His Father's Ghost (Mina Scarletti Mystery Book 5) Read online

  ‘This must be a terrible burden for you.’

  ‘It is. Had we been without means my poor boy might have been locked away in some dreadful place, but at least he has been cared for at home, where there is a better chance of recovery. Initially we employed a daily nurse.’

  ‘Initially? Then he must have improved such that he no longer needs a nurse.’

  ‘He is a little better, in some ways, yes,’ said Mrs Vardy with a hesitation suggesting to Mina that the improvement was more optimistic than actual, ‘but my sister Mrs Norbert has come to stay and has taken charge. She is tutoring him, too. I fear it may be many months before he can be strong enough to attend school. He sleeps very poorly and still affirms that the ghost of his father comes to visit him, and to be honest, I have come to believe him. There are such things, I am convinced of it. Not all who see and converse with spirits are afflicted in the mind,’ she added defiantly.

  ‘Has anyone else seen or heard this ghost?’

  ‘No. I was wondering if I ought to employ a medium, a sensitive.’ She hesitated. ‘I have heard say that you might be such a person.’

  Mina was tempted as she always was to deny at once that she had made any such claims, but Mrs Vardy looked so hopeful, so plaintive, that she could not find it within herself to do so. ‘I think, she said carefully, ‘it is possible that because of the family connection, anything your son sees or hears will be experienced by him alone. But I shall give the question some thought. Perhaps if you have any further information to give me, I might be able to look at your situation and see if there is a way forward.’

  Mrs Vardy looked disappointed but nodded. ‘Very well.’

  ‘On the occasions when you son sees the ghost of his father, is this only a vision, or does it speak? I ask because when individuals are in poor health or experiencing grief, their sight may be affected; they see things that are simply products of the mind, pictures they have in their memory, images of people they know, either living or deceased, that will appear to them to be the actual person, real, and standing before them. It wants only a return to health to lay the supposed ghosts.’

  Mrs Vardy bridled a little at the suggestion. ‘It is the appearance of this spirit which is one of the things that convinces me that Jasper is deceased,’ she said.

  ‘But no-one apart from your son has seen it.’

  ‘Not thus far, no. I do hope that in time perhaps Mrs Barnham might bring him to me, but at present it seems he only manifests to Franklin. My son is not insane, Miss Scarletti.’

  Mina decided not to pursue that line of argument. ‘Has this spectre spoken, or made a sign or imparted information to your son in any way?’

  ‘If it has, I have not been told of it. Franklin tells me very little in any case, and my sister does not believe in the new spiritualism and dismisses it all as childish nonsense.’

  ‘Your nursemaid did not report anything to you?’

  ‘She witnessed a number of occasions on which Franklin awoke very distressed and unable to move his limbs. The episodes were brief but terrible and when the symptoms subsided, he said he had seen his father. He is sure that his father was attempting to tell him something very important. When the nurse told him that she could not see the ghost he suggested that it must be hiding behind the curtains. She looked and found nothing there, or at least nothing that she was aware of, but then she must not be a sensitive. I have considered bringing a medium to the house to hold a séance and try and contact Jasper, but I feel that it would only result in more upset for Franklin, and I have been advised that he needs to be kept calm.’

  ‘For someone in fragile health séances can be very upsetting and are best avoided,’ said Mina. ‘That is my advice. I have seen harm come to some people because of them.’

  Mrs Vardy reluctantly absorbed Mina’s good counsel. ‘I am sure you are right, but what can I do?’

  ‘I think that regarding your son, your doctors are correct, this may be something that only time and good care will heal.’

  Mrs Vardy gave a little groan of disappointment. She made to rise and leave. ‘I see that I have troubled you unnecessarily.’

  ‘Not at all. Please stay a little longer. There are more ways than one of solving a mystery.’

  Mrs Vardy looked puzzled but sat down again.

  ‘Tell me about the day you husband disappeared. How did he seem to you that day?’

