”

Seamus looked past me to Katherine and Daniel and the carriage at the end of Patchin Place.

“We had a little excitement. No doubt the children will tell you about it in their own good time,” I said.

“I’ve had a little excitement of my own,” Seamus said. “I got a job at last. I’ve been hired by Macy’s department store to carry out packages to carriages and automobiles during the Christmas season. And if that works well, they’ll keep me on in the stock room.”

“I’m pleased for you, Seamus,” I said. “Go inside, children. Say good night to Miss Faversham and thank you to Captain Sullivan.”

“Good night, Miss Faversham. Thank you, Captain Sullivan,” two voices chanted in unison. “Daddy, you’ll never guess what . . .” I heard animated voices as they went into the kitchen.

“I’ll be off to bed then,” Katherine said. “Thank you again, Molly.”

“Do you want me to come with you, Katherine?” I asked.

She glanced at Daniel, then at me. “No, I think not,” she said, and walked across Patchin Place to Number Nine.

Daniel and I were left standing together in the darkness. “I must go and fix that bread and milk for the children,” I said. “Thank you for bringing us home and thank your men for coming to our aid.”

“Molly,” he said urgently, “I’ll tell her, I promise. Don’t do anything rash.”

“If you mean marry someone else, it wouldn’t be rash. It would be a carefully thought through decision. I don’t make promises lightly.”

“Promise me that you won’t make a commitment to another man until I’m free to ask you myself. If I get down on my knees and you tell me that you choose another man over me, then I’ll go away and never bother you again.”

I looked up at his earnest face and suddenly laughed. “Daniel—I’ve a feeling you’re full of blarney. You won’t tell her. Oh, you’ll have great intentions, but when you see her and you realize what you’d be risking and what you’d be giving up, then you’ll suddenly become tongue-tied again.”

“No, Molly. Not this time. I swear to you. I love you. I can’t live without you. I beg you, don’t rush into a marriage you’d regret. A lifetime is a lot of years to live with someone you don’t love.”

“And a lot of years to wait for something that may never happen,” I said.

“Just tell me you do still love me and that if I come to you free and available, you’ll not send me away.”

I looked at him and had to smile. “Oh, Daniel. Like Katherine said, you can’t just stop loving somebody. There will probably be a place in my heart for you for the rest of my life. But that doesn’t mean I can’t find happiness with someone else.”

“Not the same happiness we two can have together.”

“No, probably not the same kind of passion. But passion often dies, doesn’t it? Mutual affection and companionship can last forever.”

“You can get those from a dog,” Daniel said.

“One thing you should understand, Daniel,” I said. “If I marry Jacob, I won’t be settling for second best. I would be marrying him because I believe we could be happy together.”

“No, Molly. I won’t let you marry him. I’ll burst into the ceremony and carry you off if I have to.”

“Oh, Daniel.” I had to smile again. “If you come to me on your knees before I’ve made the trip to the altar, I might listen to what you have to say. Other than that, I’m not promising anything. Good night, now.”

I moved to make my escape but Daniel was quicker. He grabbed me and crushed his lips against mine. I tried not to respond but my body took over and for just a moment I was one with him, pressed against him, the warmth of his body flowing through me. Then I controlled myself and pushed him away.

“That wasn’t fair, Daniel. Go home.”

“Does he set you on fire when he kisses you? Does he make you feel the way I do?” he demanded.

“There’s more to life than kisses.” I fled to my front door and slammed it behind me, leaving him standing on the cobblestones outside. Once inside I rested my forehead against the cold oak of the door. Not for the first time I wished I had never met Captain Daniel Sullivan.

The sound of lively children’s voices came from the kitchen.

“And then you’ll never guess what the policeman did!”

I envied their ability to rebound from tragedy or terror.

The next morning I was awakened by pounding on my front door. I put on my robe and made my way downstairs. Jacob stood outside, a newspaper in his hands.

“I’ve just seen today’s paper,” he said, waving it at me as he came into the house.