Betrayed by a shadow

Front matter

- - \ LONDON Griffith Farran 6 Go. nek/ber* House EXETER Thokas Upward 28 High Street. Gt . . h, Farran & Co/s New Novel; TO BE HAD AT ALL LIBRARIES. 2 Vohi, Cromn 8vo, Cloth, 21 - PAUL NUGENT-MATERIALIST, 3y HELEN F. HETHERINGTON (culufer) and Rev. H, DARWIN BURTON. " A readable and interesting story, with a great deal of sound religious instruct q ■some moral, and a happy end.*' — Guardian. clever and original novel." — Newcastle Daily Chr fully written . . . the interest is well sustained . . is an hones: a_.d clever attempt at supplying an antidote to ' Robert Elsmere.' '.' — Church Rei-teic. 2 Vols., Crown 8vo, Cloth. Price 21/ LOVE'S LOYALTY. By the Author of "Elsie Grey." story is, on the whole, both fresh and interesting. The writer has so told his story that one take? an interest in it at the outset, and reads it throughout with pleasure. ' — Scotsman.

" An excellent novel , the style is natural and lift-like."- -Newt utle d ■ 2 Vols., Crown 8vo, Pi ice 21/ BRIARS ; or. On Dangerous Ground By the Author of " Crane Court." " The plot is admirably handled, all the persons are realistically as well as artistically drawn . . . wrought out with unmistakable forces." — Scottish leader. " The story is well vtsritten." — Manchester Guardian. " There is an indefinable charm about it." — Life. " The story flows easily and pleasantly, and never wearies." — Whitehall Rci- ■ . Crown 8vo, Cloth, Price 6< GLENATHOLE. By Cyril Grey " It abounds in strong and startling situations, is written with great abilitv, and con tains several hnely-drawn characters." — Newcastle Chronicle. Has many gond points."— Glasgow Herald. PrettiK writt.cn." — Bookseller. Griffith, Farran, Okeden l Welsh Newbery House, LONDON. .

BETRAYED BY A SHADOW BY RAVEN DEAN LONDON GRIFFITH FARRAN OKEDEN & WELSH Newbery House Charing Cross Road EXETER THOMAS UPWARD HIGH STREET CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE I. THE SUMMONS ....... I II. THE SCENE OF ACTION ..... 2 III. REBUFFS 25 IV. WHAT WAS BESIDE THE CANAL . . ■ -• 35 V. WHAT WAS IN THE CANAL • • • • 53 VI. CROSSED IN THE POST . . . ■ • 73 VII. JANE SPEAKS ....... 79 VIII. WHAT CAME OUT AT THE INQUEST • . . IOI IX. THE WHITE-HAIRED MAN ..... IO7 X. A STRANGE NARRATIVE . . . . . 117 XI. THE LAST COIL UNWOUND. . . . -137

Chapter I. The Summons

Telegram from City Inspeclor, Central Police Office, Rivercester, to the Chief of the Deteclive Department, Scotland Yard, London : — Send good man to track murderer disappeared night before last. No expense spared. Handed in at Rivercester Post Office at 10.40 a.m. 21st July, 188—. B

Chapter II The Scene Of Action

Letter from Deteclive Sergeant Wright to the Chief of the Deteclive Department, Scotland Yard, London : — Central Police Office, Rivercester, Wednesday Evening. Sir, In accordance with your request, I take the first opportunity of sending you the particulars, so far as they are known, of this affair. I may begin by giving you my opinion that the matter is by no means so simple as the wording of the telegram led us to suppose. It is not at all certain that a murder has been committed, even, and I am far from feeling satisfied with the theory held by the Rivercester City Inspector, Mr. Stevens. But it will be best for me to relate my proceedings exactly as they took place, and then you will be able to form your own opinion, independently. Leaving by the two o'clock train, I got to Rivercester just after five.

Almost the first thing that struck my eye, coming out of the station, was a poster containing the following words — " £50 REWARD ! The above will be paid to the " person or persons giving information of the where ': abouts of Philip Marsh, lately gardener to Mr. H. " Westerlin, Solicitor, of Marley Lodge, Rivercester, " who left that place on Monday morning, the 19th "July, 188 — , and has not been heard of since. He " is a tall man, under thirty, with a stoop, black hair, " beard and eyes, dark complexion, partly gipsy blood. " Dressed, when last seen, in brown velveteen, with " light straw hat. Any information likely to lead to " his discovery may be given to the City Inspector, " Central Police Office, Rivercester, or to Mr. West " erlin, and will be suitably rewarded." Of course I at once concluded that this was the man of whom I had come in search, and I could not help feeling some disappointment at the smallness of the reward offered.

