Victoria Thompson - Murder On Astor Place

He was beautiful. There was no other word to describe him, and Sarah was so taken that for a moment she didn’t register the fact that he was crawling toward her instead of walking as a child his age should have been. That was when she noticed his twisted foot, and her heart broke. How tragic that a child so winning should be crippled.

She still couldn’t stop smiling at him, though. He was simply too sweet. “Hello, young man,” she greeted him, stooping to be closer to his level. “My name is Mrs. Brandt. What’s yours?”

The boy stopped when he reached her and reared upright on his knees, holding out his arms to be picked up.

“He don’t talk,” his grandmother said before Sarah could reach for him. “He’s simple, too.”

The words were like a knife in Sarah’s heart. He’s simple too. In addition to being a cripple. The tragedy of it was too horrible to contemplate as she stared down into the cherubic face. She had just set her basket down and reached out to him, instinctively wanting to take him into her arms, when the door opened behind her, distracting them both.

Malloy came in, seeming to fill the crowded room with his presence. He took in the scene with one glance as Sarah rose to her feet. He did not look pleased.

“Malloy,” she said by way of greeting.

He looked at his mother, as if seeking some unspoken message. Sarah couldn’t tell if he received it or not, but when he looked back at Sarah, he was glowering. “What are you doing here?”

“She brought you some food,” his mother said, as if it were an accusation.

The boy had lost all interest in Sarah and now was waving his arms and trying to jump up in an attempt to get his father to notice him, but Malloy didn’t take his gaze off Sarah. He was furious.

“I was worried about you,” Sarah tried. “They took you away in an ambulance,” she added when he looked as if he was going to scoff.

“How did you find me?” Plainly, he wasn’t pleased that she had, so she decided to irritate him even further.

“Teddy got me your address.”

“Teddy who?”

Sarah smiled blandly. “Teddy Roosevelt. Commissioner Roosevelt to you.”

The boy was pulling on Malloy’s pant legs, demanding to be noticed. “Mum, take care of him, will you?” he said impatiently, barely sparing the boy a glance. His face was scarlet.

The old woman pried the boy’s hands loose and scooped him up, showing a strength that surprised Sarah. He looked far too heavy for her to manage, but she held him easily.

“There’s some cookies in the basket,” Sarah offered. “Maybe he’d like one.”

The old woman gave her a withering glare before turning away. The boy was struggling, reaching for Malloy who continued to ignore him, but eerily, the child made no sound. Not speaking was one thing, but he appeared to be completely mute.

“Take him next door,” Malloy told his mother before Sarah could puzzle it out.

“And leave you two alone?” she said, pretending to be shocked.

“Just go.”

Not even Sarah would have disobeyed him when he used that tone, and the old woman was no braver than she. The boy tried to grab Malloy as she carried him past, but he failed. His face was tragic with disappointment, but for all his frustration, he still uttered not a sound.

“Very nice to have met you, Mrs. Malloy,” Sarah called as they walked out the door. The old woman merely grunted.

Neither Sarah nor Malloy spoke until they heard the door to the apartment next door closing.

“Now, what are you really doing here?” he demanded wearily.

Sarah let out a sigh long-suffering sigh. “I told you, I was worried about you. I went to the hospital that night, when I was finally able to get away from Mrs. VanDamm, but you’d already gone home. I tried at police headquarters, but no one would tell me how to find you.”

He muttered something that might have been a curse.

Sarah grinned with satisfaction. “A very nice gentleman named Brogham said it would be worth his life-or words to that effect-if he told me where you lived.”

“He was right about that.”

“It took me three days to think of it, but I finally realized I could ask Teddy, and he was dee- lighted to find your address for me,” she said, mimicking Teddy’s favorite phrase.

“You know Roosevelt?” he asked incredulously.

“Of course I know him. All the Knickerbocker families know each other.”

“Why didn’t you say so before?”

“You never asked.”

The look he gave her was meant to curdle her blood, and it very nearly did, although she tried not to let on. “You appear to be doing well,” she ventured.

“I’m fine.”

“You didn’t look too fine the last time I saw you.”

Plainly, he didn’t want to remember. “I just got the wind knocked out of me is all. And I hit my head when I fell, I guess.” He reached up to rub the back of his head but stopped when he realized what he was doing and adjusted his hat instead.

She decided not to mention what his mother had said about his head hurting. “Your son is a very handsome child.” His expression was a warning not to trespass, but she ignored it. “What’s his name?”

For a second she thought he wouldn’t answer, but then he said grudgingly, “Brian.”

“And his mother?”

“Died when he was born. A midwife killed her.”

His bitterness scalded her, and she almost cried out from the shock of it. “Oh, Malloy, I’m so sorry!”

Of course, Sarah couldn’t be sure that’s what had caused his wife’s death. Women died in childbirth every day, and it was nobody’s fault. But obviously, Malloy believed the midwife had been at fault, or at least he needed to blame her for it. And that explained so much of Malloy’s attitude toward her. She must bring back terrible memories for him.

If so, he didn’t want to dwell on them. “You still haven’t told me what you’re doing here. And don’t give me any more stories about how you were worried about me.”

Sarah sighed in defeat. “I guess I’ll have to confess, then, before you use the third degree on me. I called on Mrs. VanDamm the other day. The experience was absolutely extraordinary, and I wanted to share it with someone, but I couldn’t think of anyone else who would really appreciate it except you.”

If he was surprised she’d sought him out just to gossip, he didn’t mention it. Instead, he was as interested as she had expected. “You called on her? What happened?”

Apparently, he wasn’t adverse to a little gossip himself.

“She was sitting in the parlor, wearing a new gown that someone must have spent an entire night making to have it ready so quickly, and she was receiving every visitor who came to the door. A lot of them were coming, too, because nobody had seen her in years and because the deaths of her family were so shocking.”

This time Malloy scratched his head in bewilderment. “Was she telling people what really happened?”

“Of course not. Alicia’s death is old news by now, since people believe she’d died a natural death at their country home, so it was Mina and Mr. VanDamm’s deaths they were concerned about. Everyone knew they had been struck by lightning, but nobody could imagine what they’d been doing on the roof in that terrible storm in the first place. She’d made up a story for them, though. Mina, it seems, was distraught over her sister’s death, and she’d decided to do herself harm, being unable to bear the tragedy of Alicia’s loss. Her father had rushed to save her, and they’d both been struck down.”

Malloy shook his head. “Did anybody believe her?”

“I doubt it, but they pretended to, which is all that matters. And you can’t imagine the change in her. I expect she still takes her ‘medicines,’ but she’s completely different in every other way. She’s actually lively and interesting. And she’s thoroughly enjoying being the center of attention of every person whose opinion matters in this city.”