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Authors: Victoria Thompson
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been helping at the Prodigal Son Mission for several months. I even hired one of the girls from there to work at my house.”
“My daughter not like the girls at Mission,” he said, his anger evident.
“I know, which is why we need to find her as quickly as possible.”
“Charlie,” Minnie said from where she stood behind him, but he silenced her with a gesture.
“What do you know about my daughter?”
Sarah told him, going into much more detail than she had with Minnie. She told him about Quinn O’Neal and how they’d met and what the girls had told her about how Angel had sneaked out to see him. Mr. Lee continued to stand ramrod straight as he listened intently to every word. Only the color rising in his face betrayed his fury.
“These girls, they lie to me,” he said when she was finished.
“They’re young and foolish and romantic. They thought they were helping Angel elope.”
“That is no excuse.”
He was right, of course. “I told Minnie that I have a friend who’s a detective sergeant on the police force,” Sarah said. “I’m sure he’d—”
“No police,” Mr. Lee snapped. “I will find Quinn O’Neal myself.”
Sarah didn’t know what to say to that. She certainly wished him success, but it seemed inappropriate to say so. She rose from where she still sat at the kitchen table. “I guess I should be going. If I can be of any more help, please let me know.”
Mr. Lee stepped aside to let her pass into the front room, where Minnie still stood, wringing her hands and looking distraught. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Brandt. If you hadn’t come, we might never have found out about this Quinn fellow.”
“I certainly hope it helps you find Angel,” Sarah said.
As she left the building, she had an odd feeling of failure. True, she’d uncovered information Angel’s family might not have found without her help, but would it be enough? For once, she understood Malloy’s warnings about getting involved. When she’d helped him solve murders in the past, they had worked together until the killer was found and punished. This time…this time, in spite of her efforts, they might never even know what happened to Angel. How would Minnie bear it?
S ARAH ORDINARILY WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED TO see a young man at her door. Young men were most frequently the ones sent to fetch her to a delivery. This fellow was Chinese, however, right down to his thick-soled slippers, and although he looked vaguely familiar, she knew he wasn’t Cora Lee’s husband. He also seemed more angry than anxious, the way young men usually were when they came to get her.
“Mrs. Brandt, my mother sent me to ask you…” He glanced past her, to where Maeve and Catherine hovered in the kitchen doorway, and hesitated.
“Is your mother having a baby?” Sarah asked.
“No!” he yelped, then caught himself and managed to regain his dignity. “It’s about my sister, Angel.”
Oh! Now she knew him. He was Harry Lee, Minnie’s son. “Have you found Angel?”
His face hardened and, with it, his anger. “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Is she all right?”
“No,” he said. “She’s dead.”
“Dead?” Sarah’s heart seemed to contract. “I’m so sorry! What on earth happened?”
“Somebody choked her,” he said baldly.
They heard a strangled cry, and Sarah turned to see Maeve covering her mouth. Her eyes glistened with tears. Catherine was staring, wide-eyed, and it was impossible to know how much of this she understood. “Maeve, will you take Catherine back to the kitchen?” Sarah asked gently.
Maeve could only nod, but she quickly obeyed. Sarah hoped Catherine hadn’t comprehended what Harry had been saying. The child had already seen too much ugliness in her short life. When they were gone, Sarah turned back to Harry.
“Why did your mother send you to me?”
“She said…she said you know somebody on the police,” he explained reluctantly. “My father, he won’t want
“My daughter not like the girls at Mission,” he said, his anger evident.
“I know, which is why we need to find her as quickly as possible.”
“Charlie,” Minnie said from where she stood behind him, but he silenced her with a gesture.
“What do you know about my daughter?”
Sarah told him, going into much more detail than she had with Minnie. She told him about Quinn O’Neal and how they’d met and what the girls had told her about how Angel had sneaked out to see him. Mr. Lee continued to stand ramrod straight as he listened intently to every word. Only the color rising in his face betrayed his fury.
“These girls, they lie to me,” he said when she was finished.
“They’re young and foolish and romantic. They thought they were helping Angel elope.”
“That is no excuse.”
He was right, of course. “I told Minnie that I have a friend who’s a detective sergeant on the police force,” Sarah said. “I’m sure he’d—”
“No police,” Mr. Lee snapped. “I will find Quinn O’Neal myself.”
Sarah didn’t know what to say to that. She certainly wished him success, but it seemed inappropriate to say so. She rose from where she still sat at the kitchen table. “I guess I should be going. If I can be of any more help, please let me know.”
Mr. Lee stepped aside to let her pass into the front room, where Minnie still stood, wringing her hands and looking distraught. “Thank you so much, Mrs. Brandt. If you hadn’t come, we might never have found out about this Quinn fellow.”
“I certainly hope it helps you find Angel,” Sarah said.
As she left the building, she had an odd feeling of failure. True, she’d uncovered information Angel’s family might not have found without her help, but would it be enough? For once, she understood Malloy’s warnings about getting involved. When she’d helped him solve murders in the past, they had worked together until the killer was found and punished. This time…this time, in spite of her efforts, they might never even know what happened to Angel. How would Minnie bear it?
S ARAH ORDINARILY WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN SURPRISED TO see a young man at her door. Young men were most frequently the ones sent to fetch her to a delivery. This fellow was Chinese, however, right down to his thick-soled slippers, and although he looked vaguely familiar, she knew he wasn’t Cora Lee’s husband. He also seemed more angry than anxious, the way young men usually were when they came to get her.
“Mrs. Brandt, my mother sent me to ask you…” He glanced past her, to where Maeve and Catherine hovered in the kitchen doorway, and hesitated.
“Is your mother having a baby?” Sarah asked.
“No!” he yelped, then caught himself and managed to regain his dignity. “It’s about my sister, Angel.”
Oh! Now she knew him. He was Harry Lee, Minnie’s son. “Have you found Angel?”
His face hardened and, with it, his anger. “Yes,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Is she all right?”
“No,” he said. “She’s dead.”
“Dead?” Sarah’s heart seemed to contract. “I’m so sorry! What on earth happened?”
“Somebody choked her,” he said baldly.
They heard a strangled cry, and Sarah turned to see Maeve covering her mouth. Her eyes glistened with tears. Catherine was staring, wide-eyed, and it was impossible to know how much of this she understood. “Maeve, will you take Catherine back to the kitchen?” Sarah asked gently.
Maeve could only nod, but she quickly obeyed. Sarah hoped Catherine hadn’t comprehended what Harry had been saying. The child had already seen too much ugliness in her short life. When they were gone, Sarah turned back to Harry.
“Why did your mother send you to me?”
“She said…she said you know somebody on the police,” he explained reluctantly. “My father, he won’t want
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