Once outside in the dark hallway, I wasn’t sure what to do next. I could hear sounds coming up from down below. Loud voices, the tramp of feet. It sounded as if the police were already in the building. Was it up to me to tell what I knew? Suddenly I just wanted to get away, back to my own world. I never wanted to see the theater or Blanche Lovejoy again.
I ran down the stairs and out the stage door. The news of the latest accident had already reached the press. The alleyway was packed with reporters and the curious. I was grabbed and manhandled as I stepped through the door.
“They say a girl was killed. Was it the ghost again? Did you see the ghost? How did she die?” The questions were shouted in my ears as arms grabbed me.
Then another arm was placed firmly around my shoulder. “Come on, Molly, we’re getting out of here,” said a calm voice in my ear, and Daniel was leading me firmly through the crowd and away. I had never been more glad to see him.
“Are you all right?” he asked as soon as we were safely away from the mob.
“Yes, I’m fine. How did you know?” I asked.
“I thought I might see the play for myself tonight,” he said. “I wanted to witness your acting prowess. Imagine how disappointed I was when you didn’t appear onstage.”
“Miss Lovejoy fired me.”
“Not for your lack of acting ability, I assume.”
“No, because I had already played my part and she no longer needed me.”
“Your part?”
“Innocent girl detective who has been unable to prove or disprove the existence of the ghost.”
“But you stuck around anyway?”
“Yes, and I’m glad I did.”
“You saw who killed that girl?”
I hesitated. No, I hadn’t actually seen anything more than a hint of a movement. “Not actually saw, but I think I know.”
“And it wasn’t a ghost?”
“No, it wasn’t a ghost.”
“The police are already there. Do you think you should go back and . . . ?”
“No,” I interrupted. “I don’t want to go near that place again. I’ve had enough, Daniel. Take me home. If the police don’t get a confession, then I’ll step forward. Right now I want to be as far away as possible.”
“You think you’re in danger, yourself?”
“Possibly,” I said. I turned and looked up at him. “Daniel, I’m so glad you’re here.”
“And I’m so glad you’re here, trust me,” he said. “When you didn’t appear onstage and then the word went around that somebody was dead, I was all set to burst in through that stage door and rescue you.”
“The dashing hero as always,” I said, putting my hand up to his cheek. He took my hand and kissed the palm. “Your hands are cold,” he said. “Where are your gloves?”
“Oh dear. Lost somewhere in that theater, I suspect. I’m not going back for them.”
“Do you want me to take you home?” Daniel asked. “Have you eaten this evening?”
“Not really. A cup of coffee, I believe.”
“Then shall we go and have a meal somewhere?”
I almost opened my mouth to say, “you don’t have any money at the moment, Daniel.” I swallowed back the words just in time. “I suppose we do have reason to celebrate,” I said. “I’ve just concluded two cases.”
“Two?”
“I gave my report to the Mendelbaums this afternoon, and I have deposited the check.”
“And they are happy that their daughter is marrying a boring and respectable young man?”
“They are happy that she’s marrying a dubious rogue,” I said. “And a stage-door Johnnie with strange ideas about—” I couldn’t say the word sex in front of Daniel, even though we had shared more than words on the subject.
“I suspect many rich young men go through that phase in their lives,” Daniel said.
“I hope you didn’t.”
“I was never rich enough nor at leisure. Do you fancy Muschenheim’s Arena? It’s fairly close by.”
“A little pricey for us, isn’t it? I may never get the money out of Blanche Lovejoy.”
“Write up your bill and I’ll collect it for you. And also what Oona Sheehan owes you. I guarantee they’ll pay up.”
Of course they would, I reasoned. Knowing what I knew, they’d have no choice. And Daniel was an intimidating presence.
“I am your employee, after all,” Daniel said. “I have to earn my crust somehow.”
“Not employee, affiliate,” I said.
“How about partner?”
“You want to go into partnership with me?”
“That’s right. Say to hell with the police department. Why should I wait around, holding my breath, for them to admit they made a mistake and wrongly accused me?”
“But your job, Daniel. Your status. You were one of their best officers. It would be quite a come-down to work the small-time cases that I get.”
“Do I get the feeling that you don’t want to work with me?”
“On the contrary. Nothing would please me more. But we have your career to think of. And our future. You’re an important man, Daniel. You have a fine future ahead of you.”
“Not anymore,” he said bitterly.
“Of course you do. It will all come right again, you’ll see,” I said. “Come on then, we’ll have a slap-up meal and drown our sorrows in a bottle of wine.”
I slipped my arm through his and we marched down Broadway to the restaurant on Thirty-first.
“This is more like it,” Daniel said, taking a sip of claret as the waiter put a large steak in front of him. “I’ve been living on edge for too long now, and so have you. You’re looking quite pale and drawn. You need some good red meat.”
I nodded. “It hasn’t been easy and today has been a strange, strange day.” Then I told him about the Hungarians and about Annie going with them.