However in these cases, if the missing person is not found too quickly, the reward is generally increased, so I may get something hand some out of the business yet. From what I see of this place, I am pretty sure our man has gone away, as he would be pretty certain to be recognised, unless he is much better disguised than I anticipate. Rivercester has only about twenty thousand inhabitants : it is a quaint, slow-going, respectable little place, where anything in the least out of the ordinary causes a perfect sensation, and there is an element of mystery about this case which would I think arouse interest anywhere. But I must come to details, first mentioning that there are three lines of railway by which Marsh might have got away : there is the one by which I came, its continuation to Buteport and the west, and there is a branch running north to Salcester, in connection with other railway systems.

I did not proceed straight to the Inspector's. I generally like to ascertain what the public are saying about a case, in order that I may know what to dis believe. So I turned into a tavern near the station, rejoicing in the name of the " Stand at Arms," whatever that may mean. I called for a bottle of stout, and took a glance round me. There were three persons in the bar, drinking and smoking, and I addressed the most intelligent, or rather the least idiotic-looking, an old fellow with white hair and shrivelled skin, who seemed to have "seen better days." "Who's Philip Marsh," I asked, "and what's he been doing ? " The three looked up eagerly, and with a sort of pity in their looks, as for one who was not in the enjoyment of the same advantages as themselves. The old man spoke — " Well, sir, it's easy to see you haven't been long in Rivercester, if you ask that.

It's the whole talk, and we were mentioning it just before you came in. They say that Marsh has murdered Harry Westerlin, Mr. Westerlin's only son." " Dear me," I said, " and why did he do that ? " "Well, that's what none of us can't exactly say. Some say that he had a spite against him, and others say, no, that they were friendly. But you see they both disappeared at the same time, and that looks bad, doesn't it?" " It looks curious, certainly, I can't say that it looks bad, till I know more, because they might have run away together. Is there any other reason for Marsh's going?" " Ay, that theer bees," broke in another of the three, a young fellow in a shabby suit and belcher neckerchief, with a vile imitation of a cigar in his mouth, " why old Weesterlin had give him the sack the very day he went, told him to clear out and be off, all on account of a few flowers he'd a been selling of, as was a decent poor fellow enough as ever I see.

" Here the speaker paused, threw an indignant glance at me as if I were in some way to blame for the aspersions cast on the character of the absent Marsh, and proceeded to conceal his face behind a pewter pot of no mean capacity. Before he had emerged therefrom, the old man returned to the charge-1- "You see this Marsh hadn't much of a character before ; he was a loose sort of fish, and people did wonder why such a strict gentleman as Mr. Westerlin kept him on so long." " Why, how long had he been there, and where did he come from ? " I asked. " Oh, he must have been there better than two years," was the reply, " but where he was before that, I don't know. They said he was a workhouse child." " You say Mr. Westerlin is a strict man," I con tinued, " how old was his son ? Could he have run away ?

" " Ah, scarcely that, now," returned my informant, "he wasn't but about twelve, and they say a timid boy." " Afraid of his father, perhaps," I retorted. " What is his mother like ? " The old fellow scratched his head for a moment, at a loss for information ; and the man with the belcher neckerchief again intervened — " You've just about hit it, sir, for they told me yesterday that she isn't his mother at all, but a step mother what old Westerlin went and married not six years ago, as is a real spiteful one." " Dear me," I said, " did you happen to hear anything more about the family ? " But this question appeared to be couched in terms beyond the comprehension of the young man. He regarded me with a perfectly blank expression for some moments, and then evidently gave it up, cover ing his retreat again behind the pewter measure, his attentions to which were not relaxed until he had caused the top and bottom to completely change places.

When he finally set it down, a distinct red line, similar to that which marks the wearer of spectacles, was observable on the bridge of his nose. He then went out, bestowing a parting stare on me from the doorway. As soon as he had disappeared, the third occupant of the bar roused himself from what appeared to be a deep sleep, bestowed a nod and smile of admiration in the direction of the belchered one's departing form, and remarked to the old man and myself — "That's Jim Baker, that is. What Jim Baker means he says, and what Jim Baker says he sticks to." Not seeing much prospect of further enlightenment in this quarter, I came out and made tracks for the Central Police Office. City Inspector Stevens is, for a provincial officer, fairly intelligent. He received me with much courtesy, and after reading my credentials proceeded to give me the following summary of affairs, as they stood.

