Butterfly Palace (17 page)

“If that’s true, why didn’t you tell me about this meeting?”

She clutched her handbag tightly in both hands. “Because I feared you would have exactly this reaction. You need to focus on finding the man who attacked me. I can assure you it was no one I knew, and it certainly wasn’t Mr. Hawkes. He’s a gentleman.”

“You had to see something. You’ve given us no description. Surely you can see how suspicious that is.”

“But he attacked me from behind! And it was getting dark.”

“So you say.”

Rage pooled in her chest. “There’s someone out there attacking women. I saw another attack, and you’re doing nothing to stop this man.”

“What attack?”

“Miss Jane White. I cared for her until she was taken to the hospital.”

He nodded. “An entirely different matter. The man attacks women in their own homes. You were in the churchyard.”

She wheeled and stalked to the door, but her lids quivered with the desire to cry. How could they suspect she was lying about this? She bore the marks on her throat.

Her head high, she rushed out into the sunshine, then down the street and around the corner to the church. The churchyard was empty, but then, it was Monday. Lily stood on the walk and debated whether to go in. The vicar might not even be around, but
no, a shadow passed in front of the window. Someone was there. She opened the gate and walked to the front door.

“Can I help you?”

Lily turned to see a woman of about fifty in a plain gray dress in the flower garden. The woman wore muddy gloves and held a pair of pruning shears. The floppy hat she wore obscured all but her smile. “I was attacked here last week, and I wanted to see if anyone happened to witness it.”

The woman’s smile vanished. She took off her gloves and approached with her hands outstretched. “I’m so sorry. You’re Miss Lily Donaldson, then.”

Lily knew the encounter had been in the paper. “That’s right.”

“You weren’t hurt?”

Lily shook her head. “I’m fine, actually. But I have to admit I’m looking over my shoulder every time I go out now. I’d feel better if the police had found the attacker.”

“I’m the reverend’s wife, Molly Adams.” The woman took Lily’s arm and guided her to a bench. “I’m sorry to say I wasn’t here. My husband was though, and he spoke with the police. Did you talk to the detective about what they’ve found?”

Lily nodded. “I just came from there.” The woman’s kindness made her want to cry, and she gulped. “The police seem to think I had some kind of assignation and my lover attacked me.”

“I’m sorry to say the police insinuated such to me as well. I can see you’re not that kind of woman though. Your pure soul shines out through your eyes.” Molly’s gaze went to Lily’s neck. “The attacker did that?”

“Yes, with a knife. What did your husband see?”

Molly laid her gardening gloves on the bench. “He thought the two of you were embracing at first. Then he heard you scream. He’d
already locked the door. The key often gives him trouble, so by the time he was able to get into the yard, you’d left.”

“And he told the police he thought we were a couple?”

“Yes. I’m afraid so. I’ll tell him what you’ve told me.” Molly put her hand on Lily’s arm. “I’m sorry if he’s brought you trouble. I’ll make sure he rectifies it.”

“I don’t know if it will make a difference. The police don’t seem to be treating this attack seriously. Did your husband get a look at the man?”

Molly shook her head. “His eyesight isn’t very good, and he’d just lost his glasses for the third time that day. He wasn’t much help to the police.” She rose and turned back toward the porch. “I found something that might belong to you.” She opened the door and reached inside.

Lily’s gaze went to the object in her hand. A butterfly in a globe winked in the sunlight. She swallowed hard. “Where did you get that?”

“It was in the yard. I can’t imagine where it came from. Is it yours?”

Lily didn’t want to touch the thing, but she forced herself to rise from the bench and reach for it. “I—I think my attacker intended to leave it by my dead body.”

“Oh dear,” Mrs. Adams whispered.

The globe was oddly warm in Lily’s fingers. “I’ll take it to the police. Thank you for your time. I must be going. My mistress will be expecting me back. If your husband remembers anything, you can find me at the Butterfly Palace.”

