The Case Of The Missing Bride - Robert F. Clifton (red novels .txt) 📗

middle daughter. She would have been approaching her thirteenth birthday when Partheana disappeared,” Wallace mentioned as he added the information to his notes.

“Here's the one Priscilla did about Philomena”, Kaplan replied as he again placed the sampler on the counter top.

Wallace looked at the textile and read;

A Daughter Is Special

Daughter is Dear

A Precious gift From Above

A Daughter is a Treasure To

Forever Hold And To Love

Philomena White

Born November 10 1851

“Didn't you say you had one that might have been done, soon after

 

Partheana's disappearance?”, asked Robert.

“Yes here it is. I don't know just how valuable it is to our investigation, hey, you're the cop. You decide”, said Boo placing the last sampler on top of the others.

Wallace let the fabric lay just where it was and then he read;

“All To Myself I

Think Of you

Think Of The Things

We Use To Do

Think Of The Things

We Use To Say

Think Of Each Happy

Yesterday

Sometimes I Sigh

 

Sometimes I Smile

Keeping You In My

Heart All The While

April 1865

 

“According to this, she embroidered this three years after Partheana went missing. As a result, it doesn't tell us anything, other then the fact that a mother was yearning for her lost daughter.” said Wallace.

“I wish I had the White Family bible, but I don't, Kaplan said sadly.

“Well, you don't, and if you did have it I wouldn't expect to find anything really beneficial. Usually, the thing to do at that time was to register births, deaths, and marriages. We already have that information. We know when and where. What we need now is why and how. Speaking of how, how many other diaries do you have in storage?”, asked Wallace.

“I think there are six or seven, but most of the diaries that I have read were kept long after Partheana vanished”, Boo said.

“Did you read them before or after you got involved in this investigation?”, the Captain.

“Before”.

“Then, you weren't looking for any leads or written clues in reference to her disappearance at that time”.

“No, as I recall I was looking for family names and trying to match relatives that still live in this town”.

“O.K. I suggest that we divide the dairies and not only read them, but examine them. If and when we find something we write it down then meet and discuss our findings and its relationship to Partheana's departure from the estate”, said.

“Alright, let me go get them”, Kaplan said as he walked toward the storeroom.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Eight

Parlor Games

 

Robert Wallace got comfortable in his recliner. Then he opened one of the dairies he had borrowed from the Nautilus Beach Museum. Looking at the first page he read the name of Sophronia White written he suspected by her own hand, over a hundred years ago.

He turned the delicate, aged pages looking first at those containing dates and times. What he was looking for was the relationship between the writer and her sister Partheana and any signs of sibling rivalry. He took his time reading. What he did notice was the fact that the writer had just turned eleven years old on May 10, 1860 and had made and entry on her birthday. It read: Dear diary, today is my birthday. I am now eleven years old. Mother and father gave me a birthday party. There was a cake with white icing. We also had candy and apple cider.

After having cake we played games. I won at Charades. Agatha Winslow won at Blind Man's bluff while sister Partheana won playing Graces. She caught the most wooden rings. Since Philomena was the youngest girl at my party, us older girls allowed her to win at Hide and Go Seek. Later, we went outside and played Croquet. Octavia Baker won the game. She plays often in Philadelphia.

Wallace got up out his chair and walked to the desk that he and Mary shared. There, he opened his briefcase and placed the dairy he had been reading inside. He stood there a moment looking at the other two journals that had once belonged to Sophronia White. He reached in and removed a red leather covered diary, closed his briefcase and returned to his chair. Seated again he opened the journal and noticed that the first page contained the date, 1861. “Good, he thought to himself. With any luck, the dairies are written in order, year after year”

Robert turned and read the pages slowly, reading the thoughts of a young girl in the past: Dear diary, today, August 2, 1861 mother took us girls to Philadelphia. We rode the train from Nautilus Beach to Camden, then took the ferry across the Delaware River. Partheana and I stood by the rail all the way across.

We went to visit the Baker family. Partheana was anxious to see William, while I was hoping to see Octavia. She is so much fun.

Wallace turned to the next page, dated August 4, 1861 and read: Dear diary, I am back home after spending two days in Philadelphia. I must admit that I had a fine time, particularly with Octavia

Baker, William's cousin. Alone together we vowed to be best friends forever. Octavia wrote a note and gave it to me. It reads,

When this you see remember me.

Wallace continued reading finding nothing but the writings of a child at the time. Sophronia wrote frequently about events and happenings in her life.

September 7, 1861, Dear dairy, today the Bakers arrived for the weekend. How happy I was to see Octavia.

She and I, along with Philomena caught crabs out of the bay. Later, Mother held an ice cream social. After-wards we played games.

Octavia suggested that we play pick up sticks, a new game that she brought from Philadelphia. It is so much fun. It took several games before I was able to win. While we played, Philomena and mother played Tiddy Winks.

After dinner we watched William do hand shadows on a white sheet that hanged on the wall. He is very good.

Wallace closed the diary when Mary came into the room. “Did you find anything interesting?”, she asked.

“Not really, just the writings of a young lady written a hundred years ago”.

“Could it be that you're missing something?”, asked Mary.

