by Linda Tillis
Cyrus smiled at Pa. “She sure was a fighter. You remember the time a panther got into the barn and the cow had just dropped a calf?”
Garth said, “I can laugh now, but the sight of your mama holding that panther at bay with nothing but a pitchfork near did me in! And then, of all things, when I started to shoot it…”
Cyrus broke in laughing. “I know. She started yelling, ‘Don’t you dare shoot such a beautiful creature.’ Then she just stared at it and said, ‘I’ve saved your hide today, but if you ever come after my babies again, I’ll just let him have at you.’ And then the panther just strolled out of the barn like he knew she meant it.”
They laughed together at what was a beautiful memory. Garth said, “Speaking of the barn, have you taken everything from it you want?”
Cyrus nodded. “Yes, sir, I loaded the last of my things in the truck last night. The chickens have all been watered and fed in their crates, and I threw a tarp over them so they won’t panic on the drive up. I’ll be riding in the train car with the cattle and horses. The last of them were put in Mr. Hiram’s holding pens yesterday evening. Hansu is with them now. He didn’t want ’em to be nervous, said it could cause ’em to be too high-strung and make ’em sick.”
Garth smiled. “That little man has been a Godsend to us. I don’t think there is anything he doesn’t know a little bit about.”
“That’s for sure,” Cyrus agreed, “and when we get settled in, he’s going to teach me about Chinese herbs I can use as medicines for the animals. We’re going to start an herb garden first thing, come spring.”
“Well, then, I guess the one thing left to do is pick up Mrs. Peters and her things, and get this show on the road.”
Mae had sent along a letter to Mrs. Peters, asking her to please move to Tallahassee with the family. The letter said she would need all the help she could get, and that she hadn’t had a well-made pie since she left home.
Garth was aware it was an exaggeration, but it had pushed Mrs. Peters’ decision-making right over the fence she’d been straddling. If Mae needed her, then she was in for the move.
Garth had finalized the sale of the sawmill to Frank Bell last week. Bell’s oldest boy, Matthew, and his brood were going to move into the house next week. Bell had sent Matthew out to spend some time with Hansu as soon as the deal was finalized. Hansu had walked the man through the workings of the mill and finally declared him competent, which was quite a compliment, coming from Hansu. The care of his engine was serious business. If he said Matthew was up to the task…well, then, the boy would be okay.
There had been the business of the cemetery. When Ruth passed away, Garth had picked a beautiful area, about a quarter mile from the house, to lay her to rest. Yesterday he had arranged for three surrounding acres to be cleared, fenced, and deeded to the church to be used as a cemetery. This assured her plot would be given regular care.
Garth took one last, long look around. This place had been his life for many years, but there was a new life waiting for him. A beautiful woman, a great new son, and a chance to help Mae fulfill her dreams awaited him. He asked the Lord to make him worthy of the challenge, to give him wisdom, and to bless his endeavors. Now he was ready to leave.
Chapter Twenty
Samuel figured he might as well catch them all at one time, so he waited until after breakfast to break the bad news. Martha made the sign of the cross and immediately burst into tears. A very pale Mae crossed the breakfast room to console her. Mr. Bennett sat slowly, looking wide-eyed with shock.
“Well,” he said, “we’ve never lost one of our own before. Oh, certainly we’ve had folks leave for one reason or another, but never anything like this in all the years we’ve been here.”
With one arm around Martha, Mae turned to Mr. Bennett. “Sir, do we know if Margaret had family near?”
“I would have to check my records,” he replied.
Martha was shaking her head, as she wiped away a stream of tears. “No, miss, she had an elderly aunt in Dublin, who passed on a couple of years ago. The poor girl was all alone except for us.” She hiccupped as a new stream of tears came forth.
“Well, then, we will take care of her now,” Mae declared, as she handed Martha a fresh handkerchief. “Samuel, since you spoke with the deputy last night, I’ll leave it to you and Mr. Bennett to get with the sheriff’s office and make arrangements. Mr. Bennett, does the estate have a cemetery other than where Lady and Lord Wellington were laid to rest?”
