“I suppose we remain hidden until they catch the real killer, or we try to make it to the coast and take the next steamer bound for America.” Sid sank her face into her hands. “We hate to compromise Miss Cassatt in this way. She insisted we stay here, even though she hardly knows us, saying that we women needed to stick together. She’s been so wonderful to us. Such a pillar of strength, but we’d certainly not want her to be accused of harboring a fugitive from the law.”

“But you can’t go back to your place in Montmartre,” I said. “Madame Hetreau would sell her own grandmother for tuppence.”

This made them laugh. “Yes, she is rather frightful, isn’t she? And so nosy,” Gus said. “You see now why we had to contact you through the postcards. We were sure the police had been to our house and the housekeeper had identified Sid. Mary volunteered to go herself but we couldn’t let her, in case she was followed back here. In fact we couldn’t give any hint of where we were, sure that the dreadful Hetreau would relay any scrap of information to the police, in the hope of getting a reward.”

“She almost didn’t want to let me use your apartment when you were not there,” I said. “And now she takes great glee in asking me if I’ve found you every time I come back.”

“You didn’t leave Liam with her, did you?” Gus asked.

“Of course not. He’s with the baker’s wife, across the street. She’s an absolute dear, although she’s been stuffing him too full of food.”

The attempt to brighten up the atmosphere failed like a slowly deflating balloon. “So you’ll have to stay put for now, won’t you?” I asked.

Sid sighed. “It all seems so hopeless, Molly. I’m so glad you are here. You’re a real detective. You’ll know what to do.”

“I don’t really see what I can do to help in a strange city,” I said hesitantly. “It seems to me that your only hope is to find the real killer.”

“Exactly what I said,” Gus exclaimed with enthusiasm.

“But wait a minute,” I said. “When I was at the house they were dusting everything for fingerprints. Surely that will exonerate you, Sid.”

She shook her head. “No, it won’t. When he was trying to remove the knife and I tried to stop him I know I must have touched it as well as his hand. I had blood on my hands afterward. My fingerprints will be on that knife.”