Murder on Lexington Avenue (32 page)

“That makes perfect sense,” she said. “Come in and sit down,” she added, leading him over to the two easy chairs sitting by the front window.

“Yes, it does make sense, except that Young wasn’t the one stealing. It was his son, Terry.”

“Terry? Why on earth would he need to steal?”

“Who knows? He’s got a mistress, you know. Maybe he was saving up to be able to keep her in style once she left her husband for him.”

“She never would’ve done that!” Sarah said, shaking her head.

“Maybe she wouldn’t’ve had any choice. If Wooten found out about them, he would have thrown her out.”

“That’s true. So Terry was planning for the future. But he didn’t kill Mr. Wooten?”

“No. It’s very disappointing. His father was prepared to pay me off to make sure I kept quiet about it, too.”

“How dishonest of him,” Sarah said, shaking her head in mock dismay.

“Yeah, well, I don’t think either of them are too worried about doing what’s right. In any case, neither of them killed Wooten or Leander, so who did?”

“Are you sure the same person killed both of them? I thought Leander was robbed in a dangerous part of the city.”

“He was, but the fellow who robbed him didn’t kill him. He wouldn’t have been any match for a healthy young man. Which means that the fellow who killed him didn’t rob him, because he still had money and his watch on him when the robber came along.”

“How do you know who robbed him?”

“He tried to pawn Leander’s gold watch. It was engraved, so the pawnbrokers were watching for it.”

“Do they help the police?” Sarah asked in surprise.

“When it’s important, they do. Most of the time, they don’t care if the goods are stolen or not. They’d be out of business if they did. But when it’s a murder of somebody important, and they’ll get in trouble if they don’t, then they’re amazingly helpful.”

“I see,” Sarah said. “So if the same person killed both of them, who could it be?”

“Somebody who had a reason to want both of them dead.”

She gave him a look. “I figured that out, but who wanted both of them dead?”

“I’ve been thinking that Adam Oldham had a reason to want both of them out of the way.”

“Not Adam,” Sarah protested. “He’s such a nice young man.”

“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love with him, too,” Malloy said with a frown.

“Not in love exactly,” Sarah said, “but you must admit, he’s very handsome.”

Malloy made a rude noise, and Sarah managed not to laugh.

“All right,” she said. “I’ll admit that Adam had a good reason to want both Leander and his father out of the way, but how could he have lured Leander to a saloon? They never even saw each other. Could he have sent a letter or something?”

Malloy was frowning again. “But they did see each other, at the funeral.”

“That’s right,” Sarah remembered. “But just for a few moments. And they couldn’t speak to each other. Leander doesn’t understand signs, and Mr. Oldham doesn’t read lips.”

“But they did have an argument,” Malloy said. “Leander told him to leave the house and never come back or something like that. I couldn’t see exactly what happened. Did you?”

“Yes, I saw it all. Mr. Oldham had a notebook that he was writing in. He uses it when he has to communicate with people who don’t understand his signs. He wrote something to Leander. It must have been an apology, because Leander calmed right down.”

“Did Leander write something back?”

“I think so. They both wrote in the book, at least. I’m sure of that.”

“I wish I could see what they wrote,” Malloy mused.

“You can!” Sarah remembered. “In the excitement, Mr. Oldham dropped the notebook, and Electra picked it up. Her aunt reminded her to give it back to him when he called on her the other day, but she didn’t. We thought she wanted it as a keepsake or something. Girls are so sentimental . . . What is it?”

Malloy had jumped to his feet. “I need to see what they wrote in that book.”

“Mr. Malloy, your sandwich is ready,” Maeve called from the kitchen.

“Take a minute to eat,” Sarah said. “I’ll get ready and go with you.”

“You don’t need—”

“You’re dealing with a young girl,” she reminded him. “What if she refuses to let you see the notebook? Are you going to go charging upstairs and search her bedroom for it?”

Malloy could see the problem. “But she might let you see it,” he guessed.

“Or at least I could go to her room and look for it if she doesn’t. I won’t be long.”

By the time Sarah had changed into a street dress, Malloy had gobbled down his sandwich and was pacing impatiently. The girls were watching him curiously, as if he were a specimen in a zoo. The moment he saw that Sarah was ready, he hurried to the front door, snatching his hat off the rack where Maeve had hung it when he came in, and held the door open for her.