A strange expression crossed the woman’s face. “You work for Mrs. Marshall?”

“I’m her niece’s maid. Is there something wrong?”

Molly shook her head and backed away. “No, no, nothing’s wrong. Have a good day.” She turned on her heel and practically ran for the door of the church.

SEVENTEEN

D
rew glanced at his pocket watch. At this time on a Monday afternoon, most of the household would be out except for the servants. They would be beating rugs and cleaning everything in preparation for the week ahead, which meant he might be able to have a private conversation with Lily. He fingered the note he received an hour ago.

He went around the side of the house to the backyard. Smoke belched from the open windows of the back room. The odor of lye made his eyes water. He caught a glimpse of her head through the window of the laundry room. She was alone. He tapped on the window and she turned.

Her smile was quickly shuttered, but she stepped to the door and opened it. “You came.” Her tone was cautious, and she glanced toward the interior door. “Keep your voice down. I don’t want Mrs. O’Reilly or Emily to see us.”

“Of course.” He brushed past her and closed the door.

The strong odor of soap and bluing hung in the steamy air. Perspiration instantly broke out on his forehead. The open windows failed to vent much of the heat generated by the boiling water on the stove and in the large tubs of clothing. A basket by a large wringer contained clean, wet clothes.

She stepped toward the basket. “I need to hang up these things. The line is around the side where no one can see us.”

“I’ll take it.” He lifted the basket of clothing and carried it through the door.

She followed him outside, and he dropped the basket under the clothesline, located away from the garden in the side yard, then turned to face her. “Your note said it was urgent. What’s wrong?”

She blew a strand of hair out of her eyes. Her cheeks were pink from the heat and exertion. “The police think I made up the attack.”

He hated seeing her working so hard. She should have her own servants and be dressed in the finest silks he could buy. What she said finally penetrated when she stared at him as if waiting for his reaction. “What?”

“I went to the police station this morning. Officer Pickle thinks you and I were having an assignation and concocted the story to cover our affair.”

His mind wandered there for a moment before he reined it in. He wanted Lily forever, not just for a fling. Never again would he dishonor her that way. His gaze went to the mark still visible on her neck. “He thinks I attacked you with a knife?” He wanted to touch it but curled his fingers into his palms instead.

“He implied it.” She wet her lips. “There’s more. I went to the church, and the minister’s wife found this.” She thrust her hand into her apron and held it out.

The butterfly in the globe beat its wings ineffectually against the glass that imprisoned it. He took it from her fingers. “The butterfly is still alive.”

“Can we get it out?”

“I can break the glass. Not sure if the stress will kill it though.”

“It’s better than leaving it trapped in there.”

The thing gave him a bad feeling. “So it wasn’t Ballard who
attacked you. I don’t like this, Lily. You’ve caught the attention of a killer.”

“I’ll be careful. We should tell the police about this.”

“I don’t think they’ll listen.”

“I’ll stop by and tell them myself.”

He knelt in the garden and grabbed a rock. The first blow was too timid and glanced off the glass globe. The butterfly fluttered to the bottom of the globe and was motionless. He hit the glass with more force and small cracks spidered out. He tapped it again, and the pieces of glass separated.

The butterfly was motionless, and he touched it with a gentle finger. The wings drooped and Lily whimpered.

He shook his head. “I think it’s dead. Maybe we didn’t free it in time.” Picking it up, he carried it to the flowers and laid it at the base of a rosebush.

Her eyes were filled with tears when he turned back around and began to pick up the glass. “We need to talk to Jane and Nathan. I need to wrap this up before my cover is blown. When could you go with me?”

She inhaled, her eyes on the glass, then she looked at the laundry. “If you can secure a cab, I could slip away for about two hours as soon as these are hung up.” She knelt to lift a heavy skirt to the clothesline. “You said you saw Ballard. Are you close to arresting him?”

“Not by a long shot.”

“You said he’s at the Driskill?”

