Free Murder In Chinatown by Victoria Thompson Page A

something of a celebrity among the police for her involvement in solving several high-profile murders.
    “Ma!” Harry called, waving to someone on the porch.
    A woman turned, and Sarah could see it was Minnie. She waved back when she saw Sarah was with him and came forward to meet her. Sarah was almost to the porch steps when one of the men in the group stepped in front of Minnie and stopped at the head of the steps to look down at Sarah. He didn’t look at all happy to see her, either.
    “Malloy!” she said in surprise.
    “Mrs. Brandt,” he replied grimly. “What brings you out on a fine day like this?”
    She heard the sarcasm in his voice, but she doubted anyone else would notice. “Mrs. Lee sent for me,” she replied with a rebellious smile. “What brings you out?”
    “Oh, Mrs. Brandt,” Minnie cried, brushing Malloy aside to take his place at the top of the steps. “We found Angel, and somebody’s killed her!”
    Sarah instantly turned her attention to Minnie. “I’m so sorry! I could hardly believe it when Harry told me,” Sarah said, hurrying up the steps and past Malloy to comfort her.
    Minnie had the blank look of someone in shock. Plainly, she hadn’t really registered the full horror of her loss yet. “I sent Harry for you so you could get your friend here, but the officer knew who we wanted, soon as we said your name. He sent for Mr. Malloy right off.”
    Sarah hazarded a glance at Malloy. His eyes had narrowed dangerously, so she decided to stop looking at him. “I’m so glad,” she said sincerely. “What happened to poor Angel?”
    Minnie shuddered slightly at the mention of her daughter’s name, and her eyes grew round with the blank stare of one who has been thoroughly beaten. “She was married, Mrs. Brandt. She married that boy she’d been sneaking out with.” Minnie laid a hand over her heart, as if to still it. “I was that relieved, I was. I was thinking such horrible things that could’ve happened to her, and here she was, really eloped.”
    “Harry told me that your husband found her.”
    “Oh, yes, just the other day. Took him a while, but once we knew the boy’s name, it was only a matter of time. Charlie found him, and there she was with him. They lived in this building,” she said, gesturing vaguely at the tenement behind her. “With his people.”
    “You must have been so happy to find her safe,” Sarah said.
    Minnie nodded, but her eyes filled with tears. “She wasn’t safe at all, though, was she? Somebody up and killed her!”
    Sarah could see the reality of it finally sinking in as her blank stare dissolved into naked pain. “Maybe you should have Harry take you home,” Sarah suggested gently.
    “I ain’t leaving my girl!” Minnie protested tearfully. “They don’t care nothing about her here. How do I know what they’ll do with her if I leave?”
    Sarah glanced at Malloy again, this time with a silent question.
    “The coroner will be here soon, Mrs. Lee,” he said gruffly. “He’ll take the body away.”
    Minnie made an agonized sound, and Sarah instinctively clutched at her arm. “Can someone get her a chair?”
    Numerous chairs were stacked on the porch, and Malloy grabbed the nearest one and brought it to her. Sarah eased Minnie down into it. Then she looked around at the others gathered on the porch. She saw no familiar faces and noted that they were all hanging back, as if they wanted no part of Minnie’s grief. Minnie had no friends in this bunch.
    “Is your husband here?” Sarah asked Minnie.
    She shook her head. “He don’t know yet. He was at the laundry when they came to get me, and I didn’t…I couldn’t hardly believe it myself when I heard. I had to make sure it was true before I sent for him.”
    Sarah glanced around again and easily found Minnie’s son standing off by himself in the yard. His bright yellow shirt made him easily visible. “Harry, could you go fetch your father now, please?” Sarah asked the