Murder of a Hermit, page 23
Although they had been too involved in their discussion to take much heed of the surrounding scenery, the view was in fact impressive. Notwithstanding its modest elevation, the crag on which Gina’s house was perched offered a full panorama over the valley. Tiny dots of light began to appear from the city below as the golden honey radiance of the sun faded along the horizon.
‘It’s marvelous, isn’t it?’ Admiring the view with them, Rosemarie sipped from a glass of red wine. ‘I can’t imagine a pleasanter evening. Gina has lit a fire in case it gets chilly or damp later.’
Dylan gave Hope a questioning look. Were they going to play along? She answered with a slight nod. He nodded in return and promptly moved next to Rosemarie.
‘As nice as the view is,’ he remarked smoothly, ‘that glass of wine looks very nice, too. Will you show me where to get one?’
‘Oh, yes.’ With her free hand, Rosemarie took hold of Dylan’s arm and turned with him up the path. ‘Gina told me what type of wine it is, but the name was funny, so I don’t remember it. It tastes good. I like fruity wines best…’
The remainder of the wine appraisal was lost to Hope as Rosemarie and Dylan proceeded toward the patio.
‘How cliché,’ Summer said dryly, ‘to light a fire for a séance. My bet is that Gina will claim to see a face in the embers.’
Hope smiled. ‘Then we’ll pretend to see the face, too. Assuming, of course, that it isn’t Carter accusing us of murder a second time.’
Imitating Rosemarie, Summer took hold of her sister’s arm, and they followed the pair in the direction of the patio. ‘For the record, I’m doubtful of this plan.’
‘I don’t have much confidence in it, either, but as Dylan said, we can always shift gears if things start to go wrong. Plus, Nate is here, which is reassuring.’
‘But what about the Bergs—’
The question was left unfinished as the pebble path snaked around the rear of the house and emerged as a pebble patio. It was the only patio Hope had ever seen that wasn’t flat, and she now better understood Gina’s reference to them potentially twisting an ankle. Although the white pebbles were small and relatively uniform in dimension, they formed an uneven surface, which caused everything on the patio to be uneven. The metal chairs all tilted slightly. The large metal dining table sloped visibly to the left. A trio of jungle-sized ferns in metal planters leaned to the right. The area of the patio was approximately the same as Morris’s, but in all other respects, there was no resemblance between the two. While Morris’s patio was elegant and intimate, Gina’s patio was cold and impersonal. The smile that Gina gave Hope and Summer as they approached was equally stony.
‘Welcome to my home. May I offer you a glass of wine?’
Hope hesitated, recalling a troubling joke from Summer about Gina poisoning their food at Miranda’s proposed progressive dinner party. Dylan solved the problem by handing a full glass to each sister and then taking a drink from his own.
‘Cheers,’ he said, in a tone that feigned merriment.
There was little actual merriment to be found. As Hope sampled the wine – which was so sweet and fruity that it could have been fortified grape juice – she surveyed the group. The only one who appeared to be in any sort of a good mood was Rosemarie, and even she had lost a considerable amount of her natural effusiveness. She stood next to Gina and Nate, chattering absently about the congenial outdoor temperature and the freshness of the mountain air. In contrast, Paul and Miranda Larson were silently seated in a pair of tilting metal chairs. Paul wore an ill-fitting worsted wool suit. His orange shock of hair had been combed into awkward submission. Miranda had on a red dress decorated with two vertical rows of gold-toned buttons. At her feet lay the tote bag containing the cookbooks that had been summarily rejected by Gina. Both of the Larsons held wine glasses, as did both of the Bergs. Jill and Austin were likewise seated in a pair of metal chairs without speaking. They were the most casually clad of the group. Jill had on a white tennis skirt with a pleated top. Austin wore a pair of seersucker pants and a striped golf shirt.
Leaning toward Hope, Summer said under her breath, ‘You should tell Jill that you’ve had time to contemplate the markings on her palm, and they show that she’ll be struck by lightning and then eaten by a bear.’
Hope had to bite her tongue not to laugh.
