Free An Unmentionable Murder by Kate Kingsbury Page B

down first thing on our bicycles, get as many pairs of drawers as we can find, and bring them back to your house and hang them on the line. Then we’ll wait.”
    It sounded so simple, Polly assured herself. What could possibly go wrong with that?
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That afternoon Elizabeth decided to pay Iris Morgan another visit. The roses were in full bloom, and she cut an armful to take with her. After laying them carefully in the sidecar, she soared off into the wind, and arrived a few minutes later at the rag and bone man’s house.
    Iris took a long time to answer her knock on the front door. So long, in fact, that had it not been for the shrieks Elizabeth could hear coming from behind the house, she would have thought no one was home.
    Iris’s expression was not at all welcoming, and Elizabeth offered her the bouquet of roses, hoping their heavenly fragrance would soften the other woman’s hard features.
    Iris thanked her politely, but seemed not at all inclined to invite her visitor inside. Instead, she stood stolidly in the doorway, with an air of someone waiting to be rid of a nuisance.
    Determined to accomplish her mission, Elizabeth summoned a bright smile. “May I come inside for a moment?” she murmured, stepping purposefully toward the door. “There’s something I’d like to discuss with you.”
    The woman’s face changed abruptly, and Elizabeth was disturbed by the fear in her eyes. “It’s not about the kiddies, is it?” she asked sharply. “You’ve not come to take them away?”
    â€œOf course not!” Dismayed at causing the woman anxiety, Elizabeth hurried to reassure her. “I simply wanted to talk to you about your late husband.”
    Just then a clatter of footsteps warned Elizabeth that someone else was coming up the pathway behind her, apparently in a great hurry. Turning to confront the new-comer, she saw a young boy, wearing frayed trousers and a faded shirt. He stopped short at the sight of her, his gaze shifting to the woman behind her.
    â€œThis is my son,” Iris said quietly. To the boy she added, “Come and pay your respects to Lady Elizabeth, Tommy.”
    Elizabeth smiled at the boy, who answered her with a sullen look and mumbled something she couldn’t catch.
    â€œSorry, your ladyship,” Iris said quickly. “He’s upset about his father.”
    Tommy started to turn away and she added, “Where are you going? I need you to look after your sister. She’s out there in the back garden by herself.”
    The boy hesitated, then shrugged and started down the path that led around the house. He had to pass quite close to Elizabeth, and she felt a pang of dismay when she saw dark purple bruises along his jaw. She waited until he was out of earshot before saying to Iris, “Those bruises look quite painful.”
    Iris met her gaze for a minute or so before answering. “Always fighting, he is. Got in a scrap with his mates this morning.”
    Elizabeth watched the boy disappear. “I wonder what makes children feel they have to settle things with their fists.”
    Iris looked uncomfortable. “Boys will be boys, I suppose.” She opened the door a little wider. “You’d better come inside, your ladyship. I have soup on the stove, and I don’t want it boiling over.”
    Elizabeth stepped over the threshold, and caught sight of the cat’s tail as it disappeared under the chair. Iris excused herself and disappeared into the kitchen.
    Seizing the moment, Elizabeth moved over to where the photograph of Clyde Morgan sat on the sideboard. Peering at it, she noted the raised left hand holding the dart. Wally had been right about that, at least.
    â€œHe wasn’t a handsome man by any means,” Iris said quietly behind her. “But he was my husband and the father of my children and he did his best.”
    Spinning around, Elizabeth said quickly, “Oh, I’m