Garnet or Garnets Curse

walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

    Chapter XIII
    Robert Shelley

    The next morning Mrs. Raymond tapped on the door. Maria was still asleep. The moment I opened the door, I was intoxicated by the smell of chicory coffee brewing. “Darling, I have fruit and beignets waiting for you,” she said softly.
    “Wonderful,” I replied. “We will be there shortly.”
    I woke Maria and we dressed quickly and made our way to the kitchen. Seated at the table was Lt. Raymond reading his newspaper. Mrs. Raymond pulled out a chair for us and set our plates down. It was a cozy kitchen with pine paneling and a large stone hearth. The room opened up into a den featuring two sunny window seats with worn cushions.
    After the Lieutenant finished his paper, he turned to Maria. “I will follow you ladies home when you are ready. If you don’t mind I want to take a look around while I am there.”
    “We are ready now,” Maria said, setting down her empty coffee cup.
    “Fine, I will pull your carriage around front.” He slowly stood to his feet and arched his back. His groan gained the attention of his wife, who patted him on the shoulder.
    We thanked her for her hospitality, gathered our things and were waiting for the carriage when it arrived. We headed out of the village with the lieutenant following behind on his horse.
    When we arrived home, it was clearly a miracle that the fire had not engulfed the house. A large section of the trees was charred and the smell of the simmering ashes filled the air. We walked around the outside of the house in silence while Lt. Raymond looked over the grounds for evidence.
    The sight of the little kitten’s body lying stiff and cold below the window brought tears to my eyes. I knelt down and stroked her sweet little head. “Who would harm an innocent animal like this?” I asked, looking back at the two of them. “I named her Millie,” I added.
    “I will bury her for you,” Lt. Raymond said, helping me back to my feet. “I don’t know for sure, but my guess it is one of Nell’s old drunken customers. Since her place closed, we have seen a number of fools wandering around the village at night.”
    “But this man did not look like your typical drunken sailor,” Maria explained. “He looked like a wild man, a hermit of some sort.”
    “You’ve never seen him before?” Lt. Raymond asked.
    “No, never,” Maria said, shaking her head vigorously.
    “I have!” I spoke up. “I caught a glimpse of him the other night.”
    Lt. Raymond asked to speak to Maria alone. As they walked off, I felt a chill run down my spine and pulled my wrap up around my neck. Even though Lt. Raymond thought he was whispering, I could hear him clearly. “I have a feeling this man might be after the girl. Could be he saw her at Nell’s or maybe in the village. If he is stalking her, he will be back. Cases like this scare me. Have you heard of Jack the Ripper?”
    “Hopefully Lt. Raymond, we are dealing with a prankster, not a serial killer,” Maria said, shaking her head. “Nevertheless, the girl and I had plans to take a little holiday, but this makes it even more urgent. Do you think you can watch over my house?”
    “That is an excellent idea. I doubt that he will follow you, but keep your eyes and ears open. By the time you return, I hope to have this matter solved. Be safe and don’t worry about your house,” the officer said.
    With his pistol in hand, Lt. Raymond entered the house and signaled to us it was safe. While Maria and I packed our bags, he nailed a board over the broken windowpane and buried the cat.
    Just before noon we loaded the carriage onto the ferry. When we arrived on the mainland, we drove first to the institution to see Ox. I walked through the gardens while Maria visited. She returned shortly reporting that Ox had a cold.
    Robert Shelley’s card said that he was staying at a boarding house on Third Street. Maria and I had lunch at a nearby cafe, where I waited while she went to speak to Mr. Shelley.
    More than two hours had passed and I had ordered all the coffee I could drink. The waitress passed by and gave me a sideward glance. “We will be serving supper soon. Shall I bring you a menu?” she asked, in a sarcastic tone.
    I was just before feeling pressured to order more coffee when Maria’s head bobbed through the door. She looked at me oddly, turned around and went back