“As I said before, Margaret is the first employee we’ve ever lost to…death.”
Arthur Bennett had stopped short of saying “murder” and was thankful he had managed to do so. He didn’t think poor Martha could have stood hearing it one more time.
“Well, then, we will decide where we would like to have one, and act accordingly. Martha, I need you to pull yourself together and help me, because I’ve never planned a funeral before.” Wisely, Mae understood the “help me” portion of that statement would give Martha the distraction she needed.
While Bennett had been overwhelmed by the horrible news of Margaret’s demise, he was fully aware of, and approved of, the way Mae was handling all this. Obviously the girl had some backbone and could make decisions under pressure. These characteristics showed she was much better equipped than he had first suspected. Grudgingly, he considered how capable she was to handle the project she was about to undertake.
“Martha, can you break the news to the other maids, or do you need me to handle that for you?” Mae asked.
With one last sniff and swipe, Martha shook her head. “No, miss, I’ll take care of it meself.” With a nod, Martha retreated to the kitchen.
When Mae was sure Martha was out of hearing range, she turned to Mr. Bennett and Samuel. “Now, do either of you think we are in any danger here? I mean, obviously this occurred off our property, but do we need to take some kind of security measures?”
Bennett turned to Samuel. He didn’t want to betray any of their previous conversations to Mae. He thought the answer should best come from Samuel, or her father. Samuel inclined his head slightly and turned to Mae.
“Well, before Pa left, he said to be sure to wait until he was back before hiring any new workers to start on your project, so we don’t have any strangers on or around the property. I’ll speak with the Huebner brothers and see if they’ve seen anyone around. They’re probably wondering where I am right now. We had a lot of work to do in the barn today, but I’ll get them started and then take the motorcar into town to talk with the deputy.”
Arthur Bennett said to Mae, “I’ll just step out to my office to get a map of the twenty acres surrounding the manor. Then we can talk about the cemetery locations later.”
The two men did not speak until they reached the barn. Samuel leaned against the doorway and stared at his boots.
“Well, young man, you seem to be thinking hard on something,” Bennett said.
Samuel raised his head and looked out across the long, tree-lined drive. “Yes, sir, I was just remembering when I saw Miss Margaret getting into the motorcar. How I was thinking that if I didn’t know better, seeing her from behind, I would have taken her for Mae.”
Samuel met Mr. Bennett’s stare. Bennett was not a man given to suggestion, but a very real shudder passed through him. Margaret was tall. Margaret had dark hair. Margaret was dressed for town. Oh, my Lord, surely not. Bennett’s horrified face reflected his mind as the man worked his way to the same conclusion.
“Well, sir, I’ll just speak with the Huebner brothers before I head on into town and talk with the deputy in charge.”
Samuel thought it best to visit Mr. Finch’s office before he went to meet with Deputy Wilkes.
Mr. Finch entered the office with a surprised look on his face. “Well, hello, young man. Good to see you. Come on in and have a seat. What brings you into town?”
Samuel said, “Sir, since my pa’s not here, I figured it best to come to you and get some advice before I go
to the law.”
“Whoa, now, what could you need the law for?” The smile left Mr. Finch’s face, and he took on his lawyer air. He became even more lawyerlike as Samuel told his story, and he asked questions here and there. Samuel finished relating the details of the past several hours, then sat back in his chair in silence.
After a long while, Mr. Finch spoke. “So, Samuel, you’re saying you think this young woman may have been killed because she was mistaken for Mae. You realize, son, there is only one person who would benefit from Mae’s death, right?”
“Yes, sir, that’s why I’m here. It would save a lot of time when I tell the law what I believe if you were with me to back up what I’m saying.”
Mr. Finch closed his eyes and was still for so long Samuel wondered if he’d fallen asleep. Finally Mr. Finch opened his eyes and spoke.
“Before your father left town, he asked me to keep an eye on Mr. Hardwick. Without a lot of detail, I did just that. I have to tell you, Mr. Hardwick was on a train for Pensacola four days ago. That’s not to say he couldn’t have come back. The police could easily check all that. He made arrangements to stay at the San Carlos Hotel. It’s some sort of new, grand, palace type of thing.”
