“So she went to Lord Wrexham and thought if she told him Millie was his, he’d be inclined to give her money.” I was talking through my thoughts, now, hoping inspiration would strike. I didn’t expect answers. “But he didn’t care and refused. The question is, why did she need moneynow?”
“Her sister blamed Pearl for forgetting about the child.”
I blinked back at him. “How could she forget about her own child?”
He heaved a sigh and rubbed his jaw. “I don’t want you thinking badly of Pearl. It’s not that she deliberately didn’t think about Millie, but…” He shrugged. “She just wasn’t part of her world. Out of sight, out of mind, as the saying goes.”
“How do you know Mrs. Larsen blamed Pearl for forgetting about Millie? Did Pearl tell you that?”
He shook his head. “I overheard them arguing. I couldn’t hear much, but I did hear that before they moved out of earshot. I know Pearl sent a little money to hersister each month for Millie’s upkeep, so she probably just forgot that month.”
“But they saw each other on Christmas Day. She would have confronted Pearl then about non-payment.” I rubbed my forehead, annoyed by my mistake in assuming this man had killed the woman he loved.
“When did they argue?” Mr. Armitage asked.
Mr. Culpepper twisted his mouth to the side as he thought. “I can’t quite recall. Mrs. Larsen came to the theater one day—”
“What?” I lowered my hand and stared at him. “Are you sure she came here?”
“Yes. She’d never been before and seemed in awe of the place. She asked Pearl to give her a tour.”
When I first met Mrs. Larsen, she told me she’d never been to the Playhouse. She’d lied. And the only reason for her to lie was because her presence at the theater implicated her in the murder.
“What day did Mrs. Larsen visit?” I asked.
“I told you, I can’t recall.”
“Was it the day of Pearl’s death?”
He shrugged. “It might have been.” He clicked his fingers. “Perry might know. He has a good memory for these things. He’s excellent at remembering everyone’s lines, not just his own.”
He led the way out of his office and down the corridor where we found Perry Alcott helping Dotty Clare’s understudy with her lines. When Mr. Armitage realized we’d walked into the actresses’ dressing room, he stepped back out again, although the understudy was the only woman present and she was fully clothed.
Mr. Alcott confirmed that he’d seen Mrs. Larsen in the theater, being shown around by Pearl. “It was the day before Pearl died.”
“Are you sure?” I asked. “Not the day of?”
“Definitely the day before.”
“Do you know what they argued about?”
He shook his head. “I was on stage and could see them in the dress circle, but I couldn’t hear them. It seemed heated, but Mrs. Larsen appeared to be doing all of the talking.Poor Pearl just stood there and allowed her sister to bully her.”
We thanked them and left the theater. Mr. Armitage hailed a hansom and I gave the driver directions to the Larsens’ residence. The more I thought about it, the more I knew Mrs. Larsen had lied to throw me off course. She’d told me she’d never been to the Playhouse. She’d never admitted that Millie was Pearl’s daughter. And she’d tried to blame Pearl’s murder on a jealous lover.
We alighted at the entrance to the courtyard, but Mr. Armitage caught my arm and held me back. He nodded at the abandoned cart where Mr. Larsen stood beside Millie, his back to us. Millie sat on the cart, her little legs swinging in the air. He seemed to be talking to her while she simply stared straight ahead. It was impossible to tell if she was listening or not.
“Does his work allow him to have Saturdays off?” Mr. Armitage asked.
I wasn’t sure. Now that I thought about it, Mr. Larsen had been home when I’d called last time too, and that had been a Wednesday. He’d also been repairing his own boots and Mrs. Larsen had been baking, perhaps to make ends meet if her husband was out of work. If they were in financial difficulty, it would explain why they needed money from Pearl.
“He seems devoted to Millie,” Mr. Armitage said.
Yes, he did. Where Mrs. Larsen had no patience for her daughter, Mr. Larsen had it in abundance. He adored her. So if he thought Pearl was going to take Millie away from him, he might have done whatever was necessary to stop her.
I felt sick to my stomach.
Mr. Armitage led the way, his strides long and purposeful. I dragged my feet, but ended up at the same destination. I introduced the two men. By the end, my mouth was dry.
