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“Oh, Alyssa, my dear child, you have important testimony to give in the murder of Samuel Knight? What on earth can you possibly know of it?” inquired her father.
“I know, Father, that the poor vagabond, Lucas Durano, and the valet, Johnny McLean, who I have been informed, have been accused of Samuel's death, are innocent of the crime. They are not guilty!”
“Alyssa Nicole!”
“I speak the truth, Father. But, I would rather not say another word unless I am under oath and giving it under oath in the presence of the DA. I wish for you to send for him, please, Father. I wish to get this terrible thing off my mind, and it will help me recover faster.”
“Alyssa, how can it possibly be that you know who committed that murder? If so, how do you know the awful truth of this matter? Was it through our maid, Bethany?”
“Not at all. I haven’t heard from her since we arrived at the Knight Estate. The word is that she fled with Johnny McLean.”
“Yes, with the very man whose arrest warrant has been issued for the robbery and murder of Samuel Knight!”
“She might have not fled but went away with him to get married. They did love each other, Father. She told me herself before we came to Samuel’s nineteenth birthday party. I can assure you he didn’t have anything to do with it.”
“Come now, Alyssa Nicole, you haven’t answered my question. I ask you again. Do you know who killed Samuel Knight?” repeated Alyssa’s father.
“To honestly answer your question, Father, it would have to be that NO, I do not know who killed Samuel Knight. But I know neither Johnny nor Lucas are the guilty parties,” replied Alyssa.
“Father, please understand, to tell you would require me to tell you the answer that will be very painful to me. Therefore, I can only tell it once. I will make it before the DA. Period.”
“Alyssa, I have—-.”
“Father, please. I will make it before the District Attorney, and you will be present, of course, and hear all that I have to say... once and for all. But, let’s keep this between you and me and the DA. Mother doesn’t need to know about it. It would only distress her to no end.”
“The DA is only a fifteen-minute trip to get here. I will send for him now.”
“Thank you, Papa. That will give me time to make myself presentable and come downstairs to the library.”
“Are you sure you feel well enough?”
“Yes. I will be able to find the strength to do this. The slight exertion will not hurt me. Actually, the change might do me good,” replied the young lady.
Kenneth Reynolds left the room.
With the nurse's help, Alyssa got out of bed and changed into a dark blue cashmere dress, lined and faced with dark-blue satin. When dressed, she went down the stairs and walked into the library. It was a beautiful room, upholstered in scarlet and gold, lined with walnut-carved mirrors and a choice of family pictures.
The nurse brought a footstool and placed it under the lady’s feet.
No sooner was she made comfortable than there came a rap at the door. The nurse walked over, opened the door, and admitted her father, Kenneth Reynolds, Judge Jacob Thomas, and the District Attorney, Christopher Watkins.
No sooner was the door closed than Kenneth Reynolds said, “As I informed you, sir, my daughter has some important things she would like to say that have to do with the death of Samuel Knight.”
The DA walked over and said, “I understand from Kenneth that you wish to make a deposition under oath as to facts that have something to do with our investigation into the death of Samuel Knight.”
“I do.”
“Do you, Alyssa Nicole Reynolds, that the statement you are about to present is the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you, God? If so, do you also understand after your statement, you will be called a witness in the trial should anyone be tried for murder?”
“Yes, I agree, sir. It is my duty to give any information within my knowledge that may tend to vindicate the innocent and discover the guilty, whatever inconvenience it might bring myself,” Alyssa replied firmly.
“Very well, Alyssa, you may begin but speak slowly, for I need to take down your testimony. My clerk was tied up and not with me, and I am a bit slower than him.”
“It was on the evening, or rather to say precisely, it was the morning after the birthday ball, between the hours of three and four o’clock in the morning when all of the festivities ceased. All of the guests had departed. The only exception was those given rooms and invited to stay.
We all retired to our bedrooms. I locked the door, sat down, and began to unclasp the jewelry from my neck. When I did it, I noticed the large diamond pendant I was wearing was missing.
I remember it was there when I danced the last waltz. I knew it must have come loose, and I dropped it either in the ballroom or in one of the hallways leading to our bedrooms. Since the diamond was passed down in the family to me, I did not dare to leave it to the chance discovery of some dishonest person in the house. I didn’t wish to wake anyone and thought I would try to find it alone.
I took the flashlight that was on my nightstand in my room and set forth to look for my lost necklace. I remember the grandfather clock in the hallway ringing four bells... that is why I knew it was four o’clock in the morning.
As I left my chambers and was unfamiliar with the house, I unknowingly turned down the hallway where Doctor Clair, Oliver Courbis, and Samuel Knight’s rooms were located.
