Murder Within the Uneasy Crowd Read online

  MURDER WITHIN THE UNEASY CROWD

  BLYTHE BAKER

  Copyright © 2022 by Blythe Baker

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.

  Created with Vellum

  CONTENTS

  Description

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  About the Author

  Peril has followed Lillian Crawford to distant shores, as she attempts to escape the past...

  A brief stay on a cousin’s estate in the English countryside was supposed to bring respite for Lillian and her twin brother Felix. Instead, it brings danger, as an unlucky victim turns up dead at a local street fair.

  Working together, can Lillian and Felix capture the murderer in time to rescue a family member from certain death?

  1

  “Well…it certainly is not as I remember it.”

  I stood at the top of the ramp, surveying the city of Southampton before me.

  The buildings, made of mostly brick and stone, seemed to have known better days. Their tiled roofs stretched into the distance, in long rows that all ran perpendicular to the shoreline. It seemed every avenue led down to the ships.

  I wrinkled my nose as the wind carried the scent of decaying fish with it, and the loud, belching horn of another vessel leaving the harbor filled the otherwise boisterous cacophony of the marina.

  I almost felt overdressed for such surroundings, even in my simple skirt, pastel blouse, and flower-trimmed cloche hat.

  “Rather unassuming, isn’t it?” Felix asked. My brother tossed one of his bags over his shoulder and squinted out toward the shore, the sunshine glinting off his coal black hair, the same shade as my own. “Everything seems so…small.”

  “I had not assumed towering buildings like New York, but this seems surprising for one of the largest shipping cities in England,” I said.

  “Yes. I remember it being grander. Perhaps that was nothing more than the eyes and memory of a child, though,” Felix said.

  “I must disagree with both of you. Southampton is a charming place,” said Mr. Eugene Osbourn, striding up between Felix and I. He had chosen to wear his dark lenses once again, but only as his eyes had not yet fully adjusted to the bright light. He said it was too much of a strain, always squinting. I, however, thought it was because he had not yet made the news of his eye surgery public, and likely would try to remain out of public view as much as possible until he chose to do so.

  “Charming? That’s a choice word,” I said, smirking up at him. “Perhaps you should use quaint.”

  Felix grinned at me.

  The mild weather had helped to keep me in better spirits. Sunshine made it easier to forget what had happened during the voyage over, and instead focus on what good had come from it all. I had done as I set out to do, which was to solve the crime that occurred during our crossing, and in doing so, had earned the respect and adoration of everyone on the ship. Felix and I had, in a way, come to be something akin to celebrities on our last few days of travel. With satisfaction, I realized that no one was at all surprised to see us leave the ship with the famous pianist, Mr. Osbourn.

  “I have spent more than a few weeks here in this little seaside town,” Mr. Osbourn said, moving his trunk out of the way as other passengers had begun to descend the gangplank toward the docks. “Don’t let the naysayers fool you; this is just as nice as Brighton for the summer months, perhaps even better as everyone seems to flock toward the more western part of the coast.”

  “Little town?” Felix chided. “Oh, come now, Mr. Osbourn, you are making this far too enjoyable of a game for my sister and me.”

  Mr. Osbourn’s face split into a smile. “I understand. There is no place quite like New York. I cannot imagine calling any other place home, really.”

  My lips pursed at his words. “Well, I am certain London will be just as exciting,” I said. “I, for one, am looking forward to the change of pace.”

  “How long do you plan to be in England?” Mr. Osbourn asked as we made our way toward the line of passengers disembarking. The process had taken most of the morning, and the three of us had opted to be a part of the last group to leave. Many others could not wait to be off the ship where such horrors had occurred, but I found myself rather hesitant.

  I had given the full account to the unpleasant investigator, Mr. Belmont, as well as to the captain, who handled the situation whilst we were aboard the ship. Mr. Osbourn had as well.

  “We aren’t quite sure yet,” Felix said. “Our mother’s cousin has invited us to stay at least until Christmas. From there, I suppose we will decide if we want to make our way back home.”

  Mr. Osbourn nodded.

  “And you?” I asked. “Have you decided what you are going to do?”

  He looked at me, and though I could not see his eyes, I could feel the weight of his gaze upon me. We had not spent more than the past few days together, but it was startling how close I felt to him after everything that had occurred with his sister.

  He sighed, staring out to the city. “I am choosing to stay in England and head to London,” he said. “My family there will know what to do. The proper contact will be made with my parents, who will undoubtedly be on the first ship here. The ship’s investigator did not seem entirely pleased, saying that it would be better for me to go right back to New York, but here the proper procedures can be done for Louise’s remains…”

  He let out a sigh. “I am sorry. These are my burdens to bear, not yours.”

  “Well, in a way, they are,” Felix said with a shrug.

  Mr. Osbourn shook his head. “I owe you both a great debt, especially you, Miss Crawford. I still cannot bear the thought that you were nearly…” His voice drifted off.

