Murder on Lenox Hill

Table of Contents

 

 

Praise for the Edgar
®
Award-nominated Gaslight Mystery series

“If you're a fan of Agatha Christie or Anne Perry, [this book] is just your cup of tea. A perfect mystery for a dark and stormy night or a summer day,
Murder on Lenox Hill
is sure to satisfy the most fickle sleuth.”

 
“Well-crafted . . . Good plot twists and a highly satisfactory wrap-up mark this as the work of a master of the period mystery.”
—Publishers Weekly

 
“Transports the reader back in time . . . Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries are first-rate, with a vivid historical setting and a hero and heroine that will keep readers eagerly returning to Sarah Brandt's New York City.”

 
“The events of
Murder on Lenox Hill
could have come out of recent headlines . . . Fast-paced . . . This is a tremendous entry in one of the best historical series.”

 
“[An] atmosphere-drenched historical series. The developing relationship between Sarah and Frank . . . adds a new dimension to the series.”
—Booklist

 
“A fine turn-of-the-twentieth-century historical.”

 
“A convincing tale of depravity and death among the upper classes of old New York.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“Victoria Thompson has crafted another Victorian page-turner.”
—
Robin Paige, author of
Death on the Lizard

 
“Cleverly plotted . . . provides abundant fair play and plenty of convincing period detail. This light, quick read engages the readers' emotions.”
—Publishers Weekly

 
“Engaging characters . . . an enjoyable read.”

—Margaret Frazer, author of
The Hunter's Tale

 
“Victoria Thompson has a knack for putting the reader inside her characters' heads, and her detailed descriptions of New York at the turn of the century bring the setting vividly to life.”—Kate Kingsbury, author of
Paint by Number

 
“Each novel in the Gaslight Mystery series just keeps getting better . . . [
Murder on Marble Row
] is well-executed and the ending will come as a complete surprise.”

 
 
MURDER ON MULBERRY BEND

“An exciting intrigue of murder, deception, and bigotry.
Gangs of New York
eat your heart out—this book is the real thing.”
—Mystery Scene

 
“A thrilling, informative, challenging mystery.”

 
“There are few mysteries set back in history that I enjoy reading. This mystery series is one of those. The characters and settings are so real . . . I highly recommend this book and series.”
—The Best Reviews

MURDER ON ST. MARK'S PLACE
Nominated for the Edgar
®
Award

 
“Lovers of history, mystery, and romance won't be disappointed. Exciting . . . will hold the reader in thrall.”

 
 
MURDER ON GRAMERCY PARK

“The inclusions of [historical] facts make this novel . . . superior to most of those found in the subgenre . . . The lead protagonists are a winning combination.”

 
 
MURDER ON WASHINGTON SQUARE

“Victoria Thompson's Gaslight Mysteries are always . . . exciting treats to read.”
—BookBrowser

 
 
MURDER ON ASTOR PLACE
Nominated for the Best First Mystery Award by
Romantic Times
magazine

 
“Victoria Thompson is off to a blazing start with Sarah Brandt and Frank Malloy in
Murder on Astor Place
. I do hope she's starting at the beginning of the alphabet. Don't miss her first tantalizing mystery.”

—Catherine Coulter,
New York Times
bestselling author

 
“A marvelous debut mystery with compelling characters, a fascinating setting, and a stunning resolution. It's the best mystery I've read in ages.”

—Jill Churchill, author of
The Merchant of Menace

MURDER ON ASTOR PLACE
MURDER ON ST. MARK'S PLACE
MURDER ON GRAMERCY PARK
MURDER ON WASHINGTON SQUARE
MURDER ON MULBERRY BEND
MURDER ON MARBLE ROW
MURDER ON LENOX HILL
MURDER IN LITTLE ITALY

THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUP
Published by the Penguin Group
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Penguin Books Ltd., Registered Offices: 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England

 
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The publisher does not have any control over and does not assume any responsibility for author or third-party websites or their content.

