I gasped.
“Why the surprise?” he asked as he strapped the holster on. “You’ve asked me along because you suspect Culpepper could pose a threat.” He picked up the gun and loaded bullets into the barrel. “This is just in case you’re right.”
“I assumed you’d use your fists against him.”
“I’m not super-human, Miss Fox. If he pulls a gun on us, my fists won’t be of use.”
He was right, but that didn’t ease my mind. “Do you have another for me?”
“Thankfully no.”
“’Thankfully?’ I’d be very responsible, and only use it if absolutely necessary.”
“Have you ever fired a gun before?” At the shake of my head, he thrust the gun into the holster. “Then let’s leave theshooting to me.”
“Does your father know you have that?”
He led the way outside and locked the door. “Who do you think gave it to me when I started this business?”
“Does your mother know?”
“Do you think I’m mad?” He followed me down the stairs, but instead of opening the front door, he reached past me and put his hand to the doorknob to stop me from grabbing it. “Don’t tell her.”
“Your secret is safe with me.”
A short walk later, we found Mr. Culpepper at his desk at the Playhouse. He looked up from the ledger he was studying then, seeing me, quickly closed it. I introduced Mr. Armitage and Mr. Culpepper invited us both to sit. I did, but Mr. Armitage remained standing by my side. I was very aware of the gun in his holster. He’d left his jacket unbuttoned so he could access it quickly, but I was rather relieved to see Mr. Culpepper’s hands remain where I could see them, on the desk.
“How may I help you, Miss Fox?” he asked.
“You lied to me.” It was a gamble to accuse him when I wasn’t absolutely certain, but the gamble paid off when he did not look surprised.
“What about?” he asked rather calmly.
“You knew Millie was your daughter all along.”
He sat back, lowering his hands to his lap, out of sight. I hoped Mr. Armitage could see them from his higher vantage point.
“Why did you lie to me?”
“Because I panicked and fell back on instinct,” he said. “I’ve been lying about being a father for years, and it comes naturally now. I knew how it would look if you knew that I knew about Millie, and that you’d accuse me of killing Pearl for keeping my daughter from me.”
“So Pearl came to you around Christmas and asked for money to support Millie. Why then? Did she plan on taking Millie back and raising her as her own?”
He shook his head and sat forward again. “She never asked me, nor did she tell me about her plans for the girl. As far as I am aware, she was content to leave her with the Larsens.”
“Did you never offer to marry Pearl and raise Millie together?”
He scoffed. “Of course I offered, when I found out she was with child. But Pearl wasn’t interested in either marriage or motherhood. That’s why I don’t believe she wanted the girl back to raise her. Pearl and I would have made terrible parents. We’re both too selfish and, to be quite honest, disinterested in children.”
I wasn’t sure whether that made me feel better about him or worse. On the one hand, it was good that a person could identify selfishness within themselves and give their child to a couple better suited to the task of parenting, but on the other hand, how did he know he’d be a terrible parent until he tried? He might have fallen in love with his daughter if he’d spent some time with her.
“If Pearl wasn’t planning to raise Millie as her own, why did she need money?” I asked.
“I don’t know. As I said, she didn’t come to me. I wasn’t lying about that.”
“She knew you were in financial trouble, didn’t she?”
Mr. Culpepper glanced at Mr. Armitage. He gave a small nod.