  My throat grew tight, but I shrugged just as easily as Felix had. “It’s all over and done with, Mr. Osbourn. Nothing we say now can change what happened. What’s important is that we found out the truth.”

  “Yes, you certainly did,” he said. “I suppose I had allowed myself to remain blind to it.”

  “Don’t blame yourself for what happened,” Felix said, clapping him on the shoulder.

  “Miss Crawford?”

  I looked up to see Mr. McDonough approaching, his wife hanging onto his arm. She looked slightly uneasy as they approached, and the wrinkles in his brow only grew deeper as they stopped before us.

  “Mr. Crawford, Mr. Osbourn,” he added, nodding to the gentlemen in turn.

  “Mr. McDonough, sir,” Felix said, ducking his head.

  He looked back at me. “I would like to apologize for my behavior during the crossing,” he said. “I have not yet had the chance to do so properly. While I would have preferred not to have been the object of your unannounced interrogations, I can certainly understand why you suspected me.”

  “All I wanted was to find the truth, Mr. McDonough,” I said, trying my best to keep my expression blank. “But I should be the one apologizing to you. I realize now that I allowed fear to get the better of me. I should have been more open about my questions in the first place.”

  His stony expression
faltered slightly, and a small, crooked smile appeared. “Yes, well, you are still quite young. I imagine your father will be proud of what you and your brother accomplished this trip. You may very well have saved us all.”

  “Who knows who the murderer might have killed next, if left to run free…” Mrs. McDonough said nervously.

  “I hope you enjoy your time in London,” Mr. McDonough said. “And Mr. Osbourn, I look forward to seeing you in concert soon.”

  “Thank you, sir, it would be an honor,” Mr. Osbourn said.

  The couple moved away, toward the rest of the crowd exiting the ship.

  “So that’s the rumor now, huh?” Felix asked. “That Louise was planning to go on a killing spree or something akin to it?”

  “This is the first I am hearing of it,” Mr. Osbourn said, rubbing his clenched jaw.

  “You know how rumors get out of hand,” I said, though the idea was troubling. I looked at Mr. Osbourn. “Do you think that ever would have been a part of her plan?”

  His face paled. “I have no idea,” he said. “I suppose it depends on how far she would have gone to frame me.”

  “Why are you two worrying about this?” Felix asked. “It doesn’t matter what she might have done. It’s over now. Weren’t we all just in agreement about this moments ago?”

  “You’re right,” I said. We were the heroes, and really, these sorts of rumors could only make Felix and I look better. Finding the person responsible for one murder was a lot less impressive than finding and stopping a serial killer from having the chance to take any more lives.

  I wonder what Mother will think when she hears about that? By the time it gets back to New York, the story will likely be that Felix and I singlehandedly saved everyone on the ship from imminent death.

  “Well, shall we?” Mr. Osbourn asked, gesturing toward the emptying gangplank.

  We shuffled our luggage and ourselves off the ship and onto the docks.

  “Mr. Sansbury said he would be wearing a black coat with a green pocket square,” Felix said, easily able to look over the heads in the crowd with his height.

  “Did you really call him Mr. Sansbury?” I asked.

  “Well, it feels wrong calling him by his first name, when it has been so long since we’ve seen him,” Felix said.

  “I wish I could help you look, but I must find the investigator so that I can be there when they move my sister’s remains off the ship,” Mr. Osbourn said, his expression tight.

  I looked up at him. “I am sorry for the whole situation.”

  He shook his head. “Do not be. While I’ll miss her, it will be the sister I had when I was a boy that I shall mourn…and as far as I’m concerned, she died long ago.”

  He held his hand out to Felix, who took it.

  “It was a pleasure meeting you, Mr. Crawford,” he said. “Thank you for everything.”

  “I am pleased we had the chance to get to know you,” Felix said. “Though I certainly would have preferred it to be under better circumstances.”

  “As would I,” Mr. Osbourn said.

  Then he turned to me, and reached up to pull his glasses off.

  “And Miss Crawford…I do hope you would give me the honor of thanking you properly once I have my affairs in order,” he said. “If you are still interested, that is.”

  His eyes, such an intense blue, seemed to see past the vaguely interested look I held on my face, as if they brushed against my very soul.

  It left me feeling vulnerable.

  “I would be interested,” I said.

  “Here,” Felix said, reaching into the front coat of his jacket, producing a small card. “This is our cousin’s address.”

  Mr. Osbourn took the card and smiled. “Thank you,” he said. “I shall be in touch.”

  “Take care,” I said. “I wish you well with everything you are now facing.”

  He nodded. “Thank you,” he said.

  I watched him walk down the dock until the crowds of other passengers hid him from view, my heart heavier than I expected it to be.

  “I do not envy him…” I said. “Having to accompany a corpse to his family’s estate.”

