Chapter 3
The Hanson home was in the Georgetown district, which was on the outskirts of Washington. It took almost an hour for Jack and Ezra to find it since they had to ask for directions several times before finding the correct road. The lane leading up to the house was sheltered by several cherry trees with early spring blossoms. Jack smelled the thickly scented air which was sweet compared to the filthy stench of the city. The home itself was a large, painted white, Georgian-style surrounded by vast and well-groomed grounds.
Jack shook his head, impressed by the obvious wealth that would be involved in building such a house. “Care to guess what this place would cost?" he asked.
“I couldn’t even imagine,” Ezra replied sourly.
“Neither could I,” Jack said. He knew his partner had a strong dislike for a man who wouldn’t dirty his own hands for a living.
They rode past the front garden which was tidy and prepared for springtime. When they got to the entrance, a smartly dressed little boy took the reins of the horses and waited while Jack and Ezra dismounted. The boy then tied the horses to the post and gave a well-practiced little bow with his hand open. Jack handed him a penny. He then carefully brushed the dust off of his coat before walking to the entrance of the house. As the large front door opened, an old butler stood inside waiting for their approach. He was a thin man, with thick whiskers and graying hair cropped close to his temples. He gave both of them a slightly disapproving look. Jack could tell that the butler was not used to letting people of their class through the front door. Someone like him would be happier it they had used the back door like a servant or tradesman.
Jack strode confidently to the entrance. He said to the butler, “I’m Jack Blackwood and this is my partner Mister Miller. I do believe that Miss Hanson is expecting us.”
The butler looked Ezra over and frowned. “Will your servant be coming inside with you or staying here?” he asked with barely hidden contempt.
Jack was used to the attitudes of most people towards his partner, but he was never accepting of it. “Mister Miller here is not my servant, and he will most definitely be coming inside with me,” he replied coldly.
The butler’s jaw tightened and he spoke with his lips tightly pursed together. “Yes, sir, if you would please come this way,” he said harshly. He reluctantly held the door open and let them into the entrance hall.
At one time, Jack would not have been bothered by the butler’s comments. But over the years, he had grown to appreciate his partner more. He was not only a friend but a trusted business partner. Witnessing the daily hardship Ezra experienced due to his skin color, he marveled at the man’s self-control, and wondered what it cost him in self-worth to bite his tongue facing these attitudes.
Brushing those thoughts aside, Jack found himself rather impressed by the interior of the house. It was spotless and well-furnished, but not tastelessly overdone. The floors were laid with thick, plush rugs while the walls were covered with stylish wallpaper and well-done family portraits. They followed the butler through the large hall and into the side parlor.
He gestured towards a low sofa in the well-appointed room. “If you would, you can wait for Miss Hanson here. I will announce your arrival, sir.” He nearly spat out the last words. He turned on his heel and then left without even looking back.
Ezra made a face as they both sat down and looked the room over. It was an airy room with large open glass windows that went from floor to ceiling. Darkly stained wood floors were swept clean and covered with a flowered rug. The chairs were formal, but not gaudy. A large portrait of middle-aged, sandy-haired man hung over the small fireplace.
Jack stretched his legs out and crossed his feet. “Well, they are obviously rolling in the money,” he said. “I must have gotten into the wrong business.”
Ezra chuckled. “Politics apparently pays better than I expected. But you wouldn’t be happy here anyways. You couldn’t handle the status that comes with a place like this.”
He smiled benignly before answering. “I guess not, but I wouldn’t mind trying it out for a spell. If someone wanted to do a bit of blackmailing, the Hanson family would certainly make a good target. A son who has been in trouble before will certainly be in trouble again.” He was thinking back to his own past, but stopped talking as he heard footsteps approach the room.
Faith came in and they rose in unison as she made her entrance. She was followed by a well-dressed man. Jack could tell they were both trying to hide their shock upon seeing Ezra in the house, sitting comfortably on the sofa as if he belonged there.
“Mister Blackwood, may I introduce you to Mister Ethan Davis,” she said uncertainly. “Ethan is a dear friend of mine who came over to see if he could help in any way.” She smiled at her friend, apparently glad to have someone else to look at besides these two strangers.