“I don’t know when we’ll be back,” Sarah called after her as Malloy took her elbow and propelled her down the front steps.

“It’ll be faster to take the El,” Malloy said, referring to the elevated train that ran up Ninth Avenue. They headed down Bank Street, then up Hudson to the Little Twelfth Street Station.

As they reached the station, Sarah saw a newsboy trying to sell the last of his early papers before the afternoon editions came out. “Malloy, I just remembered, Mrs. Ellsworth said the Thursday morning newspapers didn’t have the story about Leander’s death in them.”

“It’s not likely they would,” Malloy said, still holding her elbow as they climbed the long stairway up to the station. “Mrs. Parmer didn’t identify his body until late on Wednesday.”

“But you don’t understand. When Mr. Oldham arrived at the Wooten house to see Electra on Thursday morning, he already knew Leander was dead. He claimed he’d read about it in the paper, but it wasn’t in the paper yet.”

Malloy’s expression grew even grimmer, and he quickened his pace even more, until Sarah was practically running to keep up with him.

 

 

G
ETTING TO THE WOOTEN HOUSE SEEMED TO TAKE FORever, although she kept reminding Malloy that Oldham didn’t know they’d figured it out. He’d be working at the school today, as usual, thinking he was safe, and he wouldn’t be a danger to anyone else. Both men who might have kept him away from Electra were already dead.

Sarah still couldn’t seem to calm Malloy’s anxiety, and her own began to grow. By the time they reached the Wootens’ house, she had to resist the urge to pound on the door when the maid didn’t answer their knock as quickly as she wanted.

“We need to see Mrs. Parmer immediately,” Sarah told the startled maid.

“The family is in mourning and—”

“I know, I know,” Sarah said impatiently. “But we must see her. Mr. Malloy has some information for her.”

“I’ll see if she’s home,” the girl said doubtfully, as she was trained to do when unexpected and possibly unwelcome visitors arrived.

“Calm down,” Malloy said to Sarah while they waited, although she noticed he was still fidgeting, too.

When the maid returned to escort them upstairs, Sarah had to force herself to walk at a reasonable pace and not to push past the girl and go charging into the parlor.

Mrs. Parmer was on her feet when they entered the room. “Mrs. Brandt, Mr. Malloy, this is a surprise. Do you have some news for me?” she asked hopefully.

“Mrs. Parmer, we’re so sorry to bother you,” Sarah hastened to say, cutting off whatever Malloy might have said. “But Mr. Malloy needs to see the notebook that Mr. Oldham left here on the day of Mr. Wooten’s funeral.”

“The notebook?” Mrs. Parmer asked. “You mean the one he was writing in?”

“Yes, that’s the one. Electra took it to her room, I believe. Remember, you suggested she return it to him when he called on her yesterday, but she ignored you.”

“That’s right, I do remember.” She turned to Malloy. “Why do you need to see it?”

Malloy looked at Sarah, silently asking her to frame a suitable reply that wouldn’t alarm Mrs. Parmer unnecessarily.

“He thinks there might be some clue in it about why Leander went out that evening,” Sarah said carefully.

Mrs. Parmer wasn’t a stupid woman. She only needed a moment to figure out the implication of what Sarah had said. The color drained from her face. “Do you think—?”

“We don’t know anything for sure,” Malloy hastened to explain. “I just thought that Oldham might have suggested a meeting. He might not have,” he added diplomatically. “And if he did, that would at least explain why Leander went out that night. It wouldn’t necessarily mean that . . . Well, I just need to know for sure.”

Mrs. Parmer’s eyes were wide with apprehension as she considered the possibilities. “Please, wait here. I’ll go find Electra and have her get the notebook.” Mrs. Parmer left the room, her back rigid as she fought to hold her fears in check.

“Do you really think Mr. Oldham could have killed Mr. Wooten?” Sarah asked.

“He could’ve gone to see Mr. Wooten at his office. I don’t know how he would’ve known he’d be there, but maybe he was just lucky.”

“You said Terry Young heard someone in the office with Wooten, but he couldn’t have heard Mr. Oldham speaking. Mr. Wooten wouldn’t have been speaking to Oldham either,” Sarah realized.