  The visitor’s manner showed that it was a tale she had told many times before. ‘He seemed particularly cheerful. I put it down to his looking forward to sailing in the yacht. The weather was exceptionally good.’

  ‘You didn’t think of going with him? He didn’t suggest it?’

  ‘No, but I am a poor sailor. He thought that in time it would be a fine thing for the boys. At least that is what he said.’

  ‘He didn’t plan to sail the yacht himself?’

  ‘No, he had no experience of sailing. The vessel was owned by Mr Sutherland, who was to teach him how to sail it.’

  ‘What can you tell me about Mr Sutherland?’

  Mrs Vardy was surprised at the question, and not a little uncomfortable. ‘Why, almost nothing.’

  ‘No? You have never met him?’

  ‘Never.’

  ‘I had heard — please forgive me for mentioning it — that you were both interviewed by the police.’

  Mrs Vardy clearly did not like to be reminded of this. ‘Yes, that was a distressing time. And the suspicion against me remains in the public memory, and always will until the truth of what happened to Jasper has been revealed. I was interviewed at the Town Hall police office. There were men there who looked at me as if I was a criminal. I can’t describe how I felt. Mr Sutherland might have been there at the same time for all I know, but if he was, he must have been in another room and I never saw him.’

  ‘Perhaps you and he were kept apart as they suspected collusion.’

  ‘I have no doubt at all that that is what they did suspect.’

  ‘How did he and Mr Holt meet?’

  ‘It was through business, I believe. Jasper was a purveyor of wines and spirits, mainly to the restaurant trade, but also through a shop premises. Mr Sutherland was the secretary of a gentleman’s club whose interest was yachting. How many of the members actually owned yachts or even sailed I couldn’t say. I never met any of them, and Jasper was never a member. But I believe he came to Jasper to arrange for wines and brandy to be served at their annual dinner.’

  ‘How soon was this before your husband disappeared?’

  ‘Not long before. I can’t imagine that they knew each other well.’

  ‘And did your husband tell you anything about Mr Sutherland?’

  ‘No, he only said that he was thinking of buying a yacht for amusement, and was about to take a trip in one, to see if it suited him.’ Mrs Vardy gave little wail of sorrow. ‘How could I have known what he meant to do? The very act of him saying he wanted to purchase a yacht suggested to me that the business was doing well. That was all I knew; all I could know at the time.’

  ‘But you found out more later?’

  ‘Yes. His accountant, Mr Westbury told me. It wasn’t Jasper’s fault. There were other businesses that had failed, and they had no funds to pay Jasper’s invoices. He had already supplied them with the goods which had been consumed and found himself unable to meet his own creditors. Cheques he had written were being returned by the bank and people were starting to talk. He had tried to persuade his creditors it was a temporary embarrassment, he even said it was a banker’s error, but people in that line of business know each other and suspected that he was in difficulty. There had been talk of him declaring bankruptcy. None of this I knew until afterwards.’

  ‘But he was able to take out insurance, was he not? In a large sum, so the newspapers said. He must have paid the first instalment at least.’

  ‘Yes, just the first one. I suppose you want to know how he paid it.’ Mrs Vardy gulped. A tear escaped one eye and trickled down
her face before she could prevent it. She blotted it carefully with a handkerchief. Mina allowed her as long as she needed to recover. ‘He took my jewellery, Miss Scarletti. Some of it had belonged to my mother and my grandmother. He told me he was having it valued for insurance, but that was a lie. He pawned it. How could he do such a thing? I suppose he thought that in time I would have the insurance money and be able to retrieve it, but of course that never happened. I have it back, now, through the kindness of my family. In fact, if it had not been for my brother, I would have been destitute. He and his wife gave a home to me and my children. They have not been blessed with a family of their own but are godparents to Franklin and Matthew. My boys have had a good education and want for nothing.’ Despite this proud statement she looked dejected. ‘Have I wasted your time? I had so hoped…’

  ‘Not at all,’ Mina reassured her. ‘You said you employed a detective?’

