‘Do you hear that, Bliss? When our business here is finished, you may be striking out once more for the countryside. We may have a call to make at this house on Vesper Sands.’
VII
Notes made by G. Bliss (Sgt.), attending residence at 15 Half Moon-street, Mayfair, in company of Insp. Cutter
Pursuant to discussion in hallway of residence, shown to kitchens in rear by Mr Carew. Again offered tea and refreshments by Mr Carew, but same were declined with some force by Insp. Cutter.
The housekeeper (a Mrs Thorpe, of 51 yrs) confirmed that Mr Carew had remained outside the work-room to her knowledge, and that she had gone up at approx. 8.55 p.m. to serve him tea and plum cake.
A male servant aged approx. 13 yrs was dispatched to the home of Dr Carmody, police surgeon, the latter being requested to attend the scene with all poss. haste.
Insp. Cutter again remonstrated with Mr Carew for improper removal of remains from scene. Mr Carew again defended actions on grounds of delicacy and consideration for nearby residents. Mr Carew further volunteered that remains were in ‘unholy state’ on cobbles, w/ considerable qty. of blood visible on same.
Insp. Cutter inquired as to why no blood visible on our arrival, to which Mr Carew replied that great efforts had been made with scrubbing brushes, carbolic soda, &c. Insp. Cutter lodged forceful objection in re wilful destruction of evidence (this last underlined per instruction of Insp. Cutter).
Insp. Cutter demanded to know whether remains of Miss Tull were still on the premises. Mr Carew stated that same had merely been removed to a proper place pending the arrival of the undertakers.
Insp. Cutter wished to know what business undertakers had with remains, when deceased had not been examined and pronounced upon by surgeon. Mr Carew stated, to the contrary, that Miss Tull examined soon after her expiry by Prof. Caldicott of Univ. College London, the latter being the family physician and great friend of Lord Strythe.
Insp. Cutter responded that Prof. Caldicott might have treated Her Majesty’s own piles, but had not attended on the deceased prior to death, which must therefore be notified to the coroner.
Mr Carew produced certificate of death, which was found to give the following cause: ‘Catastrophic trauma subsqt. to misadventure’. Insp. Cutter pronounced this unsatisfactory and expressed view that same would not be acceptable to the registrar, remarking further that it might be put to an unmentionable sanitary purpose.
Mr Carew reminded Insp. Cutter of Lord Strythe’s absence and protested that he was under duress to act beyond his authority. He further requested that proceedings be delayed until the following morning to allow for return of Lord S.
Insp. Cutter remarked that lawful processes had already been retarded and must be held up no longer. Carew then directed a porter (?) of approx. 16 yrs to fetch the solicitor for Lord S., but this servant was prevented from doing so by Insp. Cutter, who [remainder stricken through very heavily and no longer legible].
Dr Carmody arrived and was in v. genial humour, notwithstanding the disturbance to his breakfast of kedgeree, a dish he encountered while serving as a naval doctor in the subcontinent and recommended as an exemplary source of vitality.
Carew then conducted the officers present to a cold store which was reached by an exterior door. The remains of Miss Tull were observed wrapped in tarpaulin on the floor. This room was windowless and by no means suitable for a medical examination, and the two younger servants were directed to carry the remains to the scullery. The remains of Miss Tull were placed on the work table and the tarp. was [illegible].
Notes resume following a brief lapse of consciousness on the part of the present officer, this being due to his having gone a considerable time without food or drink.
Proceedings were halted for a short time, Insp. Cutter having been kind enough to call for beef tea w/ bread & dripping, these being known to be restorative.
Proceedings were resumed at 9.38 a.m. by Insp. Cutter’s watch, and the present officer was provided with a chair. Dr Carmody positioned himself so as to obscure the upper part of the deceased from the view of all but himself and Insp. Cutter. Dr Carmody then began his examination and made the following observations.
Female subject, aged approx. 35 yrs.
