Read Online Murder in Chelsea by Victoria Thompson - Free Book Online Page A

might be in danger, too, I wasn’t going to tell anyone where she is.”
    “And he agreed to that?”
    “He did. He wasn’t happy about it, but he doesn’t want any harm to come to her either.”
    Tears stung Sarah’s eyes. How could she hate a man who loved Catherine that much? “But if he’s dying . . .”
    “I know. He won’t wait very long.”
    “So what do we do now?”
    “We find out who killed Miss Murphy,” Maeve said.
    Malloy gave her a half grin. “That’s a good idea, but first, Sarah, I think we need to speak to your father.”

4
    S ARAH HAD SUGGESTED M ALLOY MEET HER AT HER PARENTS’ house, but he came to fetch her that morning in a hansom cab. They would have made faster progress if they’d walked to the elevated train station and ridden it uptown, but Sarah didn’t mention this. She suspected Malloy wanted to deliver her to her parents’ house in the best possible style.
    Whatever his reasoning, Sarah leaned back in the cozy confines of the vehicle and sighed, grateful for the opportunity to spend some time with Malloy before facing her parents.
    “Are you all right?” he asked when they were on their way.
    Sarah had seen the dark circles under her eyes this morning, so she wasn’t insulted by his concern. “I haven’t been sleeping very well. At first I was worried about Catherine’s mother taking her away, and now I’m worried about her father.”
    “I wish I could tell you not to worry.”
    She smiled. “I know you do. Do you think there’s anything my father can do to help?”
    This time Malloy sighed and not with contentment. “It’s been my experience that money and power can solve an awful lot of problems.”
    “But this time both sides have money and power, so whose problems will be solved?”
    Malloy’s dark eyes held no answers.
    “What kind of a man is Wilbanks?” she asked after a moment.
    “Are you asking if he’s ruthless? I’m sure he is when he needs to be. You don’t get rich by being kind to other people.”
    Sarah wished she could disagree with him. “Could he have sent someone to kill Anne Murphy?”
    “Of course, but I don’t think he did. He was too surprised to find out she was dead. Besides, why would he kill someone who could help him find Catherine?”
    “I suppose you’re right. The question is, who would?”
    “I know, and I don’t like any of the answers.”
    “Like Wilbanks’s son?” she said.
    “If he killed Anne Murphy to keep her from producing Catherine . . .”
    He didn’t have to finish that thought. Sarah squeezed her eyes shut to hold back the tears.
    To her surprise, Malloy took her hand in his. “It’s too soon to give up, Sarah.”
    Suddenly, she didn’t feel like crying anymore. “You’re right. It is.”
    By the time they reached her parents’ town house, Sarah had regained her courage. Surprised to see visitors so early in the day, the flustered maid escorted them to the rear parlor—the family parlor—to wait. Sarah took a seat on the sofa while Malloy prowled the room restlessly.
    In a remarkably short time, her parents came in together. Her mother, she could tell, had dressed in haste, not even taking the time to let her maid do her hair. It still hung down her back, tied with a ribbon. She went immediately to Sarah and took both her hands. “Do you have news?”
    “Were you expecting this visit, Elizabeth?” her father asked with an unmistakable hint of annoyance.
    “I was hoping for it, yes,” she said. “I’m so glad to see you, Mr. Malloy.”
    “And you told me nothing about it?” her father said.
    “No. I thought you should hear it all from Sarah. Shall we sit down?”
    Even in her distracted state, Sarah thought her father was behaving strangely. Then again, she’d never brought Malloy with her on a visit before either. She resumed her seat on the sofa, and her mother sat beside her. Malloy, she noted, took a chair at a respectable distance from her, leaving her father the nearer