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her.”
    A kerchief. Katie started to ask the color then shut her mouth. How silly to think it might be the same man who attacked her at Eliza’s. Her father’s voice shook as he went on, and Katie realized he was more upset than he was letting on. Whatever his faults when he was drinking, she knew he loved her mother.
    She lifted the cloth from her mother’s forehead. “The bleeding has stopped.” The doorbell rang.
    “That must be the constable. I called him.” Her father strode out of the room. His voice floated back as he greeted the lawman at the door.
    “Is there anything I can do, Katie?” Bart asked, his voice like velvet.
    She shook her head. “You’ve done so much already.”
    “I’ve been waiting nearly forty-five minutes.” His voice held reproach.
    “I’m sorry. I was held up.”
    “I wanted to talk to you—”
    She shook her head. “I can’t think of anything but Mama right now. Please, go on home. We’ll discuss this all another day.”
    He frowned and his eyes searched her face. “Very well,” he said stiffly. “It’s clear that you’d rather be alone. I’ll leave you.”
    She reached toward him as he stalked toward the hall, then dropped her hand. Her emotions were in too much turmoil to deal with him now.
    Her father led Constable Brown into the parlor, glancing back at Bart and then to Katie in dismay.
    Katie ignored him and moved away from the davenport to allow the constable to kneel with her mother. She stood by her father with her hands clasped in front of her. Questions hovered on her tongue, but she couldn’t ask them if there was a chance her mother would overhear.
    “Well now, Mrs. Russell,” the constable said. “What’s happened here?”
    He glanced at Katie. She shook her head, and he said nothing about having seen her earlier.
    Katie’s mother struggled to sit up then gave up the effort and lay back against the pillow. “Where’s Katie?” she asked.
    Katie moved back into her mother’s line of vision. “I’m right here, Mama.”
    Fear lurked in her mother’s eyes. “Don’t go anywhere, darling. That man was looking for you.”
    Katie put her hand to her throat. “For me?” She shouldn’t have ignored her misgivings earlier, but she hadn’t wanted to worry her parents. The constable’s eyes sharpened. She would have to tell him about the man as soon as possible. It was possibly the same intruder.
    Her mother pressed her hand to her forehead and winced. “I heard something in your room and called out, thinking it was you. When you didn’t answer, I went to investigate and found that man exiting your bedroom. He ran down the steps when he saw me, and I foolishly chased after him.”
    Katie’s father shook his head. “Very foolhardy, my dear.”
    “I realize that, Albert,” she said, her voice soft. “I didn’t stop to think.
    I caught at his sleeve when we reached the front door. He grabbed the whiskey that had just been delivered and struck me in the head with it.
    That’s all I remember until I found myself lying here. I assume you put me here, my dear?”
    Her husband nodded. “You were frightfully pale and had blood all over your face. I feared you were dead.” His voice broke.
    Katie’s mother patted his hand. “I’m fine. You mustn’t fret.”
    “So you have no idea who this man was?” the constable asked.
    “Not at all. He wore a brown tweed suit, and his face was hidden with a handkerchief.”
    Katie gasped and put her hand to her mouth. “It is the same man.”
    Brown looked at her. “Does that mean something to you?”
    She nodded. “After you left, a man came in the back door and tried to make me and the baby go with him. He was dressed that way too. Mama, what time was this?”
    Her mother raised up. “About an hour ago. What baby, Katie? You’re not making any sense.”
    “Eliza Bulmer’s baby.” She saw her father jerk and his eyes widen.
    “Eliza is missing, and the baby was alone in the house.”
    “How did