The White Lady by Paul Halter

Author:Paul Halter [Halter, Paul]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-08-10T22:00:00+00:00

After taking leave of Lethia, we took a stroll around the backstreets of Buckworth. Owen wanted to absorb the atmosphere of the village, “all the better to penetrate its secrets,” he explained. Behind each door and each window, he sniffed out their ancient secrets. The Tudor-style cottages attracted the most attention.

‘Can you sense the vibrations emanating from these old stones, Achilles?’ he asked. ‘They want to send us a message; they witnessed the birth of the White Lady... They are witnesses of the first order.’ He breathed in deeply. ‘Even the air is impregnated with the smells of the past.’

‘You should try clairvoyance yourself, Burns!’

‘And why not?’

‘So, is the light of truth about to break through?’

‘Yes, but little by little, like a simmering stew.’

He pointed to a red brick building in a dilapidated state:

‘That’s the Lewis family home. He told me he was hoping to renovate it.’

‘Well, he’d better put in some overtime, then!’

‘Achilles, for heaven’s sake, please lose that habit of only seeing the material aspect of things.’

‘And you stop beating about the bush. What are you trying to achieve here? Do I have to remind you that we have a serious problem on our plate? And there you were, strutting like a peacock in front our chief suspect. Don’t deny it!’

‘Didn’t it occur to you that it was a manoeuvre, the better to get at the truth?’

‘So, is she the White Lady?’

He stopped suddenly, a finger to his lips.

‘I think Miss Seagrave plays a part in this mystery. But what kind? That of an instigator, or a victim? The whole question is there.’

Inspector Lewis was not there waiting for us on return, nor did he turn up for dinner. The landlord told us he had not left his room. Afterwards, Owen announced that he needed to take a nocturnal stroll to get his thoughts in order, and since he didn’t invite me to come along, I deduced that he wanted to be alone.

What was he hoping for? To meet the White Lady?

A few minutes after he left, I put on my coat and left the hotel in turn. My intention was not to follow him, but just to stretch my legs as well. Once outside, I regretted my decision. The night was particularly damp. Only a few lights were on in the windows. I was thankful I had brought along my little torch. After wandering haphazardly through the streets, I ended up in front of the church, which I found somewhat reassuring, as if the religious edifice had the power to dispel demons... In truth, I was scared stiff. The damp darkness penetrated my soul insidiously, inflaming my imagination as I tried to review all the elements of the affair. As if attracted by a flame, I found myself walking in the direction of the manor, which seemed to be at the heart of the problem.

Five minutes later I saw the wire fence of the property. It occurred to me that the two policemen assigned by Inspector Lewis would be on duty outside the building.

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