  “Must be troubling to think that he left New York with his sister alive and arrived here without her,” Felix said.

  A chill swept up my back at the thought of the same happening to Felix. I shoved the thought away; it was too terrible to consider.

  “He’ll be all right,” Felix said with a shrug. “She had been terrible to him for some time. In a way, it might even be a relief to him.”

  “Regardless of how terrible she was, she was still his sister,” I said.

  Felix gave me a sidelong look. “For the record, this is not at all how I would react if something like that happened to you,” he said. “If that’s what you’re worried about.”

  “That’s not – I didn’t say that. Of course I’m not worried about that,” I snapped. “Come on, let’s find our cousin.”

  To our great relief, we found him at the top of a stairwell leading up to the street, beside the marina. He sat on the edge of the stone wall, looking out over the harbor.

  He wore a black suit with a green pocket square and a matching black bowler hat with a green ribbon wrapped around it. I recognized him at once, though the closely trimmed beard I remembered him for had begun to turn grey and he seemed a bit rounder than the last time we had seen him. Regardless, it was still him, even if there were lines near his eyes and mouth where none had been before.

  “Felix, Lillian,” he said, a broad smile spreading across his face upon our approach. “My word, how good it is to see you.”

  “Hello, Cousin,” Felix said.

  He embraced Felix, and then me.

  He laid a hand on my shoulder after he pulled away, searching my face. “Look how much you’ve grown,” he said. “How long has it been? You two could not have been…what? Twelve? Thirteen the last time I saw you?”

  “Has it really been that long?” I asked.

  “It’s been that long since I’ve seen your mother,” Richard said. He beamed. “I am pleased that she chose to send you to me, after all the pair of you have been through.”

  I grinned, the weight lifting from my shoulders. “I am surprised to hear that,” I said. “I half expected a lecture; I can only imagine Mother sent you a long letter filled with colorful stories.”

  He nodded. “Indeed, she did. But what Annalise fails to understand is that, while I believe the pair of you have endured some unfortunate times, unlike my dear cousin, I do not think the blame falls squarely on your shoulders.”

  “You don’t?” Felix asked.

  He shook his head. “In fact, I don’t know if you know this, but I was the one to suggest that you come to stay with me. I thought a change of scenery and some new society would be just the thing to help you both recover from past disappointments, while reenergizing you for the future.”

  “I am happy you were the one to suggest it,” I said. “There is truly no place I would rather be.”

  He grinned at me.

  “You were very kind to offer it, Mr. Sansbury,” Felix said. “It was just the ticket we needed.”

  He gave a dismissive wave. “Oh, come now, I am Richard to you both. No need for that formality among family, even here.”

  He reached down and picked up the handle of my trunk.

  “Let’s be on our way. You can tell me all about the crossing on the way back to the estate.”

  The drive proved to be even more interesting than I had expected it to be. As we motored along in a sleek, black automobile driven by a chauffeur, our cousin gave us some basic updates, things we would need to know about the area and where we were going.

  I looked over at Felix as we headed into the countryside, outside of Southampton.

  “Would you care to explain all? Or shall I?” I asked.

  “Oh? Did something happen?” Cousin Richard asked from the seat across from ours.

  Felix looked over at m
e and shrugged. “I suppose the majority of what happened, happened to you. You could answer questions if he has any.”

  As it turned out, our cousin had a great many questions.

  It took us several hours to reach his estate outside London, and even then, the whole story had not been unraveled.

  “The sister of a famous pianist…” Richard said, shaking his head as we passed through the open gate of his long, tree-lined drive. “That will certainly ensure that ship is forever wrapped in infamy. The line should thank you for the influx of curious passengers your endeavors will surely draw.”

  “I suppose there will always be those who think they might see a ghost,” I said. “Perhaps they will sell sailings as possibly being haunted. I know Mrs. Williams would jump on that ship in a heartbeat.”

  “The poor brother, though,” Richard said, frowning. “What an awful thing to have to deal with. And you, Lillian…I cannot imagine what that must have been like for you. You seem in good spirits, despite the fact it only happened a few days ago.”

  I gave him a small smile. “Well, I knew I would be able to figure it out. It is to my advantage that those of means like to talk about themselves so freely. A little accusation here, a little snide superiority there…it means little to some, but everything to others. It all depends on what their poison is.”

  Richard’s eyes narrowed slightly, but he regarded me with a look of respect. “You are perceptive,” he said.

  “Yes, well, on occasion,” I said. “Really, I could not have found out as much as I did without Felix’s help. I…allow my frustrations and expectations of others to get in the way.”

  “Her impatience, if you will,” Felix said.

  I glared at him, and he shrugged.

  “I confess I am taken aback,” Richard said, scratching the side of his face. “I have experienced a great many difficulties in my life, but I have never come face to face with death like that.”