candle,” I said.
Barker laughed out loud and clapped his hands together. “Now I know you are truly mad,” he said. “I never saw Splitfoot eat the candle. It’s right there. Look!”
I glanced at the candle, then back at Barker. “It was the almond cookies that gave you away.”
“ Cookies?” Barker blustered. “What are you talking about?”
“ When cyanide crystals are burnt they give off an odour similar to that of almonds,” I said. “When you showed Tom and me the cookies in the pub, you were careful not to close the lid. You wanted the room in which the séance was being held to smell of almonds. Just before you started to scream, and just before Splitfoot died, there was a strong whiff of almonds in the room. But it didn’t come from the cookies you had made, but from the flame reaching the cyanide crystals you had hidden in the candle. That’s why you needed to switch the candle. And I suspect when the remains of the candle are forensically tested, traces of cyanide will be found.”
“ And where would I get cyanide crystals from?” Barker said, knowing deep down that he had been caught.
“ You told us that you were a jeweller,” I said, fishing his business card from my pocket and holding it up. “Cyanide crystals are used in your profession to guild gold. You would have access to such crystals. So before coming here tonight, you placed the crystals into the candle. You snuck into this room before the séance, switching the candle that was already here with your own. You passed the other out of the window so it could be replaced later – something you wouldn’t be able to do yourself. When the candle burnt down and reached the crystals, it flared brightly for a moment, omitting a strong whiff of almonds. That was your cue to throw a panic attack and ask for the window to be opened. You knew that Splitfoot would inhale most of the poison as the candle stood directly before him, but you couldn’t risk contaminating the rest of the room – or yourself. The open window offered ventilation and a way for your accomplice to regain entry to the room once we had left. I know that you killed Splitfoot and I know how. But what I don’t know is why?”
I looked at Barker. He stared back at me, eyes bulging.
“ It’s not true,” he said.
“ Stop it! Stop it!” his accomplice suddenly cried out. “Just stop, Kevin. She knows what happened. She knows we killed Splitfoot.”
“ Shut it, Peter!” Barker hissed at him.
“ It’s over, Kevin,” Peter said. “It’s over.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. I didn’t break Barker’s stare once. Tom stood directly behind him, guarding the door.
“ Splitfoot was a fraud,” Peter suddenly said. “He killed my sister Claire. My sister was married to Kevin.”
“ Shut up!” Barker tried one last time to silence his brother-in-law.
Peter turned his attention from Kevin and looked at me. “Claire was in a car crash two years ago. My six-year-old niece died in that crash. Claire wasn’t to blame. It was an accident, but she blamed herself. Then six months ago she saw an advert in the local paper. It was for one of Splitfoot’s séances.”
“ I told her not to go,” Kevin suddenly spoke up. His anger seemed to have suddenly left him at the mention of his wife and dead daughter. He suddenly looked deflated, lost, and haggard. “I told her no good would come of going to a séance. They’re run by frauds just like Splitfoot who prey on the vulnerable. But he didn’t care as long as he got paid. So Claire went to one of his séances, and just like tonight she heard the voice of that little girl, Alice. But that was our daughter’s name too. Claire believed that she had been visited by our daughter. It drove Claire half insane with anguish. Her guilt intensified from that day on until she took her own life. Splitfoot knew the harm he had caused, but he didn’t stop. He carried on tricking those poor people like me who have lost
Barker laughed out loud and clapped his hands together. “Now I know you are truly mad,” he said. “I never saw Splitfoot eat the candle. It’s right there. Look!”
I glanced at the candle, then back at Barker. “It was the almond cookies that gave you away.”
“ Cookies?” Barker blustered. “What are you talking about?”
“ When cyanide crystals are burnt they give off an odour similar to that of almonds,” I said. “When you showed Tom and me the cookies in the pub, you were careful not to close the lid. You wanted the room in which the séance was being held to smell of almonds. Just before you started to scream, and just before Splitfoot died, there was a strong whiff of almonds in the room. But it didn’t come from the cookies you had made, but from the flame reaching the cyanide crystals you had hidden in the candle. That’s why you needed to switch the candle. And I suspect when the remains of the candle are forensically tested, traces of cyanide will be found.”
“ And where would I get cyanide crystals from?” Barker said, knowing deep down that he had been caught.
“ You told us that you were a jeweller,” I said, fishing his business card from my pocket and holding it up. “Cyanide crystals are used in your profession to guild gold. You would have access to such crystals. So before coming here tonight, you placed the crystals into the candle. You snuck into this room before the séance, switching the candle that was already here with your own. You passed the other out of the window so it could be replaced later – something you wouldn’t be able to do yourself. When the candle burnt down and reached the crystals, it flared brightly for a moment, omitting a strong whiff of almonds. That was your cue to throw a panic attack and ask for the window to be opened. You knew that Splitfoot would inhale most of the poison as the candle stood directly before him, but you couldn’t risk contaminating the rest of the room – or yourself. The open window offered ventilation and a way for your accomplice to regain entry to the room once we had left. I know that you killed Splitfoot and I know how. But what I don’t know is why?”
I looked at Barker. He stared back at me, eyes bulging.
“ It’s not true,” he said.
“ Stop it! Stop it!” his accomplice suddenly cried out. “Just stop, Kevin. She knows what happened. She knows we killed Splitfoot.”
“ Shut it, Peter!” Barker hissed at him.
“ It’s over, Kevin,” Peter said. “It’s over.”
A heavy silence fell over the room. I didn’t break Barker’s stare once. Tom stood directly behind him, guarding the door.
“ Splitfoot was a fraud,” Peter suddenly said. “He killed my sister Claire. My sister was married to Kevin.”
“ Shut up!” Barker tried one last time to silence his brother-in-law.
Peter turned his attention from Kevin and looked at me. “Claire was in a car crash two years ago. My six-year-old niece died in that crash. Claire wasn’t to blame. It was an accident, but she blamed herself. Then six months ago she saw an advert in the local paper. It was for one of Splitfoot’s séances.”
“ I told her not to go,” Kevin suddenly spoke up. His anger seemed to have suddenly left him at the mention of his wife and dead daughter. He suddenly looked deflated, lost, and haggard. “I told her no good would come of going to a séance. They’re run by frauds just like Splitfoot who prey on the vulnerable. But he didn’t care as long as he got paid. So Claire went to one of his séances, and just like tonight she heard the voice of that little girl, Alice. But that was our daughter’s name too. Claire believed that she had been visited by our daughter. It drove Claire half insane with anguish. Her guilt intensified from that day on until she took her own life. Splitfoot knew the harm he had caused, but he didn’t stop. He carried on tricking those poor people like me who have lost
Similar Books
