Her jaw dropped. What had happened here? It was definitely the right address, the same shirtwaist factory. She even recognized some of the workers from before.
“Uh, this isn’t exactly what I expected,” Ellison murmured.
“It was much different. No light, no air. And there were children here, locked in.”
“Well, they are not here now.”
Confused, Justine walked to the tables where the workers were busy sewing and talking behind their machines. She approached one. “Good afternoon, ma’am.”
The woman’s gaze darted nervously to Ellison before settling on Justine. “Hello, miss.”
“I was here a week or so ago and everything was different. What happened?”
“It’s a miracle.” She grinned. “A few men came in the other day and took Mr. Bay into the back. We didn’t think anything of it until the thumps started.”
“Thumps?”
“Loud noises. Like a fight.”
A fight? Justine looked over at Ellison, who put his hands on his hips. “Then what happened?” he asked.
“The men left after a bit. Mr. Bay came out and his face was”—she waved her hand in front of her face—“swollen and bleeding. He left and hasn’t been back since.”
“Who were these men?”
“I couldn’t say, miss. One was handsome, well-dressed. Looked like the leader. I overheard talk that he was some important man from over near Five Points, but you know how girls gossip.”
Justine blinked several times. An important man from Five Points . . . handsome and well-dressed? It couldn’t be.
It couldn’t be.
Who else, then? What other handsome Five Points man would come here to rough up the owner? There was no one else.
She’d offhandedly mentioned this factory to Mulligan during their lunch, including its location. He must have decided to come intimidate Mr. Bay into treating the workers fairly.
But, why?
Granny’s words floated through her mind. Clearly he hopes to gain the one thing he’ll never have: you.
That made no sense. None of this made sense. She’d run out on him three nights ago. There was no reason for the two of them to ever cross paths again.
So, why had he bothered?
“You know who it was, don’t you?” Ellison asked, staring carefully at Justine’s face.
“I might,” she hedged then thanked the worker. “If there is any further trouble when Mr. Bay returns, please find Detective Ellison at police headquarters.”
The woman nodded. “Whoever that man was, he was like our guardian angel.”
Justine wasn’t so certain about that, but she couldn’t deny that Mulligan had done a good deed for these workers. She and Ellison left, the angry secretary glowering at them on the way.
“All right, come clean.” Ellison followed her down the steps, his boots slapping on the wood. “How do you know Jack Mulligan?”
Chapter Ten
Justine concentrated on taking the steps carefully in the dim stairwell. “We cannot be certain it was Mulligan.”
“Important and handsome man from Five Points? There aren’t many who fit that description, and only one has the power to scare that factory owner into changing his entire operation. That’s Mulligan. So, tell me how you have him doing favors for you, too.”
She waited until they were on the walk before she answered. “I never asked him to come here and intervene. I . . . We had lunch one day and I told him about this factory. The day you turned me away.”
“You and Mulligan had lunch?” Ellison made a choking sound in his throat. “Are you pulling my leg?”
“No. He practically forced me to go because I hadn’t eaten.” It sounded stupid to say the words aloud.
“And you agreed? Do you know who he is? How he lives his life? He runs most of the illegal activity south of Fourteenth Street.”
She hated Ellison’s tone, as if she were a daft female, one too naive to be trusted. “I am well aware, Detective. I know of Mulligan’s reputation.”
“Do you? Do you, really? Because if you did, I don’t think you’d get within ten feet of the man, let alone have lunch with him.”
“I know he operates some saloons and poolrooms. That he oversees most of the gambling downtown.”
“And the booze and the smuggling. Oh, and let’s not forget blackmail. The boxing matches alone could get him thrown in the Tombs. He’s swimming in criminal activity.” Ellison dragged a hand through his hair. “He’s not a nice man. I daresay there’s not a gentleman to be found in New Belfast Athletic Club.”
“No one has harmed me there—”
“You’ve been inside?” He walked in a tight circle, muttering what she suspected were curse words. “Are you insane?”
This was ridiculous. She appreciated Ellison’s concern, but he wasn’t her father