Free Annie's Stories by Cindy Thomson Page A

about.”
    Thankfully Mrs. Hawkins arrived. “What business do you have with our boarders, sir?”
    “Just asking questions.”
    The woman edged Annie away and strained her neck like a goose, showing her dominance at her own front door. “We will not betray the privacy of our boarders, sir, but you can be confident there is no unruliness here.”
    The man smirked. “I do not doubt that, madam, but I must leave you a warning. If for some reason we are both mistaken, it will be my duty to report your establishment to the city and have your boardinghouse closed.”
    “Closed? Mrs. Hawkins, what does he mean?”
    “Let me handle this, love.”
    If Hawkins House were shut down and all the occupants scattered, where would Annie go? She had not yet saved enough of her own money.
    Mrs. Hawkins huffed. “That cannot happen, sir.”
    “Oh, it can. There is enough evidence, I believe, to inform the committees that exist in this city to put an end to ill-reputable houses that your boardinghouse is one of them.”
    “I am well aware of the citizen committees, young man, and they have no cause to do such a thing.”
    The man clicked his tongue. “But perhaps we can avoid all that. I must speak to this newest boarder of yours.”
    Annie’s knees went weak, and her stomach turned as her thoughts raced back to the laundry, where someone once wanted to “speak to her.” The tone in this Pinkerton man’s voice rang with the same malicious intent.
    Mrs. Hawkins did not back down. “I do not see what business she has with you, sir.”
    “I am investigating a case, and I assure you I have only the best interest of the public at heart.”
    “Come back next week.” Mrs. Hawkins nearly slammed the door in the man’s face.
    Annie followed the woman into the parlor. “What does he mean? What case?”
    “I don’t know. Men like that . . . they cannot be allowed to bully women,” the Hawk said, stomping her thick-heeled shoe on the rug. “I cannot imagine why he decided to pay us a visit.”
    Annie’s instincts about the rude man when she’d first opened the door to him must have been correct. “I . . . uh . . . I should have told you she came in late. I was going to   —”
    “I see. He observed Kirsten keeping late hours and assumed the worst. Well, I will deal with Kirsten, but that man! He is much more important in his own eyes than his station merits. He is one nosy neighbor I’ve never seen before. Did he introduce himself before I came to the door?”
    “He did. He disturbed me, so I forgot his name. Connell or Crayton   —I don’t know. Said he was from a detective agency.”
    “Pinkerton’s?”
    “Aye, that is what he said.”
    Mrs. Hawkins chuckled sarcastically. “A Pinkerton? Dodgy, that is.” She pointed a finger at Annie. “Those men think they are above the law. We’ll have nothing to do with them.”
    “Who are they? Do they have authority?” Annie realized she probably didn’t know enough about the laws in America to understand if they were truly in danger. If she thought God cared, she would have gotten down on her knees right then and prayed that there were no Magdalene Laundries in Manhattan for Pinkertons to send innocent girls to.
    “Private detectives. They have an office in Manhattan, but according to the papers, they spend most of their time tracking down bank robbers and locomotive bandits. Surely he has better things to do than annoy us.”
    “Can he do that, Mrs. Hawkins? Can he get this house shut down?”
    Tears came to the woman’s eyes. “I do not want to turn anyone away, love. I asked God to send me those he wants me to provide for and encourage. It is not for me to decide who is worthy, but if the other aid societies suspect someone in this house is operating in an immoral capacity, it could possibly happen even without that Pinkerton sticking his nose in my business.” She plopped down into her chair.
    Annie didn’t know what Kirsten might have done, but if the