“Terry said he heard Wooten’s voice, but he didn’t understand the words, just the tone. He said it was the tone he uses when he thinks he’s smarter than you are or something like that.”

“Oh, my, Mr. Wooten couldn’t have been a very pleasant man to know.”

“Or to do business with. I can’t really blame Terry for stealing from him.”

“Or Mrs. Wooten for betraying him?” Sarah asked archly.

“Well, I’d have to think about that one, I guess.”

Sarah considered what Malloy had said. “So Terry didn’t hear the other person speaking?”

“No. He assumed it was his father, and that his father had killed Wooten in an argument, but Young thought Terry had done it and was willing to pay me a fortune to protect him, so I have to assume Young is innocent, too.”

“Still, his not hearing the other person’s voice is interesting,” Sarah said. “Mr. Oldham doesn’t speak.”

“But why would Wooten have been talking to a deaf man?”

Sarah considered this. “But you do, don’t you?” she mused. “From habit. I noticed the family here even speaks to Electra when she can’t see their faces. After all these years, they still forget sometimes that she can’t hear them.”

“Probably because she usually acts as if she does, replying when they speak to her because she watches their lips.”

“And that’s what Mr. Wooten would’ve been used to, a deaf person who can understand what he says.”

“Which could explain why Terry heard Mr. Wooten speaking but not the other person.”

Malloy nodded. “So I guess we’ve convinced ourselves that Oldham could’ve killed Wooten, and we’ll soon know if he lured Leander out to that saloon.”

“I hope we’re wrong,” Sarah said, “for Electra’s sake. She’d be devastated if the man she loves is the one who killed her father and her brother.”

“And what about all those other poor females who are in love with him, too? Even my own mother,” Malloy reminded her. “I won’t be able to go home again if I have to arrest him for murder.”

Sarah smiled in spite of herself.

The sound of footsteps in the hallway silenced them, and they waited expectantly as Mrs. Parmer appeared in the doorway. Her face was pale and her eyes were terrible.

“What’s wrong?” Sarah asked, hurrying over to her.

“It’s Electra,” she said. “She’s gone.”

“W
HAT DO YOU MEAN, SHE’S GONE?” SARAH ASKED, HURrying to her.

“She isn’t in the house. I had the servants check when she wasn’t in her room. No one saw her leave, but she’s taken a carpet bag and some of her clothes are missing. Where could she have gone?”

“I’m guessing she’s run off with Oldham or she’s hoping to,” Malloy said. “The question is, did Oldham put her up to it or is she doing it on her own? Did you find the notebook?”

Mrs. Parmer shook her head absently. “You mean she’s eloping? She’s only sixteen,” she said to Sarah, as if that were a valid argument against such a possibility.

“Mr. Malloy could be wrong about that,” Sarah said, giving him a warning look. “Come and sit down.”

“May I search her room, Mrs. Parmer?” Malloy asked. “There might be something that will tell us where she went.” Sarah knew he was thinking about Oldham’s notebook.

“Yes, yes,” Mrs. Parmer said. “Have the maid take you upstairs and show you where it is.”

Malloy hurried out.

“Is there a friend she might go to?” Sarah asked. “Someplace she might feel safe?”

“If she went to her friends, their parents would send us word, I’m sure. Oh, Mrs. Brandt, what shall I do? We must find her. If anyone discovers that she’s run off with Mr. Oldham, she’ll be ruined!”

That, Sarah realized, might be just what Mr. Oldham was thinking, too. He didn’t have to actually marry her now. He only had to take her someplace and be gone overnight and her reputation would be ruined. No respectable man would have her, then. A deaf girl with a ruined reputation would be hopeless indeed. She’d have to marry Oldham or no one.

Sarah and Mrs. Parmer waited for what seemed like an hour but which the clock on the mantle said was no more than ten minutes. Finally, Malloy came back, his expression grave.

“I found this in her room,” he said, handing Mrs. Parmer an envelope. “It must’ve been delivered this morning.”

It was addressed to Electra with no return address and no stamp, so it hadn’t been mailed. How had Electra received it? Mrs. Parmer started to open it, but Malloy said, “It’s from Oldham. He says he wants to marry her.” Mrs. Parmer gasped. “He tells her to pack for an overnight stay and meet him at Grand Central Station. They’ll run away and elope and surprise everyone.”