It seems that on Tuesday morning, about ten o'clock, Mr. Henry Westerlin, a well known gentleman, occupying a high position in the town, came into the office, in a state of considerable agitation. He asked to see the Inspector, with whom he had of course a previous acquaintance, and informed him that his, Mr. Westerlin's, son had been missing from his friends since the previous night. He added that he feared the boy had been made away with. Mr. Stevens put questions, and gathered the further information that the missing boy, whose name was Harry, and -who was aged just fourteen, had gone on the Monday night to a young folks' party at the house of his uncle, Mr. Lang, about thiee-quarters of a mile from home. He had come away from the party at eleven o'clock, and had not been seen or heard of since.

It appeared that there was a short cut home, from the place where Mr. Lang's house was situated, which would have taken the boy by the side of a canal, a lonely unfrequented place. It was here that the father feared his son might have come to harm. But I shall have more to say about this canal presently. The Inspector of course asked if Mr. Westerlin had a.ny cause for suspicion against any person. It was then that Marsh's name came out. Mr. Westerlin .stated that he had sent his gardener away on the morning of the very day on the night of which the boy disappeared. He added that on the day before, Sunday, his son had caught Marsh in the act of filling a wheelbarrow with flowers, evidently for the purpose of selling them, and had brought the news to his father. Mr. Westerlin had told the gardener that he must leave at once, and accordingly he went the next day.

Here ,pf course was a suggestion of ill feeling on his part against the cause of his being turned away. Mr. Westerlin had proceeded to describe him as a man Of reckless, passionate disposition, and in fact to convey the impression that he himself entertained no doubt of the other's guilt. In confirmation of this theory there was the remarkable fact of his having disappeared as completely as his supposed victim. The Rivercester police instituted a search, which was continued throughout the whole of Tuesday, without effect. Telegrams had been despatched, with descriptions of the missing man and boy, to all the principal ports, with equally little result. Then on the morning of the next day, Mr. Westerlin suggested the despatch of the telegram which brought me here, and authorised the offer of the reward already mentioned.

Similar bills to that which I saw at the station have now been distributed far and wide, and Mr. Stevens appears confident of success. I soon found that he endorsed Mr. Westerlin's views as to the guilt of Marsh. He laid stress on the man's continued absence, as a sign of guilt. I suggested that it might be the result of simple ignorance of the search for him, or of terror at seeing circum stances against him which he could not well explain. I also called the Inspector's attention to the dispro portion between the motive suggested and the crime. I then asked him whether it might not be more simple to seek a solution in the boy's having run away of his own accord. To this he replied that he knew of no motive whatever for such a pioceeding. I shall return to this theory again, however. I said, " Can you tell me anything as to the private life of the Westerlin family ?

What sort of man is this Mr. Westerlin ? " "Well, " he answered, "my acquaintance with him is a purely business one, but I've heard about him from time to time. He has a high-class practice in the city, and I think mo\es in very good society. He is beyond suspicion as to his professional conduct and so on. He is rather a hard man, however, pretty strict in his dealings, and not very popular on that account. But he is greatly respected. He used to have the name of a religious man, too, is a church warden and all that sort of thing. But since he married the second time he has gone in more for society. Mrs. Westerlin is rather a fast woman and has her own way, they say. But this is mere gossip ; if you like I'll take you to the house now and you can see them for yourself." I thanked him, and accepted the offer.

So we got into a fly, as people here call an open hired carriage, and set out to Mr. Westerlin's house, which lies a mile out of the city, on the Minton Road, running north. As we went along I asked if there were any other children. " One, a little girl, " answered my companion, "she is the daughter of this wife, and half-sister to the boy." " How long have they been married ? " " Oh, six years, I suppose. There ! " exclaimed the Inspector, pointing out a semi-detached house standing in a garden to our left as we drove along, " that is Mr. Lang's house, where he was seen last. We are now in the Minton Road." Presently we came to a fork, where a narrow lane bordered by trees branched to the left, while we went on towards the right. " That lane," said the Inspector, " leads down on to the canal.

You see our road takes a wide curve ; now the canal runs along almost in a straight line, so that it is, as it were, the string to the bow. We are going round the bow, but for any one walking it would be quicker to go down that lane, and along the tow path of the canal." " Then how would he get back into the road ? " I asked. " Ah, there is a short lane, called Canal Passage, which runs down by the side of Marley Lodge, Mr. Westerlin's house, and joins the road to the towpath." Just then another thought occurred to me. I said — " You called Mr. Lang the boy's uncle, I think. I suppose he is the brother of the first Mrs. Westerlin ? " " No, " was the reply, " no, he is this one's brother. Of course he is not really any relation. I suppose I heard Mr. Westerlin call him his brother-in-law, and forgot."

