Read Online A Case of Spirits by Peter; Peter Lovesey Lovesey - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Peter; Peter Lovesey Lovesey
Tags: Mystery
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unbelievable!’ murmured the man from the Life After Death Society.
‘God save us!’ said Miss Crush. ‘I believe it is a hand.’
Even as Jowett watched, the fluttering movement slowed sufficiently for him briefly to discern the shape of a human palm with fingers and a thumb. Not a glove, not a plaster cast: no obvious artifice. An identifiable hand, detached at the wrist, stretching and clenching in a natural manner, so that the creasing of the flesh coincided with the characteristic markings of the palm. But for all its mobility, it lacked the colour of a living hand. It was not pink; it was livid, and glowing through the darkness.
‘A materialisation!’ whispered Probert. ‘I never thought I should live—’
‘Nor I,’ murmured Strathmore, with awe.
‘It is a common enough manifestation,’ said Brand composedly. ‘Keep a firm hold on each other’s hands and it will come down and touch us.’
As the medium spoke, Jowett saw the fingers close over the palm, which turned in the air and vanished. An instant after, there was a scream.
‘It touched my cheek!’ said Miss Crush.
At once Alice Probert said, ‘My dress! It is tugging at my dress!’
‘Is it, by Jove?’ said Nye, on her other side. ‘I won’t have that!’
‘Keep your hands on the table,’ warned Brand.
‘I’m not having my Alice interfered with,’ said Nye determinedly.
‘It’s all right, William. It has stopped,’ said Alice.
‘Damnable behaviour, whoever it was,’ said Nye.
‘Uncle Walter could never resist a pretty girl,’ revealed Miss Crush.
‘It’s a fine time to tell us that, madam, when there’s a hand at liberty under the table,’ said Nye. ‘Do you think we ought to go any further with this, Dr Probert?’
Before anyone could comment there was a blood-curdling bellow from Nye. ‘What the blazes is going on? Someone’s pelting me with fruit!’
True enough, something rolled across the table and came to rest against Jowett’s hand. It must have split on impact with Nye, for there was a pungent smell of orange-juice in the air.
‘The spirit has got the impression that you are a hostile presence,’ Brand explained. ‘Try to reassure it, Captain Nye, or the experiment will be ruined.’
‘Yes, play the game, William, for Heaven’s sake,’ added Probert.
‘The Devil I will!’ said Nye, unsociably.
There was the sound of another orange making contact with Nye. A third must have missed, but hit a vase of chrysanthemums on the mantelpiece behind him, for there was a sound of a vessel overturning, followed by a rapid dripping of water into the hearth.
‘The spirit has left us, ladies and gentlemen,’ said Brand.
‘Damn you, Nye, you’ve ruined everything!’ exclaimed Strathmore. ‘We had the eternal secret within our grasp.
I’ve waited twelve years for this. Twelve years!’
Nye was unrepentant. ‘I’m not allowing my fiancée’s clothing to be interfered with in the name of science or anything else. It’s unendurable! If that’s the nature of your experiments, Dr Probert, sir, I demand that Alice leaves the table, and so shall I. Good God, it’s like a blasted mess-night after the Colonel’s left!’
‘I think it might be prudent if we all left the table for an interval,’ said Probert. ‘I cannot see the sense in sitting here waiting for something else to be shied at Captain Nye.’
Alice, on Jowett’s right, made an odd sound in her throat which he could almost have believed was a stifled giggle. She was obviously hysterical, poor child.
‘You’re right,’ said Brand. ‘The moment has passed. We all need to compose ourselves. After that, I shall be happy to cooperate in the second experiment you prepared, Doctor. For the present, I suggest someone turns on the light.’
SERGEANT CRIBB HAD miscalculated. He would have laid a guinea to a gooseberry that the burglary that evening would take place at Miss Crush’s. He had backed his judgment by posting Thackeray
‘God save us!’ said Miss Crush. ‘I believe it is a hand.’
Even as Jowett watched, the fluttering movement slowed sufficiently for him briefly to discern the shape of a human palm with fingers and a thumb. Not a glove, not a plaster cast: no obvious artifice. An identifiable hand, detached at the wrist, stretching and clenching in a natural manner, so that the creasing of the flesh coincided with the characteristic markings of the palm. But for all its mobility, it lacked the colour of a living hand. It was not pink; it was livid, and glowing through the darkness.
‘A materialisation!’ whispered Probert. ‘I never thought I should live—’
‘Nor I,’ murmured Strathmore, with awe.
‘It is a common enough manifestation,’ said Brand composedly. ‘Keep a firm hold on each other’s hands and it will come down and touch us.’
As the medium spoke, Jowett saw the fingers close over the palm, which turned in the air and vanished. An instant after, there was a scream.
‘It touched my cheek!’ said Miss Crush.
At once Alice Probert said, ‘My dress! It is tugging at my dress!’
‘Is it, by Jove?’ said Nye, on her other side. ‘I won’t have that!’
‘Keep your hands on the table,’ warned Brand.
‘I’m not having my Alice interfered with,’ said Nye determinedly.
‘It’s all right, William. It has stopped,’ said Alice.
‘Damnable behaviour, whoever it was,’ said Nye.
‘Uncle Walter could never resist a pretty girl,’ revealed Miss Crush.
‘It’s a fine time to tell us that, madam, when there’s a hand at liberty under the table,’ said Nye. ‘Do you think we ought to go any further with this, Dr Probert?’
Before anyone could comment there was a blood-curdling bellow from Nye. ‘What the blazes is going on? Someone’s pelting me with fruit!’
True enough, something rolled across the table and came to rest against Jowett’s hand. It must have split on impact with Nye, for there was a pungent smell of orange-juice in the air.
‘The spirit has got the impression that you are a hostile presence,’ Brand explained. ‘Try to reassure it, Captain Nye, or the experiment will be ruined.’
‘Yes, play the game, William, for Heaven’s sake,’ added Probert.
‘The Devil I will!’ said Nye, unsociably.
There was the sound of another orange making contact with Nye. A third must have missed, but hit a vase of chrysanthemums on the mantelpiece behind him, for there was a sound of a vessel overturning, followed by a rapid dripping of water into the hearth.
‘The spirit has left us, ladies and gentlemen,’ said Brand.
‘Damn you, Nye, you’ve ruined everything!’ exclaimed Strathmore. ‘We had the eternal secret within our grasp.
I’ve waited twelve years for this. Twelve years!’
Nye was unrepentant. ‘I’m not allowing my fiancée’s clothing to be interfered with in the name of science or anything else. It’s unendurable! If that’s the nature of your experiments, Dr Probert, sir, I demand that Alice leaves the table, and so shall I. Good God, it’s like a blasted mess-night after the Colonel’s left!’
‘I think it might be prudent if we all left the table for an interval,’ said Probert. ‘I cannot see the sense in sitting here waiting for something else to be shied at Captain Nye.’
Alice, on Jowett’s right, made an odd sound in her throat which he could almost have believed was a stifled giggle. She was obviously hysterical, poor child.
‘You’re right,’ said Brand. ‘The moment has passed. We all need to compose ourselves. After that, I shall be happy to cooperate in the second experiment you prepared, Doctor. For the present, I suggest someone turns on the light.’
SERGEANT CRIBB HAD miscalculated. He would have laid a guinea to a gooseberry that the burglary that evening would take place at Miss Crush’s. He had backed his judgment by posting Thackeray
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