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- Herausgeber: Booksell-Verlag
- Kategorie: Krimi
- Sprache: Englisch
In 'The Death That Lurks Unseen,' J. S. Fletcher crafts a captivating narrative that intertwines mystery and psychological depth, reflecting the literary conventions of early 20th-century crime fiction. This compelling work follows an enigmatic protagonist drawn into a web of intrigue and murder, exploring the dark recesses of human nature against the backdrop of a society grappling with change. Fletcher's meticulous attention to detail and atmospheric prose creates an immersive experience, allowing readers to engage deeply with both the plot and its psychologically complex characters. J. S. Fletcher, a prolific English author and journalist, gained prominence in the early 1900s for his contributions to detective fiction. His extensive knowledge of the crime genre, paired with his background as a newspaper reporter, offers a unique lens through which he crafts his narratives, blending journalistic precision with storytelling flair. Fletcher's works often reflect the social issues of his time, showcasing his keen observations on human behavior and societal constructs, which undoubtedly informed the motifs present in this particular novel. This gripping novel is highly recommended for enthusiasts of classic mysteries and intrigue aficionados alike. Fletcher's deft storytelling and intricate plotting prove to be a rewarding read, inviting readers to delve into the timeless themes of deception and moral ambiguity. Whether you are a seasoned connoisseur of the genre or looking to explore the roots of mystery literature, 'The Death That Lurks Unseen' promises an unforgettable journey into suspense.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
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The Death That Lurks Unseen
Table of Contents
CHAPTER I. Mr. Lazardoff, Traveller.
ABOUT seven o'clock in the evening of the 2lst of October, 188-, I landed at Hull from Rotterdam with a few shillings in my pocket and no apparent prospect of replacing them when they should have been spent on bare necessaries. A week earlier I had sailed from the same port in order to make personal application to a commercial house in Antwerp, with whose manager I bad been in communication for some little time previously. I had found it difficult to obtain suitable employment in my own country, and, as I possessed a good knowledge of French and German, it seemed to me that I might try my luck in some of the commercial centres of the Continent. I heard of a house which was in want of an English correspondence clerk, and after some negotiations by letter I determined on running over to Antwerp in order to settle matters definitely. I bad an idea that if I presented myself in person I should have more chance of success than by writing a score of letters. Here, however, I was mistaken, for, after waiting two days for their decision, I was informed that the proprietors had decided upon engaging the services of another applicant.
It would have been folly to have remained in a strange country with no expectations and with such a small amount of money as was then in my possession, and I accordingly resolved to return to England at once. I bitterly regretted the loss of the two or three pounds which had been expended on my journey, and was only comforted by remembering that I had spent them in an honest endeavour to find work, and that I might have been successful after all, in which case the money would have been well laid out. But this thought, though all very well in theory, was anything but satisfactory when it came to be reduced to practice, for the fact remained that there I was in Hull with just five shillings and sixpence in my pocket, and no immediate prospect of earning more when that insignificant sum was spent. I walked away from the wharf in no pleasant or enviable mood, and I am afraid I almost encouraged myself in dark and gloomy thoughts. I remember wondering, with a sort of grim, cynical humour, how it was that a young man of two-and-twenty, strong, healthy, fairly well educated, and with three years' knowledge of commercial life, should find it so very bard to get on. I had then been six months out of work, owing to the failure of a company under which I bad held a clerkship, and I had exhausted all my small savings in endeavouring to find a new post. As I turned my last few shillings over I wondered if any stroke of good fortune would enable me soon to replace them with others. It would have to be soon, for I had absolutely no resources. I had sold or pledged most of my small belongings in order to raise my expenses from Leeds to Antwerp, and if I meant to return to Leeds that night from Hull a third-class ticket would cost almost the whole of my remaining capital. Yet what was there to do in Leeds if I returned? Why not remain in Hull over night, and have a look round in the morning? There were shipping offices there, mercantile offices, merchants' houses; surely I could find some employment amongst so many opportunities. It was worth attempting, at any rate; and I accordingly turned away from the station and retraced my steps towards the docks, intending to find some third-rate hotel where I could obtain cheap quarters for the night.