We had now come to a little turning on the left, and at the corner immediately beyond stood the house we sought. It is a fine one, built in the modern style, and struck me as arguing considerable wealth in the owner. The late gardener seems to have attended to his work well, for the gardens are in a capital state. There is a small lawn and shrubbery in front of the house, which is completely detached. Behind, the garden appears to be extensive, running down towards the canal already mentioned, and bordered on one side by the Passage. We stopped the fly and got out at the gate, walk'ng up a broad path to the front door. Our knock was answered by a maid, at whom I had a good look, as servants have often given me very useful information in these cases of crime in genteel life. I cannot say that I was much attracted by either the features or the manner of this one.

She was short and plain, with an obstinate looking nose, and a sour look in her eyes. She was moreover dressed in the primmest of styles. Her manner on recognising the official capacity of my companion was equally unpleasing. She gingerly made way for us to enter, and then reluftantly showed us into a room off the hall, which appeared to be Mr. Westerlin's study or library. Mr. Stevens told her we wished to see Mr. Wester lin, and she departed to fetch that gentleman. " Do you know anything about that girl ? " I asked. " She appears to labour under the impression that this whole affair has been arranged with a special view to her annoyance." " I know nothing except that her name is Mary Ann," replied the Inspector, "and I believe her character to be good." I examined the room in which we were waiting, with some interest.

There was a large square table in the centre, free from litter, and a writing table in one window. The bookcases contained a considerable number of books, and among them some relating to the law. There were also some volumes of sermons, and a fair collection of the usual standard works. The whole aspect of the room was somewhat gloomy, and disposed me to expect a similar characteristic in its master. After a wait of three or four minutes the door opened and Mr. and Mrs. Westerlin came in together. He is a tall man who looks his age, about forty-five, his hair being already touched with grey. He moved with a stiff, reserved gait, and his face was stern and almost forbidding. He had that dull, parchment-like expression which is cultivated by some members of his profession, with whom a reputation for caution and secrecy is part of their professional equipment.

I looked in vain for some indication of sorrow at the bereavement which he has presumptively suffered, but his face showed rather indignation and anxiety than grief. Perhaps I am unfair to him when I say that he looked almost incapable of feeling any sort of tender emotion. At all events he showed none. His wife was a very different sort of person. To begin with, she was decidedly handsome, with fine features and expressive eyes. Her air was agitated and restless, and during the interview she appeared to be constantly on the point of shedding tears. On the whole her excess of emotion did not impress me much more favourably than her husband's coldness. Both received me with great politeness on my being introduced by the Inspector. Mrs. Westerlin was the first to address me : — " I am so glad you have come," she said, " I do hope you will be able to clear up this dreadful mystery.

Something tells me that our dear boy is safe some where." Mr. Westerlin gave a sharp shake of the head. " I am afraid, Sergeant, you will find this a graver matter than Mrs. Westerlin is willing to think. I should be only too glad if I thought that there were the least chance of a crime not having been committed but when I look at all the circumstances — by-the-bye," he said, suddenly turning to my companion, " how much does the Sergeant know ? " " I have told him all that I knew myself," replied the other, "and his object in coming here is to gather any further information you can give him. Perhaps, as the enquiry is now in Sergeant Wright's hands, you will excuse me now, and I will leave you to dis cuss the matter together." He then withdrew. Mr. Westerlin showed him to the front door, and during their absence Mrs. Wester lin came hastily to my side and whispered — " Don't pay too much attention to what my husband says, especially against poor Marsh.

These things have upset him, or he would see that there is really no ground for suspecting anybody — " Just here the approach of Mr. Westerlin warned her to draw off, which she did, leaving me with the feeling that there might be secrets in this family the existence of which I had not yet suspected. We now all three sat down, and I proceeded to elicit more detailed information. " To begin as far back as possible," I said, " can you suggest any cause whatever for the disappearance of your son, except violence ? Could he for instance possibly have run away, in your opinion ? " Mrs. Westerlin smiled approvingly at this opening, but before she could interpose any remark, her husband had begun his reply, in emphatic tones — " Certainly not. My son was always treated with kindness, he had nothing to complain of, he had never shown any signs of discontent or insubordination, nor in fact made any complaints that ever I heard of.