Marked calluses on the fingertips of the right hand. Moderate curvature of the spine and features suggesting chronic compression of the lower organs, these being consistent with the stated profession of the deceased.
Below average weight and somewhat spindly appearance. Dentition somewhat better than average, and likely preserved by moderate habits. Evidence of two extractions, one of them poorly executed and leaving a fragment in place. Decay in varying degrees in four locations.
Rigor mortis advanced but incomplete. Marked lividity in the intact region of the face. Death likely occurred at some time between 6 p.m. and midnight last evening.
Dr Carmody called for scissors. When these were produced, he positioned himself as before and a portion of the deceased’s hair was shorn away. Dr Carmody then made the following further observations.
Catastrophic and widespread fracture encompassing the better part of the left hemisphere of the cranium, extending proximally to the left occipital ridge and the upper maxillofacial (sp?) region on the same side.
Extensive rupturing of the dura mater visible, as was substantial contusion and impaction of the cerebellum, with portions of same expelled upon impact and presumed deposited at the scene.
Very pronounced haematoma in the tissue surrounding the fracture, this being characteristic of unusually forceful trauma.
Dr Carmody then covered the head of the deceased and announced that he would now examine the remainder of her person. He directed that the room be emptied save of those not present in any official capacity.
Mr Carew protested on two counts: first, that the cause of death had already been determined, and that no further indignity was necessary; second, that a representative of the household must remain to ensure the fair conduct of the proceedings.
Dr Carmody replied that he did not recall stating any cause of death and would not be instructed in his professional conduct by a domestic servant. He further remarked that a thorough examination was required by law, and was called for in any case, since the front of the dress showed evidence of bleeding from beneath that was not consistent with the principal trauma. He allowed that it was proper for one representative of the household to remain, but insisted that the two younger servants must vacate the scullery.
These instructions being complied with, the door was locked. Dr Carmody proceeded to cut away the clothing of the deceased, and made the following further observations.
Extensive but highly regular area of haematoma on the area of the upper abdomen immediately distal to the breasts.
Highly regular formation of puncture wounds considerably obscured by congealed blood, which was swabbed away to allow the inspection of the injuries.
Dr Carmody paused in his examination to express his surprise, and remarked on the singular nature of what he now observed, same being without precedent in all his years of practice. Insp. Cutter concurred, and directed the present officer to approach the table so as to ensure the fullness and accuracy of the record.
Dr Carmody then gave the following description, which the present officer can vouch for as correct in every particular.
Highly regular formation of puncture wounds extending distally from below the breasts approx. halfway to the navel, and approx. 10–11” from left to right. Puncture wounds caused by the sewing into the flesh of a coarse red yarn to the apparent depth of the dermis, showing a degree of skill that would be no disgrace even in a surgeon. This sewing might conceivably have been effected by the deceased herself, but would, absent analgesia, have occasioned very severe pain, both during and following the act.
The arrangement of these sutures was such that a sequence of letters was plainly legible, just as if a sampler had been embroidered upon the victim’s own skin. The wo
rds thus formed were the following.
MY SOUL DOTH MAGNIFY THE LORD
VIII
By morning, when Octavia presented herself at Strythe House, Mr Healy had entertained second thoughts about their agreement. His message had arrived before she came down to breakfast, and while it stopped short of revoking his offer altogether – even he had that much decency – it made plain his view of how her efforts ought to be apportioned.
‘Strythe can wait,’ his scribbled card had read. ‘Get down to Whitechapel first. More talk of Spiriters about town, and a tip-off from a duty sergeant in Leman-street who has been sound in the past. Girl missing from a boarding house for unfortunates.’
He gave the address, and such other scant particulars as he had come by, and it was not that she dismissed the matter lightly. It would be troubling to find that such a girl had indeed gone missing, but she was doubtful for now and suspected him of playing upon her sympathies. She knew too that the girl’s fate would interest him only if it satisfied his appetite for sensation, and that no account of it would be printed unless it were filled with wild talk of black magic.