I was not very well acquainted with Hull at that time, but I remember passing along Whitefriargate and turning off to the right by a narrow street which led towards the great church in the market-place. It was very quiet there, for most of the houses seemed to be business establishments, and were closed for the night, and there were few people about. I walked along until I came to the back of the church. The wide piece of ground behind the west door was tenantless, but as I crossed it I saw the figure of a man hither and thither with quick, restless movements, as if he were a hound that seeks eagerly for the recovery of a lost trail. As I drew nearer to him I perceived that he ran with his head to the ground, for all the world like a dog that sniffs the wind, and I heard him muttering and talking to himself. He suddenly caught the sound of my footstep, and on the instant he stood erect, with his head slightly inclined to his shoulder, as though to listen. There was a lamp some thirty yards away, and as I crossed its thin stream of light he saw me. With a bound he was on me and had seized me by the lapels of my coat before I could put up an arm to keep him off. I uttered an angry exclamation and would have shaken him off, but he stopped me with a gesture.
"No—no-no!" he cried. "I would not hurt you—I am not a robber. But tell me you have found it—you have found it, eh? I will give you—oh, any reward that you ask—only say you have found it!"
I had taken a good look at this strange creature as he spoke. The faint lamplight showed me a tall, gaunt man of middle age, with fierce eyes gleaming from under an old hat, and a long, straggling beard of dead black hue flowing about his chest. I took him at first glance for a madman, and shook off his arm.
"Let go!" I said roughly. "I haven't found anything."
"You swear it?" he cried. "But I lost it hereabouts—it must have been hereabouts!"
And he began to hunt again, circling round me like a terrier that smells a rat. I felt my curiosity rising.
"Look here," I said, "what is it you've lost? If you've really lost something, and it's so very valuable, I'll help you to find it. But I can't do that unless you tell me what it is, you know."
The man came back to my side, evidently trying to master his emotion. He lifted his shabby hat and I saw great beads of sweat lying thick on his forehead. He pulled out a handkerchief—a great red cotton affair—and rubbed it over his face.
"Pouf!" he said, "I am losing my head—I am almost beside myself. I have lost a small parcel, a package, about as big as that"—he indicated the size with his hands—"and it is of the greatest importance that I should recover it. I had it safe over yonder"—he pointed to the east corner of the church, where it abuts on the market-place—"but when I came to the mouth of the street there"—he indicated the street which I had just left—"it was gone. It must be somewhere between those two points. I think I lost my head a little when I found it had disappeared," he said, smiting his forehead. "I have been running up and down—I must look systematically."
"Well, I'll help you," I said, feeling somewhat curious. "Just a little package, you say, about that size?"
"Just a little box of that size, tied up in brown paper. Find it, my dear sir, and I'll—ah, you shall be rewarded, I promise you."
"Show me what line you took in coming across here," I said, "and then I will go one way while you follow the other. If you lost it in this square, it can't be far out of your line of march."
"I came straight from yonder corner," he said, pointing towards the market-place, "round the church there, and straight across here towards that lamp-post. I had it at the corner; when I reached the lamp-post it was gone,"
I bade him go back to the corner and examine the ground carefully, while I returned towards the lamp-post. The light was dim and it was difficult to see anything on the flagged pavement, and ere I had gone many steps I had to have recourse to a box of matches which I happened to have in my pocket. Oddly enough, as I struck the first match and stared at the little belt of light which it made, my eyes fell on the man's package, lying close to my feet. I laughed at the vagaries of luck, and then, without troubling to pick it up, turned and gave a shrill whistle. The strange man was not thirty yards away, and on the instant he came running to my side. I struck another match.
"Is that your box?" I said, indicating the parcel at my feet. Now, if I had been struck by the man's behaviour and demeanour previously, I was simply astonished by his conduct when his eyes fell on the insignificant-looking little package revealed by the light of the match. He clutched at it as a hungry dog snatches at a bone, and hugged it to his breast with such a sigh of relief as I had never heard. Then, just as the match flickered and went out, I heard him gasp, and he grasped my arm and leaned his weight upon me. For a moment I thought he was going to faint, but he presently revived and stood erect again, though he still panted for breath. When he next spoke I scarcely recognised his voice; its tones had changed from nervous fear to extreme politeness.
"I am more obliged to you, sir, than I can well say," he said. "Pardon this momentary indisposition. I have passed through a very trying experience, and I fear my nerves are not what they once were. I shall be better presently. Do you mind giving me your arm across the square towards yonder lamp?"