You may take it for granted that he is dead, murdered in fact, and I should not wonder if he were at this moment lying at the bottom of the canal." " Now," I went on, " can you tell me of anyone who to your knowledge might have been interested in any way in his removal, by death or otherwise ? " " There is only one person who can possibly be guilty," was the reply, " and that is my late gardener, Marsh. It is simply impossible that it can have been done by anyone else." But here the lady put in a word. " May there not have been circumstances of which we know nothing? " she said. "It seems dreadful to accuse a man who may be innocent on mere suspicion. Boys take such strange notions into their heads now a-days. Only the other day I read in the paper of a boy who was stopped at Liverpool, going out to 'America to be a horse-tamer or something, with a revolver and everything complete."

She spoke in a hurried nervous tone, possibly antici pating her husband's annoyance. He turned on her almost with roughness. " Really, Maria, I am surprised to hear you talk like that. You know as well as I do that Harry was the last boy in the world to think of doing such things. If anything he was too quiet and stay-at-home. When I was young he would have been called a milksop." I did not think the last word sounded very well on the lips of a parent in such circumstances. However I now passed on to the next question — " I have heard that your gardener's character was not very high, that he was what is sometimes mildly df scribed as a sporting character. But as you kept him on for the time you did, I suppose I may assume that you know nothing serious against him ? " Mr. Westerlin frowned, and hesitated an instant. '■ Well," he began, " of course I need not say that I never suspected him of crime.

But I heard of so many other things against his character that I should probably have dismissed him before long in any case.- As it was, my only reason for keeping him was thc fact that he understood flowers so well — better than any other man I ever had. But there is no doubt that he sometimes drank too much, and betted on horse-races. Besides, about a month ago Mrs. West erlin warned me that she thought he was unduly intimate with one of the indoor servants." The lady started at this reference to herself. " Oh ! " she exclaimed, " that was nothing. I. merely thought that Ruth was wasting her time with> him, and that it was not well for them to be so much together. I never said that there was anything wrong, in the attentions between them." I took a mental note of the name thus dropped, determining to question the girl later on.

Possibly she may know more about the whereabouts of the fellow than we do. "Well," I went on, " now would you mind describ ing as exactly as you can what passed on the Sunday when your son caught this man, as I am told, taking your flowers." <: " I will tell you," said the gentleman. " It was, as you have heard, last Sunday afternoon. Well, Harry came to me and told me what was going on, so I went out, and the boy with me, and we came upon Marsh in an outhouse, filling a barrow with my most valuable blooms. You must know that I have a good deal of glass in the rear of the house, and my orchids are rather fine. Directly he saw us, the man of course left off, and I saw him dart a look of rage at Harry. I told him that he must prepare to leave my service the following day : I did not like to turn him out on Sunday.

He said nothing to me, but I heard him muttering the words ' pay you out,' and he glared at Harry as if he were measuring him for his coffin." "You make a mountain out of a molehill," observed Mrs. Westerlin, " I told you at the time that I thought you had been rather harsh with the man, considering that it was his first offence of the kind. Surely any one might say something in a passion at being dismissed, without meaning to go and do what you say he did afterwards." Her husband looked at her in annoyed surprise, but said nothing. After waiting a moment, I resumed — " I have seen the description in the posters, of course. Could you give me any better idea of his appearance ? You haven't a photo, I suppose ? " " No, and I don't know where you would be likely to get one either, unless Ruth should have one.

But as to his appearance, he was half a gipsy, you know, and savage and wild looking at his best. He never combed his hair or beard, and he went about with a slouch that added to the uncivilised look of the man." Here Mrs. Westerlin rose. " I may as well go and see if Ruth has a photograph," she remarked. " Pray don't, madam ! " I exclaimed at once, " you would probably put her on her guard, and lead to her destroying it." If I was not mistaken, I saw a distinct look of dis content cross the lady's face as she re-seated herself. " Perhaps you would not mind telling me a little about your other servants," I said, " this Ruth for instance, is she the one who let me in ? " Of course I knew the contrary from Mr. Stevens, but thought it as well to appear ignorant. " Oh no, that was Mary Ann, the housemaid," replied the lady, throwing as much graciousness as she could command into her voice, " Ruth is my own maid, and also looks after my little girl.

I am afraid she is rather flighty and fond of dress, and of late I have found her not altogether truthful." " Dear me," exclaimed the gentleman, " I am sorry to hear that of Ruth," and turning to me he added : " you must know she is the daughter of our pew-opener at Saint Andrew's — I am a church-warden there — and her people have always enjoyed a high character." " Have you had her long ? " I asked, making a note of the fact that this" was evidently the first time Mrs. Westerlin had mentioned the girl's untruthfulness. " About four years," replied that lady, "we took her straight from home. I haven't had much cause for complaint till lately, but I am afraid that she has changed for the worse since she took a friendship for Marsh." " About Mary Ann," I continued, " how long has she been here?