 
The Edgar® name is a registered service mark of the Mystery Writers of America, Inc.

MURDER ON LENOX HILL

 
A Berkley Prime Crime Book / published by arrangement with the author

 
Copyright © 2006 by Victoria Thompson.

 
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced, scanned, or distributed in any printed or electronic form
without permission. Please do not participate in or encourage piracy of copyrighted materials in
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For information, address: The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

eISBN : 978-0-425-20610-2

 
BERKLEY ® PRIME CRIME
Berkley Prime Crime Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,
a division of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.,
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The name BERKLEY PRIME CRIME and the BERKLEY PRIME CRIME design
are trademarks belonging to Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

 

 

1

T
HE WEATHER WAS SO MISERABLE, EVEN MRS. ELLSWORTH was indoors, Sarah Brandt noted as she hurried down the windy street to her house. Her next-door neighbor could nearly always be found sweeping her front stoop in order to keep track of the comings and goings of the other residents of Bank Street. Today Sarah passed unnoticed, hurrying up her front steps and fumbling with her key before finally finding refuge inside.

Slamming the front door against the cold, Sarah immediately dropped her medical bag, the one that still bore the brass plate with the inscription “Dr. Thomas Brandt.” Her husband had been dead nearly four years, but she still used his bag. It was the one tangible reminder she had left of him.

She stood still for a moment, chafing the feeling back into her gloved hands before removing her cape. Then, just as she had expected, she heard the clatter of running feet across the floor above and down the uncarpeted steps into the foyer where she waited. Her heart lifted with joy at the sound.

“Be careful!” she cried instinctively, half-expecting to hear a small body start to tumble down the stairs.

But the footsteps were as sure as they were swift, and in another instant, that small body emerged from the stairwell and launched itself at Sarah, wrapping surprisingly strong arms around her knees through the thickness of her skirts.

“Don't knock her over, Aggie!” a warning voice called from the stairway, and then Maeve appeared, moving more sedately but equally happy to see Sarah, if her smile was any indication.

Sarah reached down and pulled Aggie up into her arms. “How's my girl today?” she asked, knowing she wouldn't receive a reply. Although Sarah estimated that Aggie had to be at least four years old, she hadn't uttered a word since the day she'd been found sleeping on the doorstep of the Prodigal Son Mission last spring. No one knew where she'd come from or even what her real name was.

“She's been good,” Maeve reported. “Ate two pieces of butter bread for breakfast, and let me braid her hair, she did.” Maeve was another refugee from the mission, a girl whose family had turned her out to fend for herself in the streets because they could no longer afford to feed her. She was proving to be a very satisfactory nanny for Aggie.

“That explains why she's getting so heavy,” Sarah said, playfully bouncing the child in her arms. “Do you like your braids?”

Aggie grinned and shook her head vigorously, making the neat, brown braids whip around the sides of her head and forcing Sarah to draw her own head back to keep from getting slapped, too.

“I think she means yes,” Maeve said, unable to conceal her pride. “She's been doing that all morning. Come along now, Aggie, and let Mrs. Brandt get her coat off.”

Aggie let Maeve take her from Sarah's arms and set her on the floor, but her shining brown eyes never left Sarah's face as she removed her cloak and hat and hung them on the rack by the door. Sarah reached for her medical bag, but Aggie beat her to it. Using both hands and a great deal of effort, she half-carried, half-dragged the heavy bag into the adjoining room, which served as Sarah's office, and set it beside her desk.

“Is . . . was everything all right?” Maeve asked hesitantly as she and Sarah followed Aggie into the room.

“Oh, yes,” Sarah said. “A healthy baby boy, and the mother is doing fine.”

In the weeks that Maeve and Aggie had been living with Sarah, Maeve had learned that Sarah's job as a midwife didn't always result in healthy mothers and babies.

Aggie looked up curiously at the mention of a baby. “That's right, Aggie,” Sarah explained. “I helped a lady with her new baby today. It was a little boy, and they named him Jacob.”