Jack looked Davis over. He was wearing a fine European-cut suit and carried a silver-tipped cane. He was tall, with longish blond hair and a patrician nose. His clothes were obviously tailor-made and he carried himself rather arrogantly. This was the type of man who had never worked an honest day in his life, but lived off the wealth of his ancestors. Davis was glancing at the black man distastefully and kept himself close to Faith as if to protect her from any sudden move.
Davis gave a little bow. “I’m pleased to meet you, Mister Blackwood,” he said with a half-hidden southern drawl. “I’m sure you will be of great service to Faith in finding her lost brother.”
“I will do my best,” Jack replied with disdain. He didn’t expect anything of worth to come from the mouth of such a dandy.
“As I said, I hope you can bring him home. She is most worried about her brother and fears for his safety.”
“She has the right to be,” Jack said. “But I’ve been rude. May I introduce you both to my partner, Mister Miller?” Jack said this with some relish, expecting the usual social awkwardness that came when he presented his friend to strangers.
They turned to look at the ex-slave with puzzled looks on their faces. Faith blushed slightly while Davis just scowled.
Ezra gave a little bow with a smirk on his face. “It’s a pleasure, Miss Hanson. Mister Davis,” he said.
“He is your partner?” Faith asked, her voice climbing with amazement.
“We have been working together for quite a few years” Jack replied. “I was in a tight situation with a noose, and he came to my rescue without waiting for me to ask.”
“I don’t like to see a man being beaten and hung by a mob,” Ezra said simply. “Some villains that Jack was trailing took it upon themselves to hang him by the neck. It seemed just a little unfair to me.”
Jack relaxed a little since he enjoyed retelling one of his old cases. “I had been on the trail of some horse thieves. I didn’t realize that one of my informants had been waiting for the chance to double-cross me. He let the criminals know what hotel I was staying at. I woke up in the middle-of-the-night to find a crowd in my room hauling me out to hang me. Luckily, Mister Miller here came to the rescue most efficiently. We’ve worked together ever since,” he said proudly. “I trust him fully and if you hire me, you also hire Ezra. He has important contacts within Washington and is an invaluable source of information for me.”
“I see,” Faith replied uncertainly. “But what kind of information could he possibly get?”
“Ezra knows the servants of just about every important family in Washington. Every rumor, scandal, or just interesting bit of gossip eventually comes his way. You would be amazed what servants hear through the course of a day.”
Faith said wanly, “I can only imagine what our servants could say about our family.”
“Maybe it’s something my partner already knows,” Jack replied dryly. “You mentioned earlier your father wanted to talk to us. Is he ready to receive us?”
“You must understand that father can only see one person at a time. He has not been
healthy of late and can only handle so much strain,” Faith explained.
“That will not be a problem,” he said while giving his friend a wink. “Mister Miller can wait here while I go see your father.” He could tell that Faith was uncomfortable with the idea of taking Ezra to see her father, but did not want to press the issue at this time.
Davis turned once again to Faith. He kissed her hand and pressed it to his. “I must be going now. If you need anything, you know where to reach me.”
Faith blushed like a rose and replied, “Thank you, Mister Davis. I am always grateful for your assistance.”
“I will do anything to help find your brother,” Davis said with sickly sweet tones. He then looked at Jack. “I hope you are good enough to work for the Hanson family. Few men are.” With those final words, he left.
Jack watched him leave with distaste, reconsidering his original impression of Davis as a mere dandy. This was someone not to be trusted.
She continued speaking to him, not noticing the expression on his face. “Please, let’s go and see my father.”
“Very well,” Jack replied solemnly. He motioned for Ezra to stay seated as he followed Faith out of the room
“Father hasn’t been quite the same since mother died,” Faith explained as they walked. “He’s quite lonely in this old house. I wish I could spend more time with him, but he always asks me to leave after a while. He doesn’t feel it is right for someone young, like myself, to waste my time taking care of him. But what can I do?” Her lips settled into a small frown. “Please don’t get him too agitated with the wrong type of questions. His doctor says it is best if he remains calm at all times.”
“He doesn’t sound like the sort of man who would be easy excited - especially after all the years he spent in Congress.”
