Tales of Terror and Mystery
The Lost Special
However,thismaybe,itiscertainthatheneitherwrotenorcame,andthewomenwereeventuallycompelledtoreturntoLiverpool.
Andsothematterstood,andhascontinuedtostanduptothepresentyearof1898.Incredibleasitmayseem,nothinghastranspiredduringtheseeightyearswhichhasshedtheleastlightupontheextraordinarydisappearanceofthespecialtrainwhichcontainedMonsieurCaratalandhiscompanion.CarefulinquiriesintotheantecedentsofthetwotravellershaveonlyestablishedthefactthatMonsieurCaratalwaswellknownasafinancierandpoliticalagentinCentralAmerica,andthatduringhisvoyagetoEuropehehadbetrayedextraordinaryanxietytoreachParis.Hiscompanion,whosenamewasentereduponthepassengerlistsasEduardoGomez,wasamanwhoserecordwasaviolentone,andwhosereputationwasthatofabravoandabully.Therewasevidencetoshow,however,thathewashonestlydevotedtotheinterestsofMonsieurCaratal,andthatthelatter,beingamanofpunyphysique,employedtheotherasaguardandprotector.ItmaybeaddedthatnoinformationcamefromParisastowhattheobjectsofMonsieurCaratal’shurriedjourneymayhavebeen.ThiscomprisesallthefactsofthecaseuptothepublicationintheMarseillespapersoftherecentconfessionofHerbertdeLernac,nowundersentenceofdeathforthemurderofamerchantnamedBonvalot.
