“Who is that?” Mabel asked once she’d caught up and they’d ducked into a cafeteria.
“Sam Lloyd.” Evie nearly spat the name. She told them about her encounter with him at Pennsylvania Station, about how he’d kissed her and picked her pocket.
Theta sipped her coffee, leaving a perfect red Cupid’s bow mark on the white ceramic cup. “He looks like he could make off with more than just your twenty dollars, if you catch my drift. You better keep an eye on that one, Evil.”
“I don’t have enough eyes to keep on that one,” Evie grumbled.
“Go through his pockets. See if you can find your money,” Mabel suggested.
“Why, Mabel. What a spiffing idea! Is that what the progressive education of Little Red Schoolhouse has taught you?” Evie rifled through the jacket’s many pockets, but she found nothing except a collection of lint, half a roll of Lifesavers, and a colored-pencil postcard of mountains and tall trees. Something had been scrawled in Russian on the back of it. She knew she could try to read any of the objects to find out more about Sam Lloyd, but it wasn’t worth the headache. She’d trust that he’d come looking for the coat. It was September, and the weather would turn soon enough.
When Evie returned to the museum, Uncle Will and Jericho sat at the table talking to a barrel-chested gentleman with the sort of sad brown eyes one saw on pet-store puppies not chosen for Christmas and a nose that looked to have been on the wrong end of a few fights. A detective’s badge was pinned to his suit.
“Unc! What’d they get you for? You need bail?”
“Terrence, this is my niece, Evie O’Neill. Evie, this is Detective Malloy.”
Despite the sad eyes, Detective Malloy had a warm smile. He offered his hand. “I’m an old friend from the days when your uncle worked for the government.”
“Oh? When was that, Unc?” Evie asked.
Will ignored her. “I know I said we’d go to Chinatown for dinner, but I’m afraid I have to go downtown with Detective Malloy for a bit.”
“So you do need bail,” Evie said to Will.
“No, I do not. The police have asked for my help. There’s been a murder.”
“A murder! Oh, my. Let me just change my shoes,” Evie said excitedly. “I won’t be a minute.”
“You’re not coming,” Uncle Will said.
Evie hopped on one foot while removing her shoes and putting on her new oxfords. “Miss a real-life murder scene? Not on your life.”
“It’s ugly, Miss. Not meant for a lady,” Detective Malloy said.
“I don’t scare so easily. I promise I’ll be as tough as Al Capone.” Evie laced up the first shoe.
“You’re staying here.” Will turned his back, dismissing her.
“Unc, you promised to take Jericho and me to Chinatown for dinner. No sense coming back uptown for me.”
“Evangeline…”
“I promise I’ll be no trouble at all. I’ll sit in the back of the car and wait until you’ve finished,” Evie promised.
Will sighed. “All right by you, Terrence?”
“Okay by me.” The detective held the door for her. “But don’t complain to me if you have nightmares after, Miss O’Neill.”
Evie stifled a gallows laugh at that.
THE HARLOT ADORNED ON THE SEA
The Manhattan Bridge grew bigger as they pulled onto Pike Street. In front of the tenements, a swarm of kids played stickball. As the car moved through, they watched it with narrow-eyed suspicion.
“Future hooligans,” Detective Malloy said as he parked the police car at the end of the street. “Any of you little sh—” He glanced at Evie. “Little brats touch this car, I promise you they’ll be dragging the river for your teeth.”
The men stepped out of the car, and Evie followed.