Chapter 9
Jack rode to the Hanson house in haste. There he left his horse with the same boy as before. He then hurried to the steps where he saw Ethan Davis leaving through the front door. The butler bowed graciously at the retreating figure and closed the door without even seeing the detective.
Davis came down the steps. He was wearing a jaunty grey jacket and swinging his cane with a confident step. He saw Jack, smiled at him ingratiatingly and stopped to give him a little bow. “Ah, the detective finally made it here,” he drawled sarcastically. “Miss Hanson is most worried about her brother, and you were nowhere to be found. One might wonder if you are to be depended on at all.”
Jack felt his face turn red with anger. “I regret, Mister Davis, that I’m not at my client’s beck and call.” It was annoying to deal with weak, ineffectual men such as this who have never seen the wrong end of a gun. Why did Faith even bother to spend her time with this strutting ass?
“Oh, I see. You are much too busy to answer the call of a lady. I’m not surprised, considering your background.”
"No one speaks to me that way!" Jack’s anger flared. He took a step and shoved Davis roughly backwards. The distinguished gentleman stumbled and fell, landing hard on the paved walkway.
Fuming, Davis looked up at him with a face contorted with rage. Pulling himself off the ground, he quickly swung his cane at Jack. The detective dodged to the right, the cane barely missing his shoulder. Without a word, he rushed forward and grappled with Davis. With a violent jerk, Jack ripped the cane away from him. The detective then took a step back with the cane, gave Davis a sneer, and then broke it over his knee. He threw the shattered cane at the man’s feet.
Davis was in shock. “Damn you!” He tightly clenched his fists together and scowled.
“Now remember what I said, because I won’t be so kind next time. Next time it will be your neck.”
His voice uneven, Davis retorted, “Faith will never be in love with someone like you. Don’t fool yourself about her, she is mine and always will be.”
“I don’t know where you get these ideas, Davis, since I only work for her. I suggest you run along now before I’m forced to break more than your cane.”
“I’ll remember this, Mister Blackwood. I never forget an insult, and I never forgive. The next time we meet, I swear this moment of dishonor will be restored.” He then brushed the dust from his trousers, turned sharply on his heels and stormed away without looking back.
Jack sighed and shook his head in disbelief. He had more than enough to worry about with this case, why did he have to deal with such a fool like Davis? The idiot must be the jealous sort who could did not want Faith to have contact with any other man. Perhaps Davis could sense the woman’s interest in him and was only reacting jealously to those feelings. He caught himself thinking about Faith and smiled at his own foolishness. Why should he jump to conclusions of where her romantic interests may lie?
Climbing the stairs, Jack knocked at the front door, and was greeted by the butler. He wondered if this man with such an inexpressive face had seen the encounter with Davis, and if so, what he truly thought of it. The butler said nothing, but only opened the door and motioned for Jack to follow him. He was then led to the same foyer as before. Jack sat on the familiar sofa, lit a cigar and waited earnestly for Faith to arrive. He found himself getting more nervous than he thought reasonable. He was spending more of his time thinking about Faith, and he was surprised at his own feelings. He wondered how she could spend any time with that dandy Davis. Thinking of that fool again made his blood boil. Men like that deserved a sound thrashing.
There was a small polite cough. Jack broke from his thoughts and saw Faith Hanson entering the room. He stood out of politeness and watched her graceful step. She was wearing a long, pearl-white gown and had her hair pulled back with a black ribbon. He was stunned by her beauty. He gulped nervously and looked around for a place to ash his cigar.
“If you could put that cigar out it would be much appreciated,” Faith said waving away the smoke in the air. “Ever since his doctors advised him to quit, my father can’t abide the smell of tobacco. It reminds him too much of better days.”
“Well, it is your house, so I’ll follow your rules.” Jack stubbed the cigar out sole of his boot before placing the remnant in his pocket. He was happy to see her alone this time. He wondered if she had dressed this time to impress him or Davis, and hoped it was not for the latter's sake.
He took a few steps closer to her. It took some bravery when he took her hands as he spoke. “Now let’s not talk any further about my bad habits. What is the terrible news that you have to tell me?”
She freed herself from his grasp, her face flushed with embarrassment. She pulled a piece of paper out of her sleeve. It was wadded up tightly as if someone had clenched it hard over and over. She handed it over. He unrolled it and read it carefully.
Your brother is in certain danger unless our demands are met. We require that you bring One Thousand Dollars to the Washington Monument at Eleven tonight. Failure to meet our demands will put your brother in grave peril – be warned!
He sat down and read the note carefully. The handwriting was sloppy and much different than the previous note that Abbott may have written. “When did you get this message?” he finally asked.
“I received it over an hour ago from a messenger. I immediately sent him off to get you.”
“Did the messenger say who originally sent the message?”
Faith shook her head. “When I asked, he said that he did not know. He was merely instructed by his office to make the delivery.”
