The Wall Lake Mystery

Chapter 21: Miss Hallstrom's Secret

"Don't leave just yet," said Miss Hallstrom.

Holmes released the doorknob and made his way back to the chairs. "Good," said he. "Now, Miss Hallstrom, why have you been lying to me?"

The girl opened her mouth to speak, then closed it again. Her jaw clenched and her eyes filled with tears, which she blinked back rapidly. She collapsed into her chair. Holmes and I seated ourselves as well.

"I'm sorry," she said. "My lips are sealed."

A look of intense irritation crossed Holmes' features, and I spoke before he could push her any further away from answering.

"We only wish to help you," I said. "You have my word that any matter you might wish to confide in us, whether great or small, will not be repeated outside these walls without your consent, barring a matter of life and death."

She remained silent, eyes downcast.

"There is no rush; take all the time you need to gather your thoughts," I added.

She nodded, and her moment of silence stretched into a minute or more. At length she did speak, and though she answered Holmes' question, it was my eyes she met and not his.

"I lied to you, she said softly, "because there are things I have done about which I did not wish everyone to know. Or anyone to know."

"And Miss Meyer knows them," said Holmes.

Miss Hallstrom gave a start and whirled to face him. "You know about that?"

"I know nothing for certain," said he. "I only suspect."

Miss Hallstrom sank deeper into her chair. Her face was pale, almost grey.

I gave Holmes a disapproving look, hoping to communicate Be more gentle with her! without saying a word.

"Miss Hallstrom," said Holmes, his tone softer now than ever. "As Watson said, we only wish to aid you. While I recognise this is not an easy thing to recall or recount, we cannot help you if you do not tell us what has happened to you."

Miss Hallstrom seemed to relax at his words, and she nodded. "You are correct; Amanda knows all about it. Like a perfect fool, I told her, and as soon as things went wrong with us, she's made my life perfectly miserable with it."

I gasped. "She has been blackmailing you!" I exclaimed with much heat. What a horrid friend this Miss Meyer must be.

Miss Hallstrom nodded.

Holmes' tone was gentle, almost compassionate. "Might I inquire as to the nature of this indiscretion?"

She coloured. "I was sixteen and drank a little too much wine at Alice Harrison's eighteenth birthday party. Alice is Clara Blomberg's youngest sister, so there were plenty of people from out of town invited, and no small amount spent on it. There was a young man named Walter Brown there, an up-and-coming actor from Des Moines, and he and I got to talking and drinking, and events took place that made me...less than innocent, I'm afraid. I did not realise until the next morning what I had done."

"I understand," said Holmes.

"I confided in Amanda, because she was close at hand and I didn't know what to do. But..." Miss Hallstrom trailed off and sighed. "Amanda can be mean spirited, and believed for the longest time that she could win Hugh over, since she loved him as well—or at least claimed that she did. Amanda threatened several times to tell him what I'd done, but I was able to hush her up with money. Then he proposed, and she knew she didn't have a chance. She threatened again, but I put her off, until one day she swore it was my last chance. She had written the whole thing up in a letter and showed it to me. She would only burn it if I broke off the engagement, and that was final. I felt I had no choice." Her eyes glistened with unshed tears. I gently pressed my handkerchief into her shaking hands. "Thank you," she whispered. "When I saw Hugh's face, I began to think I had made a mistake, and now I know I did. I would have rather he died knowing what I had done than believing that I no longer loved him." She gave a quiet sob and hid her face behind my handkerchief.