As I was tiptoeing down the hallway, a door suddenly opened. I was so startled that I immediately turned off my flashlight and got up against the wall. Two people came out. One was Johnny McLean, and the other was the vagabond, Lucas Durano. I knew them both by sight as I knew them from other times I was in Black Rock Cove.
I was afraid of being seen and backed into another hallway. No sooner did the two men leave the room than I heard Samuel’s voice say, ‘Out the back kitchen door, Johnny, and then out by the north entrance.’
Samuel closed the door, and I heard the key turning where it was locked while Johnny showed the tramp out of the house,” Alyssa stopped.
“And you saw and heard everything you are telling me?” asked the DA.
“Yes, sir. I saw everything and heard everything I have told you,” repeated the beautiful Alyssa Nicole Reynolds.
“But, Alyssa, what you say proves nothing in favor of the accused two men. You saw them go out, that is true. But it is possible they both returned, picked the lock on Samuel Knight’s bedroom door, and committed the murder and robbery of the poor unsuspecting soul.”
“No, sir. They very well might have done so, but they didn’t, Mister Watkins. Later on, someone else picked the lock and committed the murder. I haven’t testified as to the rest of my story yet. There is more that I saw that I haven’t told you yet. I saw the real murderer at his fiendish work.”
“Alyssa Nicole!” shouted her father. “My dearest child!”
“Yes, Father, I saw the murderer,” repeated the young lady. Then, finally, she grew pale and began speaking in almost a whisper.
“Under what circumstances was that?” asked the DA.
“I, uh—-.”
Kenneth interjected, “This is too much for you, hun. Maybe you should not have undertaken this task so soon.”
“No, Father... I should have undertaken it sooner. I should have presented this evidence at the original questioning downstairs. It would have changed everything,” sighed Alyssa Nicole, regretfully and almost reproachfully.
“I am so sorry, Alyssa. None of us could have imagined that you would have been connected to the murder as eyewitnesses. Besides, you were too ill to attend the hearing of all the evidence.”
“Yes, back then, that is true. But now, I am here. Let me continue, please. So, when the valet and the vagabond disappeared, and Samuel closed his door and locked it, I came out of the dark hallway I was hiding. I went to the staircase and began looking for my necklace. I never found it there and continued into the ballroom, where I looked all over but in vain. I looked around for thirty minutes or so in every crook and cranny of the room. That is when the batteries went dead in my flashlight. There was a full moon that morning, and it shined in the windows giving me just enough light to find the servant’s quarters. I thought about rousing them to get some help in finding my diamond pendant.
However, just as I passed into the hallway on the way to the servants’ quarters, I looked down and saw my diamond necklace lying on the wood floor. I picked it up and began to walk up the stairwell. I got to the top and began to move slowly because not much of the moonlight lit my way upstairs.
As I passed the hallway back down to Samuel Knight’s room, the moon shone brightly at the other end through the window. I stopped and stared a moment and saw a man standing who was coming out of Samuel Knight’s room.” She paused, leaving all three men in a sense of suspense. They all bent with breathless attention toward Alyssa.
“He turned around and rushed down the other end of the hall out of my line of sight into the shadows. Then he disappeared.”
“Alyssa! Did you recognize who the man was?” inquired the DA.
“No, I didn’t. I actually didn’t suspect anything until the next day. I thought at first it was just someone staying in the house whom maybe I hadn’t met before.
From there, I went to my bedroom and went sound asleep. After that, I didn’t think of it anymore until I heard that Samuel had been murdered the next day. Then I put all the pieces together of the night before.”
“But, Alyssa, my dear. If you didn’t recognize him, could it have been one of the two men that Samuel locked the door behind earlier?” Alyssa’s Father interjected.
“No, Father... it’s practically impossible. Johnny and Lucas have a dark complexion, black hair, and full beards. The one I saw last leave Samuel’s room was white-faced and didn’t have a beard or mustache.” Alyssa replied but appeared to be fatigued with the interview length.
“And you could tell all of these features in the dark?”
“As I said before, the light from the moon came in the window at the end of the hallway, and I could make out the features,” Alyssa Nicole replied.
“Thank you, Alyssa. I do not doubt whatsoever that you are telling the truth under oath. But may I ask if you are telling us the entire truth? Is there anything else that you are not telling?”
“No, nothing,” firmly said Nicole.
“Not even your suspicion of this man’s identity who emerged from the doorway of Samuel’s room on the night of the murder?”
“No, sir. I have no suspicion of his identity.”
