The Proposal - part 2

Chapter 2

         Most of the guests were finished eating by the time anyone said a word. “Would you like me to refill your water, Mr. Kopeland?” asked the servant. “Yes, please” he said. As Mr. Bradford took the glass through the door in the left corner of the room, the silence was broken.
         “Here’s one thing I don’t understand,” said Dr. Harris, breaking the eerie silence. “Mr. Reid said that his wife was missing, not dead, right?” Her face belied the confusion evident in her voice. “I think so,” said the judge, sounding just as confused.
         “So, if there’s no body, no known or suspected murder, not even any blood… why would he want the service of a forensic pathologist? Most of my work is concerned with determining the cause of death…”
         “That is strange, but how about a lawyer or a judge? As far as I know, he is only interested in finding out what happened, and where his wife is.” This was the young, vaguely nervous voice of Ron Stewart, who had, up until now, remained fairly silent. “Maybe there’s something more he wants from us…” said the judge.
         “Mr. Reid is quite an eccentric man,” said Mr. Bradford, returning with the glass in his hand. “Although, he hasn’t been himself since the disappearance of his wife.”
         “You know, on that night, I didn’t hear any glass at all, and my quarters are right beneath the study. I am a very light sleeper, and the sound of a window shattering would certainly have woken me, let alone a woman screaming.” This seemed to puzzle everyone in the room.
         “First thing tomorrow morning, I will be showing you the study itself. I have only been there once since that fatefull night, and after that, the door remained shut and everything was left as it was.” After everyone finished eating, Mr. Bradford led them to the guest bedrooms, where they unpacked and, eventually, fell asleep.
         According to the clock, it was 4:00 a.m. when a loud scream shook Patrick awake. Carefully, he got out of bed and walked into the hallway. Mr. Kopeland was already standing there.
         “That was a man’s scream.” He said. “It obviously wasn’t either of us… Have you seen Mr. Stewart anywhere?” The servant was nowhere to be found, and as Dr. Harris came to join them, a startled Ron Stewart ran to meet them. “There’s a dead man in the bushes outside!”



Chapter 3

         “Well, this is not Mr. Bradford, and everyone else has been accounted for…” said the judge. He and Ron had been standing on the porch, talking.
         “Could this be Mr. Reid?”
         “Possibly…”
         Near the bushes, Patrick and Catherine were examining the body. “Well, you finally have your body, doctor…” said Patrick with a small laugh. “Perhaps this is why your services were called for.”
         “I’m afraid not, Mr. Benedict…” She said. “Mr. Reid must have sent that letter over two weeks ago. This corpse is fresh; I’d say not a day old.”
         “So, what were you doing out here at 4:00 a.m., anyway, Mr. Stewart?” asked the judge. “Well,” he replied, “I couldn’t sleep. I was thinking about the disappearance of Mrs. Reid, and I just couldn’t get to sleep. So, I grabbed a cigar and stood out on the porch here to relax, when my matches dropped into the bushes below. When I felt around for the box, I t-touched something cold,” he said, his voice starting to shake. “When I took a close look, I… I saw…”
         Back at the bush, the inspector noticed something strange in the victim’s front coat pocket. “What is that?” inspector Benedict inquired, his head cocked slightly with interest. Dr. Harris reached into the pocket. She pulled out a peculiar letter and handed it to the inspector.
         “Please…” The inspector began to read the letter silently. “Miss Harris,” he said as he handed the letter to her, “I believe this is the body of Mr. Benson…”
         At this time, Mr. Bradford walked out on to the porch. “What happened?” he said, looking puzzled. “I woke up and I was sure I heard a scream…”
         “Mr. Bradford, if anyone else is in this house, I’m going to need to know right now,” said the inspector, approaching him.
         “It’s only me. Mr. Reid won’t be back until-“
         “Back?” asked Dr Harris, confused. ”Where’s he gone?”
         “Oh, he leaves quite often, and usually doesn’t tell me why until after he returns. I did say he was somewhat odd. Now, if you don’t mind me asking, what exactly is going on here?”
         The inspector and Dr. Harris explained what they found out to Mr. Bradford, as well as the lawyer and the judge.
         “That is Mr. Benson, alright...” confirmed the judge. Patrick thought his tone of voice was rather forceful, as if he felt he needed to say that before someone else said anything.
         “How did he die?” asked Ron.
         “There were ligature strangulation marks around his neck,” explained the forensic pathologist. “Judging from the imprints on the neck, he was probably strangled with a rope.”
         “That body wasn’t there yesterday…” said the startled servant.
         “Mr. Bradford,” said Catherine, “That body wasn’t dead yesterday.”
         “Well, I don’t know about the rest of you,” said Mr. Stewart, “But I’m staying awake…”
         “Yeah,” said Catherine, “I don’t think I can sleep.”
         “Perhaps it’s best if you show us the study now,” said Patrick. “Very well,” replied Mr. Bradford. “Follow me.”