“Do you recognize this handwriting at all?”
“I’m afraid not.” Faith began to cry lightly and held a handkerchief to her eyes.
Hesitating, Jack nervously reached over and placed his hand on her shoulder. “I suggest you pay the ransom,” he said. “If this message is real, you will get your brother back, and then Mister Miller and I can try to recover the money.”
“The money isn’t important. What will we do if they don’t return him?” she asked quietly.
“I’ll personally deliver the money for you. If they don’t want to give him up, Ezra and I can convince them to change their minds.”
“Do you think that they would hurt my brother? I mean, what happens if we don’t pay on time? I’d hate to think that Lawrence was suffering somewhere and we can’t help him.” She sobbed a little more, looking at him with tears in her eyes.
Jack was always surprised how people dealt with kidnappers. It was his experience that they should be dealt with harshly. Many of them were cowards that were willing to save their own skin if threatened. If you keep giving in to kidnappers, they will continue with their demands. To placate her, he said, “It depends on the kidnapper – some panic and will kill their victim to keep them quiet. But again, some of them don’t know what to do, and if they want the money bad enough, they will try to send another note. If I figure this right, we can get your money and Lawrence back.”
“We’ll have to ask my father,” Faith said. “He still has control of the money.”
“Have you told him about this note?” he asked.
“Yes, even though I was worried about telling him. But I couldn’t see how to deal with this situation without asking for his advice. At least this message provides a glimmer of hope,” she said looking at Jack with wide eyes, her face upturned. “At least we have proof that Lawrence is still alive and well.”
“Good, let’s see if your father will agree to give me the money required to free your brother.”
Faith rang for the butler. Within moments he quietly arrived and gave a low bow.
“Mister Blackwood and I would like to speak with father,” Faith told him. “Please tell him to expect visitors.”
The butler left with another bow, trotting ahead.
Jack and Faith went up the
long winding staircase to the second floor. Daniel Hanson’s bed was in a large room, taking up half of the upstairs. The room was simply furnished with a large canopy bed and a few scattered dressers and chairs. It was the room of a sick man, devoted to care and not décor. The curtains were closed, except for a thin sliver that allowed a meager patch of light in. The elder Hanson was propped up against the backboard with pillows supporting his head, paging restlessly through a book. As they entered, he set the book down, and then adjusted his glasses to get a better look at them.
Jack leaned over and shook hands with Mister Hanson. “It’s good to see you again, sir,” he said.
Hanson shook Jack’s hand and smiled faintly. “I haven’t had many visitors in here lately – it’s good to see you again too.”
“I hope you are feeling well this morning,” Jack looked at him with pity
“As well as can be expected,” Mister Hanson replied with some melancholy. “Lately I stay in bed longer than expected. But my well-being is not important right now. You’re here to help us find Lawrence. Did you have a chance to examine that note? “
“I think my partner and I can manage to get your son back. The ransom money will also be returned if you let me take the steps I think necessary.”
“How can you manage that?” Daniel Hanson asked. “I would assume that once the money is paid, we will simply wait for Lawrence to come home.”
“I can see why you would think that, but you must understand that kidnappers don’t always play by the rules. They could easily kill Lawrence after they receive payment in an attempt to hide their identities. And of course there is a chance that your son may already be dead.” Jack loathed discussing this possibility, but he thought that all eventualities should be covered. It would be unfair to let this family expect that any homecoming would be certain.
Faith gave a little gasp and Daniel Hanson merely looked angry for a moment. His waxy face tightened as the jaw clenched and unclenched.
Jack continued on. “You must understand, Mister Hanson, that I’ve already run into a gang that tried to kill me. And yesterday, someone died who saw Lawrence during the night of his disappearance.”
“What is this? Who are you talking about?” Daniel Hanson asked, clearly taken aback by this fresh news.
“It’s a long story, sir. Acting on a tip from the Gay Lady Saloon owner, Tinen, my partner and I went to question a local moneylender named Brinker. According to Tinen, your son had an argument with this man before they left together. We have so far determined that to be a false lead. We went back to question Tinen again and found him dead. It appears to have been murder. He obviously got in the way of someone who wants your son and those missing papers kept hidden.”
“Are you sure this man was murdered in connection with Lawrence? If this is the case, then shouldn’t the police be notified?”
“Mister Forsythe is already aware of this new development. I’m not one to believe in coincidences, so I will continue to investigate Tinen’s involvement.”
“I see,” Daniel Hanson said plainly. “What do you suggest I do?”
“If you give me the ransom money,” Jack said confidently, “I will go to the meeting place with my partner. We will act as your intermediates. We shall make the transaction on your behalf, and then we will make sure to get your son back home.”
Hanson shook his head. “And exactly how do you plan to do that?”