“It had to be someone you knew. Think carefully. There was Samuel, Oliver Courbis, elevated to the head of this estate, and Doctor Clair,” said the DA.
“Mister Watkins,” Alyssa smiled slightly, “the man I saw looked nothing like the three gentlemen you mentioned.”
“Very well. Let me ask you another question. Would you recognize this man if you should see him again?”
“I am not sure,” Alyssa replied.
“Okay. That will be all. Thank you for coming and answering our questions, Alyssa.”
The nurse was called for, and the beautiful young Alyssa Nicole Reynolds was helped back to her room.
*****
LET’S HEAD BACK OVER to the lighthouse.
At this very hour, Claudia, exasperated by the continued watch by the police in her home, rushed out of the lighthouse and unbraid her lover, Hugh Jackson. It wasn’t long as she ran down the Demon Gorge to the beach, she met the man who was waiting for her. “Hugh, please tell me you found something that will help get those police out of my house!” Claudia exclaimed resentfully.
“Well, Claude, they will be out of there today.”
“What do you mean, Hugh?”
“Do you know Dylan James Stark in town? He’s a commercial fisherman, right?”
“Yes.”
“They put to sea over ten days ago. Nothing was heard of them until this morning. Some thought they were lost at sea when the last storm blew through.”
“Well?” questioned Claudia.
“Well... this morning, their boat came in, and they heard of the murder of Samuel Knight for the first time. They also found out about the arrest warrant for Lucas and Johnny and the reward offered for their capture.”
“What of it?”
“Well, they are ready to testify that they took Lucas Durano up the coast near Seattle on the morning of the murder before anyone had heard anything about it.”
“What!” exclaimed Claudia in unbounded amazement.
“They have gone to police headquarters to report this information. So, in a few hours, your house will be clear of the police. But, I must go, Claudia... my love. See you later!”
*****
BACK AT THE KNIGHT Estate, this news traveled quickly. Kenneth and Jacob went looking for Oliver and found him in the library. He was lying on a sofa between two casement windows overlooking the gardens smoking a long leaf cigar and sipping on brandy on an end table.
“Good morning, Oliver,” said Jacob. “I’m sorry to intrude on your privacy, but Kenneth and I have a little business to take care of,” said Jessica’s father.
“Take a seat there,” Oliver pointed to a wingback chair. “And you, Kenneth, pull that chair up from over there,” he suggested, “here and up to the sofa.”
The visitors sat down.
“I hope Alyssa is recovering, Kenneth,” continued Oliver.
“Yes, she is better this morning, thanks,” replied Kenneth.
“Well, Jacob, it looks like you are anxious about something. Is there some news regarding the murder or the theft of Samuel’s body?”
“Yes, Oliver. Nothing to do with the theft of Samuel’s body, but some new evidence regarding the murder has changed things quite a bit,” Jacob replied.
“Really? What is this new evidence? Who brought it forward?” inquired Oliver in obvious agitation.
“Let me answer, Jacob,” said Kenneth. “My daughter has just spoken with the DA and brought new evidence to the authorities.”
“Alyssa? What in the world could she know about it?” asked Oliver with increasing disturbance.
“Just the question Jacob and I asked each other when she volunteered to become a witness.”
Oliver got up, walked over, looked out the window overlooking the gardens, and didn’t say a word. He listened.
“Alyssa had to leave her bedroom early morning, around four o’clock, in search of a diamond necklace that has been in our family for many years. She dropped it by accident and was retracing her steps to find it. Walking down the hallway, she saw Lucas and Johnny come out of Samuel’s room, and he locked his door behind them.”
Oliver turned around. “Alyssa saw all of this?” asked the man now head of the estate.
“She did.”
“Then I don’t see any way either of the two men could have committed the murder.”
“She said they didn’t, and it was another man who did the deed.”
“Who did she say committed the murder?”
“She doesn’t know who the man was but saw him leaving Samuel’s room when she returned to her bedroom after searching a long time for her lost diamond.”
“What did he look like?” asked Oliver in irrepressible agitation.
“A young, fair complexion, with no beard or mustache. With a frightened expression, he stood for a moment looking up and down the corridor, closed the door, and rushed away into the darkness.”
His agitation of Oliver now became almost uncontrollable. He could barely steady his voice to ask his next question. “Did Alyssa recognize the man?”
Kenneth interjected, “No, Oliver. She didn’t recognize him.”
“Do you think she would know the man if she saw him again?”
“She told us she wasn’t sure.”
“All of this distresses me, gentlemen.”
A rap came on the door.
