The Hangman Tragedy Part 4

‘So,’ began Doctor James as they stood from their seats, ‘Why is it that the governor has no knowledge of the kidnap of such an important person?’

‘Because we have made sure that he doesn’t.’ Sir Christopher reached for his umbrella that stood by the corner, ‘there is a diplomacy to these kinds of events. Surely a great detective such as yourself would understand.’

‘You have been sending the governor letters in the victim’s signature?’ said James.

‘Not the best of ideas, but it is what we have got. The thing is, the governor has written us,’ he folded his brows in cerebration, ‘has written the said “person” of his coming five days from now. time is of the most importance.’

Doctor James looked round him and below, people were already dispersing and he wondered why they were not moving, instead, they just stood while Sir Christopher spoke on.

‘It is the crowd,’ said Sir Christopher as if he read the Doctor’s mind, then squeezed his face in disapproval, ‘there is something fetid about the way they smell, noisome if you ask me.’

‘The governor is coming to Westbrook district?’ James asked.

‘Cadbury to be precise.’

Doctor James looked at the dangling body of the recently executed man. It swung like a pendulum, nothing but a lifeless sack of meat and blood. The hangman had left the body dangling to go mingle with the crowd, and nobody seemed to pay the dead man no mind, except James Longbutton.

‘How did he know that this important “person” was visiting Cadbury? I mean Robinhood? How did he know?’ asked Doctor Longbutton.

The Earl shrugged, ‘honestly, I cannot even speculate. We tried to be as surreptitious as possible nut somehow the information slipped out and right now, there is no one in our service we can trust. That’s why we need you.’

‘So what do you think Doctor?’ Betty asked him, ‘Was it someone from the inner caucus?’

‘Hard to think it wasn’t.’ Doctor James turned to Sir Christopher, ‘I will need to speak to all who had access to information about this visit.’

Sir Christopher, however, did not even look at him. instead, he stared at the dangling dead man, ‘it is an arcane thought, surely, that we may not even be conscious of being alive. Don’t you think Doctor?’’

‘Well,’ James Longbutton shrugged, ‘I would have to be dead to bother myself with thoughts like that.’

Sir Christopher shrugged again, then he looked down the roof. The crowd had disappeared, and where there was once hundreds of people was now just empty and capacious. ‘Well, we should probably move now, I have a carriage waiting.’

Sir Christopher lead them down the stairs and into the road where his brown carriage was waiting. They boarded the vehicle, Christopher sitting at the end opposite James and Betty had sat beside him, leaving Doctor James alone on the long, soft, seat.

Doctor james looked oytside as the driver whipped the horses and they started to trot. He reminisced about his last case, the death of a woman son. Found in the well the boy was, dead and folded, as if he was forced to fit inside the open earth, and that was about three years ago. And then he separated with Betty and moved to the countryside, he had decided he was out of the business, and yet, she had brought him back in. He gave her a wistful stare.

‘Why did you come to me Betty jones?’ he asked. ‘you could have someone else to solve this case.’

She smiled at him and leaned into the arm of sir Christopher, ‘Because he is Robinhood, and you are James Longbutton.’