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Authors: Shelley Freydont
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deliver it.”
Jeannette Randolph gave a minute nod. “I’ll discuss it with your father. You may be excused.”
“Yes, Mama.” Deanna stood, paused to kiss her father’s cheek, and walked sedately out of the room. As soon as they were in the foyer, Deanna pulled Cassie to the back of the stairs. “What happened after I left last night?”
“The police were there for the longest time. They sent everyone back to the house, but we watched from the terrace while an ambulance came and took Daisy away.”
“They didn’t lay her out in your house?”
“Ew, no. Maybe they took her to where her family lives. Only, Vlady and Herbert overheard two of the policeman say they were going to perform an au—au—”
“Autopsy?” Deanna asked.
“Yes. Isn’t that where they cut you up and see what’s inside? I’d never let them do that to me.”
“You wouldn’t be alive to stop them,” Deanna quipped, but she was thinking about the reasons for doing that operation. Because they weren’t sure how she died. “How awful for her family to have her body desecrated on top of it all.”
“They asked Vlady and Herbert all sorts of questions. I’ve never been that close to a policeman before, and it would have been great fun, except that Daisy was dead.”
“The sergeant, Will Hennessey, went to Yale with Bob and Joe.”
“He did? Why on earth would he become a policeman, then?”
“He was interested in forensics,” Deanna said.
“What’s that?”
“Using science to capture criminals. And putting clues together—things ordinary people wouldn’t notice—that will lead them to the arrest. I’m not exactly sure how it works. The boys would always clam up every time I asked any questions.” Deanna rolled her eyes. “When I’m mistress of a house, I’ll let people talk about anything they want.”
Cassie nodded energetically. “Oh, famous. We’ll do anything we please. It will be such a lark. I’ll come and visit you every day.”
Deanna smiled. She sometimes wished she could be like Cassie, looking forward to being a society lady, but the very idea was so tedious. But that was in the future. There were other things that needed attention now. “Cassie, what did they ask Vlady?”
“How would I know? They took him away to the library, and I was suddenly so frightened that they would arrest him.”
“Why on earth?”
“Because he found the body.”
Deanna sighed. “We all found the body.”
“Oh, right. Anyway, they were in there for ever so long, and when Vlady finally came out and Herbert went in, Vlady was all pale and everything. And he said he didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Did he tell you what he did with the envelope?”
“What envelope?”
“Don’t be dense. The one he found in Daisy’s hand.”
“Oh.” Cassie drew out the word. “He didn’t say. Is it important?”
“Quite possibly. I wonder if he gave it to Will.”
Cassie’s eye widened until they looked like they might pop. “Do you think it was a clue?”
Deanna thought it might be. And if it was, she was afraid it would lead the police straight to the Fifth Ward and Orrin Payne.
“Can we go upstairs now, or do you want your mama to catch us hiding behind the stairs?”
They scurried out of their hiding place and were going sedately up the stairs when the front door bell rang. Deanna looked at Cassie and knew she was thinking the same thing. It was too early for a social call.
They hesitated, heard Dickerson say, “Good morning, sir.”
“It’s Will Hennessey,” Deanna whispered, recognizing the visitor’s voice. “Do you think he’s here to talk to me?”
Cassie nodded and, without another word, bolted up the stairs.
Chapter
5
D eanna turned and descended the stairs to face Will across the foyer.
“Did you come to talk with me?”
Will nodded. “But not without your father present. Dickerson has gone to tell him I’m here.”
He didn’t move any closer and neither did Deanna. She
Jeannette Randolph gave a minute nod. “I’ll discuss it with your father. You may be excused.”
“Yes, Mama.” Deanna stood, paused to kiss her father’s cheek, and walked sedately out of the room. As soon as they were in the foyer, Deanna pulled Cassie to the back of the stairs. “What happened after I left last night?”
“The police were there for the longest time. They sent everyone back to the house, but we watched from the terrace while an ambulance came and took Daisy away.”
“They didn’t lay her out in your house?”
“Ew, no. Maybe they took her to where her family lives. Only, Vlady and Herbert overheard two of the policeman say they were going to perform an au—au—”
“Autopsy?” Deanna asked.
“Yes. Isn’t that where they cut you up and see what’s inside? I’d never let them do that to me.”
“You wouldn’t be alive to stop them,” Deanna quipped, but she was thinking about the reasons for doing that operation. Because they weren’t sure how she died. “How awful for her family to have her body desecrated on top of it all.”
“They asked Vlady and Herbert all sorts of questions. I’ve never been that close to a policeman before, and it would have been great fun, except that Daisy was dead.”
“The sergeant, Will Hennessey, went to Yale with Bob and Joe.”
“He did? Why on earth would he become a policeman, then?”
“He was interested in forensics,” Deanna said.
“What’s that?”
“Using science to capture criminals. And putting clues together—things ordinary people wouldn’t notice—that will lead them to the arrest. I’m not exactly sure how it works. The boys would always clam up every time I asked any questions.” Deanna rolled her eyes. “When I’m mistress of a house, I’ll let people talk about anything they want.”
Cassie nodded energetically. “Oh, famous. We’ll do anything we please. It will be such a lark. I’ll come and visit you every day.”
Deanna smiled. She sometimes wished she could be like Cassie, looking forward to being a society lady, but the very idea was so tedious. But that was in the future. There were other things that needed attention now. “Cassie, what did they ask Vlady?”
“How would I know? They took him away to the library, and I was suddenly so frightened that they would arrest him.”
“Why on earth?”
“Because he found the body.”
Deanna sighed. “We all found the body.”
“Oh, right. Anyway, they were in there for ever so long, and when Vlady finally came out and Herbert went in, Vlady was all pale and everything. And he said he didn’t want to talk about it.”
“Did he tell you what he did with the envelope?”
“What envelope?”
“Don’t be dense. The one he found in Daisy’s hand.”
“Oh.” Cassie drew out the word. “He didn’t say. Is it important?”
“Quite possibly. I wonder if he gave it to Will.”
Cassie’s eye widened until they looked like they might pop. “Do you think it was a clue?”
Deanna thought it might be. And if it was, she was afraid it would lead the police straight to the Fifth Ward and Orrin Payne.
“Can we go upstairs now, or do you want your mama to catch us hiding behind the stairs?”
They scurried out of their hiding place and were going sedately up the stairs when the front door bell rang. Deanna looked at Cassie and knew she was thinking the same thing. It was too early for a social call.
They hesitated, heard Dickerson say, “Good morning, sir.”
“It’s Will Hennessey,” Deanna whispered, recognizing the visitor’s voice. “Do you think he’s here to talk to me?”
Cassie nodded and, without another word, bolted up the stairs.
Chapter
5
D eanna turned and descended the stairs to face Will across the foyer.
“Did you come to talk with me?”
Will nodded. “But not without your father present. Dickerson has gone to tell him I’m here.”
He didn’t move any closer and neither did Deanna. She
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