Murder on Fifth Avenue: A Gaslight Mystery by Victoria Thompson

injured.”
    “Where did he take a bath?”
    “In the bathroom.”
    Frank managed not to lose his temper. “Show me.”
    With obvious reluctance, Roderick took him back into the bedroom and to a door on the opposite side of the room. This led to a fully equipped bathroom, with a tub, a commode, and a sink. Which Devries obviously had all to himself. Being rich did have its advantages.
    “After his bath, did he get dressed in here?”
    “No, he put on his robe.” Roderick indicated a garment hanging on the back of the door.
    Frank snatched it down and examined it. No blood. No holes.
    “Then what did he do?”
    “He…He called for some breakfast to be sent up.”
    “What did he do while he waited?”
    “Read the paper.”
    “You said he had a fight with his son.”
    “I never said any such thing.”
    Frank gave him the stare that usually frightened hardened criminals into cooperating. Roderick gulped audibly. “Mr. Paul came in while Mr. Devries was reading his paper. I do not know what they discussed. I left the room.”
    “Did you go downstairs?”
    “No, I went into the dressing room.”
    “Then you know what they argued about.”
    “I most certainly do not. I do not eavesdrop.”
    “But you couldn’t have helped overhearing, especially if they were shouting.”
    But Roderick wasn’t going to betray his master, even if he was dead. “I did not hear anything.”
    Frank nodded in silent acknowledgment of Roderick’s victory. “After Paul left, then what happened?”
    “I came out to help Mr. Devries get dressed.”
    “He was still wearing his robe?”
    Roderick hesitated. “I…No, he wasn’t.”
    “What was he wearing?”
    “Nothing.”
    “He was naked?”
    “Yes, he…he was probably expecting me to dress him, so he’d removed his robe.”
    “Did he remove it while Paul was still there?”
    “I don’t know.”
    Frank thought this, at least was the truth. Roderick looked too worried about the implications to be lying.
    Frank couldn’t imagine prancing around naked in front of people, but since Roderick helped Devries dress and undress every day, he supposed Devries would’ve thought nothing of it. The question was, did he think nothing of being naked in front of his son, who might’ve stabbed him in the back when he took off his robe?
    But what would the son have stabbed him with? Frank didn’t see an ice pick or even a hat pin lying around.
    “So Devries was just walking around the room, naked?”
    “He was eating a walnut.”
    “What?”
    “A walnut.” Roderick indicated the bowl on the table near the fireplace. “Mr. Devries is…was very fond of walnuts.”
    Frank was fairly certain Devries hadn’t been stabbed with a walnut. Or a nutcracker either. “Then what happened?”
    “Someone knocked on the door. I thought it was the girl bringing up the breakfast tray, so I opened the door, but it was Mrs. Devries.”
    “And she came in?”
    Roderick flinched a little at the memory. “Yes.”
    Frank could imagine her reaction to finding her nakedhusband standing there eating a walnut. “Did you leave the room again?”
    “Very quickly.”
    “And did you hear—”
    “Before I left, I heard her say Paul had told her about their argument, but I didn’t listen to any more. If you want to know what they discussed, you will have to ask Mrs. Devries.”
    Frank couldn’t imagine doing any such thing, but maybe Sarah could do it. Did women talk about things like that? He had no idea, but he would find out. From Sarah.
    “Did Mr. Devries put his robe back on when his wife came in?”
    “No. At least not that I know of. He was still naked when she left and I returned to the room.”
    “Maybe he thought if he was naked, she’d leave.”
    Roderick had to make an effort not to smile. “Or at least not stay as long.”
    “Then what happened?”
    “I brought him his underwear, and he started to dress, but the girl finally delivered the breakfast tray, and he stopped to