In Dublin's Fair City (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #6)

“The cover promised interesting tips for decorating the home in the Japanese style, which we were thinking of doing anyway, so we bought the magazine and there was this delicious article on health and beauty, so of course we had to try it for ourselves.come on in, you’re just in time to try our complexion paste.” She ushered me in and set off ahead of me down the hall and into their kitchen. “It's egg whites boiled in rose water with alum and oil of sweet almonds, and a dash of honey, all whipped together into a paste, and then left to dry,” she called over her shoulder. “I must say, it feels very strange as it hardens, but you can actually sense all the impurities being drawn from the body.”


Sid and Gus had added a conservatory onto the back of their kitchen and the doors between the two were open, as were the doors to the little garden beyond, giving the place a delightfully rural feel. As we approached I could see another white-faced specter lying under a white sheet on a garden chair, looking horribly like a corpse until she started fanning herself furiously.

“These damn flies,” she muttered. “I suppose they are attracted to egg white, but they won’t leave me alone.”

“We have company, Sid darling,” Gus called. “Molly has come to share in our experiment.”

Elena Goldfarb, usually known as Sid, sat up and peeled the cucumber slices from her eyes. “I wanted to send Gus to fetch you, but she said you wouldn’t be able to desert Daniel the Deceiver.”

“He's not around at the moment, saints be praised,” I said.

“That doesn’t sound like the voice of a woman in love.” Sid attempted to frown, but her mask would not let her.

“I know. It's terrible of me. I should be delighted that he is gracing me with his constant presence, but frankly I’m not. His gloomy, moodybehavior is driving me insane. I’ve come to the conclusion that I won’t make a very good wife.”

“I’m sure every person on this earth drives his or her partner insane from time to time,” Sid said. “I know we do. Now tie back your hair and let me slather some of this mixture onto your face. Madame Vestris is said to have preserved her beauty with this very concoction until late in life.”

I had no idea who Madame Vestris was. “Oh, I really don’t think—” I began.

“Don’t be a spoil sport, Molly.” Gus was already gathering back my unruly mop of hair. “Besides, it's supposed to draw out impurities so you may be more saintly and forgiving the next time Daniel comes to call.”

I resigned myself to my fate, and was soon laughing with Sid and Gus as they turned me into a meringue. The laughter felt strange. How long since I had laughed and allowed myself to be silly with friends? The whole summer had been one of tension and heartbreak, to say nothing of the constant worry about money. Now I was recovered from my recent ordeal, both physically and mentally, but there were no new cases on the books for my small detective agency.

“So where is the dreadful Daniel this afternoon?” Sid asked. “Sit still, or the cucumber slices will fall off.”

“His new attorney has set up a meeting with the police commissioner and is asking to have all the charges against him dropped.”

“Well, that's finally good news, isn’t it?” Gus said.

“I do hope so,” I said. “Daniel's reputation means so much to him. His fellow oficers still think he betrayed them, and I know how deeply that has affected him.”

“All's well that ends well,” Sid said. “Daniel will be exonerated and go back to work, Molly can get on with her life, and peace will reign in Patchin Place.”

She was just inishing the sentence when there came a thunderous knocking on their front door. Gus hurried to open it. We heard an explosive, “What the deuce?”

“Beauty treatments.” We heard Gus's calm voice. “And if you’re looking for Molly, she's with us.”

I hastily removed the cucumber slices from my eyes in time to see Daniel striding down the hallway toward me.

“I went to your house and you weren’t there,” Daniel said petulantly.

“So being a great detective, you deduced she might be over here with us,” Sid said calmly. “Would you like a glass of ice tea, Captain Sullivan, or something stronger?”

“I’m not in the mood for socializing, I’m afraid,” Daniel said. “I’ve just had an infuriating meeting with the police commissioner.”

“He wouldn’t agree to drop all the charges?” I asked.

“No, he damned well wouldn’t.” He checked himself. “I apologize for the language, ladies, but my patience has been stretched to its limit this afternoon. Molly, would you please remove that ridiculous concoction from your face and let's go home.”

I put my hand up to my cheek. “I think it needs to harden irst or it will be impossible to remove,” I said. “But what was Mr. Partridge's reason for not declaring you innocent on the spot?”

“Because that snake Quigley refuses to confess to anything. So until he is brought to trial and found guilty, I am still oficially charged and will still have to stand trial myself.”

“But that's ridiculous,” I said, rising from my garden chair with difi-culty. “We have the proof that Quigley is guilty.”

“Of his part in the murders, yes, but there is nothing to prove that he orchestrated my meeting with the gang member,- and I have, of course, admitted to my part in setting up the prize ight.”