Sergeant James Patt, New York City Police
Notes on follow-up visit to Stewart residence
Mr. Stewart immediately assured me all was well, and I caught him tucking into his pocket a little note card that read “I love you” in feminine script. There was something nervous in his voice as he tried to shoo me out the door.
“Glad to hear you are well, Mr. Stewart, but I’ve a few more questions. Due diligence and all. I’m sure you can understand, sir,” I explained.
“Of course,” Mr. Stewart said, glancing about. “But the matter is resolved.”
That’s when I noticed the diary upon the desk with the subject’s name upon it. “What’s this? I think I’ll have to examine this, sir, if you don’t mind.”
“There’s really no need,” Stewart said quickly—which increased my curiosity. “It was sent to me just this week from Natalie herself, proving she’s fine.” He flipped through the pages and took out the separate letter addressed to him and, with cursory inspection, I saw that the penmanship did match. “You can see that she’s still alive. And that it didn’t come from New York. The postage bears a seal of Chicago.”
“Indeed, so she’s not dead. But I’m still taking this diary into the station. There’s a file for her, you know. Just in case something else comes up.”
The man’s nerves made me not trust the situation. Mr. Stewart was loath to let it go, which I suppose is understandable, but it remains with us nonetheless.
“And do you approve of your daughter’s actions?” I had to ask.
“No…but…but I’ve been overruled.”
I raised an eyebrow.
“My late wife…she…well…” Mr. Stewart coughed uncomfortably. “Well, she told me she quite approves of the situation and I need to let it be for the time being.”
“And just how did you find this out from your late wife?”
“Séance, Sergeant,” Stewart murmured, flushing.
“A séance?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I doubt words of a dead woman would hold up in court,” I retorted. “But it doesn’t look as though this is going to court, so go ahead and have fun with your magical parlor tricks,” I stated, having had quite enough.
I will peruse this diary, though, in case there’s something I should attend to, or if it may indicate that Mr. Stewart is lying and the girl is being kept somewhere against her will.