“Well, sir, I reckon you’re right, but I’d like to ask some questions about how Margaret was killed. I think they’d be a lot more likely to answer those if you were with me. My pa’s gonna want to know some things when he gets here.”
Mr. Finch knew Garth well enough by now to know this was true, but only Mr. Finch was aware Garth would be here this evening.
“All right, young man, as Mae’s attorney, I believe I’m allowed a few questions. Let’s go see what we can find out.”
****
Mr. Finch approached the uniformed young man behind the front desk. “Sir,” he said, “my name is Myron Finch, and I represent Miss Mae Hinton, who is now owner of the Wellington estate. One of Miss Hinton’s servants was murdered yesterday, and we need to speak with the officer in charge of this investigation.”
The young officer took Mr. Finch’s card and directed them to a row of chairs. “Have a seat, sir, and I’ll let the detective know you are here.”
After a few minutes, a young woman appeared. She was dressed modestly in a black dress and sensible shoes, and her hair was coiled neatly around her head. There was nothing subdued about the smile on her face, or the twinkle in her large, blue eyes.
“Sir, if you gentlemen will follow me, I will take you to the captain’s office. My name is Edith Hampton, and I’m the captain’s secretary. If you need anything at all, please let me know.” Miss Hampton led them down a long hallway and into a large office with “Captain Lance” stenciled on the door.
The captain stood as they entered. He moved around his imposing desk to shake Mr. Finch’s hand. “Good morning, sir. I’m Captain Lance, and I’m sorry to make your acquaintance under such circumstances.”
Mr. Finch introduced Samuel. “This is Samuel Hinton, Miss Hinton’s brother, and he has been in contact with Deputy Wilkes. Deputy Wilkes was very helpful and represented your agency very well, sir, but I believe the answers we seek should come from someone higher.”
Samuel and Mr. Finch sat as the captain moved back to his chair. “All right, you ask, and if I am at liberty to share the information in question, then I will.”
“Thank you. Now, we understand the young lady was attacked as she left the produce stand out on Millwood Road. We were told none of the items in the motorcar were taken, and her purse and money were found at the scene. We have reason to believe this may not have been a random thing and that perhaps Miss Margaret was mistaken for Miss Mae Hinton.”
They had the captain’s complete attention now. “And why would someone want to harm Miss Hinton?”
“Well, sir,” said Mr. Finch, “I’ll need to give you a little history. The late Lady Wellington had no immediate relatives to inherit her very substantial estate. A Mr. Langford Hardwick, the lady’s last living relative, would have been the likely heir. She had been supporting him for some time.
“The lady had paid for his education in England and also arranged for him to receive a quarterly stipend for the past five years. The lady met Miss Hinton several months ago and was very much impressed with the young woman. They became very close friends. The lady looked upon Miss Hinton as the daughter she had lost many years ago. When the lady passed away and the will was read, Mr. Hardwick was not a happy man. He was given a large one-time gift, but this did not seem to be acceptable to him. He made some threats, nothing specific. Unfortunately, the lady did make a stipulation. Should Miss Hinton die before reaching her majority, all would revert to Mr. Hardwick.”
After a long pause, Captain Lance turned to Samuel and said, “Well, that certainly lends to motive, but how does this lead to the death of your servant, sir?”
Samuel had been watching the captain as Mr. Finch gave him the facts. The man had listened closely. He seemed genuinely concerned, and he had to be smart to have risen to the rank of captain.
“Well, sir, it didn’t click with me until this morning. My sister has been using the estate vehicle to run to and from town for her studies, and to meet with our future stepmother. My sister is tall and slim for a woman. She’s always well dressed, but not overly so. She has dark hair that is usually up and under a hat. When Miss Margaret was getting into the estate vehicle the other morning, I would have sworn it was Mae.”
Captain Lance pondered this for some time before he responded. “Mr. Hardwick has seen your sister, correct? And at some point he would have known he was dealing with the wrong woman.”
