I used to fit in that trunk so tight there was no room to breathe to begin with. I’d have been a goner.”
“I was there, watching from the wings. It was frightening,” I said.
“I don’t know what could have gone wrong.” Theo frowned. “That ain’t never happened before. Harry’s always so careful to double-check the equipment. And of course it would have to be Bess who got stuck in there. She panicked, of course. That makes it worse.”
“I hope she’s fully recovered,” I said. “Is she resting or can she receive a guest?”
“She’s not here,” Theo said, staring at me, unblinking.
“Can you tell me where she is?”
Theo shook his head. “Some doc’s got her under sedation. She was in a bad way last night. Harry was real worried about her.”
“Is your brother here or is he with her?”
“He’s with her,” Theo said, “if he’s not at the theater, checking on the props and making sure nothing else goes wrong. I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t want me to join him in the act tonight. There’s no way Bess is going to be fit to go onstage.”
That, of course, would ruin everything. It seemed I had to see Bess today somehow or I’d be out of a job again.
“Would you tell Bess I called?” I said, biting back my frustration. “My name’s Molly. Molly Murphy.”
“I’ll tell her if I see her,” he said. “They might keep her there for a while.”
“And where would ‘there’ be?”
He shrugged. “Some doc’s place. That’s all I know.”
It appeared that all I could do was to go home and wait until Bess Houdini contacted me. And if she was sedated and under a doctor’s care, she was hardly likely to be in a mental state to think about her dear friend Molly whom she had hired to protect her husband.
It was now way past midday and my stomach reminded me that I’d had nothing to eat. I told myself that I should probably save the money and try to hold out until I got home, but when I passed a corner delicatessen I gave in and bought myself a pastrami sandwich. Pastrami was another new food for me. I ordered it after asking for ham and getting a funny look from the man behind the counter and the patrons. It wasn’t half bad either, served with sour pickles!
The journey back to Greenwich Village seemed to take an eternity. It was stiflingly hot in carriage and the atmosphere grew worse as more and more people crowded in. If I’d been the kind of young lady who swooned, I’d have definitely done so. As it was I sat in my corner and tried to make enough space to fan myself with the empty envelope.
My muslin was a crumpled mess and soaked with sweat by the time I reached my front door. I let myself in and stood in the hallway, relishing the cool darkness. A long drink of water and then a cold wash were in order. Then I noticed that something was stuck in my letter box.
Inside was a note written in a shaky hand.
Molly, I must speak with you immediately. I am at a private clinic at 95th Street and Park Avenue. Could you come right away?
It was signed “Bess.”
Twelve
I have to confess that I uttered some words that should never escape from a lady’s lips. Actually some swear words that a lady shouldn’t even know. But I was alone and I figured they were justified at this point. This day had been one annoyance after another. And now to find that I would have to make that same unpleasant train journey all over again was a last straw. But it had to be done if I wanted this job. And I did want the job. Having witnessed the two accidents with my own eyes, I was itching to sink my teeth into this kind of case. And nobody ever said a detective’s work was easy. I took off my crumpled dress, washed it out, splashed cold water over my body, then put on a blouse and skirt before setting out once more.
It was now midafternoon and the heat radiated from the sidewalks and the brick of the buildings. It was like walking through an oven. I passed a horse that had collapsed while pulling a cart loaded with barrels. Small boys stood around staring curiously while the driver cursed and attempted to free it from the harness as it lay dying. I stared at