Death at the Fair by Frances McNamara

Author:Frances McNamara [McNamara, Frances]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780984067626
Publisher: Allium Press of Chicago

THIRTEEN

The next afternoon I traveled into the city to meet Detective Whitbread at his office. I thought he would be pleased at the plan to discover facts concerning the Sherville lynching and I hoped he might even be able to recommend an investigator. I barely noticed the crowds in the street as I hurried along, hoping all the while that he might have discovered some clue to the mystery already.

There was an air of tension in the precinct when I arrived and the desk sergeant treated me with unusual formality when I told him I had an appointment with Detective Whitbread. I did not know what to think of the reluctance in his manner when he finally allowed me to ascend the familiar staircase.

Reaching the top, I found myself face to face with Mr. Fitzgibbons.

“Miss Cabot.” He seemed as surprised as I was. “Whatever are you doing here?”

“I have an appointment with Detective Whitbread. As I mentioned to you, I have been consulting with him concerning a study we are doing at the university.” Since the detective’s assistance with the doctor’s case was unofficial and he had advised discretion, I did not admit the true object of my visit to Mr. Fitzgibbons.

He flushed and glanced back at the office door. He seemed confused. “He’s in. For the moment, at least. These are difficult days in the city, Miss Cabot. Sometimes we are called upon to do difficult things. But you must excuse me.”

With that he clattered down the stairs leaving me mystified but when I got to the office door I could see that something was amiss. There were packing crates stacked around the room and Detective Whitbread was energetically removing volumes from the shelves. He straightened when he saw me.

“Miss Cabot. I hoped I would see you before I left. I was afraid I would miss you.”

“You are leaving?” It was a blow. I realized, then, how much I had been depending on his help and advice during this crisis.

“I am afraid so. I have been transferred to an outlying district. Without cause, Miss Cabot, I assure you. Without cause and I will lodge a complaint with the Board of Commissioners. There has never been any stain or blot on my record and I defy them all to attempt to besmirch my reputation. I will fight this to the end.”

“How terrible. Have you been accused of some wrongdoing?”

“Not openly. They wouldn’t dare. I have no doubt it is the result of the great god of graft, Miss Cabot. It afflicts our politicians and poisons our system. It is the enemy of us all. We must fight it.”

I had never seen the detective angry. He was not a man to give way to his emotions. He valued logic and a scientific approach above all but I could tell that he was sorely tried by the present situation.

“I am sure they are very wrong to use you in this way.” I remembered the guilty look on the face of Mr. Fitzgibbons. So this was what he meant.

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