Although Summer’s voice had been too quiet for the others to hear, Jill must have guessed from the direction of the sisters’ gazes that the words were about her – and not of a flattering nature – because she wrinkled her nose and gave an indignant sniff.
‘Don’t act self-righteous with us,’ Summer snapped at her. ‘We know that you lied about the affair with Carter. We know that your husband’s tirade in the boutique was make-believe. We know that—’
Hope elbowed Summer hard enough in her side to almost make her spill her wine, but it was necessary to stop her. She sounded as though she was about to mention Harriet Lipscomb next. Up to that point, they hadn’t told anyone about their visit to Carter’s cabin, and if they were going to play along with Gina and her séance, then they couldn’t yet disclose everything that they had learned from Harriet.
There was a tense pause. Both Jill and Austin were visibly surprised by Summer’s remarks, as were the rest of the group. Jill recovered before her husband.
‘I never said that I’d had an affair with Carter.’ She wrinkled her nose again, but this time there was no accompanying sniff. ‘It was a misunderstanding.’
‘A misunderstanding,’ Austin concurred. ‘There was some confusion between us. But no harm’s been done, so you can forget about it the same as we have.’
‘No harm?’ Summer echoed irritably. ‘You want us to forget that you pointed at Carter lying dead in the retention pool and announced that he—’
Hope was about to elbow her sister again, but Gina interrupted first.
‘I’m glad that someone has broken the ice and mentioned Carter,’ she said. ‘It’s always hard to broach the subject of those who have crossed over to the other side. But now that we’ve taken the first step, let’s dive straight in. Why don’t we all have a seat, so that we can begin the séance?’
Gina – with her wine glass – took the lead by walking toward the large metal dining table. The table was oval, and she placed herself at the chair on the narrow right end. Hope had no difficulty understanding her selection. Because the table sloped down to the left, Gina would be sitting slightly higher than everybody else.
‘Detective Nate, if you would take the chair next to mine,’ Gina suggested.
There was a little grumble from Summer.
‘And Rosemarie,’ Gina continued, ‘if you would also sit next to me.’
Dylan pre-empted Gina’s further seating arrangements by pulling out three chairs in a row on one of the long sides of the oval. ‘Hope?’ he said, indicating that she should sit in the middle chair. ‘Summer?’
They agreed without discussion.
Also not waiting for Gina’s direction, Paul pulled out a chair for himself and for Miranda across from the sisters and Dylan on the other long side of the oval. That left Jill and Austin opposite Gina on the narrow left end, sitting lower than the others.
Although Gina didn’t appear to be entirely pleased with all of their positions, she didn’t attempt to move anyone. She looked at the metal firepit that stood at an angle to the table, closest to her and Nate, furthest from Jill and Austin.
‘I had assumed that the fire would have diminished some by now,’ she remarked, frowning. ‘But the wood is burning unusually hot tonight.’
Hope and Summer exchanged a glance. As suspected, Gina had lit the fire as a séance prop. The problem for her was that the faces of spirits were typically alleged to be seen in dying embers, not roaring blazes. And the blaze in the firepit seemed to be strengthening rather than weakening. Its flames reflected off the metal table and chairs with an eerie red glow. The patio had no lighting and, as dusk descended upon them, the fire offered the only illumination for the group.
Gina turned her attention back to her guests. ‘If you have all settled yourselves comfortably…’
There was some shifting in seats.
‘And finished your wine…’
Glasses were drained and set aside.
‘I would ask for everyone to put their hands on the table, palms turned up, open and relaxed.’
They all complied, except for Paul.
In response to their questioning looks, Paul said wryly, ‘If God had intended for us to speak with the dead, he wouldn’t have made them dead.’
Hope and Summer exchanged another glance. Paul had risen in their esteem. He apparently didn’t believe in Gina’s parlor – or, more accurately in this instance, patio – tricks any more than they did.
‘This will not work if there are doubters among us,’ Gina replied with a touch of haughtiness.
‘Please, Paul,’ Miranda squeaked beseechingly.
Nate cleared his throat, as though also encouraging Paul to participate.
‘Oh, all right.’ With a desultory thump, Paul deposited his hands on the table to join the others.