Mr. Finch spoke up. “We are not making any accusations, sir, only giving information. In fact, prior to Mr. Garth Hinton returning to Trenton to settle his business there, he asked me to keep a close eye on his family and on Mr. Hardwick. I took the liberty of hiring a private detective. My associate informed me Mr. Hardwick left Tallahassee by train four days prior to the murder. Also, Mr. Hardwick left instructions at the desk, saying he would be in Pensacola for a few weeks and staying at the San Carlo Hotel.”
Captain Lance nodded. “Well, all those facts will be easy to confirm.”
Samuel had to settle something in his mind. “Sir, was Miss Margaret’s death violent?”
The captain’s face hid any surprise at this question. “And just how is that pertinent to any of the information you have given me, sir?”
“Well,” Samuel drawled, “if Mr. Hardwick had hired someone to do his killin’ for him, it would explain how the man may have mistaken Margaret for Mae. If we were lookin’ at a hired killer, he’d most likely be the type of man who wouldn’t flinch at violence. Mr. Hardwick struck me as the type of man who’d kill quick and clean, and not dawdle over the act.”
The captain’s face showed none of his thoughts. This young man couldn’t be over eighteen or nineteen years, and yet he claimed a knowledge of men some of the captain’s officers had yet to develop.
“Have you known many violent men?” The captain tried to keep the sarcasm out of his voice.
Samuel had a good ear and detected the skepticism. He’d spent many years being quiet and letting others do all the talking. He’d learned early on to detect certain emotions in other’s speech.
“I’ve worked in my pa’s sawmill since I was ten years old. A lot of men pass through our neck of the woods. Most all give the feelin’ they have something to hide. If they stay for more than a couple of months, you get to know ’em well enough to know that whatever they are hiding is none of your concern. After a while, you get to where you can spot real quick the ones who would hurt a woman. There’s a coldness in their eyes and a meanness in the way they treat animals.”
Captain Lance had just been reminded of one of the first lessons an officer of the law has to learn. Don’t make assumptions about the person you are dealing with.
It was obvious this young man from Trenton was a lot sharper than his demeanor indicated, and he had develop
ed a good way to assess the character of the men he had met in his relatively short life. The captain looked at Mr. Finch, who gave a sympathetic shrug. At first glance, he too had underestimated this quiet young man.
“So, Captain, are you able to answer Samuel’s question?” asked Mr. Finch.
Captain Lance replied, “Yes, I can answer the question. And yes, it was a violent murder. She was violated, and then her throat was cut. It will all be public record tomorrow, gentlemen, provided I can keep it under wraps until then.” The captain was deliberately blunt. He wanted to observe the reaction. The results were interesting. Mr. Finch gave a small shudder. Samuel, on the other hand, became as still as stone. If the captain had not been watching so intently, he would have missed the tightening of the jaw and the anger that sprang into those dark eyes. This was a young man who had been close to violence.
“What will not be made public coincides with the information you have shared. The young woman gave a good fight. The assailant most likely has some deep scratches on his face. When we found her, she was clutching a piece of torn fabric and a scrap of paper. There was a name of a hotel on the scrap of paper. It was the San Carlos Hotel. Under these circumstances, I think I will be making the trip to Pensacola to personally question your Mr. Hardwick. He may be expecting to hear Miss Hinton has been killed. It will be interesting to see his reaction.”
****
They had asked the captain to keep them informed, thanked him for his time, and were now standing outside the sheriff’s offices.
Mr. Finch said, “Samuel, how about some lunch? We can go home, visit with Mrs. Finch, and have a good lunch. What do you say?”
“Sir, that would be real nice, but I don’t like leaving Mae alone too long. Pa trusts me to take care of her.”
Mr. Finch patted Samuel on the back. “Your father has good reason to be proud of you, young man. I didn’t want to spoil his surprise, but under the circumstances, I don’t think he’ll mind. Your father will be rolling into the train station in a few hours. He was going to surprise everyone. He has Mrs. Peters with him, and Cyrus and Hansu are on the train with the animals. Your father wanted to beat the train to arrange for the trucks to take the animals to the manor. We could have a quick lunch and then go take care of the trucks for him. What do you say?”