The butler opened and said, “Mister Courbis, there are three fishermen from the village who would like to have a word with you. They have information they would like to give regarding Lucas Durano.”
“Ahhh, indeed! Ask them to have a seat. I shouldn’t be much longer.”
“Jacob, I suppose this evidence will clear Lucas and Johnny from the charge of murder against them.”
“I should say it will clear them, Oliver,” Jacob said.
Kenneth added, “But, I would say it might clear them. The valet and the vagabond may have returned to the estate and committed the murder after all were asleep. Besides, their flight right after the murder holds them still responsible. On the other hand... there is the eyewitness of an unknown man leaving Samuel’s room two hours after the valet and tramp were locked out. So, I was wondering, where is this man now who gives evidence of leaving Samuel’s room at almost six o’clock in the morning of the murder? Heck, maybe this man leaving at six in the morning was in cahoots with Lucas and Johnny.”
“That’s all, gentlemen. You may stay, but I want to hear what those three fishermen say.”
The butler soon reappeared, ushering in three fishermen who still wreaked of fish.
“Your names, gentlemen?” Oliver asked.
“Dylan James Stark, sir,” said the taller and older man of the three while advancing. “And, these two men are my fishing mates... Rusty Simms and Thomas Davison,” he said while pushing his thumb over his shoulder at the two other men.
“You have some info to give regarding Lucas Durano?”
“Yes, sir,” said Dylan James.
“Yes. He sailed out on our vessel where we dropped him off on the coast near Seattle early in the morning when Samuel Knight was murdered,” said Stark.
“That was ten days ago. Why do you just now come with that information.”
“Because, sir, we had no idea that Lucas was up to anything associated with this murder... nothing at all. We didn’t know the police had a warrant out for his arrest when we saw him. Besides, we just found out about the murder when we returned from our fishing trip when we landed in Black Rock Cove,” he paused to collect his thoughts.
“Continue.”
“It was barely light when my friends and I were going out with the turn of the tide when Lucas Durano came on board and asked us where we were going. I told him we were headed up to the shoals off of Seattle. That’s where the salmon were really biting. He said he would give us a couple hundred dollars to drop him off in Seattle. We agreed. It was an easy two hundred and helped pay our gas for our trip... and it was on our way anyhow.”
Rusty Simms added, “I asked him where he got so much money, and he said from gold mining in the Colorado mountains.”
Dylan James continued, “So, Mister Courbis, we took him up on his offer and set sail at sunrise. We never suspected anything.”
Thomas added, “We sailed for three days to get to the shoals. We make a living on catching Salmon; this was the prime season. Then, after dropping him off, we went to the shoals and fished for three or four days until we filled our boat with salmon. We reached home this morning and then heard for the first time that a murder and robbery occurred at the Knight Estate and that there were warrants out for the arrest of Johnny McLean and Lucas Durano.”
“Thank you for coming to me with this information, gentlemen.”
Later in the afternoon, Claudia sat in her room in the dilapidated accommodations at the lighthouse. She stared at a policeman who was whittling on a stick by the front door.
One of her thoughts was on what Hugh, the man she loved, said about what the three fishermen said. She didn’t understand. These men were not liars. They were honest, hard-working men who were known for their honesty and hard-working lifestyle. And they had known Lucas since his childhood and would not mistake him when he came on board their vessel. But she knew Lucas was down in the hidden cave below the lighthouse.
While pondering this knowledge, she saw her door open, and another policeman entered the room.
“Go on, Mister. Take your friend's place. I am used to your ugly faces here every single day!”
“Oh, but I’m not here, Ma’am, to take his place. I’m here to bring him back to Black Rock Cove. We are through here. The man we are looking for isn’t here. He has fled to Seattle somewhere. We have sent some other men to work with the police department to locate him.
“Good riddance to bad rubbish! Go on! Get the Hell outta here,” demanded Claudia.
“No problem. We are going now,” the officer replied.
They left the lighthouse.
She pulled the curtain back from a makeshift window and stared as the men walked out of sight. She then dropped into her chair and couldn’t help herself. She began laughing and speaking aloud, “I wonder who it was that Dylan James allowed on his fishing vessel to carry with them. It couldn’t have been Lucas, whoever it was,” she laughed again. “Well, no matter. I must go see about Lucas. It has been over a week now.” She began to busily gather some provisions. She walked over to her bed and pulled out a leather bag filled with bread, brandy, a flashlight, some matches, and a roll of clean linen.
When all of her preparations were made, she made her way down to the cellar and then through the hidden entrance into the subterranean passageway and headed to the wide-open cavern she left her mother and Lucas eight days ago.