Gina thanked him stiffly, then her voice softened. ‘Now we must clear our minds and free our hearts. Empty yourselves of any thoughts. Release yourselves from all emotions. Focus only on the fire.’
Heads and eyes turned toward the firepit.
‘Slowly breathe in and breathe out.’ Gina inhaled and exhaled demonstratively. ‘Slowly breathe in and breathe out.’
Summer poked her sister’s foot underneath the table. Hope had to press her lips together hard to keep a straight face.
‘Slowly breathe in and breathe out…’
Hope felt the side of Dylan’s thigh touch hers, and her pulse quickened.
‘Carter Dalton,’ Gina said, ‘I summon thee.’
TWENTY-FIVE
‘Carter Dalton, I summon thee.’
The fire crackled.
‘Carter Dalton,’ Gina repeated a third time, ‘I summon thee.’
For a long minute, no one spoke. The shadows of the night deepened around them. A burning log collapsed on itself, sending a spray of crimson sparks into the air. Rosemarie made an anxious mewing sound.
Gina was quick to respond. ‘Yes, Rosemarie. I see it, too.’
Everybody looked at the fire closely.
‘What do you see?’ Miranda asked.
There was a pause. Hope noted how adeptly Gina had taken advantage of the opportunity provided by Rosemarie to suggest that something was beginning to appear amid the flames. And now Gina waited for impressionable Rosemarie to expand on the idea.
‘I’m not sure what it is,’ Rosemarie answered somewhat timidly, ‘but it’s down near the bottom of the fire.’
‘Near the bottom of the fire,’ Gina echoed.
Miranda leaned forward for a better view. ‘Where at the bottom?’
Again, Gina waited for Rosemarie to reply first.
‘It’s on the left side next to the twig that’s sticking out.’ Rosemarie wavered. ‘But maybe I’m mistaken?’ She turned to Gina questioningly.
‘You should never doubt yourself,’ Gina told her. ‘Your eyes won’t deceive you.’
Hope heard Summer cluck her tongue with annoyance. It was the classic playbook of a fraudulent medium, little altered over the millennia: hint and suggest without providing any substantive details, and then reinforce and reiterate whatever someone else thought they might have seen.
‘On the left side…’ Miranda murmured, leaning further forward. ‘Next to the twig…’ She gave a start. ‘There it is!’
A buzz passed through the group, and they all studied the fire.
‘Oh, yes!’ Rosemarie cried excitedly. ‘There it is!’
Paul leaned forward to match the position of his wife. ‘Where exactly?’
Miranda pointed. ‘That strange spot. Do you see it? It’s brighter and more orange than everywhere else, and it’s in the shape of a circle.’
Hope looked at the spot Miranda indicated. The flames were indeed slightly brighter and more orange in that area. But it wasn’t due to any mystical reason. It was where the log had collapsed earlier.
‘It is somewhat circular,’ Paul mused.
‘It’s a face,’ Jill declared.
Rosemarie gasped. ‘Do you think so?’
‘I’m positive,’ Jill responded with confidence.
This time instead of turning questioningly to Gina, Rosemarie turned to Hope. ‘Do you think that it’s a face, Hope?’
Hope hesitated. Although she was supposed to play along with the séance, she didn’t want to lie to Rosemarie. The ostensible circle was not a face. She was also wary of supporting any claim made by Jill. But before Hope could decide how best to reply, there was a sudden loud pop from the direction of the firepit.
‘He’s here,’ Jill announced.
Rosemarie gasped again. Miranda gasped with her.
Several more pops followed.
‘He’s beginning to communicate,’ Jill said.
The popping continued. To Hope, the noises were no more mystical than the slightly brighter and more orange part of the fire. They were exploding pockets of tree sap, most likely because Gina – whether deliberately or not – had used too much pine.
Austin nodded at his wife. ‘Carter is communicating.’
Rosemarie and Miranda gazed wide-eyed at the Bergs.
‘That’s jumping to a conclusion, isn’t it?’ Paul said. ‘I mean, how do you know that it’s Carter who—’
‘Because Carter was the one that we summoned,’ Austin cut him off brusquely.
‘Of course it’s Carter,’ Jill corroborated.