  ‘Yes. I have all his reports if you would like to see them.’

  ‘I would.’

  ‘In fact, I will show you all the papers in my possession. Letters, newspapers. I kept them all.’

  ‘That would be most helpful. I will write to you when I am able to come and see you once more.’

  There was a knock on the door, and Rose peered in. ‘The doctor is here to see you.’

  Mrs Vardy rose. ‘Then I will trouble you no further. Believe me, I would be so grateful for any advice you could give me.’ She left quickly before the tears began again.

  Once her visitor had departed, Mina looked in Page’s Directory for a Doctor Crosier but found nothing.

  CHAPTER TEN

  Dr Hamid drew a chair near to Mina’s bed and opened his medical bag. ‘I hardly need to ask if you are feeling better as I can see it for myself. More colour in your cheeks, brighter eyes. So now you can see what sensible behaviour and plenty of rest can do for you.’

  ‘I can indeed,’ said Mina.

  ‘And Rose tells me that your appetite is improved.’

  ‘My appetite is as good as cook will allow it to be,’ said Mina. ‘Rose has been instructing her and she has studied your book on invalid diet, the result being that I have been presented with dishes which assume that I am either toothless or too weak to chew. Perhaps you could reassure her that she is mistaken in both suppositions. Not all meat has to be boiled for quite so long.’

  He smiled. ‘I will do so. As long as your digestion proceeds well.’

  ‘My digestion is good, provided I take small meals, and no-one thinks I need to be fattened up.’

  He extracted the stethoscope from his bag. ‘Who is the lady I passed on the stairs?’ he asked. ‘She looked very upset. Was she visiting you? Her face looked familiar, but I couldn’t quite place her.’

  Mina could not avoid a slight hesitation before she replied. ‘She is a representative of a porcelain company. I was looking at their catalogue of mourning brooches.’

  Dr Hamid was about to don the earpieces of the stethoscope but stopped abruptly. A series of increasingly worried expressions crossed his features. ‘Rose also tells me that you have been visited by Mr Phipps the solicitor.’

  ‘Yes,’ said Mina calmly, ‘I thought it was about time I made a will.’

  It was his eyes that first expressed alarm, and he swallowed convulsively, but then he quickly recovered himself. ‘Of course,’ he said steadily, in his most professional manner, ‘that is a wise thing for most people to do, but they are usually at a greater age than yourself. I do hope that you are not becoming despondent. I have known patients who have concealed their unhappy thoughts and show to the world a good humour they do not feel. If you are in low spirits then I can reassure you that many patients who suffer from fever and breathlessness as you have done, will experience something of that nature, but I promise that it will pass as you become stronger. You are young. You must not give up on life.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said Mina, ‘but I am simply being sensible. I do intend to recover my health.’

  He did not appear entirely reassured. ‘I am glad to hear it. But if you have any worries or concerns, anything at all that troubles you, you must tell me about it at once. I know how much of a support you are to your family when you are well, but there are times when you need to take care of yourself or have someone take care of you.’

  Mina could only nod agreement.

  ‘Now,’ he went on, donning the stethoscope, ‘breathe as evenly as you can.’ Whatever the instrument was telling him seemed favourable. He gave a nod of satisfaction and made some notes before preparing to take her pulse.

  ‘Speaking of my family,’ said Mina, ‘it has occurred to me that when I am well again, I should purchase some insurance. I would like to do something to assist them.’

  ‘Insurance?’ he queried. ‘What kind of insurance?’

  ‘I meant a policy on my life. Unless you think I am not worth insuring.’

  ‘That is not for me to say.’ He pressed his fingers to her wrist, which she thought, looked very thin and bone pale under his strong brown grip.

  ‘I suppose if I was to do so I would be obliged to obtain a certificate of good health from a doctor.’

  ‘That is usual, yes.’

  ‘Would that be from yourself or another?’

  ‘Insurance companies often prefer to appoint their own men.’

  ‘Someone recently mentioned a Dr Crosier. Is he suitable?’

