Murder on Trinity Place by Victoria Thompson

Author:Victoria Thompson [Thompson, Victoria]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2019-05-11T16:00:00+00:00

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• • •

Frank usually didn’t enjoy board games, but he had found this one extremely entertaining. In spite of his inexperience and Maeve’s and Gino’s intricate strategies, Robinson managed to win. A gambler’s luck, he had claimed, to everyone’s amusement. While Frank had been skeptical of Sarah’s plan to bring him and Jocelyn Vane together, he couldn’t deny it seemed to be working.

After the game, they had all enjoyed some coffee, and then Sarah announced it was time to take Miss Vane back “home.” The men took that opportunity to show Robinson the motorcar, since Gino had to fetch it from the mews behind the house, where it was stored.

Gino led the way, and as they walked down the alley, Robinson fell into step beside Frank. “Mrs. Malloy told me you’re investigating the death of that man who owned the dairy.”

“That’s right. Clarence Pritchard. His daughter married one of our neighbors, and she asked me to help when the police dropped the case.”

“Do you know why they dropped it?”

“Because somebody bribed Chief Devery, but I haven’t figured out who yet.”

“I might have.”

Frank gaped at him. “Why would you have done that?”

“Because Mrs. Malloy asked if I had any idea why somebody would be using milk wagons late at night.”

“And you just happened to know?”

Robinson smiled. “I’m not that good, but I did ask around about the dead man’s son. His name was in the obituary, and in my experience, the sons of wealthy men often get themselves in trouble.”

“And is Harvey Pritchard in trouble?”

“He’s in debt, which can lead to all sorts of trouble. The boy likes to gamble, you see.”

“Is he in debt to you?”

“No, more’s the pity. I’m a reasonable man. He’s in debt to Lou Lawson.”

Frank groaned.

“Yes, it’s unfortunate,” Robinson agreed. “Harvey should have just confessed all to his father and begged him to pay the debt.”

“Yes, he should. Oh, I just remembered something that suddenly makes sense. I witnessed an argument between Harvey and his father. Harvey had said something offhandedly about how he’d bet his father would do something or other, and his father became furious. Pritchard said Harvey would bet on anything, or words to that effect. So he must have known about the gambling.”

“And if it made him that angry, he must have known about the debts, too. When was this?”

“Just a few days before Pritchard was killed.” Frank now had to rethink everything he knew about Harvey.

“Mrs. Malloy said Pritchard was a painfully honest man,” Robinson said as they reached the former stable where the motorcar sat. Gino had already opened the door and stood waiting for them.

“Yes, he wouldn’t have been happy to learn his son was in debt to a man like Lawson.”

“And I’ve been thinking,” Gino said, obviously eavesdropping. “If he’d been afraid to tell his father about the debt, at least at first, he might’ve come up with some scheme to raise the money himself.”

“Like using the milk wagons to move stolen goods, you mean?” Frank turned to Robinson.

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