There was a rapid succession of snaps and cracks, varying in volume.
Miranda spun in her seat toward Gina. ‘Can you understand him? What is Carter saying?’
It was Gina’s turn to hesitate. Hope had the impression that the séance wasn’t going entirely to plan, and similar to her, Gina was wary of automatically supporting Jill and Austin’s claims without knowing where they were leading. During her time on the pebble patio, Hope had observed a decided coolness between the Bergs and their hostess. They didn’t converse or make eye contact, and it went beyond mere reserve. There was a palpable tension, as though both sides were on guard, each watching and waiting to see what the other would do.
When no response from Gina was forthcoming, Jill said, ‘Carter is trying to send a message.’
‘Yes, but what is it?’ Miranda asked impatiently.
With a dramatic flourish, Jill placed her hands back on the table, her palms turned up as when the séance had first started. ‘Carter, are you here with us?’
Nothing happened.
‘Carter,’ Jill began again, ‘are you—’
She was interrupted by a hollow thud. Rosemarie and both of the Larsons jumped at the sound.
‘We hear you, Carter.’ Jill raised her hands in the air as though she was communing with the heavens. ‘We’re listening.’
A pair of thuds came in reply.
Dylan leaned close to Hope’s ear. ‘Is Austin kicking one of the table legs?’
Although the words were much too quiet for Jill to discern, she must have caught a trace of his voice, because she commanded the entire group sternly, ‘Silence!’
Hope answered Dylan with a slight nod.
To impede any further disruptions, Jill went on rapidly, ‘Speak to us, Carter. Give us your message from the other side.’
There was one final thud, followed by a low whistle. The whistle stopped almost immediately, making it impossible to detect with certainty what direction it had come from. Hope guessed that it was Austin again.
‘We didn’t understand you, Carter.’ Jill lifted her hands higher. ‘Can you repeat yourself, please?’
As requested, the whistle reoccurred, but as before, it lasted only for a moment.
‘We’re beginning to comprehend,’ Jill said. ‘Once more, Carter, so that there can be no mistake.’
The whistle was replaced by a brief hum.
Jill dropped her hands to her sides in a shocked gesture. ‘It was Gina!’
‘It was Gina!’ Austin affirmed.
Gina shot to her feet. ‘No! You two are not going to blame me for this!’
Although it was as fleeting as the whistle and the hum, a smug expression passed across Austin’s face. ‘Carter’s message cannot be denied.’
‘There was no message,’ Gina retorted angrily. She turned to Nate. ‘Did you hear a message?’ Before he could respond, she addressed Hope. ‘I’m sure that you didn’t hear a message.’
Austin gave a biting laugh. ‘You think that she’s going to support you after you accused her and her sister of murder yesterday?’
Hope felt Dylan straighten in his chair beside her. He was now on full alert, as was she. The séance had moved beyond imaginary faces in the fire and ghostly noises.
‘I didn’t accuse anyone of anything,’ Gina countered. ‘I received information from the other side, which I freely admit may have been in error. That’s why we’re here today, to the learn the truth.’
‘And we have learned the truth,’ Jill sneered. ‘Carter’s spirit has told us that you—’
‘No,’ Summer cut her off, unwilling to continue the charade any longer. ‘Hope and I are the ones who know the truth, and it isn’t from Carter’s spirit. It’s from Harriet Lipscomb, fully alive and plenty talkative on this earth.’
Both Jill and Austin flinched at Harriet’s name. Gina twisted the pearls on her wrists apprehensively.
‘Harriet told us how you’ – Summer glared at Gina – ‘grew rich from Carter’s tragedy by promising him that you could contact his deceased wife and daughter. And Harriet also told us how you’ – the glare switched to the Bergs – ‘targeted Carter at his grief support meetings by pretending that you had lost a daughter, too. The three of you should be ashamed of yourselves! And if Carter’s spirit really would join us this evening, I have little doubt that he’d be tempted to push you all into the firepit – except he’s probably too good of a soul to actually do it. But that doesn’t mean you’re in the clear. You’ll receive your punishment one day in another place. And in the interim, we happily have Detective Nate, who I am certain has a long list of criminal charges in the works against you.’
