Don Gutteridge - Minor Corruption

“So you waited, but Betsy didn’t showup?”

“No.” He looked even more devastated,thinking no doubt that he might have prevented the tragedy thatfollowed. “We must have got our arrangements confused. She probablythought I would come up from the ravine by myself. But I wanted herto make sure the coast was clear before she came to fetch me.”

“So you just left?”

He nodded. “Now I know why she didn’t come.Some bastard raped her!”

Cobb cleared his throat noisily. “We got awitness who says it was you who was in the stall with Betsy.”

“Then you’ve got a witness who is lying,” hesaid wearily. “There was never anything improper going on betweenBetsy and me. Oh, I know I’ve been seen teasing the girls andRobert’s kids, and acting the fool. But that’s my nature. It’s whatI felt free to do – out here – at last.”

“Then there’s the whole business of the fivepounds and the thank-you note.”

“I’ve already explained that.”

“What about this, then?” Cobb handed himBetsy’s billet-doux.

Uncle Seamus paled even more as he read it.It fell from his fingers. “I never knew. I swear.”

“The trouble is, sir, the only people whoknow about the pony story and about the lie Betsy told you abouther mother needin’ surgery are you and Betsy. And Betsy’s dead. Wegot a signed statement from a witness naming you as the culprit.None of the other mill-hands fit the witness’s description – onlyyou. No other stranger was seen anywhere about by Mullins, who wassouth of the mill or by Whittle and Thurgood, who were north of it.And we got two notes in the girl’s handwritin’ suggestin’ a romancewas possible between you and her.”

“What are you saying, sir? That I’m going tobe charged?”

“That ain’t fer me to decide. I’m justtellin’ you what I plan to put in my report to Chief Sturges.”

But Cobb had little doubt about the outcome.He had systematically built up a powerful case against UncleSeamus. The Chief had asked him to obtain the facts and he had,insofar as they could be ferreted out after two months. He was bothsaddened and proud. Saddened because Seamus Baldwin was the uncleof Marc’s close friend and political ally, Robert Baldwin. Theconsequences of such a charge could be catastrophic for the Reformparty and their hopes in the coming election. Still, Marc wouldhave wanted Cobb to do what he did: carefully and dispassionatelygather evidence and credible witness-accounts. And Cobb was proudthat he had done so. Perhaps he would make a good detective afterall.

In the hall, Dr. Baldwin said, “How did itgo?”

“You’d better see to him, sir,” Cobbsaid.

And he left quickly.

It was late Friday afternoon when Cobb finisheddictating a summary of his interviews and adding some final remarksto his report. Wilfrid Sturges was attending a meeting with themayor and aldermen, but arrived back a few minutes after GussieFrench blew the last grain of blotting sand away from the paper infront of him. Cobb handed the report to his chief and waited withGussie in the anteroom while Sturges took it into his office toread it over. Cobb was pleased to see that he was not limpingtoday.

Time dragged on. Gussie grumped and whinedabout his teenager, whom the mumps had not made any moremanageable. Constable Brown clumped in and went into theconstables’ room. At last the Chief called Cobb inside. Sturges wassitting and staring at the report as if expecting it to burst intoflames at any moment. Cobb sat down quietly and waited for theChief’s reaction.

“What a mess!”

This remark was not among the ones Cobb hadanticipated. “I thought the chain of events was pretty clear,” hesaid.

“They are, Cobb, they are. You are to becongratulated on the job you did this afternoon.”

“Then what’s the problem, sir?”

Sturges sighed. “What we have here – whatyou’ve unearthed – is a series of circumstantial events, welltestified to, that surround a single witness’s claim that theperson he saw assaultin’ Betsy Thurgood was Seamus Baldwin.”

“That’s the way I see it, too.”

“The trouble is not in the details you setout, it’s whether they point clearly to laying a charge of rapeagainst a revered member of a prominent family.”

“You’re not sure whether to charge him ornot?”

“What I’m sayin’ is we’re damned if we do anddamned if we don’t.”

“And if we do?”

“If we do, we’ll bring the house of Reformdown upon us like a rock-fall. They’ll claim the witness didn’t seethe culprit’s face and that the police went out of their way tofind testimony to incriminate their man. They’ll screamwitch-hunt!”

“And if we don’t?”

“The Tories, includin’ most of thegovernment, will accuse us of gatherin’ facts and findin’ witnessesand then coverin’ them up! Witch-hunt or cover-up, take yer pick.This report, you see, can be turned either way, dependin’ on yerprejudices.”

“But who else coulda done it?” Cobb said,beginning to get miffed.

“Nobody that I can tell. I agree with youthat Jake Broom’s account is very believable, and everythin’ - everythin’ – you’ve dug up supports his claims. But it’spossible he lied to cover up fer Mullins or Clift, who were freefrom observation at the time of the crime. To think he might’vedone it himself is crazy. If he did, or if he saw one of his matescommit the crime, he never in a million years would’ve come in hereand brung the whole business up when it was long forgotten. Thatmakes no sense at all.”

“That’s right. He comes back to the millyesterday and hears nothin’ about the rape business, does he? If he was the culprit, he might’ve expected the girl would’vecomplained, and so on. Instead, he only hears about Betsy’s deathafter a botched abortion.”

“Why come back at all, eh?”

Cobb looked warily at the report betweenthem. “So what are ya gonna do?”

“I’m goin’ to take this report straight overto the Court House and show it to James Thorpe. I’ll let himdecide. I don’t fancy chargin’ a Baldwin, however elderly anddodderin’, with seduction and statutory rape, even though I got thepower to do so.”

“But the magistrate’s a Tory!” Cobb cried.“We know perfectly well what he’ll do and why.”

“Maybe so. But Thorpe’s an honest man.However, once the Attorney-General and them other Tory hounds getone whiff of what’s in yer report, there’ll be no stoppin’ ‘em.Still, I want the charge and any prosecution left in their hands. I want it to be seen that we done our jobs – fairlyand diligently.”

“You sure you wanta retire?” Cobb said.

***

It came as no surprise that at noon on Monday, awarrant was issued for the arrest of Seamus Baldwin. There was onesurprise, however: the charges were multiple – seduction andcorruption of a minor, having carnal relations with a minor, andinvoluntary manslaughter. The hand of the Tory establishment wasevident, it was whispered everywhere, in that last unexpectedcharge. Apparently, Humphrey Cardiff, the Attorney-General, haddecided to throw the book at the elder statesman of the firstfamily of Reform. Sturges selected Rossiter and Wilkie to drive outto Spadina to effect the arrest. He didn’t want Cobb harassed orcompromised. Dr. Baldwin greeted them courteously and asked forhalf an hour to prepare his brother. His request was granted.Wobbly on his pins but with much dignity, the old gent, emotionallydrained, was helped to the carriage. There was no thought ofmanacles.

He was arraigned within minutes of hisarrival at the Court House, the charges read, a plea of not guiltyentered and, considering his age and state of health, he wasreleased into the hands of his younger brother. The Baldwin namealone was surety enough for his later appearance in court. Again,political chicanery was assumed when the trial date was set for twoweeks hence, the first Monday in November. Three other cases in theassizes had to be rescheduled to accommodate the Baldwin trial.