“Possibly”.

“Do you mind if I read the dairies? Maybe I find something that you missed”.

“Be my guest, but I doubt if you'll find anything that I don't already know”.

“That could be, just remember that I was an investigative reporter. I'd still be doing it if it wasn't for you”.

“Well, help yourself to these two journals. One is from 1860. The other is from 1861. If you find anything don't hesitate to let me know. Meanwhile, I'll read the last one, 1862”, said Wallace as he handed the two diaries to his wife.

Wallace then opened Sophronia White's diary, dated 1862 and began to read: Dear diary, today, February 2, I heard father and mother talking about the plans for Partheana's wedding. It seems that they are concerned about William Baker's safety, since he has taken an officers commission in a Philadelphia Regiment.

Wallace turned page after page, ignoring those that didn't pertain to Partheana or her wedding. Frustrated and somewhat bored he turned to Mary and said, “Well, have you found anything?”

“No, not yet”.

“I'm beginning to think that we won't find anything. This could be just a waste of time”, replied Wallace.

“Don't tell me you're ready to quit. Isn't it you that constantly maintains that there is always evidence and that the lack of evidence is simply a lack of effort by the investigator?”

“Yeah, but in this case I had a big mouth.”

“I'm sure that you have had tougher cases then this

“Yeah, but the evidence I was looking for in those cases wasn't over a hundred years old”.

“Keep reading Robert. Something will turn up. I'm certain.”

Wallace turned the pages, then stopped when he caught the word, wedding. He read carefully. Dear diary, today March 26, 1862 Partheana insisted that I be her maid of honor. Darling Philomena is to be the flower girl. How wonderful it will be with all sisters involved. However, I will dearly miss Partheana. Of course she will reside in Philadelphia near Williams parents.

I will miss our talks at night in our bedroom. Whispering to each other so mother couldn't hear us. I will surely miss our games that we played together, shuttle cock, coquette, graces and hide and go seek. She always wins at hide and go seek. No one can ever find her. Maybe we can play before the wedding”.

“Son of a bitch!”, said Wallace.

“What's wrong?”, asked Mary

“Sophronia wrote in her diary, No one can ever find Partheana when she plays hide and go seek”.

“So, what does that mean? You searched the mansion and the grounds yourself and you found nothing”, Mary replied.

“Yeah, I know, but damn it, I'm close. So close I can feel it. I've got to call Boo”, said Robert as he got up and went to the telephone. He dialed the number, then waited impatiently as he listened to the ringing tone. Finally, Kaplan's wife picked up the receiver and answered, “Hello?”

“Sandra? This is Bob Wallace. Is Boo there?”

“Yes, wait and I'll get him. Boo”, she called.

Boo Kaplan came on the line. “Wally? What's up?”, he asked.

“I think I've finally got something concrete besides my head. In Sophronia White's 1862 diary, she mentions that Partheana can never be found when they play hide and go seek. Do you see the connection? She can never be found?”

“Sorry Wally, I don't get it.

“Boo, somewhere in that house Partheana had a special hiding place. A place that hid her so well that she always won the game”.

“Well if she did. Why didn't she come out of hiding on the evening of her wedding day?”, asked Kaplan.

“Maybe she couldn't”.

“What do you mean?”

“I don't know, but I want to search the mansion again if it's alright with you”.

No problem. Is Saturday O.K. with you?”, asked Boo.

“Fine, how about ten in the morning? And, wear old clothes we're going to be doing a lot of searching, probably in a lot of dirty places”.

“That's alright with me, but let me tell you what I found”.

“And what would that be?”

“I read Sally White's journal. You can tell that she was grieving. Listen to this. I'll read it to you”, The summer is coming to a close and yet, there is no sign of my poor missing daughter. Where, oh where are you my darling Partheana. The last time I gazed upon you was when you left the table to go outside.

We looked and looked for you my darling, but alas you were no where to be found. Still, I feel your presence as I grieve. I miss you so.

“Interesting, in fact it sort of fits in with my theory”, said Wallace.

“And what would that be?”

“I'll tell you tomorrow. I still want to chew on this for a while”.

“I understand, see you tomorrow.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Nine

Ally, Ally Oxen, Free

Wallace and Kaplan met the next morning. “I hope you know where to look. We covered every inch of this place and found nothing”, said Boo.

“Not quite. We passed when it came to the attic, remember?” Wallace replied.

“So now you think there's a secret passage or something in the attic”.

“We won't know until we get there.”

The two men climbed the winding staircase to the top floor. Wallace turned on the flashlight he carried and shined the beam into the dark interior. Inside the attic his light beam reflected off of dust, dirt, dried leaves from trees, that had been carried on the wind and deposited through the gaping hole in the roof. Then, seeing that the loft ceiling was high enough for him to stand he entered. Kaplan followed. They stood silently looking around seeing nothing, but empty space. “Well, as I thought there's nothing here. We're just wasting time Wally”.

Wallace stood in silence, concentrating, moving the light beam back and forth hoping to find one piece of evidence that would prove his notion that the disappearance of Partheana was somehow related to this part of the mansion. He turned to Boo and asked, “How many items were in