Chapter 8: 8

When Evan arrived at Woolwich Manor (t/n: it looks like Woolwich is the correct word, not Woodwich) in a carriage, there were already many people gathered outside the house. Sheriff Chandler and several police officers had surrounded the entrance of the house and the neighbours stretched out their necks trying to look into the house hoping to see something.

Sheriff Chandler saw Evan as soon as he alighted from the carriage, he walked straight towards Evan and said, “Thank God you’re finally here, I just sent a police officer to the church to invite you here. Quickly come in, Mrs Lawrence is completely hysterical.”

Evan could imagine the massive blow this dealt to Mrs Lawrence, just a few days ago she had shown off her son, leading him around singing his praises. The pride had been indescribable but something like this happened today. It would be strange if Mrs Lawrence was indifferent about it.

“Sheriff, tell me what’s going on first.” Evan asked while following Sheriff Chandler inside.

Sheriff Chandler angrily waved his hand at a homeless man, who was craning his neck from outside the fence trying to look into the house, while complaining, “Gypsies*!! Look at what Delanlier has become. We should not allow the train to pass through here, look at what this has brought to this peaceful town. It’s a disaster. I swear, it must have been a gypsy, only these people can be so mad.”

“Is it a murder? Sheriff?” Evan looked at Sheriff Chandler with surprise.

Sheriff Chandler leaned toward Evan, lowering his voice, he said, “Yes, it’s murder, Reverend. Can you believe it? Murder! In Delanlier!”

Evan had a shocked look on his face but was secretly muttering in his heart. “You’re surprised now but you will not feel that way with the things that will happen in the future.”

“My God, this is terrible.” Evan quickly drew the cross on his chest, like a truly devout Protestant.

Chandler looked at Evan’s pale face, fearful that he would faint and pass out, he hurriedly said, “But you don’t have to worry, I will catch the murderer very soon. Now, I would like you to console Mrs Lawrence and appease her so that we can be allowed to bring out Mr Lawrence Jr’s body first.”

Naturally, Evan’s nerves weren’t as thin as Sheriff Chandler imagined. He pursed his lips tightly and nodded in response.

Evan could hear Mrs Lawrence’s shrill voice coming from the living room as soon as he entered the house. Sheriff Chandler frowned and walked quickly toward the living room, Evan trotting after him.

In the living room, Mrs Lawrence was still wearing her nightgown, her hair was disheveled and her eyes were red and swollen from crying. She clung to the two police officers who were carrying out a stretcher, screaming, “You gangsters, put down my little John. He’s just sleeping! He is not dead, he could not have left his poor mother to bear it all!” She screamed, beating the police officer with a look of madness in her eyes.

When he saw this, Sheriff Chandler was very angry and he said loudly, “Enough! Mrs Lawrence, we understand your sorrow, but please don’t hinder our efforts in handling this case.”

Sheriff Chandler’s momentum calmed Mrs Lawrence’s madness for a while.

“Handling the case?” Mrs Lawrence looked at the sheriff, the sadness in her eyes almost overflowing. Her thin body was trembling so much that she could barely stand. Anyone who sees this scene would be moved.

“No……it can’t be, my John is so obedient, so cute, he can’t just leave his poor mother like this….. ”

She was about to fall as she spoke, Sheriff Chandler hurriedly moved forward to help her up. His tone turned softer, “Madam, as you can see, I have invited Reverend Bruce here. He will pray for little John’s soul. You don’t have to worry at all. It has already happened, please accept my condolences.”

Mrs Lawrence barely heard what Sheriff Chandler was saying, she was still murmuring about how obedient and sensible John was, as if nothing in the world could distract her.

In the end, it was Mr Lawrence who couldn’t bear to listen to this anymore. He had been sitting on the sofa beside the fireplace with a sullen look on his face. He abruptly stood up, pulled Mrs Lawrence from the sheriff’s hand, and said sharply, “Alright! That’s enough! Don’t make any more trouble! What’s the point of saying these words over and over again! You spoiled him!”

Mr Lawrence didn’t dare to look at John at all while he was speaking. His lips were trembling and his cloudy eyes were red as if he would start crying the next moment.

Though he didn’t cry, Mrs Lawrence did. Her voice was so desperate and sad, like a female animal that had lost its cub. Everyone in the room was almost moved to tears.

Of course, this included Evan. No matter how cold-hearted he is, watching this kind of a scene, his heart couldn’t help but soften. Evan walked over to the stretcher carrying John, bowed his head, made the sign of the cross and said a prayer.

Evan lifted the white cloth covering John’s face. John’s face was pale, his eyes wide with what seemed like puzzlement in his eyes. He probably didn’t expect that such a thing would happen to him. In fact, Evan didn’t expect it to happen either.

Sheriff Chandler silently walked over to Evan and said in a low voice, “Poor child, someone hit him on the back of the head with a lamp and he died just like that. He was only 22 years old, he had such a lovely fiancée. His life ended too early.”

Evan didn’t respond to the sheriff’s sigh. He bent his knees beside John, placed the Bible on John’s forehead, drew the cross on his chest and said a prayer. After doing this, he covered John with the white cloth and stood up.

Evan asked in a low voice, “Have you found who did this?”

Sheriff Chandler smiled with a little embarrassment, “We can’t make any conclusions yet, we still need further verification from the forensic doctor. Otherwise, there is no way to determine the real time of death.”