The events of the night before, meanwhile, had only deepened her own preoccupations. To begin with, there was the matter of Lord Strythe’s conduct, which seemed no less peculiar in the light of day. It was not only that he had left in such haste, or that he had been at pains to do so unobserved. In this much, at least, he had not succeeded, and since witnessing his encounter with the man at the corner of Piccadilly, she had thought of little else. Strythe had expected to find him there, plainly, or had not been surprised when he did, but beyond that she could not guess at the nature of their relations and it was this that would not allow her to rest.
Octavia had spent years observing men and women of influence. She knew how they comported themselves, whether at the height of their pomp or in their unguarded moments. Even the slightest inflections of posture, she knew, could signal the utmost deference or the deepest contempt. Although she had observed the two men for no more than a few moments – and had glimpsed no more of Lord Strythe than the arm he threw out to open the carriage door – she had seen enough to be sure that something out of the ordinary had passed between them.
She passed Mr Healy’s note to Georgie at the breakfast table, since she could not very well disregard it entirely. Her brother was awaiting a long-promised naval commission, and was ill-suited by temperament to periods of idleness. He was glad to be of use, if a little puzzled by the development.
‘Well now, sister,’ he said, clapping the crumbs of toast from his hands before accepting the card. ‘What has it come to if you’re letting me put my oar in?’
He had offered his help before, but she had found gentle ways of refusing it. ‘Georgie, darling, you’ve met some of the people I write about, and you know how dull they are. Dull or poisonous, or both. This is different. This is—’
She gestured loosely, and Georgie raised an eyebrow. ‘This is off your beat, you mean to say. Not that I’m sorry, mind you. I’d as soon not have you wheeling about the back alleys of Whitechapel, though I know you won’t thank me for saying so. But what good will I do, for that matter? Surely you set no store by this talk of – what is it? – this talk of Spiriters?’
‘Of course not, Georgie. But Mr Healy is susceptible to all sorts of notions, especially when he thinks there is money in them. Grandfather would turn blue if he knew of it. Just see what you can find out. You’re good at it, though you don’t realise it. You have an easy way with people who, well …’
‘Who aren’t the right sort. It’s all right, sister. I’m not the right sort myself, which makes matters easier. I’ll put my head in to a few gin shops. I might see if I can rouse out this duty sergeant, too. What about you, then? What’s so important that you’re ducking orders from old Healy?’
‘I don’t know yet, Georgie.’ Octavia raised a fingertip, examining a tea leaf she had teased from the rim of her cup. ‘I honestly don’t know yet.’
Lord Strythe’s residence was in Half Moon-street, hardly three minutes by carriage from Ashenden House, and while she could hardly expect to be received there at this hour, Octavia hoped at least to discover whether he had returned home. His butler, a dour and slow-footed character named Carew, would say only that His Lordship was not at home to callers. He held the door only part way open, and his attention even as she spoke seemed taken up by the street behind her. Lord Strythe was not receiving guests, perhaps, but it was plain that someone was expected.
When she was sure that she was not observed, Octavia made her way instead to the mews at the rear of the house, reflecting that she might do just as well in these inquiries by dispensing with front doors altogether. Nor had she long to wait, for within ten or twelve minutes she had waylaid the household’s messenger, a quick-limbed creature in a cloth cap whom she mistook at first for a boy.
For the sum of ninepence, paid out in solicitous instalments, she learned that the girl – who would not on any account give her name – had earlier been dispatched to the telegraph office with a message for Vesper Sands in Kent. Mr Carew, the girl confided, had got his dander up something fierce, and he hoped to find word there of the master of the house. Lord Strythe was not at home, then, and by the girl’s account he had not been seen since the day before. He had been sent for, right enough, and was known to have left Ashenden House, but there had been no sign of him even by morning.