“But that’s good news, surely,” Daniel said. “I’m relieved to hear that you no longer have to take responsibility for her. She’s gone where her own people can take care of her.”
“I hope so,” I said. “I kept asking myself whether I was doing the right thing in letting her go.”
“Why? Was there something wrong with these men?”
“I don’t know. They seemed respectable enough. They seemed very concerned about her.”
“Well, there you are then. The girl should never have been your responsibility. Let her go and stop worrying. So the only case we still have on the books is Miss Van Woekem’s nephew, and I doubt that we’ll ever get to the bottom of that one.”
“Did you have a chance to visit the steamship companies?”
“I did,” he said. “None of the shipping lines remembers selling a ticket to someone who resembled John Jacob Halsted.”
“And trains?”
“I showed his picture around at the train station that was closest to the wrecked car. Nobody remembered seeing him there, either. Nor at any of the businesses along the little main street there. The man has completely vanished, Molly. I think we have to assume that he is lying dead somewhere in a snowdrift. I don’t know how we’ll tell the old woman. It will break her heart.”
“What else could we possibly do?”
“I have no idea. But right now what we are going to do is enjoy this meal before it gets cold.” He attacked his steak with relish. I followed suit.
“I’d better take you home,” Daniel said as we came out into the chilly night air. “That wine was certainly heady.”
“I’m just fine,” I said, although I could feel the effects of the wine all through my body.
Daniel looked at me and smiled. “I don’t want you falling over on the ice.” He hailed a cab and helped me inside. In the dark confined space I was very conscious of his closeness and it seemed very natural for his arm to come around me and for my head to rest on his shoulder. “Now this is more like it,” he said. “It seems we’ve been at odds recently. I’ve had the feeling that you’ve been keeping me at arm’s length.”
“With good reason,” I said. “I know what happens if I let you get any closer than that.”
He laughed and squeezed me tighter.
We proceeded slowly down lower Fifth Avenue to the Washington Square arch and then stopped at the entrance to Patchin Place. Daniel jumped down to help me out. His hand was warm and firm in mine. “Here, take my arm,” he said. “It’s still icy in the alleyway.”
We reached my front door without incident. Conflicting thoughts were racing inside my head. He was going to ask to come inside. I knew that I should turn him away but I didn’t want to. I also knew what was likely to happen if I let him in. I fumbled for my key, conscious of how close he was standing beside me.
Suddenly the door opposite was thrown open and Sid and Gus came rushing out.
“Molly, it is you!” Sid shouted. “Gus said she was sure she spotted you coming down the alley. I’m so glad we’ve caught you.” She noticed Daniel at this juncture. “Oh, and good evening to you, too, Captain Sullivan.”
Daniel nodded politely.
“Molly, please tell us that you don’t have to be at that horrible theater tomorrow night, because we have something wonderful planned.”
“I don’t,” I said. “My assignment at the theater is over.”
“Hooray for that,” Gus said. “We were quite out of sorts because we hadn’t seen you for absolutely ages, weren’t we, Sid?”
“She was,” Sid said. “Positively pining. Wouldn’t eat her food. I’ve had to tempt her with foie gras and truffles.”
“You two!” I laughed.
“Can you come in for a while?” Sid asked. “We have to tell you our plans for our wonderful costume party tomorrow night. We’re all going to come as our favorite literary character and we’re going to cook meals that feature in several well-known novels. There will be prizes and Ryan is bringing some of his theater friends—” Again, she glanced at Daniel, who was scowling now. “You are invited, too, of course, Captain Sullivan.”
“Not exactly my cup of tea, thank you,” Daniel said. He tapped my arm. “I think I had better be making my way home, Molly. It’s getting late.”
“Oh, all right, Daniel.” I held his sleeve. “Look, won’t you reconsider and come to the costume party with me tomorrow? We’ve had so little fun recently. We didn’t even manage to go skating in Central Park.”
“I—I’m afraid I have to go home this weekend, Molly,” he said. “My father’s health is not improving and I can tell that my mother is worried about him.”
“You’re just saying that because you don’t want to come to a party with my friends, aren’t you?”
“Not at all,” he said. “I’m concerned about my father, Molly. I have to go home.”
“Very well. Then you’d better go home, hadn’t you?” I said coldly. “Give my regards to your parents. Or haven’t you told them about me yet?”
“I’ve hinted,” he said, glancing across at Sid and Gus still standing there at their front door. “But now is not exactly the time to spring something on them.”
“Of course not. Well, in that case, thank you for bringing me home, Captain Sullivan.”
He looked at me, went to say something else, then his gaze turned to Sid and Gus. “I bid you goodnight, ladies. Goodnight, Molly,” he said and walked away without any kind of farewell kiss.
“I fear your brave captain doesn’t enjoy our company the way you do,” Gus said.
“Too bad for him,” I replied. “He doesn’t know what he’s missing.”