“Well, yes, but he isn’t a young man anymore. I have to spend a lot of my time making sure he gets the help he needs. Lawrence never has any time to help me, and you know how servants are.” Her eyes rolled a little as she spoke.
“Not really, I never had one since I’ve had to make my own way through this world.” He stretched out his hands, motioning towards the rich furnishings. “I’ve never had anything quite like this. Best thing I got for free were the meals I got when I was in the army.”
Faith gave a gentle laugh. “I’m sorry,” she hesitated “I just assumed Mister Miller would be looking after your wants.”
“He does to a certain degree. I’m apparently a difficult man to get along with, but we try to share in the housework. He’s a good man and always carries his own weight. I know some people will look down on a freeman, but he’s been the most loyal friend any man could ask for.”
Faith looked embarrassed. She led him on and began speaking quickly as if to change the subject. “Father is in the garden, enjoying the spring weather. Please follow me out.”
They had now walked to the back of the house, having passed through the living room and kitchen. Through the back door, they entered a well-tended garden. A brick pathway led across a manicured lawn which stretched to the fence in the distance. Young leaves on a row of oak trees created a light shade.
Mister Hanson was resting on a wooden chair, using a large overcoat as a lap blanket. He held a cane tightly against the side of his leg. As they drew closer towards him, he looked up and smiled.
“Good morning, Faith” his frail voice said. Jack had the sense of a man almost apologetic for his age and failing health. He began appraising the detective with shrewd eyes jaded by years of service. He had a strong face, wrinkled by time and experience. His hands were liver-spotted and waxy.
“Father, this is Mister Blackwood,” Faith introduced them. “He is willing to help us locate Lawrence.”
“Good day, sir.” He bent forward to shake the old man’s hand. The hand was cold and damp. The handshake itself was weak, but Daniel Hanson kept his eyes locked on Jack’s.
The old man’s voice suddenly became business-like and only trembled slightly with age. “After Lawrence disappeared, I telegraphed my dear sister for advice. She was once in need, and I have word from her that you once helped her husband out of a particularly delicate situation.”
This was a man who was used to being listened to, and it was evident that he did not like to ask anyone for help. Jack said, “Yes, I remember that case. It concerned a young lady. With the kind of money that was being asked, the villain was going to make your brother-in-law go bankrupt within weeks. There wasn’t much time left when I was called in, but I was persuasive enough to get the photographs back from the would-be blackmailer.”
“My niece was such a fool to trust a man like that claiming to be an artist. But I’m hoping that you will have the power to help us in our hour of need. As my daughter has already told you, my son Lawrence has gone missing.” He began coughing and afterwards wiped his lips on a handkerchief dug up from his breast pocket. “I want you to understand that whatever I tell you is strictly confidential. If any of this gets out, my family name will surely be ruined.”
“We always keep the information of our clients confidential,” Jack said. “We are expected to be discreet in all of our doings.”
“What about the police? If it were necessary to turn the matter over to them, how would the publicity be handled?”
“I involve the police if the only recourse left is to use the law, or if the situation has gotten beyond my control. If the police have information I need, I will try to maintain my client’s anonymity.” Jack knew that he was telling a lie, since he had already asked for Garrett’s help. But the Hanson family need never know of this since his friend could be trusted to remain quiet.
“Good, I am glad to hear that,” Daniel Hanson wheezed.
“Please tell me what you know of your son’s disappearance?”
The old man shifted uncomfortably in his seat and looked embarrassed as he began telling his story. “Lawrence has always been an impulsive child. He was born shortly after Faith here was. Perhaps I was too old to have children and spoiled the both of them. When his mother Patricia was still alive, she had some control over him. But ever since her death, I have had little time to keep the discipline required for youngsters. You see, the Congress was my home for many years, so he was rarely punished by my hand. Perhaps I was too lenient with the boy, but he was so loved by his mother, I couldn’t find it in my heart to hurt him. Faith here has always done her best at helping to raise him, but she was just a girl at the time. She’s tried to fill the role of mother, but he rarely listened to her.”
