The Laboratory of Parasychical Science case files:

File 23:

The Mysterious Case of the Vanishing People.

An account by Ernest Digsby.

“Well, for a start I would like to say for the record that the death of Henry Cost and eleven members of the public have nothing to do with me. In fact I tried to help those poor souls as best as I could. And also the police cleared me of any wrong doing. Tell you what, let me start at the beginning.

It’s seemed like any other case we had worked on. A number of manifestations had been reported in the area of Wraithwood and so it seemed a prime site for an investigation. As normal a number of people had been invited to observe the experiments and to take independent readings, and everything was on course and running smoothly. I had to go into the village on errands so I left Henry alone at the house and spent the night in town (it was quite a few errands I had to run). The next day I went to the pre-arranged meeting point and found our observers waiting but there was no Henry Cost. I apologised for his lateness and offered to guide the hardy souls to the site. Once we were at the place I led them down to the house, stopping briefly to point out one of the Thermaglectrical Field Alarms by the path, something which shouldn’t have been placed until the observers had observed it. Shrugging to myself while casting thoughts about Henry being a daft old codger, I led the group towards the house. Inside there was no sign of Cost and things looked as if he hadn’t been long gone. The first odd thing was the Thermaglectrical Field Detector had been deployed, and that the batteries were almost dead - it had been on a while. Next, there seemed to be a handwritten manuscript talking about local folklore, including a story of how these very woods were haunted by the ghost of a murderer, a child murderer no less, who was pursued by a mob into the woods and killed. But the hand writing wasn’t Cost’s, and I couldn’t think where Henry could’ve gone to get it. I began talking to the group about their duties they were going to perform while hoping Cost was going to turn up. When he didn’t, I started on their introductions.

The party consisted of: Lord Cuthwaite (always good to have the upper class at these gatherings; lends some style to the proceedings), James Callahan, a writer of horror stories (obviously hoping to get some ideas); Amos Burke and his friend Charlie Hare, who were both rum sort of fellows. If Cuthwaite raised the tone they both brought it crashing back down again. Quentin Travers, who had a rather large walking stick and needed a shave; Dennis Van Brunkhurst, who had the most interesting accent; Jackson Wrothomburg, who was keen on his rifle as it never left his side; Michael Summerfield, a fellow who looked like he should work for the Ministry of War or something. Then there was Helen Morewood. She said she was a writer but seemed more like a journalist to me. Jack Huxley, historian and stutterer. And there was Dr Miles, here at the invitation of Henry to provide aid and brandy if anyone fainted during the scary bits, if there were any. Also along was Mortimer, Henry’s new butler. It was about time he got a new servant; ever since the last vanished he’d been in complete disorder.

With introductions over and still no Cost, various members started to offer to go and look for Henry in case he was injured somewhere (but after a cup of tea). Just as we were about to leave some other fellows appeared on the path before the house. Mortimer met them and asked about Henry but they hadn’t seen anyone, apart from some tramp wandering the forest asking for hand outs. Then a lady appeared asking if we had seen her missing brother, Timothy Goode. It was while explaining to her that I hadn’t I noticed one of the people with her - a gentleman with sideburns that could’ve been grown for England who I later found out was called Cuthbert Grub (of the yard) - was holding a jacket that I recognised. It was Henry’s! The group had found it by the lake, along with spectacles I identified as Cost’s as well. I started to despair at what could’ve happened to him. I invited the group into the house for a cup of tea - it seemed the very least I could do after bringing back Cost’s clothing. As soon as the group was inside the young lady, a Miss Jessica Goode, saw the written manuscript and cried out that it was her brother’s. What is was doing here, nobody knew, but our two missing men’s fates seemed somehow entwined. Miss Elspeth Myrtle and James Warwick, the other two members of Miss Goode’s group, questioned us about the manuscript being here then revealed that a note book had been found in Cost’s jacket.

Reading it quickly to find out what could’ve happened it showed that Henry had been visited in the night by… something; a figure which could only be described as ‘ghostlike’. It called to him from the woods. Henry went to see, but backed away at the sight of a near copse-like being complete with maggots in its mouth. Not nice. He ran back to the house and locked the door. The last entry in journal was the field detector showing more than one thing outside the house. It made for worrying reading.

Some of the party decided to go looking for Henry where his clothing had been found, and Jack Warwick led the way. We got to the lake but found nothing (I was dreading finding something floating). Some people saw the vagrant in the distance and gave chase – maybe he knew something! -  but he soon gave us the slip. Dejected, we wandered back to the house. When we got back we were told excitedly (or maybe nervously) that the detector had sounded and shown something moving around the house.

During the time we were away, and in-between the ringing and flashing of the machine, it was discovered in the notes that there was a stone slab by the lake. Thinking this might’ve been something Henry, and indeed Mr. Goode, might have visited a small band of people went to look. Mr. Burke and Mr. Hare led the way this time, shovels over their shoulders (I didn’t ask why at the time, and I still don’t know why now.) The slab was quickly found by the side of the water and a rubbing was taken of the markings on it. We returned to the house only to find the detector had sounded again and shown another 'visitor'.