Evan raised his eyebrows and without speaking, he turned to walk over to Mrs Lawrence to do his job and comfort her.

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Mrs Lawrence was still crying in Mr Lawrence’s arms. When she saw Evan walking over, she broke free from Mr Lawrence’s arms and just like a drowning man grasping at the last straw, she grabbed at Evan’s arms tightly and said sadly, “Reverend, my John is a good boy. He will go to heaven, right?”

Evan helped Mrs Lawrence to a seat and said softly, “Don’t worry, John was a devout believer. God, with His merciful heart, will accept him into heaven no matter what he has done.”

When Evan said these meaningful words, he observed the expressions on the couple’s faces. Mrs Lawrence looked like she wasn’t aware of anything and didn’t respond at all. Mr Lawrence lowered his head without his expression changing, and smoked a cigar with a sad look in his eyes.

Evan became a little confused. Didn’t Jimmy tell them anything?

While Evan was comforting Mrs Lawrence, Dr. Hester happened to come down from upstairs. His eyes were bright with excitement but when he saw Evan’s reproachful eyes, he became somewhat embarrassed. Taking out a bottle of sedatives, he stepped forward, put two drops of it into a glass of water, handed it to Mrs Lawrence and said, “Madam, drink some of this. It will be good for you.”

Mrs Lawrence had already lost the strength to speak. In a daze, she took the glass of water from Dr. Hester and drank it all in one gulp.

Mr Lawrence, while supporting Mrs Lawrence, stood up and said solemnly, “Thank you, Dr. Hester, Reverend Bruce. I’m feeling a little sick now, so I won’t be able to send you out myself. Please, find your way out yourself.”

He helped Mrs Lawrence up to the second floor.

Looking at the situation, it seemed to Evan that it would not be good to stay there any longer. Evan also stood up and said to the doctor, “Let’s go, this poor couple has experienced enough for today. We should not bother them anymore.”

Dr. Hester looked a little reluctant but he didn’t dare to say anything more, so he had to agree with Evan with a smile and left the Lawrence house with Evan.

After leaving Woolwich Manor, Dr. Hester immediately took a carriage to the police station. He was the small town’s doctor and also the only forensic doctor in the police station. He needed to dissect the body that day.

But Evan didn’t leave immediately. He avoided the many inquisitive and curious eyes around the house and walked to the back of the house. He passed through the gate of the fence and entered the garden of Woolwich Manor. He walked towards the kitchen, Jimmy had told him that he had a good relationship with one of the cooks in the kitchen.

Evan walked up to the door of the kitchen and found it open. When he walked in, he could hear a faint cry. Evan walked towards where the sound of the cry was coming from and saw a girl in a maid’s outfit. She was covering her eyes and sobbing.

When she heard someone coming, she hastily raised her head in fear but when she saw that it was Evan, she sighed with relief. “Oh, it’s you, Reverend Bruce. Do you need anything?” She wiped her red eyes, a hint of tears still lingering in her voice. Her face was delicate and beautiful but still had a girl’s childishness.

Evan smiled and said softly, “I’m here to look for Jimmy, is he here?”

The maid was a little surprised by what Evan said. In her opinion, it was impossible for a person with such a low class like Jimmy to know a gentleman like the Reverend.

“Oh….oh, you came to see Jimmy.” The maid’s expression suddenly looked a little cramped, “But…. But Jimmy left Woolwich Manor early this morning. He said he got a new job and he was going to leave Woolwich Manor. So, he should have gone home.”

“Jimmy found a new job?” Evan couldn’t help frowning. That night, Jimmy was really worried about losing his job so how did he find a new job today? Evan found this a little puzzling.

Seeing that Evan’s expression was a little wrong, the maid’s expression became panicked, “Reverend, do you….do you have something you want from him?”

Evan saw the panic in her eyes and smiled, “No, it’s just that he left something in the church last time he came so I want to return it to him.”

“Oh, so that’s what it is. ” The maid sighed with relief, “Jimmy is the kind of person that loses things here and there. I can give you his home address so that you can send it there directly.”

Evan nodded and wrote down the address the maid gave him.

As he was about to leave, he glanced at the emerald green lace ribbon in the maid’s hair and suddenly asked, “Why were you crying just now?”

The maid, who had a look of relief on her face, instantly flushed red trying to hold back her tears. When the tears were about to stream out, she spoke stammering, “Because…because Master John is dead. He was a good master and we’ll all miss him very much.”

Evan curled his lips slightly, the title of a ‘good master’ didn’t really fit John. At the last banquet, he had seen John scolding his manservant more than once. It looks like this maid also has a few secrets of her own.

Evan looked at the maid with a gentle smile, “Child, the door of the church is always open to you. No matter what kind of trouble you encounter, you can always come to me. God will not close His doors to any devout believer.”

After speaking, he ignored the sad look on the maid’s face and turned to leave Woolwich Manor.

 

 

1 *People originating from South Asia and traditionally having an itinerant way of life, living widely dispersed across Europe and North and South America and speaking a language (Romani) that is related to Hindi; a Romani person. 1 *People originating from South Asia and traditionally having an itinerant way of life, living widely dispersed across Europe and North and South America and speaking a language (Romani) that is related to Hindi; a Romani person.

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