Murder On Mulberry Bend

“I was on my way to your house, and we ran into each other,” Malloy said unhelpfully.

Sarah turned to Richard expectantly.

“I’d just found your note and was reading it when Mr. Malloy arrived.” His smile faded. “We started discussing that girl’s murder, and I remembered something you’d said about how she looked after she died.”

“You mean Emilia?” Sarah asked, still confused.

“Yes, you said she looked as if she’d suffocated. I asked Mr. Malloy to describe it and then I realized – that’s the way Hazel looked. Mrs. Wells had come to visit her that last day, and when she left, we found Hazel gasping for breath. She died a short time later.”

His gaze drifted to Mrs. Wells, who sat staring back at him, unrepentant.

“She went to heaven, Mr. Dennis,” Mrs. Wells said. “That was her wish.”

Richard looked as if he would have cheerfully broken her neck, but he managed to restrain himself.

“She’ll be punished now,” Sarah said, reaching up to pat his shoulder reassuringly. “And nothing you do to her can bring Hazel back.”

He continued to glare at the woman, rubbing his chest absently.

Father Ahearn came running back into the church and reported that a police wagon was on its way and that a carriage had pulled up outside.

“A carriage?” Sarah echoed in amazement, looking at Richard for an explanation.

“We took my carriage from your house to the mission. Mr. Malloy was expecting to find Mrs. Wells there and accuse her of the murders. When she wasn’t there… Well, that’s when we realized she was the one who had sent you the note to lure you here. Mr. Malloy said it would be faster to go on foot, so we left Sydney to follow as best he could. It looks as if he found us,” he added to Malloy.

Father O’Brien turned to Malloy. “Can someone tell me what happened here?”

Malloy looked at Sarah. “I received a note from Father Ahearn this evening,” she began, but Ahearn interrupted her.

“I didn’t send you a note!”

“I know that now,” Sarah said. “Mrs. Wells sent it and claimed it had come from you. It said you had discovered who the killer was and asked me to come to the church as soon as possible.”

“But you went to the mission first,” Richard said.

“Gina, one of the girls there, had brought the message. I had to see her safely home and tell Mrs. Wells the good news,” Sarah added bitterly.

Mrs. Wells refused to meet her gaze, but Malloy said, “So that’s how she knew exactly when you’d be at the church. Then she followed you over here.”

“And Aggie must have followed her,” Sarah said, looking down at the child, who had gone very still. Sarah realized with amazement she was asleep. “I can’t imagine why. Look at her! She’s in her nightdress and barefoot.”

“She was trying to save you,” Mrs. Wells informed her, although it gave her no pleasure. “She’s a clever girl, and she understands more than you’d ever imagine.”

“She understood that I was in danger, I guess,” Sarah continued, “and she tried to stop Mrs. Wells from stabbing me with the hat pin. Mrs. Wells grabbed her and threatened to kill her if I didn’t allow her to kill me instead.”

Father O’Brien’s expression was incredulous, but he couldn’t seem to think of a question to ask that would shed any light on the unbelievable story. Father Ahearn wasn’t quite as stunned. “How did you get the child away from her?”

“Mr. Dennis arrived. He snatched Aggie away, and Mr. Malloy and I disarmed her. That’s when you got here.”

The two priests just stared at her for a moment, and then Father O’Brien lowered himself into one of the pews, as if his legs had decided not to hold him anymore.

Sarah remembered her own questions about Emilia’s death and looked at Mrs. Wells. “You killed Emilia in the park because you thought that’s where her mother sold flowers, but you didn’t know her mother hadn’t been there in months.”

She gazed back with guileless eyes. “You’re wrong. I did know it. Emilia didn’t, though. She went there eagerly so her mother could see her new dress. But I wanted it to happen there so no one would recognize her. She would never be identified.”

“Just like the others,” Father O’Brien murmured, turning to Sarah in horror. “I told you other girls had disappeared. If no one knew who they were, they would never have been traced back to the mission.”

“And no one would ever ask Mrs. Wells any embarrassing questions,” Malloy added in disgust.

Sarah tried to make sense of this. How could this mild-mannered woman who quoted scripture be a heartless killer? “I should have known something was wrong when I caught you in a lie,” she berated herself. “You said Emilia told one of the girls she wanted her lover to see her in her new dress, but she never said that. She really wanted her mother to see her. And you used that to murder her.”

Sarah glared at her, but the eyes looking back held no hint of remorse. That was when she realized that even execution wasn’t a great enough punishment for what the woman had done. If God was merciful, Mrs. Wells would burn in the hell from which she’d tried to save those poor girls.

Her heart aching, Sarah looked at Malloy again, and found him staring at her with a longing she easily recognized. She realized the fear he must have felt when he learned she had gone to meet the killer. The thought of him racing to her rescue touched her heart and brought the sting of tears to her eyes. Thank heaven they weren’t alone, or Sarah was very much afraid she might have thrown her arms around Malloy and hugged him.

A policeman burst into the church. “Where’s Malloy?” he shouted.

“Here,” Malloy replied, “and show some respect. This is still a church.”

The officer hurried toward him. “Sorry, sir. We’ve got a wagon outside, just like you wanted.” He was looking around, probably trying to figure out which one was the criminal.

Malloy took Mrs. Wells’s arm and jerked her roughly to her feet. “Come along, lady,” he said. She gave him a withering glare, but he ignored it.

“That’s who we’re arresting?” the officer asked in astonishment. “Ain’t she the lady from the mission?”

“Yeah, but don’t let that fool you. She’ll kill you quick as look at you,” Malloy said.

Richard rose, too, and Sarah saw that he winced and grabbed at his chest.

“Malloy,” she called in alarm, “Richard is badly hurt.”

“I thought she just jabbed him,” Malloy said, a question in his voice.

“It’s nothing,” Richard insisted, but Sarah picked up the hat pins that lay on the pew beside her and looked at them closely. The blood smear on one of them indicated far more than a jab.

“We need to get him to a hospital right away,” she cried, although she was afraid even that wouldn’t be enough. The wound must have been deep and may well have injured a lung, or even his heart.

“Don’t be silly,” Richard tried, but with less conviction than before.

Malloy turned to the police officer who was waiting to help with the prisoner. “That’s his carriage outside. Help him get into it. Hurry!” he added when the man hesitated.

The officer rushed over and took one of Richard’s arms. “It’s really nothing,” Richard protested, but his face was ashen.

Sarah looked around frantically for someone to take Aggie from her. “Father Ahearn? I’m a trained nurse. I should go with him. Can you – ” she asked, and he understood instantly. He took the sleeping child and shifted her gently to his own shoulder.

“I’ll take her back to the mission and get someone to stay with the girls tonight,” he promised.

Sarah thanked him and ran to help the officer with Richard.

“Make your peace with God, Mr. Dennis,” Mrs. Wells warned as they passed her.

Sarah would have slapped her if she hadn’t been holding Richard upright.

Malloy muttered a curse and shoved her back down into her seat.

Richard’s driver hurried to help them when they came out of the church, and somehow they got him into the carriage. The officer told the driver to take them to the nearest hospital, as Sarah helped Richard stretch out on one of the seats. Although it was much too short for him to recline, at least she could make him reasonably comfortable.