“Yes, that big hotel on Brazos.” He realized she’d gone still. “You’re not thinking of going to see him, are you?”

She shook out a blouse and pinned it to the line before answering. “I might.”

He took her arm and turned her to face him. “Lily, you can’t do that. He’s dangerous.”

“So you keep saying, but I’ve never felt any sense of threat from him. What if he might tell me something, something that would bring justice to our fathers? I’m not frightened. It would be in a public place. He’s not going to harm me.”

He wanted to shake some sense into her, but instead he pulled her close. His heart thudded in his chest at the sweet smell of her hair and the way she relaxed against him. “I can’t run the risk of losing you.” He pressed his lips against her head.

She pulled away slightly. “You threw me away long ago. There’s nothing left.”

He searched her eyes for some sign she still cared about him, but her expression was shuttered and aloof. She shifted as if to move away, but he tightened his grip on her upper arms. He bent his head but she didn’t flinch. Brushing his lips against hers was like coming home. The sweet scent of her breath, the softness of her lips, the feel of her in his arms reminded him of all he had lost.

She didn’t kiss him back, at least not at first. He deepened the kiss and pulled her closer until her lips moved and she responded. Her right hand moved to his chest, and her breath came faster. She melted against him, and he touched her hair, pulling her even tighter against him. Passion and tenderness choked him, and he wished he’d never let her go. He wished he’d married her and could take her back to his apartment forever.

He’d been such an idiot to let her go.

She pushed his chest with her hand, and feeling cold and bereft, he let her go. “I’m not sorry. Not one bit. You still care about me, Lily. You can’t deny it.”

Her lips were pink and swollen from their kiss, and her eyes were luminous. She took a step back, and her hand went to her disheveled hair. “You left me, Drew. I can’t ignore that. You offer me a kiss in secret while you go about your merry way.”

She was right. What could he offer her? A life spent traveling from one place to the next in pursuit of the next enemy of the government? It was all he knew. If he wasn’t employed by the Secret Service, how could he support a wife and family? She deserved more than what he could offer.

He’d been reaching toward her again, but he dropped his hand and stepped back. Nothing had changed, not really. She was being practical and had seen the obstacles still in their way. All he could do was hurt her more.

Nathan didn’t glare at them like last time. Lily took the tea Jane gave her with a smile of thanks. Jane gave Drew his tea, then retreated to her chair. She folded her hands in her lap and said nothing, but her gaze darted to her brother.

Nathan cleared his throat. “Jane has asked me to help you. Let me start by saying I’m helping myself and my sister, which is all I’m really interested in.”

“We understand.” Lily shot a glance at Drew. “We appreciate any assistance you can give us. I’ll let Drew ask you the questions he most needs answers to.”

Drew set his tea on the battered table in front of them. “How long have you worked for Vesters?”

“About two years.”

“How did you come into his employ?”

Nathan let out a heavy sigh. “I was working part-time for Karr’s Fine Spirits. I work full-time as an engineer at his construction firm, but I needed some extra money. Vesters came in one day and had dinner. He paid with a twenty-dollar bill and told me to keep the change.”

Lily blinked. “That’s quite a large tip.”

“Exactly. He did the same thing for several nights, and you can understand if I came to regard him in a kindly light.”

“Of course.” Drew nodded. “Go on.”

“After a couple of weeks, I noticed the bill he gave me was a little wet. I thought nothing about it until the ink came off on my hands. Then I realized it was counterfeit. I told him about it, expecting him to be indignant someone had passed him a forged bill. Instead, he laughed and told me he could use a smart chap like me.”

“He lured you in with the thought of easy money?”

Nathan shook his head at Drew’s question. “He told me Mr. Karr had suggested he bring me in on it. He and Karr belong to that Novo group, and Mr. Karr is great friends with him so I had no idea he was lying. Once I’d gotten involved, I found out Mr. Karr knew nothing about it. But by then, I’d dropped several parcels for him and several other men had seen me. He’d have no trouble pinning the forgeries on me.”