‘Damn you, Ravenscroft!’
‘And we will have less of that as well. Well Troutbridge, which is to be?’
‘I will accept your conditions,’ muttered a crestfallen Troutbridge.
‘Good. I will have Constable Crabb draw up your release papers.’
A few minutes later Ravenscroft and Crabb watched Troutbridge walk away from the station.
‘A blacker ruffian never lived on this earth,’ muttered Crabb.
Ravenscroft smiled, ‘He just took advantage of a situation which arose, and could not resist the temptation to make a great deal of money. Now you have the file under lock and key. In one week Troutbridge should reappear with the money he took from Armitage. That money is to be given back to Armitage, and you must see that it is returned into the account of the trustees of the almshouses.’
‘It will be done sir.’
‘And you are also aware of the other conditions?’
‘Yes sir.’
‘Good. Then if they are broken, you know what to do with the file. Everything is written down there. At all costs a ladies honour must be protected in this affair.’
‘By a lady, you mean Miss Lucy Armitage?’
‘I do. How is that hand of yours now Crabb?’
‘Fine sir, Jennie put some herbal liniment on it. It should be healed in a day or so.’
‘Good.’
‘Thank God you shot the animal in time sir, I reckon he was just about to work his way up to my neck.’
‘I’m only sorry I was not quicker in despatching the creature. Now Crabb we have both had a long day, and you, in particular, have had an unpleasant experience. Tomorrow we must continue with our investigation. We may have arrived at the truth concerning Armitage and Troutbridge, but our killer is still out there, and we must redouble our efforts to bring him to book. As you live in the Wells, will you go back to Pitzer’s house first thing in the morning?’
‘Yes sir. For what purpose?’
‘I want you to see if you can find Pitzer’s walking stick, and when you have found it, see if it matches the ones belonging to Sommersby and Gladwyn. If it does, ask Mrs. Pitzer if she knows anything about the initials on the silver handle. Also bring the stick back with you. Then meet me in the churchyard at Great Malvern at ten o’clock.’
‘You still think that the walking sticks, and those initials are of some importance?’ asked Crabb.
‘All through this case, we have been missing something. I am convinced that there are more secrets to be unearthed, and that the key to this mystery lies in the origin of those walking sticks.’
‘And if I don’t find such a stick sir?’
‘Let us trust that you will — otherwise our investigations may be at an end.’
After eating a particularly unappetizing meal at the Tudor, Ravenscroft was pleased to regain the sanctuary of his room. Lying on his bed, he became aware of how tired he had suddenly become. The events of the day began to run through his mind — the discovery of the walking stick at Gladwyns, the shooting of the dog at Troutbridge’s farm, the long questioning of Troutbridge and Armitage, the visit to Lucy Armitage in Ledbury and the disclosure of her secret. All this activity — and yet he had not yet made an arrest. The last thing he remembered before he fell asleep was the image of Lucy Armitage holding her child, and the face of her son smiling across at him.
‘Good morning sir. It’s a beautiful day.’
Ravenscroft woke with a start. Then the awful realization that he was still at the Tudor swept over him. ‘What time is it Stebbins?’ he asked.
‘Seven o’clock sir. It’s time for yer bath.’
‘No Stebbins, not that again,’ replied Ravenscroft, turning over on his side.
‘Cheer up sir. Look on the bright side.’
‘I cannot see one at present Stebbins.’
‘Come now sir, yer be all the better for it.’
‘That I doubt very much.’
Ravenscroft made his way towards the Bath House. He still felt tired, and he had to rub his eyes several times to clear the sleep from them. He could not believe that he was still at the Tudor, and worse still that he was stumbling half blind towards another infernal treatment, which he had little inclination to take. Would that he could solve the case, and so be free to leave the Tudor?
‘Good morning sir. Glad to see you are fully recovered. We have missed you the last few days. Shall we continue sir?’ said the bath attendant in his usual brisk manner.
Not caring anymore, Ravenscroft stepped into the bath and felt the heat burning into his bones. He lay back in the waters, and closed his eyes, seeking to extinguish the present world from his thoughts. Just who had murdered Pitzer, Sommersby and Gladwyn — Armitage, Troutbridge, Touchmore, or some other person who at present was unknown to him? Armitage had said that money ruled the town. Was that what the murders had all been about? Money? Then there was the woman in black — ‘I will know where to find you,’ she had said. What part did she play in all this? Were the murders somehow linked to the deaths of her husband and child? Then there were the walking sticks — and the initials M.W.B. What did they mean?
‘That will be all now sir. You can return to your room sir,’ echoed the voice of the attendant breaking into his thoughts.
‘No bandages today?’ he inquired hopefully.
‘We’ll start again slowly tomorrow sir.’
Thank God for that, thought Ravenscroft.
After dressing he decided to make his way up the winding path towards the well house, hoping that he might again see his lady of the black veil, but in that he was disappointed. As he drank the icy spring water, he looked out over the town, and realised that this morning he had climbed all the way up to the well, without either pausing or coughing. Perhaps the waters were beginning to make their contribution to the betterment of his physical condition, but there again familiarity with his surroundings may have accounted for his improvement. His new vigour was matched by a strange feeling of optimism, which he found difficult to comprehend. Only a few minutes before, as he had lain in the steaming waters of the bath house, he had been plagued by thoughts of his own inadequacy, but now a new, unknown confidence was beginning to take root in his mind. He knew now that he and Crabb would shortly be unravelling the events of the past few days — and that the case would be drawing to its conclusion.
He thanked the attendant, and after giving her a coin, made his way back down to the Tudor.
After breakfast, he rested for a while before making his way down to the churchyard. Had he half expected to find the veiled lady there? But she had said she would find him. Here he stood looking down at the grave, with its fresh flowers placed before the headstone -
Sacred to the memory of
Anthony Steward Kelly (1840–1886)
And
Mark Richard Kelly (1885–1887)
Always Remembered.
‘Good morning to you, sir.’
He turned to face Crabb.
‘Good morning Crabb. Did you go to Pitzers?’
‘Yes sir — and I have his stick.’
Ravenscroft took it in his hands and examined the handle. ‘Well done Crabb — and look, the same initials arranged in the same way. Did you ask Mrs. Pitzer if she knew anything about them?’
‘I did sir, and like Mrs. Gladwyn, she cannot remember when her husband first had the stick, or what the letters stand for. She did say though that she thought her husband had first had the stick a great number of years ago, possibly just after they arrived in the town.’
‘That is interesting. If only we knew what these initials stood for — M.W.B — is it someone’s name, or the name of some body, club or society, which the three men belonged to? If only we could find that, we might have our murderer. There is something else which strikes me as being unusual about this case, Crabb. Do you realise that not one of our three victims had any children to succeed them? Pitzer and his wife never had any children, Sommersby was unmarried and had no children, as far as we know, and Gladwyn mentions no children in his will. That is something else our three victims had in common. It was almost as though they had been killed because they had no one to succeed them, no one to come after them. Don’t you find that strange Crabb?’