Murder on Lenox Hill (19 page)

“Turn for what?”

The boy hesitated, not sure if he should answer but afraid not to. “We . . . we each have a turn with him. Private time, he calls it.”

“Private time for what?”

The boy squirmed in his seat. “We talk. He . . . he teaches us stuff.”

“What kind of stuff does he teach you?”

The boy shrugged. “Stuff our fathers would teach us. We don't have fathers, and our mothers don't know what a father would teach us.”

“Mark!” a young voice called sharply.

Frank looked up to see another of the boys from the cleaning group coming toward them. He'd just come into the sanctuary, and now he was hurrying over to Frank and Mark.

“What's going on? What's he saying to you?” he asked Mark.

“Nothing,” Mark said defensively.

“Is there something he shouldn't tell me?” Frank asked. “Something that's a secret?”

“No,” the older boy said, then turned back to Mark. “What did you tell him?”

“Nothing, Isaiah,” he said defensively. “I'm just waiting for Percy.”

“He was telling me how Reverend Upchurch spends private time with each of you boys, teaching you things,” Frank said, watching Isaiah's reaction.

The boy was already angry, and that made him angrier. “It's none of your business what Reverend Upchurch does. It ain't against the law or anything.”

“He just likes us,” Mark offered.

“Yeah, he likes us. You gonna arrest him for that?” Isaiah challenged.

“No,” Frank admitted. “Not for that.”

He looked down at Mark one last time. Another clean boy, neat and scrubbed and innocent. Frank walked away, aware of the boys watching suspiciously.

Out on the church steps, he stopped to button his coat and wrap his muffler more tightly, but even as he stared out at the crowds moving down the busy street, he saw the faces of the three boys. Young and innocent.

Something tugged at his consciousness, something important, but he couldn't figure out what it was. He was sure of one thing, though. Upchurch hadn't raped Grace Linton, and he'd have to tell Sarah Brandt she'd been wrong.

9

S
ARAH READ THE BRIEF NOTE THREE TIMES BEFORE SHE was sure she understood Malloy's message. “He didn't do it.” Apparently, Malloy had questioned Upchurch and somehow determined he hadn't raped Grace Linton. Sarah couldn't believe it. She'd been so sure Upchurch was guilty. Now she had to figure out what Mrs. Upchurch had meant or if Malloy was right, that she'd just been trying to blacken her husband's name. It was an ugly thought, but no uglier than anything else that had happened.

What now? Sarah wondered. Another visit to the Lintons? No, they had nothing more to tell her, and they'd certainly wonder why she was back nosing into their affairs. Call on Mrs. Upchurch again? If she had been lying before, she'd only lie again. But
had
she been lying? Had Upchurch somehow fooled Malloy? Not likely, but someone had raped Grace, and the only place she encountered potential rapists was at that church.

From upstairs, Sarah could hear Maeve talking to Aggie. The girls were playing with Aggie's dolls. Sometimes Sarah thought Maeve enjoyed it as much as Aggie did. She'd had no dolls in the hovel where she grew up. Tomorrow was Sunday, Maeve's day off. She'd go to the mission for the Sunday services there and to visit with the other girls. The mission was the best home she'd known, and what was left of her family had disappeared into the teeming tenements, leaving no trace.

Sarah usually took Aggie to the mission services on Sunday, too, if she didn't have a delivery, but maybe she should try taking her to a real church for a change. She'd been invited to attend the Church of the Good Shepherd several times. Perhaps she'd accept those invitations. Malloy would probably disapprove, but he didn't have to know.

 
 
G
RACE LINTON SAW THEM FIRST. SHE AND HER PARENTS were already seated in the sanctuary, but Grace was looking over her shoulder so she could watch who was coming in.

“Mrs. Brandt!” she cried, waving furiously.

Her mother shushed her, but she looked, too, and smiled a greeting.

“Would you like to sit with the Lintons?” the usher asked and escorted Sarah and Aggie down the aisle.

Mr. Linton rose politely, and Mrs. Linton said, “I'm so glad you decided to visit our church.” All of them looked at Aggie curiously.

