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Mrs. Kipper tipped her head. “Of course,” she replied. “If you will follow me, Miss Hardy’s room was on the second level.”
They followed the housekeeper up the stairs as Mrs. Foster asked, “Has Miss Hardy’s room been touched since the constable was here?”
“It has not,” Mrs. Kipper replied.
“That is good,” Mrs. Foster acknowledged.
Speaking over her shoulder, Mrs. Kipper said, “I’m not sure what you will find considering the constable already did a thorough search of her room, but I wish you luck.”
As they came to a stop in front of a door, Mrs. Kipper pulled a key out from the pocket of her apron and unlocked it. She pushed the door open and stood to the side to grant them entry.
“Look at this mess!” Mrs. Foster exclaimed as they stepped into Edith’s room.
Madalene’s eyes scanned the room. Clothes had been thrown haphazardly on the floor, the dressing table chair was tipped onto its side, and the drawers on the wardrobe were left open.
“I still contend that something terrible happened here,” Madalene murmured as she started picking up the gowns and draping them over her arm.
“How do you know that Miss Hardy did not live this way?” Mrs. Foster asked.
Madalene placed the gowns on the bed and said, “I lived with her at boarding school, and her area was always neat and orderly.”
“People change,” Mrs. Foster contended.
“Not that much.”
Mrs. Kipper spoke up from the doorway. “I must agree with Miss Dowding. Miss Hardy’s room was always tidy.”
Walking over to the chair, Madalene picked it up and placed it next to the dressing table. Then, she placed her reticule on the table. “I just refuse to believe that Edith left here of her own accord. It is just ludicrous to think that she purposefully left her room in such shambles.”
While Mrs. Foster and Mrs. Kipper cleaned up Edith’s room, Madalene searched the dressing table, looking for anything out of the ordinary. But she found nothing.
Her eyes scanned the room, hoping she could find a place that Edith may have been hiding something. But, again, she couldn’t find anything.
What about under the mattress, she thought. That would be a perfect place to hide something that you wouldn’t want anyone to see.
Walking swiftly, she approached Edith’s bed and lifted up the mattress. Only to find nothing. Madalene let out a sigh as she dropped the mattress back down onto the frame. There was nothing in this room that would vindicate Edith.
Mrs. Foster walked up to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. “Perhaps I should go down and prepare some tea for us.”
Madalene gave her a weak smile. “Thank you,” she murmured. “I would like that.”
“Then I shall see to it,” Mrs. Foster said before she departed from the room.
Walking over to the window, Madalene looked out onto the courtyard. A small brick outbuilding was along the far wall and a wagon with a covered load was positioned next to it.
“When did the orphanage acquire a wagon?” Madalene asked.
Mrs. Kipper came to stand next to her. “It belongs to Miss Gaillard. It arrived the day after Miss Hardy disappeared,” she informed her. “Mr. Walker gave her permission to store the wagon in the courtyard.”
“I see,” Madalene replied. “Do you know what is in the back of the wagon?”
“Furniture and whatnot,” Mrs. Kipper replied. “Her cousin passed away recently, and she inherited some pieces.”
“Miss Gaillard hadn’t mentioned that to me.”
“I am sure it just slipped her mind.”
As the housekeeper was speaking, Miss Gaillard stepped out from the outbuilding and closed the door behind her.
