“Not couldn’t,” Frank corrected her. “Wouldn’t.”

All three women gave him black looks.

“Did she at least convince you that he’s innocent?” Mrs. Decker asked.

“She convinced me it’s possible,” Frank admitted.

“The problem,” Sarah said quickly, before her mother could respond, “is that Mr. Malloy will be risking his job if he goes to question the others at the séance who might have had a reason to murder Mrs. Gittings.”

“How would he be risking his job?” Mrs. Decker asked.

“Think about it, Mother,” Sarah said. “What would Father do if a police detective came to your house to question you about a murder?”

Mrs. Decker only needed a moment to imagine the scene. Felix Decker would have used all of his power and influence to make sure such a thing never happened again. “Oh, dear.”

“Exactly.”

“But Theodore-” she tried, obviously remembering how their old family friend, Mr. Roosevelt, had always supported Malloy’s efforts.

“Theodore has resigned as police commissioner,” Sarah said. “He’s going to Washington to be assistant secretary of something or other.”

“The Navy,” Frank supplied helpfully.

“The Navy?” Mrs. Decker echoed in astonishment. “What does Theodore know about the Navy?”

“Who is Theodore?” Serafina asked tearfully.

“No one, dear, it doesn’t matter,” Mrs. Decker said, dismissing the brand-new assistant secretary of the Navy with a wave of her hand. “But if Mr. Malloy can’t question these people, how are we to determine what really happened to poor Mrs. Gittings?”

“We were just discussing that when you arrived,” Sarah explained. “And I was going to offer my own services. I could call on them and question them myself.”

“No, you can’t,” Frank protested, and he was gratified when Mrs. Decker confirmed it.

“Oh, no, my dear, you couldn’t possibly,” she said. “I’m sure they would refuse to see you, under the circumstances. But,” she added archly, “I’m sure they would all be more than glad to welcome me. We can visit them together.”

10

“WHAT?” MALLOY DEMANDED, OUTRAGED.

“Oh, Mother, do you really think that’s wise?” Sarah asked, not paying any attention at all to Malloy. She’d known he would give her an argument about getting involved, so she’d already determined to ignore it. She hadn’t expected her mother to offer her help, however.

“I’m sure it’s not wise,” Mrs. Decker said, “but I intend to do it anyway. How else can we save that poor young man?”

“Mrs. Decker,” Malloy said, trying to sound reasonable instead of furious and failing miserably, “if one of these people killed Mrs. Gittings, you might be in danger yourself.”

“Danger? Nonsense! Why would anyone want to harm me?”

“Somebody who’s killed once won’t stop at killing again to protect himself,” Malloy argued.

“But I have no intention of letting anyone know I’m investigating the murder,” Mrs. Decker pointed out reasonably. “Who would believe such a thing in any case? I’ll just be calling on them to find out how they are coping after the tragedy.”

“I think that might work,” Sarah said to Malloy, who looked like he might be in danger of having apoplexy.

“What do you think your father would say if he found out your mother was investigating a murder?” he asked.

“I’m sure he would have a lot to say if he knew,” Mrs. Decker said before Sarah could answer. “But I have no intention of telling him, and I’m sure no one else does either.”

Malloy was rubbing his head as if it hurt him. Sarah felt a flash of pity for him. He really did not stand a chance of prevailing.

“What can I do to help?” Serafina asked.

“Nothing,” Malloy told her sharply.

“You can tell us everything you know about these people,” Sarah said, giving him a glare that he returned. “Let’s all sit down,” she added. “Mother, would you like some coffee?”

When everyone was seated around Sarah’s kitchen table with a fresh cup of coffee, Mrs. Decker asked, “Where are the girls?”

“I sent them to Mrs. Ellsworth so we could talk in private,” Sarah said.

“That’s a relief. I wouldn’t want Catherine to overhear us. Now what were we discussing?”

“Serafina is going to tell us what she knows about the other people at the séance.” Sarah gave the girl an encouraging smile.

“Where should I start?” she asked uncertainly.

“With Mrs. Burke,” Mrs. Decker said. “What you don’t know, I’m sure I can supply. I’ve known her for years.”

Serafina took a deep breath as if to fortify herself. “She has been coming to see me since last fall. She wanted to contact her sister.”

“Yes, they had a quarrel,” Mrs. Decker said. “The sister died before they could make it up. She told me Madame Serafina contacted her sister, and she was able to apologize and be forgiven.”

“Yes, and this made her very happy,” Serafina reported. “But Mrs. Gittings wanted her to keep coming back, so I had to tell her that her sister had important messages for her. We had a private sitting for her, and her sister told her things about her children.”

“Mrs. Burke’s children?” Sarah clarified.

“Yes, they are… not happy,” Serafina hedged.

“Kathy’s son is a worthless profligate,” Mrs. Decker reported. “His father has had to rescue him time and again, but he never seems to learn his lesson.”

“What is a profligate?” Serafina asked.

“A bum,” Malloy offered. Sarah was glad to note that he had gone from furious to resigned. “What about her other children?”

Serafina didn’t like this one bit. “One daughter is respectable and married, but the other…”

“The other is married as well,” Mrs. Decker supplied, “but she’s far from respectable. She married an older man, and she’s taken a series of lovers through the years. Her conduct has been so blatant that some families won’t even receive her anymore.”

“She wanted someone to tell her what to do for her children,” Serafina said. “So I asked the spirits to help her.”

“You said her husband wouldn’t give her money for the séances anymore,” Sarah reminded her.

“No, she said he cut off her allowance,” Serafina said.

“Oh, dear,” Mrs. Decker said. “He must have been very angry with her to do that.”

“I was trying to help her,” Serafina said, looking at each of them in turn to judge their reaction. “But Mrs. Gittings kept asking her for more money. She did not care how Mrs. Burke got the money, and she said I should not care either. She said Mrs. Burke is rich, and I should not feel sorry for rich people.”

“Who told her to sell her jewelry?” Malloy asked.

Serafina bit her lip. “Mrs. Gittings did at first. I never talked to anyone about money, but…”

“But what?” Sarah coaxed.

“But Mrs. Gittings said the spirits must tell her to sell something. I had to do what she said, even though I knew it was wrong,” she added desperately.

“Of course you did, dear,” Mrs. Decker said, patting the girl’s hand.

“Did Mrs. Burke ever threaten Mrs. Gittings?” Malloy asked, ever the policeman.

“You mean threaten to hurt her?” Serafina asked uncertainly.

“Any kind of threat,” Malloy replied.

“I did not hear it if she did. Mrs. Gittings would talk to the clients alone when she… when she wanted to get them to pay more. She did not want them to think I cared about the money.”

“When I was at the séance,” Sarah said, “the spirits told Mrs. Burke to sell something her mother had given her. A brooch of some kind, I think. Did she sell it?”

“I do not know,” Serafina claimed. “She returned yesterday, but I think…” She seemed to catch herself.

“What do you think?” Sarah prodded.

“She was still asking her mother if she should sell it, so I think she did not, at least not yet.”

“How was she paying for the séances, then?” Malloy asked.