Sarah wished them all a good morning. “This is Aggie. She's recently come to live with me,” she explained. “Aggie, this is Mr. and Mrs. Linton and their daughter, Grace.”

Aggie smiled shyly.

“We're pleased to meet you, Aggie,” Mrs. Linton said.

“Aggie is very quiet,” Sarah added.

“That's good,” Grace said, “because you have to be quiet in church or people look at you. Will you come sit next to me, Aggie?”

Aggie looked up at Sarah for permission, and Sarah nodded. The Lintons made room in the pew for Aggie and Sarah, who sat on Aggie's other side. When they were settled, Sarah took a moment to glance around.

Their arrival had caused a bit of a stir, and a few heads had turned their way. Strangers smiled and nodded in welcome. Across the aisle, she saw Mrs. Evans and her daughter, Mrs. York. Percy wasn't with them. He probably preferred to sit with his friends.

As she continued to look around, Sarah felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Instinctively, she looked to her right and there she saw Mrs. Upchurch. She stood at the other end of their aisle, staring directly at Sarah. She seemed to glow with fury, and her plain features had taken on a strange beauty. She held Sarah's gaze for a long moment, as if trying to send her a silent message. If she wanted to let Sarah know how angry she was, she succeeded. Beyond that, Sarah couldn't begin to guess what was wrong. Could Mrs. Upchurch be angry because Malloy had confronted her husband? If she didn't want her husband exposed, then why had she confided in Sarah in the first place?

“My goodness,” Mrs. Linton said softly, noticing the minister's wife's scowl. That seemed to break the spell, and Mrs. Upchurch turned away, taking her place in one of the front pews.

“You've met Mrs. Upchurch, I assume?” Mrs. Linton said, speaking over Grace and Aggie.

“Yes, I . . . I called on her the other day.”

Mrs. Linton's expression silently reminded her that she'd been warned.

“Maybe Mrs. Brandt will bring you to visit me sometime,” Grace was saying to Aggie.

Aggie gave Sarah a pleading look. “I'm sure we'd both enjoy that,” Sarah said diplomatically. Mrs. Linton would need to issue the true invitation.

Before she could, the organ began to play, and the soft conversations around them ceased abruptly. A few minutes later, two boys in robes came down the aisle carrying candle lighters. Sarah recognized both of them from her previous visit.

“That's Percy,” Grace whispered to Aggie. “He's my beau.” Sarah smiled, wondering if Percy had any idea Grace considered him her beau. He'd probably be mortified.

“Shhh,” Mrs. Linton warned, lifting a finger to her lips.

Grace covered her mouth and gave Aggie a conspiratorial look that made her grin. They all watched as Percy and the other boy solemnly lit the candles in the twin candelabras at the front of the church. Then they extinguished their lighters and took seats on the front pew.

Sarah had to agree that the service was beautiful. The choir sang three soul-stirring songs, and when Reverend Upchurch ascended to the pulpit, every face in the room turned to him raptly.

As Sarah had expected, he was a magnificent speaker. His voice rang with conviction as he admonished his congregation to care for even the least of these, my brethren, for in doing so, they will have ministered to Christ himself. Knowing what she did of Upchurch's work with the fatherless boys, she thought this an appropriate topic. In spite of her suspicions about him, when he was finished, she felt a renewed commitment to the girls at the mission. Even Aggie seemed enthralled with the message, and she rose reluctantly for the closing hymn, as if she didn't want the service to end.

As people began to make their way out of the church, Mrs. Evans squeezed through the crowd to speak to Sarah.

“I'm so glad you came,” she said, taking Sarah's hand in both of hers.

“Thank you for inviting me,” Sarah said. “You were right about the choir being excellent, and Reverend Upchurch is a wonderful preacher,” she had to admit.

“We're so very fortunate to have a man like him.”

Sarah introduced Aggie to Mrs. Evans and Mrs. York, who had also come over. Slowly, they all began to move toward the exit. Grace had Aggie by the hand and was explaining something to her. Sarah was the last to leave the pew, and just as she was stepping out into the aisle, someone grabbed her arm from behind.

She turned in surprise to see Mrs. Upchurch's angry face. She'd come down the pew from the other end to catch Sarah.

