Free Norton, Andre - Novel 39 by The Jekyll Legacy (v1.0) Page B

the world.
                   And no, Newcomen told himself, it couldn't be
that much of a mystification. There had to be more to it than that, and she had
to know more than that. Or at least suspect.
                   Death at the hand of person
or persons unknown. The expected verdict that didn't
explain the unexpected, the answer that resolved no questions. Thus the
law simply washed its hands of the matter without removing the bloodstains.
                   Again Newcomen stared down at his hastily
scrawled notes. Something about them jarred his memory. Of course—it was almost
like the Carew case. Sir Danvers Carew had been murdered on a public
thoroughfare, Edgar Poole in a private residence; one victim was a member of
the aristocracy and the other a discharged manservant. But the similarities
were there. A sudden surprise attack without apparent reason. Death from a blunt instrument—in Carew's case, a cane that
had been broken and left at the spot where the onslaught occurred. But
in the assault on Poole a similar weapon could well have been used
without breaking, whereupon the murderer merely carried it away with him.
                
                   There was, of course, an important difference
between the two affairs. In the first, testimony from an actual witness
identified the perpetrator of the crime as Edward Hyde. But Edward Hyde was
dead. Other later witnesses had identified his corpse. He could not have risen
to kill again.
                   That left only one more link, and a slim one.
Both Carew and Poole had a common enemy in the late Mr. Hyde.
And both had a connection, personal or professional, with Hyde's former friend
Dr. Henry Jekyll. Dr. Jekyll, who might be described as the late or the former
himself, for all Newcomen might know.
                   All he might know indeed, but not all he
wanted to know, which was precisely the point—there must be something else, had
to be.
                   It was in his office that the inspector's
ruminations were interrupted by the arrival of a uniformed runner from
downstairs who presented him with a missive received in the last delivery of
the day's post. The envelope addressed to him contained only a brief note
bearing the signature of Robert Guest, writing at the behest of his employer,
Utterson, but its message erased Newcomen's frown.
                   Utterson was inquiring if it might be possible
for the inspector to wait upon him tomorrow afternoon at three? If so, he would
have the opportunity of meeting Miss Hester Lane , a relative of Henry Jekyll's who had
recently arrived from Canada .
                   Recently arrived? Now there was something to
chew on. Had she been here when Poole died?
Did she know the whereabouts of Dr. Jekyll? In any event he was grateful for
Utterson's invitation. Barring the unforeseen, he intended to have a bit of a
chat with this recent arrival.
                   But that would be tomorrow's business. Right
now his watch was ticking closer to the hour and a glance through the begrimed
windowpane confirmed the imminence of seven o'clock .
                   Seven o'clock and all was well;
Jerry was waiting, nodding down at him as he approached the curb. One minute
later, and all was confusion.
                   "She wants to see me?" Newcomen
said. "Tonight?"
                   "That's wot she said to tell you. I
popped around there on the orf-chance abaht an 'our ago when I dropped a fare
at Liverpool Station. Says she's sorry she wasn't up to seem' you earlier, but
better late than never."
                   "What's that supposed to mean?"
                   Jerry shrugged. "She diden' say right
out. I reckern there might be somefink she 'eld back at the inquest an' naow
she's 'aving second thorghts."
                   The inspector wasted no further time