  Dr Hamid paused. ‘Crosier? Where did you hear that name?’

  ‘I — er …’

  He released her wrist. ‘Miss Scarletti, what are you doing? Because if your pulse rate is anything to judge by this is no innocent enquiry.’ A thought crossed his mind. ‘Porcelain mourning brooches, you said? Of course! Saltmire and Vardy. That was the new Mrs Vardy I passed on the stairs. She is an occasional client of my sister. That is where I have seen her before.’

  ‘Yes, she brought a tray of mourning brooches for me to look at.’

  There was no disarming Dr Hamid’s growing suspicions. ‘Did she now? What a curious coincidence that the very person whom all the town is discussing should happen to come and see you.’

  Mina said nothing.

  Dr Hamid completed his notes and closed his medical bag. ‘Miss Scarletti, I know you far too well. I think that you are engaging in one of your adventures, even from your bed of sickness, despite all my warnings. I also fear that if I was to beg you to be sensible and stop, you would disobey me. Where is Miss Cherry? I need to speak to her.’

  ‘She is not here; she has another appointment.’

  ‘Really? How convenient for you that her appointment coincided with Mrs Vardy’s visit. And I happen to know that if she had been here then Mrs Vardy and Miss Cherry would have recognised each other.’ He pressed a hand to his forehead. ‘Of course, I see the connection, now. I sincerely hope that Miss Cherry has not been saying things she ought not to.’

  ‘Not at all,’ Mina protested. ‘Mrs Vardy wrote to me asking for an interview, without realising that I was unwell. She wants my advice. She has a concern that is very unusual. Miss Cherry’s behaviour has been exemplary, but she keeps reading to me about butterflies and embroidery, subjects in which I have no interest. If I have too little stimulus in my life it will not help my recovery.’

  He snorted with annoyance. ‘So despite all our efforts to protect you, to prevent you sapping your energy so you can apply it solely to the recovery of your health, you have found yourself a mystery to solve.’

  ‘Yes, I have,’ Mina admitted. ‘Or at least it found me.’

  ‘And what has Mrs Vardy charged you with? If you don’t tell me at once I will be sure to ask her myself. You see, I can make enquiries too.’

  ‘Her elder son Franklin thinks that he sees the ghost of his father. Mrs Vardy read about me in the newspapers and they made her think that I was a sensitive who might be able to see and perhaps even question it.’

  He looked alarmed. ‘I trust you informed her that you could not assist her.’
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  ‘I can’t, not in that way, of course, but it would be a nice thing if I could study the case and see if I can find an answer that would alleviate the family’s suffering.’

  ‘From your sick-bed?’ he exclaimed.

  ‘Why ever not?’

  He sat back in the chair, shaking his head in exasperation. ‘And was your enquiry about Dr Crosier a part of this?’

  Mina toyed briefly with a number of explanations but decided that the truth was simplest. ‘Yes, it was. He was the doctor who gave Mr Holt a certificate of health for his policy of life insurance.’

  ‘I dare not ask how you came to know that. So you are dragging me into your schemes! Again! Without even telling me what you were doing.’

  ‘I am sorry,’ said Mina, trying to sound penitent. She was obliged to admit to herself that she had more than once asked him to go very close to the limit of what a doctor ought to do.

  Dr Hamid rose from the chair, folded his arms and paced about the room. ‘You are one of my most difficult patients. I hardly know what you will be up to next. You know you need to take good care of your health, but you insist on risking it at every turn.’

  Mina watched him as he walked and thought his way through the dilemma.

  He spun around to face her, accusingly. ‘The visit from Mr Phipps, that was a part of it, too? I know he has helped you before.’

  ‘Yes,’ she conceded.

  There was a long silence as he gazed at her. ‘Well, at least I can see that you are none the worse for all this activity. If you were, if I thought for one moment that it was harmful to your health, I would insist that you be watched carefully night and day and receive no visitors apart from your family and myself. As it is ….’