Beyond that the girl knew very little, and Octavia began to wonder if she had paid above the odds. Neither the girl nor anyone else below stairs had been told why the master was wanted. They had been packed into a cellar for above an hour, she said, while Mr Carew saw about some private business upstairs. He was in a lather of sweat when he got back, and as dirty a humour as the girl had ever seen, but they had known better than to ask any questions.
Octavia had drawn on her gloves and picked up her bicycle when a final question occurred to her. Lord Strythe himself had not returned home, but had anyone else come? After all, his departure from Ashenden House had attracted a good deal of notice. Had he no particular friends who might have thought to inquire after him? At first the girl insisted that there had been no one. His Lordship was not one for callers, she said. Or at least, he was not one for friends. But something seemed to occur to her then, prompted perhaps by her own words. Octavia held out another coin, turning it in her palm.
Devlin’s, the girl said. The man from Devlin’s had come.
It was a scrap, nothing more, but there was a thread in it at least that might be tugged at. Devlin’s proved to be a firm of carriers in St Thomas’s-street, engaged by Lord Strythe for some years. A man had come after midnight with a team and a cart. It was not unheard of, the girl said, even at that hour. The master was a great collector, and something was always coming or going, but last night the man from Devlin’s would not say whether he had brought a load or expected to carry one off. He would speak to no one but His Lordship, and went on his way when he found he was not at home. The girl knew no more than that, she said, and if she stopped out any longer Mr Carew would be calling for her skin. She bid Octavia good morning and took her leave.
The day was grey and cold, but the snow was thinning on the streets and the going was hardly worse than usual. Octavia paid a brief visit to the offices of the Gazette, gathering certain items that might prove useful in her inquiries, then set out without further delay in the direction of London Bridge. She had no clear notion still of what it was that she hoped to discover, but she was surer now that her curiosity had some foundation. If nothing else, she had an errand that might prove fruitful, and even in such foul weather there was a small satisfaction in simply having somewhere out of doors to go.
The premises of Devlin & Sons, however, were not easily found. There were a good many other carriers’ yards in the vicinity of the station, most of them in the service of the railways, but Octavia called at three of these before encountering a foreman who had heard of the firm she w
anted. He directed her to a narrow lane under the arches of the station, where she came at last to a shuttered and silent yard. On its gate was a blackened plate that might easily have gone overlooked, giving the following particulars and no more.
DEVLIN & SONS BY APPOINTMENT
Octavia hammered at the gate for a time, but no one came. The yard was hidden by a high fence of corrugated iron, and not a sound could be heard from behind it. She had mounted her bicycle and turned away in disappointment when it occurred to her that her journey might not have been entirely wasted. If Lord Strythe had indeed travelled to Kent, as his butler thought possible, he would have departed from London Bridge Station. Such things could be found out, if one was sufficiently determined. There was almost always a way.
She made her way to the station office, where she ingratiated herself with a young clerk of amenable disposition. He took a keen interest in the sporting life, as young men of his sort often did, and having made provision for just this kind of encounter, Octavia was able to supply him with a report – due to appear in the midday edition of the Gazette – of the racing conditions at Portsmouth. While he was taken up with these, the clerk mused, a person might well turn over the whole of the office and he should be none the wiser. There was a science to be made of racing conditions, if a fellow only applied himself.
Five trains had departed for Kent during the hours in question, and Octavia looked over the passenger lists of every one. Lord Strythe’s name appeared on none of them, and on reflection she was not altogether surprised. If he had left for Vesper Sands at all – if his butler had not been merely clutching at straws – he might have gone by second or third class, leaving no name on any list, or travelled by some other means entirely.
But where might he have gone, if not there? Why had he not returned home, if the private matter that had arisen there was so urgent? Could it be that word of what had happened had not reached Lord Strythe, or that the message had not called him home at all, but warned him away or directed him to some other place entirely? Had the news given him cause for alarm, or even for fear? Was there someone from whom he wished to hide?
The House on Vesper Sands Page 9