“I can be persuasive, Mister Hanson. If we need to, we will use force to get your son back. If they try to cheat us on the deal then we will take the necessary steps.”
“Well, my son’s life is worth more than any amount of money I could ever pay.”
“As long as I’m working for you, your son’s well-being is of utmost importance. You hired me to get him back, and I shall do whatever I can to make that happen.”
A look of relief crossed his careworn features. “Good, I can tell you’re the kind of man I can trust. I will have a message sent to the bank asking for the money to be delivered to your office.”
“I’ll be sure to keep the cash safe.”
“It will take some time to get the money delivered to your office, but it will get there before the evening.”
Jack stood up and was making ready to leave when Faith took him by the arm.
“If you have the time, walk with me in the garden,” she said. She squeezed his arm tightly before letting it go. Faith then walked over to her father and kissed him on the cheek. “Please get your rest, father.”
Her father nodded and began to examine his book half-heartedly again.
Faith escorted Jack down the stairs and into the back garden. The plots were well laid out, but still nearly bare. It was too early in spring for anything to be planted. The garden itself was orderly with a pattern of bricked pathways with planting beds in-between. Several trees provided shade, and a line of bushes hid them from sight of the main house. He was pleased for this additional moment alone with this woman.
With an arm around his elbow, Faith pointed out some rose bushes without blossoms. “Do you enjoy gardening, Mister Blackwood?”
Jack had little time for such pursuits, but did not want to seem impolite. “Well, I really don’t know.”
“Oh, you must give it a try. I find it quite relaxing to escape the house and make something grow on my own. Father thinks it’s silly that I like to spend time getting my hands dirty. But if I left it alone, the gardeners wouldn’t do half of the work they should.”
“You’ve done a beautiful job.”
“Thank you,” she replied softly. Faith leaned closer towards him as they walked arm-in-arm along the bricked pathway. “You must tell me more about yourself.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Where are you from?”
“There’s not much to say," Jack replied uneasily. "I’m originally from Michigan and I helped my father out on the farm until I joined the army. That seems like a long time ago.”
“Why did you join the army?”
“There wasn’t a lot of opportunity for me since I’m just a third son of a farmer. So I took one of the only routes available for a man of little money. The army wasn’t pleasant at times, but at least they would recognize me for what I was.”
Faith smiled and said, “And what exactly are you, Mister Blackwood?”
Jack stopped to face her, pulling his arm away from hers. “Right now I’m wondering why you are spending your time with me in the garden when Ethan Davis is available.”
Her face went pale. “I would prefer not to talk about Mister Davis right now,” she said stiffly.
Jack shrugged his shoulders and continued to walk along. Faith trailed behind just momentarily before catching up and slipping her arm into his once again.
He decided to tell her about his meeting with Davis. He said, "The only reason I asked is because your friend and I had a little shoving match outside your front door. He’s under the illusion that I’m doing more than working for you.”
“What do you mean?” She stopped, gave a little giggle and said, “Please understand that Mister Davis once wanted to marry me. Things have changed since then, but he’s obviously still jealous if I spend my time with another man. Don’t worry about him.”
“I’m not worried about him. I just wanted to be sure that I wasn’t getting in the way between you two.”
Her voice was warm as she answered. “There’s nothing between Davis and I except friendship. I’m hoping that you and I can become friends too.”
“I would like that,” Jack found himself replying.
They walked in silence and took a turn towards the rear wall of the grounds. He consciously adjusted his gait to match her slower pace.
She asked, “Do you have any other women in your life right now?” Her voice quavered with nervousness.
“I’m afraid not,” Jack replied truthfully.
“And I h
ave no man right now. What about your past? Surely a man of your temperament and age has experienced love before.”
“I was married once,” he said softly. He thought this conversation was getting a little personal. He remembered his Mary with a sharp stab of guilt. No one could ever replace her or make him feel the same way ever again. What would she have made of his dallying with such a young creature as Faith?
“Oh, what happened?” she asked, breaking into Jack’s thoughts.
Jack started uncertainly, “It was a few years ago. Before I moved to Washington.” His sentences became broken as he dredged up the memory. “We were living at Portsmouth. I was trying my hand at running a local grocery. Business wasn’t going well at all. That’s when we decided to move to Washington where I could take up detective work again. Before we even had a chance to pack, Yellow Fever struck the town.”
Jack stopped and gazed out across the garden. He cleared his throat to cover the clenching feeling in the back of his mouth. “Mary decided it was best to stay and help. Family after family was infected. She went to the neighbors next door to take care of their four children. Well, two of them died and afterwards she came down sick.” He turned and faced her again. “After she died, I had nothing left and came to Washington. It seemed to still be a good plan, and staying in Portsmouth was too…” He paused and looked away for a moment. “I’ve been here ever since.”
“I’m so sorry,” Faith said quietly. She reached out and took Jack’s hand and led him out of the garden.