“That policeman, did you send him?” she demanded.

“What?” Sarah asked in confusion.

“That policeman. He got it all wrong. I thought you understood what I told you. He doesn't like
girls
! It's boys he—”

“Mrs. Upchurch,” Mrs. Evans said sharply, a strained smile on her face as she came to rescue Sarah from the crazy preacher's wife. “How nice to see you.”

Mrs. Upchurch gave her an impatient glance, then turned back to Sarah. “Remember what I said. You know who he spends his time with.” With that, she turned away and retraced her steps to the other end of the pew to make her escape down the opposite aisle.

“What was she saying to you?” Mrs. Evans asked. “She looked absolutely crazed.”

“I . . . I really didn't understand her,” Sarah lied, a little breathlessly. She felt as if someone had punched her in the stomach. Could she have possibly heard what she thought she'd heard? Could Reverend Upchurch really have done what his wife had implied?

“We've invited the Lintons over for Sunday dinner, and I was wondering if you and the little girl would join us,” Mrs. Evans was saying.

Sarah had to pull her attention back from the abyss of horror to focus on the present. Mrs. Evans had invited her and Aggie to dinner. She thought how much Grace and Aggie would enjoy being together, but she had urgent business that wouldn't wait. She made her excuses and tried to ignore Grace and Aggie's disappointment. She had to promise them both a visit very soon before they could escape.

She and Aggie stopped at a coffee shop for a quick snack before taking the EL down to Malloy's neighborhood. She just hoped he'd be home.

 
 
M
RS. MALLOY PRETENDED NOT TO NOTICE SARAH WAS accompanying Aggie and almost closed the door in her face.

“Francis isn't here,” she informed Sarah with a trace of satisfaction. By then Brian had run over to greet them. He was pulling Aggie over to his pile of toys, but he had to come back and give Sarah a hug when he saw her, too.

“Do you know when he'll be back?” Sarah asked. “I have something important to tell him. It's about a case he's working on.”

“Are you working for the police now, Mrs. Brandt, that you know so much about Francis's business?”

Sarah ignored the sarcasm. “I'm sorry he's not here, but Aggie and I don't have anything else to do this afternoon, so we can wait as long as we have to for him to come home.” She started to unbutton her cape.

As Sarah had expected, the prospect of being stuck here with her all afternoon proved too much.

“He's down at the beer garden with his friends,” she reluctantly admitted. “If it's as important as you claim, I can send a neighbor boy for him.”

“I'm sure he'll want to hear this news as soon as possible,” Sarah said to encourage her.

She sniffed to indicate how put-upon she felt, but she said, “I'll be back in a minute,” and walked down the stairs in search of an idle boy to send on the errand.

Sarah took off her cape and Aggie's coat and made herself at home. She was enjoying watching the children communicate in silence. Brian tried making signs, but he quickly realized Aggie didn't know what they were and gave up. Sarah found herself wishing she knew some. How nice it would be to speak to Brian and have him understand.

Mrs. Malloy was gone a long time. At first Sarah thought she must have had a hard time finding a willing boy, but then Sarah heard the heavy footsteps on the stairs coming up behind her. She'd obviously waited downstairs until Malloy had come so she wouldn't have to entertain Sarah alone.

“Thank you very much, Mrs. Malloy,” she said when the older woman came back into the flat.

“I'll make some coffee,” she said sourly and went into the kitchen.

Malloy came in behind her. “Mrs. Brandt, what a pleasant surprise,” he said, with just a trace of his mother's sarcasm. At the sight of him, the children came running.

When they had been suitably greeted and returned to their play, Malloy took his coat off and hung it up.

“Didn't you get my note?” he asked.

“Yes, and I decided to go to the Church of the Good Shepherd this morning to see if I could figure out how I could've made such a mistake.”

He glanced at the children playing nearby. “Let's go into the kitchen.” Brian couldn't hear them, of course, but Aggie could, and this wasn't a subject for young ears to overhear.

Sarah preceded Malloy into the kitchen, earning another scowl from Mrs. Malloy, this time for invading her private kingdom without her permission.