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“We don’t need bobbies,” Miss Hepplethwaite replied in a voice that was panic stricken.
Mark turned to glare at both women. Strangely, Madame Humphries seemed to have come out of her trance and now stared at him with something akin to horror in her eyes. “I strongly recommend that both of you sit still. If either of you make any attempt to leave this room, I shall set this lot on you.” He nodded toward the restless crowd behind him.
“Arrest them. They are nothing but frauds,” someone called from the back of the room.
The gasoliers were lit. It cast the room in considerably more light, and was enough to reveal the extent of the fraud the women had intended to carry out. There, in plain view on Madame Humphries’ lap, was the large rectangular piece of muslin that she had put into her mouth as the first stage of a supposed spirit ‘manifestation’.
He glared at Miss Hepplethwaite, and shoved a chair at her. “Sit.” He stalked toward the carpet bag.
“Wait! That’s ours.”
“It belongs to the constabulary now,” Mark replied and opened the bag. He didn’t draw the contents out in case it enraged the crowd further, but he had witnessed en
ough to be able to confidently assign all of the supposed ‘clairvoyant’s’ props to their specific schemes.
He moved to stand beside Miss Hepplethwaite and Madame Humphries, and raised his hands to quieten the crowd.
“I am Detective Inspector Mark Bosville, from Great Tipton Constabulary. I am here to arrest both ladies for their deception. I would ask that all of you leave your name and address with the lady there. “He pointed to his mother and issued her with an apologetic look. From the surprise on her face, she had been caught off guard but offered no protest. He dug around in his jacket pocket and took out his small black notebook and a pencil. He caught Harriett’s eye and was relieved when she didn’t hesitate to collect it from him. He was impressed and delighted when she started to take down the details of the audience while Henrietta and Babette arranged everyone into an orderly queue.
Within minutes, several constables, along with Isaac, appeared in the doorway.
“Arrest them for fraud,” Mark ordered and moved to Harriett’s side. “We could do with you in the constabulary,” he whispered ruefully.
She glanced at him and gave him a smile. “It’s a little like taking orders for tea,” she replied with a wry grin. “I hope you can read my writing.”
Mark took the opportunity to edge a little closer and peer over her shoulder. Whatever he was about to say next was interrupted by several members of the audience who were evidently reluctant to leave without finding out just what was going on.
“Are they going to jail?”
“What is going to happen to them?”
Mark gave them a stern look. “If you have given your name to my colleague here, then I think you should head home. There won’t be any further psychic demonstrations of this kind in Great Tipton, of that I can promise you.”
Mark drew Harriett to one side and they watched as Madame Humphries and Miss Hepplethwaite were led out of the room.
“Take them to the cells. I will question them in the morning.”
“You cannot do this,” Miss Hepplethwaite snarled. Her usual nervousness had been replaced with a fierce belligerence that was nothing like with the aged spinster she had presented to the world in recent weeks. “You have nothing you can prove.”
“Oh, I beg to differ,” Mark sighed and turned his attention Madame Humphries. “I just needed to be able to prove your tricks were fraudulent and, thanks to the help of the audience this evening, I have the evidence that will stand up in court. I also suspect that you are the same clairvoyants who are wanted by Scotland Yard. If you are, then you will face trial for several counts of theft and fraud in Charing Cross, Islington, Westminster, Tipton Hollow and Great Tipton.”
“I haven’t stolen anything,” Madame Humphries gasped. “I am not a thief.”
“You are not speaking to the dearly departed either,” Mark retorted. “Accepting money from anyone with false claims that you are doing something you know you are not is fraud. You will have to account for your actions in court. Until then, I suggest you get yourself a good solicitor.”
“Did they steal Harriett’s brooch?” Babette asked with a sigh. She felt strangely tainted by the events of the evening. It was as though something that should have been sacred had been defiled in some debased way.
“I think they might have done. We got a description of the woman who traded it and it matches Miss Hepplethwaite, although the pawn broker was a bit vague who he purchased it from and couldn’t be altogether sure that it wasn’t a man. We will search their homes now and see what else we can find.”
Henrietta didn’t know what to make of the entire evening. She had looked forward to being able to join a circle or group of some sort in order to get out and start to socialise more. As it was, it seemed highly unlikely now that there would be another meeting of the Tipton Hollow Psychic Circle, especially given that the only one who professed to be able to talk to the spirits was now behind bars.
“I think that we should call it a night.” Mark suggested and, being ever a gentleman, offered Harriett his elbow.
“Unless you have any objections, I should like to hurry off. I would like to see my friend, Theresa, before I call it a night.” Babette glanced ruefully at Harriett. “I only came to see Madame Humphries at work, so to speak. Now it all seems rather sad, if more than a little annoying. Now that I have the time, I am going to go and have a cup of tea with her.” She didn’t wait for anyone’s objection and hurried out of the door after a brief goodbye.
“My, she is in a hurry, isn’t she?” Henrietta sighed.
“We will drop you off at home, mother, and then I will take Harriett home.” He already had a strong suspicion that he knew where Babette was going in a hurry and, from the look on Harriett’s face, she had a good idea too. Earlier in the evening, she had looked incredibly sad, and he couldn’t help but wonder if she suspected that Babette was having an affair.
