Henry Neville- The Geist Therapist

11. The Thames Spectre: Chapter Four

Cane and Betts

The police sergeant and his colleague stood guard at the site of the recent murder. The sergeant, Arnold Cane his name, was not ashamed of how he dismissed the negro woman and her skulking, probably widowed, friend. Yes it was sad news that her husband was missing but there are protocols to follow and he had his duty with the murder case at hand.

"Sarge, was it right to send those women away with the murderer still at large?" Asked his attending uniformed constable, his name being Stephen Betts.

"Betts, you can't help everybody. Concentrate on the job at hand and do your part by the book."

Betts ruffled his young growing mustache, "I don't like this, sir."

"I would be deeply concerned if you did, constable."

The young constable did not answer straight away. He searched about, looking down by the water where the body was found. Eventually he asked, "Should we have maybe told them the victim was a man in his forties?"

"That would not rule out the young lady's worry. It could still be her husband, you saw the ring. We need proper identification before informing the next of kin."

The young Betts would have come up with another rookie question but his mind and attention were firmly fixed on a faint blue glow some distance ahead of the direction the two women walked. He could not see the women now but along the bank the blue light seemed to be moving ever gradually to where he thought they would have reached by that moment. The constable did not take in any more of the words spoken by his superior and continued to watch the glow. There suddenly came a spark of lightning.

"Sarge, do you see that?" He spoke with nervous enthusiasm. The blue glow briefly turned into a bright light. A few seconds later it happened again, a spark followed by bright light then back to faint blue. "Sir," he spoke again.

Cane was watching cautiously, with a dose of police scepticism, "Probably just those women having fun with the mariners."

"The navy isn't around here today, sir," Betts panicked.

"Get a grip, man," ordered Cane. "You're an officer of the law, you'll do well to remember that. Act like one, this instance."

Betts grumbled, "I really don't like this."

Cane rolled his eyes, "Then go and take a look. I'll continue to guard here."

Betts stiffened although he would never admit it was through fear, "Are you sure, sir?"

"Yes," replied Cane. "Be a good officer and go check on those women." He grinned a typical Cane sly grin.

Betts swallowed hard, "Ok, I will." He nodded to the sergeant and proceeded to walk in the direction of the commotion. He could see them more clearly now, there was a man with them. They were still some distance away from him surrounding the blue glow.

The young officer did not immediately see the blue glow disappear entirely but he did notice the trio leaving the scene. By the time he had reached the road to question them they were already in a carriage and gone.

Betts exhaled deeply and returned to Cane. There was something strange happening and it was now their duty to solve it. However, Cane was nowhere to be seen when he returned.

"Sarge!" He called to no avail. Hearing a splash, Betts approached the edge of the water. Nervous frustration etched across his face as the young officer found nothing, no sign of his superior anywhere.

A low, deep cackle spooked Betts and he immediately went tense. A flicker of blue shot past his eyesight and he almost fell backwards. He ran back to the spot where he and Cane stood not twenty minutes before. The tenseness in his back remained as he felt the presence of a being close behind himself.