Murder on Pleasant Avenue (Gaslight Mystery #23) - Victoria Thompson Page 0,2

only one man, and besides, if you go to the police, the Black Hand will kill your loved ones.”

“Have they actually killed anyone?” Gino asked, outraged.

“Not yet. The men pay the ransom and everything is fine.”

“Then why not just pay the ransom for Miss Harding?” Maeve asked.

“We do not know how long it will take for them to ask, and Miss Harding, she is an unmarried American lady. She cannot . . . We must find her,” Teo concluded with an uneasy frown.

“But—” Gino tried.

Maeve cut him off. “She means Miss Harding’s reputation will be ruined if word gets out she was the captive of a gang of Italian criminals.”

Teo nodded gratefully. “She is a good lady. She came to live at the settlement because she truly wanted to help people. We cannot let her life be destroyed because she was kind.”

“Because even if nothing really happens to her, people will always assume the worst,” Maeve said.

Mr. Malloy was nodding his understanding. “But Gino and I can be discreet, and if we rescue Miss Harding quickly, maybe no one will even find out this happened.”

“I see,” Gino said. “What about her family? Could the kidnappers be thinking they’ll pay the ransom?”

“They aren’t rich,” Teo said, “or at least Miss Harding said they weren’t, but neither are the Italians who are paying ransoms for their wives and children. I suppose the Black Hand would think Miss Harding’s family could pay, though.”

“Or maybe they think the settlement house will pay,” Gino said.

“Those places don’t have any money,” Maeve scoffed. “Everyone who works there is a volunteer.”

“I don’t know if they think the settlement house can pay or not,” Teo said, tearing up again, “but we must find Miss Harding quickly. Gino, will you help?”

“Of course.”

“I will, too,” Mr. Malloy said.

“No one can pay you,” Teo warned them.

“We’ll do it as a favor to Gino’s family,” Mr. Malloy said, earning a grateful smile from Teo.

Maeve wanted to volunteer as well, but she knew Mr. Malloy would remind her that her job was to be in the office in case a potential client came in. And to practice her typing. Why did men get to have all the fun?

* * *

* * *

Where is the settlement house?” Frank asked as he and Gino escorted Teodora down the stairs and out of their office building.

“It is on East One Hundred and Fifteenth Street.”

“A Hundred and Fifteenth Street?” Frank echoed in amazement. “I thought it was in Little Italy.”

Gino grinned. “It is. East Harlem is the other Little Italy.”

“And it is bigger and much nicer, too,” Teo said.

“Oh yes, Italian Harlem. I should have remembered, but it’s pretty far uptown, so I don’t ever see it.”

“But don’t try to tell my mother how nice it is,” Gino said. “She thinks Rinaldo and Teo moved into the wilderness when they settled up there.”

“But Rinaldo needed work, and that is where it is.”

“My brother is a carpenter,” Gino said.

“He does beautiful work, Mr. Malloy,” Teo assured him.

“I’m sure he does. I guess the best way to get there is to walk over to the Third Avenue El.” The elevated train would carry them eighty or so blocks north far more quickly than they could travel on the streets.

Conversation was difficult as they made their way along the crowded sidewalks and crossed the busy streets. The train arrived just as they finished climbing up the stairs to the tracks that ran one story above.

“Does Rinaldo know you’re doing this?” Gino asked when they had taken their seats in the car.

“It was his idea to ask for your help. He could not come himself because he has to work.”

Gino glanced at Frank, his expression telling him this was serious indeed. Italian women didn’t usually go gallivanting all over the city on their own. “One reason Mama doesn’t like Italian Harlem