In the Shadow: Day 5

Word Count: 30,059

Summary of Events:

Parker and Linwood went to interview the last of the men in Mr. Swanson's employ, who informed them that the fire had started in the dining room — where the bodies had been found — not the more likely kitchen or parlour; he also revealed to them that there was another man who'd worked for the Swansons known only as Osborne . . .

Excerpt of the Day:

“Does he possess any other distinguishing marks?” Linwood asked.

“Not really,” Mr. Meyers replied. “He was a somewhat shifty sort, not necessarily fidgety or nervous, but inclined to look at most anyone with suspicion and to not really relax among others, he was guarded, I guess.”

“As if he were hiding from someone?” Linwood asked.

“Maybe,” Mr. Meyers replied. “The other option to me was that he was scared of getting hurt, not physically so much as emotionally. He seemed to let his guard down with Parthenia, though.”

“So you think there was a mutual attraction between them?” Linwood asked.

“I don’t know that I’d say that,” Mr. Meyers replied. “She liked him, but I think he liked being able to manipulate her, because he went and told her that in Vancouver the sky is permanently golden because that’s where the sun sets and she believed him; in fact, he told her some other ridiculous things that she told others as the truth and I saw him around a couple times when she was telling them to others and he seemed to me to be taking a measure of pleasure in her conviction of such things.”

“She gave him a feeling of power then,” Linwood said.

“That’s a good way of putting it, yes,” Mr. Meyers agreed, nodding. “I think she easily would’ve done anything he wanted her to do.”

“Including possibly poisoning her parents and setting her home on fire?” Linwood asked.

“No,” Mr. Meyers replied. “I don’t think she’d go that far, nor do I think he would’ve asked her to do that.”

“He got on well with the Swansons then?” Linwood asked.

“No,” Mr. Meyers replied. “Mrs. Swanson hated him the most out of all of us, but then again, considering the reaction he got out of her daughter, I’m not entirely surprised that she would harbour those kinds of ill feelings toward him, I think she was inclined to see Parthenia marry a man from Calgary at the worst, or go back to Ontario to meet a man more optimally.”

“So she didn’t mean to see her daughter’s dreams of marrying a cowboy come true,” Linwood said.

“Not at all,” Mr. Meyers replied.

“And how did he get on with Mr. Swanson?” Linwood asked.

“Not well,” Mr. Meyers replied. “Mr. Swanson also didn’t really like that Parthenia seemed to be so attracted to him. He didn’t necessarily want Parthenia to marry a man of the city, but he didn’t see Osborne as being the right man for her; to be honest, I think he actually suspected that, well, the two of them had fornicated.”

“Do you recall any indications that might give credence to that suspicion?” Linwood asked.

“I think it is entirely possible that such a thing occurred,” Mr. Meyers replied. “It is not as hard to imagine as one would hope it would be.”

Linwood nodded. “Does this Osborne have a first name?”

“I never heard one,” Mr. Meyers replied.