The Edge of Dreams (Molly Murphy Mysteries, #14)

“Those who are not considered a danger to themselves or others. And we allow them the niceties to make life bearable, if appropriate. There was no reason that Alice should not bring her piano.”


He opened a door and led us into a pleasant study with chintz-covered armchairs and a big untidy desk. He indicated that I should take the chair in the bay window. I noticed that this window had no bars on it, but looked out across the lawn to the tree-covered hillside above.

“And Edward Deveraux? Did he intermingle?” Daniel asked, taking a seat across from the doctor.

“Edward was not the most sociable of beings. He brought his books with him and kept to himself. Always reading and doing experiments. I discussed them with him sometimes. Really quite a brilliant brain in some ways. So keen to know about scientific advances.”

“Did he form any special attachments with any of the other inmates?” Daniel asked.

Dr. Piper frowned. “We prefer to call them patients here, Captain Sullivan. They all suffer from a deficiency of the brain that has made them not responsible for their actions. And no, Edward kept himself aloof from other patients here. Not that they are allowed to meet often in a social capacity, but Edward rarely wanted to be sociable even when they had a chance—he chose not to attend when Alice gave a concert, for example.”

“And what about the staff here? Did Mr. Deveraux have a particular staff member who looked after him?”

“That would be Annie Peters,” he said. “She left us last year to get married. We were sorry to lose her.”

“Annie Peters. She married the butcher,” Daniel said.

Dr. Piper nodded. “That’s right. Such a tragedy that he was killed, after she had found happiness at such a late stage of her life.”

“So she was the one who had the most dealings with Edward Deveraux?” I asked. My brain was leaping ahead. Had she become fond of him? Formed an attachment to him? Married the butcher for his money, perhaps? And then found a way to get rid of him while avenging Edward’s death?

“Yes, she was his attendant,” Dr. Piper said, then added “much to Edward’s disgust. He found her stupid and annoying. She tidied up things he was working on. She made him wash and change his clothes.” He smiled. “I think he grew a beard just to spite her, because she always insisted that he shave. Then, of course, he refused to comb his beard.”

I was glad I hadn’t voiced my thoughts. So there was no love lost between Edward and Annie Peters. Apparently nobody here would have cared about Edward enough to be his champion and avenger.

“Tell me about the day he died,” Daniel said.

Dr. Piper sighed. “Such a tragic waste. I blame myself, of course.”

“Yourself?” Daniel’s voice was sharp.

“I was his doctor, responsible for the state of his mind. I should have seen that he was troubled, perhaps contemplating suicide, but he gave no indication of it. None at all. In fact he had seemed quite cheerful in the preceding days. He seemed to be looking forward to meeting this distinguished doctor. He read all he could of the doctor’s papers. He even neatened up his appearance, which surely he would not have done had he been contemplating suicide. Spruced himself up properly.” Dr. Piper got up and walked over to the window, standing beside me to look out, as if re-creating a scene in his mind. “He had recently become interested in ornithology. We have many fascinating birds in this part of the country. A pair of binoculars was sent to him and he spent long hours at his window, studying the birds and making notes on them. He made a fine scrapbook. He also asked that any dead birds found on the property be brought to him to dissect, but of course we couldn’t comply with this request, since it would have involved sharp instruments, and our patients are not allowed knives of any sort.”

“So he took up bird-watching,” Daniel said. “And he was allowed outside to do this?”

“Our patients are encouraged to take a daily walk, accompanied by an attendant, of course.”

“You don’t worry about a patient overpowering his attendant and escaping?”

Dr. Piper shook his head emphatically. “Our grounds are completely surrounded by the wall, and there is no way to escape. The attendant always carries a whistle. Edward was permitted to take his binoculars and watch his birds. We found it a positive activity.”

“On the day he died, you were walking with him?”

“No, not I. We had a distinguished doctor visiting us, and it transpired that he was also a keen ornithologist. Edward wanted him to see the hawk’s nest he had recently discovered, so they went out together. They went to the upper part of our property, where the hawk’s nest was located in a tall pine tree. A stream crosses that corner of the estate—”

“And the inmates cannot escape via this stream?” Daniel asked.