The Durham Deception Read Online Free PDF

prosecuted under the Vagrancy Act of eighteen-something-or-other, which was originally intended to deal with vagabonds and gypsies and such. People like that weren’t supposed to make money by pretending to foretell the future. They weren’t supposed to make a nuisance of themselves at all.’
    â€˜But this is different, it is nothing to do with gypsies. It is getting in touch with the dead and hearing their messages. In fact, all their messages were reassuring. Did you notice, Tom? Everything was all right, everything was going to be all right.’
    â€˜I thought you didn’t believe, Helen. You’re the sceptic. You’re convinced none of it is true.’
    â€˜I am still a sceptic. It will take more than this evening to unconvince me. But Tom, you have heard from the spirit of your father!’
    â€˜My father? I don’t know. How could it have been? A man in a blue uniform. It might have been a lucky guess by the medium.’
    â€˜But the person he saw was soaked to the skin – and your father was buried at sea.’
    â€˜Twenty years ago. He should have got out of those clothes by now. He’ll catch his death.’
    â€˜You are making jokes about it but I can tell you were affected by what Mr Smight saw. What he said he saw. Your hand was in mine, remember. You were sweating and tense.’
    â€˜Let’s be rational about it. How many people know some details of my father’s death? Quite a few. Others could find out. It’s probably written down in some army record. And there’s your mother! She knows of course. And it was your mother who told us about Ernest Smight. She suggested we went to consult him. Probably she mentioned something about my father’s death to him or to his sister. And there’s another connection. Miss Smight used to know your aunt.’
    â€˜But Miss Smight did not seem to have any warning we were coming.’
    â€˜She’s a good actress.’
    â€˜Besides I don’t think my mother has communicated at all with the Smights even though she might have known them once. Mother is not well disposed towards mediums and the spirit world. Why should she have said anything to a man she distrusts?’
    â€˜Then why did she ask us to go and see him?’ said Tom.
    â€˜You know why,’ said Helen. ‘Because of what she has asked me to do. She wants me to have some knowledge of the world I am entering.’
    â€˜Like Daniel going into the lions’ den.’
    â€˜I hope not. Anyway, you’ll be with me,’ said Helen. ‘What will happen to him?’
    â€˜Him? Oh, Ernest Smight. He’ll be lucky if he is only fined. He could get a month or two in gaol, perhaps with hard labour.’
    â€˜Hard labour? But that might kill him. He did not look strong.’
    â€˜He’ll only get that if he comes up before a magistrate who doesn’t like mediums.’
    â€˜What if we are called on to give testimony? That policeman took down all our details.’
    â€˜He was doing it for effect, to show his authority.’
    â€˜We could always say that we saw no money change hands. I would not like to be responsible for sending a man to prison. I didn’t care for Mr Smight or his sister very much but they seemed harmless enough.’
    â€˜I doubt if we’ll have to testify. The word of the policeman and his wife will probably be enough, especially if Smight has performed these tricks before.’
    â€˜I agree with Miss Smight. It still does not seem fair. Tom, I have had enough of walking.’
    They hailed an omnibus which was going towards Kentish Town. They might have taken a hansom but two journeys by cab in one day seemed an extravagance. Tom, by himself, would have climbed to the roof of the bus but the exposed seating was not really suitable for ladies even if Helen had made a point of doing it a couple of times in fine weather. So the Ansells sat in the cramped interior