Hold Your Fire by Lisa Mangum

Author:Lisa Mangum
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WordFire Press

Mrs. Pearcey and the boy followed the officer into the station. She looked furious. Her cheeks and forehead were red, and wisps of her gray hair had come loose in the London wind, lending her the appearance of one who strayed too close to madness.

Dupin stood to meet them.

Mrs. Pearcey spotted Mrs. Watson behind one of the polished wooden desks and glared. “She ain’t his kin. I was told you’d found his family. What’s this all about then?”

“Yes,” Dupin said. “Mrs. Watson has kindly agreed to look after the boy for the time being, as his grandmother is too ill for travel.”

“I’ve spoken on the matter, Detective,” Mrs. Pearcey said. “He can stay with me, where he belongs.” She held the boy’s hand. He whimpered slightly.

Dupin went to her and placed his hand on Mrs. Pearcey’s white-knuckled grasp. “Here now, Mrs. Pearcey. It’s okay. Everything will be okay.” He pried her tightened claw off the boy’s hand, then ushered the child over to his desk. “Stay here, son.”

The boy sat, grabbed Dupin’s smoking pipe, and began to tap his fingers against the wood.

“Mrs. Pearcey,” Dupin said. “The reason I’ve brought you here today is to place you under arrest for—”

“Arrest!” Mrs. Pearcey hollered.

The scratching of pencils stopped as the secretaries’ attentions lifted from their paperwork. The officer who had brought Mrs. Pearcey in placed a hand on his baton.

Dupin waved a hand at the officer. “Yes, Mrs. Pearcey, you are under arrest for the murder of—”

“Murder!” Mrs. Pearcey cried.

The boy dropped the pipe onto Dupin’s desk with a clatter, his wail the desperate cry of a broken-winged bird. Mrs. Watson reached to comfort him.

Dupin could hear her soothing sounds and the boy’s muffled sobs. He clutched the sides of his coat.

Mrs. Pearcey planted her feet apart. Her fists dug into her hips, defiance written in the lines of her face. “The devil’s in you, Detective, accusin’ me like this. I’m a humble woman, I fear God, an’ I run a clean home. You want to keep the boy? Fine by me. I’ll offer you a good day and be on my way.”

“You will do no such thing, Mrs. Pearcey, not today. You see, there is proof of your crime. Your first telltale was the lie you told me.”

“The devil to you!” Mrs. Pearcey yelled.

“The devil, madam, has no part in this play. You told me you did not hear a sound this morning, yet when I picked up the dining chair, it made enough noise to bring you into the kitchen. Then there is the matter of the steak. You were aware of the fineness of its cut, yet it was still wrapped when I got there.”

Mrs. Pearcey’s jaw clenched.

“You saw it this morning when May arrived home from the market because you were in the kitchen with her. And her letter—were you there when she read it? Or perhaps you came in after? Either way, she would have been eager to share her good news with you. Good for her, bad for you.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.