[Maggie Sullivan 07.0] - Uncivil Defense by M. Ruth Myers

Author:M. Ruth Myers [Myers, M. Ruth]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: 1940s private investigator, historical detective cozy, traditional mystery series, cozy mystery series, strong female protagonist
Publisher: Tuesday House
Published: 2018-09-19T23:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-TWO

Her words sank in slowly. I set down my teacup.

“Are you saying Floyd had — has — a half-sister? Or brother?”

Mrs. Card smiled. Her gaze had moved to the painting of the willow trees as if seeing not only the scene, but a different world.

“Sister,” she said softly. “Prettiest little thing you ever saw. Of course she was only an infant when Marilyn — her mother — came to me for help. She can’t have been much more than two when her mother came to pay me back.

“I’d never expected that, for Marilyn to repay me. I told her to keep the money. She’d been so embarrassed having to come to me to ask in the first place, and I was so embarrassed that she’d been left in a position where she needed to.”

New possibilities were opening up with every word she spoke. Not all of them were pleasant. I leaned forward.

“Is there a chance Floyd knew about his half-sister? Had possibly met her?”

“Oh, I doubt it. His father probably didn’t even know when the baby was born, and wouldn’t have cared. He was the kind to shrug it off and pretend like it never happened.” She grimaced, looking me in the eye. “He wasn’t the sort of brother you’re proud of.

“Besides, Floyd was so much older than the little girl. I was packing for the move to Toledo when Marilyn came with her that second time. Floyd would already have been fourteen or fifteen. By the time Muriel — that was the little girl’s name — started school, Floyd would have been out for several years. He didn’t finish. I can’t imagine either of them knowing the other existed.”

I wasn’t so sure. I knew firsthand how cruel kids could be on the playground. If one of them overheard adults talking about something related to another kid’s parents, any hint of transgression or shortcoming would be broadcast at the first opportunity, even if half the details were wrong. Muriel is Floyd Hotchkiss’ half-sister ... Muriel’s half-brother got arrested ... Muriel’s dad was that old man Hotkiss who died. He was married to somebody else.

“Poor Marilyn,” sighed the woman sitting next to me in the quiet apartment. “Her family kicked her out when they found out she was expecting. I don’t know how she managed. Little Muriel won’t have it quite so hard, by the sounds of it. One of the friends I’ve kept up with mentioned not long ago that the girl had become a beautician.”

Suddenly she cocked her head at me.

“You plan to try and find her, don’t you? To talk to her.”

“Yes.”

“Don’t make it worse for her. She got a hard-enough start in life as it is.”

***

Hotchkiss’ aunt gave me the name of the beauty parlor where she’d heard his half-sister worked. Talking to the girl would have to wait. I’d promised Heebs I’d come have a look at the sewing shop where he’d concluded something shady was happening. After that, there was Billy’s wake to face. In between, I needed to make notes on what I’d learned from Amy Card and from Lily.

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