“Father?” she asked in a low voice.
“What, my dear?”
“There is something I don’t understand about all of this.”
He had been kneeling on the floor, trying to find more blood, but so far, the only blood they had found was that which was near the handbag.
He stood and faced her, swiping at the wrinkles in his trousers. “What is troubling you?”
“I have done plenty of thinking since finding this bag of money, and for the handbag to be here before Ashton and I arrived, that would have meant Mr. Nickerson rode the railway back with us. There is no way someone with an injured arm and losing blood would have been able to ride a horse that far and fast.”
“That is true.” He scratched his chin. “But keep in mind that after you lost him near the building, there was still a good twenty minutes before the train left the depot. Isn’t that correct?”
“It is,” she answered hesitantly.
“Well, that’s enough time to change his clothes and board the railway. He could have added padding to his arm to help stop the flow of blood.”
“But why had we not seen him on the railway—either boarding or unloading?”
Her father shrugged. “I’m assuming both you and Mr. Lee were mentally exhausted from the trip, and of course, Mr. Nickerson was probably in one of the other cars. He could have been in a different disguise.”
“You’re probably right.” She expelled a heavy sigh. “I’ve just been trying to make sense of all of this. But I can’t shake the feeling that the timing is off. Why wasn’t Mr. Nickerson here with the handbag full of money? Because he was injured, wouldn’t he have been weak?”
“Good point.” He nodded. “Mr. Lee had mentioned that Mr. Nickerson was a man who had a very active lifestyle. Perhaps he went to find a lady friend who could help him bandage his arm.”
Suddenly, a woman’s face popped into Nicole’s head, and she gasped. “Mrs. Browning!” She touched her father’s arm. “I’m sure he went to Mrs. Browning’s house. He has been seeing her a lot lately...according to Ashton, anyway.”
“Then I’ll send Banks and one of the policemen to check it out.” Her father rushed out of the room to find the men.
Nicole wandered out of the room, hoping to find where Gordon and Ashton were talking. She found them in the kitchen...eating. She rolled her eyes. Mrs. Phelps had once said that the way to a man’s heart was through his stomach. Watching her brother and Ashton eating right now, Nicole could definitely understand what the older woman was referring to.
When Ashton noticed her, he quickly stood. He pointed to the tray of bread and slices of meat. “Are you hungry?”
“Actually, I am, but I think I’m more tired than anything.” She walked to the table and picked up a chunk of bread. “Tell me, Ashton, will Mr. Nickerson appreciate you and my brother raiding his ice box?”
“Does it matter?” Ashton shrugged. “He will be arrested soon, won’t he?”
“He most certainly will.” Gordon said with a mouthful of food, and she couldn’t help but chuckle at the display.
A movement toward the window caught Nicole’s attention. As she studied the object, it appeared to be a person peering in the window. It was a woman...and she was looking right at Nicole. In a split second, the woman’s eyes widened just before the person ducked away from the window.
In a flash, recognition struck. What was Mrs. Larson doing at Mr. Nickerson’s house this late at night?
Nicole growled under her breath and darted toward the door, determined to discover Mrs. Larson’s secret. Even though Nicole was tired, she found the energy to rush out of the house, down the few steps on the porch, and around the back. The full moon offered enough light for her to spot the other woman running from the house.
“Mrs. Larson,” Nicole called out, moving her legs faster.
The other woman seemed to have more speed, and for a moment, Nicole thought she would lose her, just as she had done with Mr. Nickerson in Meols. But the woman tripped and landed on her knees, giving Nicole the advantage. She reached Mrs. Larson just as she rose to her feet. The woman gasped and took a step to get away again.
Nicole grabbed Mrs. Larson’s arm, keeping her from going anywhere. “Oh, no you don’t.”
“Let me go!”
Mrs. Larson jerked her arm, trying to be free of Nicole’s hold, but she held tight, refusing to let another suspect get away. “I’m not going to release you until you explain what you were doing at Mr. Nickerson’s house—in the middle of the night, no less.”
“No...no.” She sobbed and covered her hands over her face.
Heavy footsteps pounded on the grass behind her, and Nicole looked over her shoulder just as Gordon and Ashton ran up to them.