“Go on,” Jack said quietly. It surprised him how much Daniel Hanson was willing to open up to a stranger and tell the family secrets. Most of the time, he had to cajole and wheedle information out of men. Perhaps Mister Hanson was lonely enough to be happy to have someone new to talk to.
“Lawrence had a few brushes with the law, but nothing too terrible, mind you. He just had some impulsive behavior that had been taken too far. Even the City Ward came looking for him on more than one occasion, but I managed to keep Lawrence out of trouble. A man in my position can usually find the right ear or the right amount of money to change hands. After a while, he seemed to have straightened out. He began going to more social functions and spending his time amongst the sons and daughters of several well-placed friends of mine.”
Daniel Hanson cleared his throat and dabbed his mouth before continuing. “That’s when the real trouble began. Last year, he met and began to see another woman. For good reasons, he kept it quite secret from Faith and me. She was a beautiful young woman who had the decided misfortune of already being married.”
Faith turned away from the both of them, apparently embarrassed by her brother’s adultery.
The old man looked at her and shook his head. “Faith doesn’t like to hear these kinds of things about her brother. Perhaps she has spent too much time here, taking care of me. She should have m
arried a good man by now and have left this house.”
Faith blushed and said, “Please, father, Mister Blackwood doesn’t want to hear about our troubles outside of Lawrence.”
Daniel Hanson shook his head stubbornly and continued. “This woman that my son was seeing - she was a good looking woman, married to an older fool of a man. Lawrence would have done anything for her, not realizing that he could never have her, at least not the way he wanted to. But he was making a fool out of himself, and when I found out what he was doing, I decided to step in and stop it all.”
“And how did you do that?” Jack asked. “It’s hard to get a man to stop loving a woman, even if she breaks his heart.”
“I shortened the amount of his allowance and made him work for the balance. I also had a friend who helped him get a job with the War Department. I thought the work would do him some good and keep his mind off of her.”
“Was that enough?” Jack asked.
“The threat of losing his money and the daily work seems to have cleared out the infatuation in his heart. For the past year, he worked hard at the office. Sure, he may have gone out at night and gambled a few times a month – but he seems to have finally forgotten the woman.
“Just as the Secession broke out, he started to spend less time at home. At first I thought it was just because of the extra hours at the office that would be needed during these uncertain times. But there was word from his supervisor that Lawrence’s work was poor and he was showing up late, if at all.”
“In what way was his work poor?” Jack asked.
“Apparently Lawrence would often complain of being sick and seek time away from work. Now he has been gone for two days now. The War Department claims he stole some valuable papers and they are busily searching the town for him.”
“What do you know about this man, Abbott? Your daughter showed me a note that could have come from him.”
He momentarily gazed at the trees as if distracted. He then returned his attention back to Jack with a shake of his head. “As far as Mister Abbott goes, I can tell you very little. I’m not sure what their relationship was beyond occasionally meeting to play cards.”
“I will go and ask this Abbott some questions.”
“Please, find my son, and if possible, clear his name,” Daniel pleaded, his voice wrought with emotion.
“I can only try,” Jack replied solemnly. “But I promise that I will do my best. First, I will need you to agree to my daily fee and I will need some further information on his employer. A photo of Lawrence would also help in my search.”
“My son worked for a man named William Forsythe. He is an Under-Secretary at the War Department. I will give you a note with an introduction if you need to see him.”
“Yes, that will be fine,” Jack said. “He will probably be less than pleased to see me, but I’m sure we can come to an understanding. Now about my fee, I will require another note that I am working on your behalf and a signed retainer of one hundred dollars. This retainer will be returned upon completion of the case. I will need to be paid ten dollars a day and I will also require payment of any expenses that come along in the course of my investigation.”
“Your fee seems rather high,” Daniel Hanson replied with his lips pursed. “Why do you require so much money?”
Jack grinned inwardly at the show of Mister Hanson’s tight-fistedness. He said: “I can have many expenses – information costs money and only silver can start some tongues. But with my fee also comes confidentiality.”
Daniel Hanson looked thoughtful before answering. “Very well, I will see that everything is arranged. I want you to know that Lawrence is still my son and I expect you to turn over Heaven and Earth trying to get him back to me.”
“I will,” Jack replied.