Read Online Murder at the Breakers by Alyssa Maxwell - Free Book Online
Authors: Alyssa Maxwell
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blue eyes frightened and sad and something more . . . regretful at having disappointed me, I thought. “The old man’s been quietly buying shares in an existing New England line—”
“New Haven-Hartford-Providence,” I supplied.
He nodded. “He’s planning a buyout. Wants to expand into New England. There are a lot of original investors who don’t like the idea of Cornelius Vanderbilt controlling a railroad monopoly that encompasses the entire Northeast.”
“But what did you intend to do?”
“Head him off. Beat him at his own game. By bringing those plans to a few key investors, we could pool resources and stop the buyout before Cornelius accumulated the controlling shares.” He blew out a long sigh. “I’d have been paving my way to my own riches, Em.”
“So what changed your mind?”
“A couple of things,” he said with a shrug. “For one, I realized the New Haven-Hartford-Providence line has been losing money. Lots of it, through mismanagement and skimming off the top. The corruption is rampant. It might not be such a bad idea to scrap it and start over, and a shark like Cornelius Vanderbilt would be just the man for the job.”
“You said a couple of things. What’s the other?”
A corner of his mouth lifted and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t laugh, but I just couldn’t blindside the old man like that. Call me sentimental. A lot of good that does me, though, if he’s still ready to lead me to the scaffold.”
“Don’t say things like that!” I slapped my purse against the bars, sending Brady back a step. I moved closer to the cell and again lowered my voice. “What can you tell me about Alvin Goddard? Did he have enemies that you knew of?”
“You mean besides me?”
“Be serious!” I raised my purse in warning, as if I could slap sense into my brother through the bars.
He shook his head and shrugged. “Everyone has enemies of some sort. I suppose Goddard was no different.”
A notion had me pulling back and studying him through a narrowed gaze. “Were there allies, Brady?”
“Sure, he had friends, business associates, all kinds of lucrative connections.”
“No, I mean you. Were you alone in deciding to steal those documents, or did someone put you up to it? One of the investors?”
He did that little sideways bob of the head he’d always given our mother whenever she asked a question he didn’t want to answer. The cot springs whined as he lowered himself onto the edge of the mattress. “There was no one else involved. I came up with the harebrained idea all on my own.”
“You sure?”
He swung his face toward me. “Of course I’m sure. Look, Em, I’m tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night, as I’m sure you can imagine.”
The anger in his voice said he was shutting me out, which meant two things: There was something he didn’t want to tell me, and I wouldn’t likely get much more out of him today. “Just one more question, then.” When his gaze softened, I smiled apologetically. “How did you ever manage to get the combination to Cornelius’s safe?”
He chuckled softly. “It was months ago, at the New York offices. Right in front of me one day he turned around and opened the safe. Guess he didn’t think I could see over his shoulder.” He shrugged. “He must’ve still thought of me as Arthur Cross’s naïve little stepson.”
“More fool he,” I muttered. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me the combination?”
“Oh, no.” He came to his feet and strode toward me as if to grasp my shoulders and shake me, though he stopped a foot short of the cell door. “No way, Em. I won’t have you playing at intrigue on my account. See where it got me? You don’t need Cornelius Vanderbilt as an enemy. Now, go home, little sister, and stay there.”
“First, I’m going to send a telegram to Mother and Father.” Brady’s eyebrows quirked; he clearly didn’t expect much help from that quarter. I hesitated another moment. “Do you need
“New Haven-Hartford-Providence,” I supplied.
He nodded. “He’s planning a buyout. Wants to expand into New England. There are a lot of original investors who don’t like the idea of Cornelius Vanderbilt controlling a railroad monopoly that encompasses the entire Northeast.”
“But what did you intend to do?”
“Head him off. Beat him at his own game. By bringing those plans to a few key investors, we could pool resources and stop the buyout before Cornelius accumulated the controlling shares.” He blew out a long sigh. “I’d have been paving my way to my own riches, Em.”
“So what changed your mind?”
“A couple of things,” he said with a shrug. “For one, I realized the New Haven-Hartford-Providence line has been losing money. Lots of it, through mismanagement and skimming off the top. The corruption is rampant. It might not be such a bad idea to scrap it and start over, and a shark like Cornelius Vanderbilt would be just the man for the job.”
“You said a couple of things. What’s the other?”
A corner of his mouth lifted and he rolled his eyes. “Don’t laugh, but I just couldn’t blindside the old man like that. Call me sentimental. A lot of good that does me, though, if he’s still ready to lead me to the scaffold.”
“Don’t say things like that!” I slapped my purse against the bars, sending Brady back a step. I moved closer to the cell and again lowered my voice. “What can you tell me about Alvin Goddard? Did he have enemies that you knew of?”
“You mean besides me?”
“Be serious!” I raised my purse in warning, as if I could slap sense into my brother through the bars.
He shook his head and shrugged. “Everyone has enemies of some sort. I suppose Goddard was no different.”
A notion had me pulling back and studying him through a narrowed gaze. “Were there allies, Brady?”
“Sure, he had friends, business associates, all kinds of lucrative connections.”
“No, I mean you. Were you alone in deciding to steal those documents, or did someone put you up to it? One of the investors?”
He did that little sideways bob of the head he’d always given our mother whenever she asked a question he didn’t want to answer. The cot springs whined as he lowered himself onto the edge of the mattress. “There was no one else involved. I came up with the harebrained idea all on my own.”
“You sure?”
He swung his face toward me. “Of course I’m sure. Look, Em, I’m tired. Didn’t get much sleep last night, as I’m sure you can imagine.”
The anger in his voice said he was shutting me out, which meant two things: There was something he didn’t want to tell me, and I wouldn’t likely get much more out of him today. “Just one more question, then.” When his gaze softened, I smiled apologetically. “How did you ever manage to get the combination to Cornelius’s safe?”
He chuckled softly. “It was months ago, at the New York offices. Right in front of me one day he turned around and opened the safe. Guess he didn’t think I could see over his shoulder.” He shrugged. “He must’ve still thought of me as Arthur Cross’s naïve little stepson.”
“More fool he,” I muttered. “I don’t suppose you’ll tell me the combination?”
“Oh, no.” He came to his feet and strode toward me as if to grasp my shoulders and shake me, though he stopped a foot short of the cell door. “No way, Em. I won’t have you playing at intrigue on my account. See where it got me? You don’t need Cornelius Vanderbilt as an enemy. Now, go home, little sister, and stay there.”
“First, I’m going to send a telegram to Mother and Father.” Brady’s eyebrows quirked; he clearly didn’t expect much help from that quarter. I hesitated another moment. “Do you need
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