fingers on her coat sleeve rather than feel them. “Albright and Cardew make millions of dollars. All the power rests in the two families. When the present generation dies, or retires, it will all pass to Mr. Albright’s sons.”
“And Phinnie,” Jemima added. “I wonder why Maria Cardew came back to New York. Was it really to try to see her daughter? She must have known the Albrights would not want her here. Was she hiding so close to them with the hope that they would never look for her on their own doorstep?”
Patrick was looking through the ledger as he spoke. “Could be. America is a huge country, thousands of miles across. She could have gone West and disappeared if she had truly wanted to.” He went on leafing through the pages.
“Then she had a reason to be here,” Jemima concluded. “It must have been a very strong one, Officer Flannery …”
He looked up. “You are not under arrest, Jemima. Do you think you could call me Patrick?”
She felt the color burn up her face, but she liked the idea. In fact, it had been in her mind when she thought of him, and she had had to remind herself not to use it.
“Patrick,” she began again, a little self-consciously. “She must have had a very important reason for coming back here.”
“Perhaps she knew that Harley Albright would pay her well to stay away from the wedding.”
“Then who killed her? Did he?” It seemed far-fetched, but it wasn’t impossible. she asked him.
“Or Delphinia herself,” he replied. “I know you hate the thought, but she’s a healthy young woman. It wouldn’t be out of the question for her to have driven that knife through her mother’s chest, especially since she would be the last one Maria would suspect. Face it, Jemima, she had the best motive of all. She’s in love with Brent. She might have convinced herself she was protecting him.”
“If she were really protecting him, she would have told him about Maria and let him make his own decision,” she said hotly. “Or had a smaller wedding privatelysomewhere where Maria wouldn’t have known about it! I think she’s in love with being in love!”
“Most of us would like to be in love,” he said very gently. “Wouldn’t you, one day?”
She did not dare meet his eyes in case she gave herself away. “Oh, I expect so,” she said as lightly as she could. “But I hope it would never bring me to a point where I could consider doing something so …”
“Crazy?” he suggested. “Probably not. But love can be pretty overwhelming. It can make you take risks you wouldn’t normally even think of.” Then he looked a little uncomfortable, as if he had said more than he meant to. He turned away from her, facing along the street into the wind and snow.
For a wild moment Jemima wondered if the reason he was so determined to find Maria’s killer and save her from suspicion was that he cared for her. Then she dismissed it as a daydream she couldn’t afford to indulge. If they didn’t find the real killer, then the police were left with her. She was the one who had found Maria’s body, and she had been alone.
“Do you think it could’ve been the other way around? Brent killed her, out of love for Phinnie?” she asked as sensibly as she could.
“That is possible,” he answered slowly, still facing down the street. “We need to know more about Maria. Her murder might be something to do with her own life, something we missed entirely. Maybe it is only chance that it happened now, so close to the wedding. Come on.” He took her arm and started to walk along the pavement briskly, as if he had a specific destination in mind.
J emima spent the rest of the day with Patrick. They learned more about Maria Cardew, but it was incidental to their search for Sara Godwin. They met many people who knew Sara and spoke well of her. It seemed she was quiet and kept to herself, but was willing to help anyone. But her illness had steadily been getting worse. No one had
“And Phinnie,” Jemima added. “I wonder why Maria Cardew came back to New York. Was it really to try to see her daughter? She must have known the Albrights would not want her here. Was she hiding so close to them with the hope that they would never look for her on their own doorstep?”
Patrick was looking through the ledger as he spoke. “Could be. America is a huge country, thousands of miles across. She could have gone West and disappeared if she had truly wanted to.” He went on leafing through the pages.
“Then she had a reason to be here,” Jemima concluded. “It must have been a very strong one, Officer Flannery …”
He looked up. “You are not under arrest, Jemima. Do you think you could call me Patrick?”
She felt the color burn up her face, but she liked the idea. In fact, it had been in her mind when she thought of him, and she had had to remind herself not to use it.
“Patrick,” she began again, a little self-consciously. “She must have had a very important reason for coming back here.”
“Perhaps she knew that Harley Albright would pay her well to stay away from the wedding.”
“Then who killed her? Did he?” It seemed far-fetched, but it wasn’t impossible. she asked him.
“Or Delphinia herself,” he replied. “I know you hate the thought, but she’s a healthy young woman. It wouldn’t be out of the question for her to have driven that knife through her mother’s chest, especially since she would be the last one Maria would suspect. Face it, Jemima, she had the best motive of all. She’s in love with Brent. She might have convinced herself she was protecting him.”
“If she were really protecting him, she would have told him about Maria and let him make his own decision,” she said hotly. “Or had a smaller wedding privatelysomewhere where Maria wouldn’t have known about it! I think she’s in love with being in love!”
“Most of us would like to be in love,” he said very gently. “Wouldn’t you, one day?”
She did not dare meet his eyes in case she gave herself away. “Oh, I expect so,” she said as lightly as she could. “But I hope it would never bring me to a point where I could consider doing something so …”
“Crazy?” he suggested. “Probably not. But love can be pretty overwhelming. It can make you take risks you wouldn’t normally even think of.” Then he looked a little uncomfortable, as if he had said more than he meant to. He turned away from her, facing along the street into the wind and snow.
For a wild moment Jemima wondered if the reason he was so determined to find Maria’s killer and save her from suspicion was that he cared for her. Then she dismissed it as a daydream she couldn’t afford to indulge. If they didn’t find the real killer, then the police were left with her. She was the one who had found Maria’s body, and she had been alone.
“Do you think it could’ve been the other way around? Brent killed her, out of love for Phinnie?” she asked as sensibly as she could.
“That is possible,” he answered slowly, still facing down the street. “We need to know more about Maria. Her murder might be something to do with her own life, something we missed entirely. Maybe it is only chance that it happened now, so close to the wedding. Come on.” He took her arm and started to walk along the pavement briskly, as if he had a specific destination in mind.
J emima spent the rest of the day with Patrick. They learned more about Maria Cardew, but it was incidental to their search for Sara Godwin. They met many people who knew Sara and spoke well of her. It seemed she was quiet and kept to herself, but was willing to help anyone. But her illness had steadily been getting worse. No one had
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