Page 71 of A Whisper and a Curse

Grenville shook his head. “I am not aware of that, however, Thaddeus stopped confiding in me after we started the society. He began to work more closely with Cyril and Deborah, anda third medium named Victor.” Grenville’s expression grew contemplative. “I do recall him telling me once that he could sense whether someone else shared his gift. However, I don’t know how that was accomplished. He may have told me, but I don’t remember.” He looked at Tilda. “I suppose it’s possible that he recruited Cyril and Victor because they had the ability. But I think I would have known if Deborah possessed it. I’d known her a long time.”

“Is it something that can be taught?” Hadrian asked, sounding as though he genuinely wanted to know, which, of course, he did. He would want whatever information he could gather.

Grenville arched a brow. “If it is, why didn’t he teach me?” Again, he sounded bitter. “I don’t have an answer for you. You should speak with Captain Vale. I would think he would know about his son’s oddity.”

Tilda noted the word Grenville used—oddity—and looked at Hadrian. His lips had flattened into a perturbed line.

“We will speak with the captain,” Tilda said. Indeed, she was more eager than ever to speak with him. She hoped they could determine if the other mediums had the same power, but, for now, it was enough to know that Mallory did.

She considered whether Grenville could be a suspect in the murders, but since he lived here, it seemed unlikely. Still, he had a motive—Mallory had ousted him from the society they’d planned together. “You haven’t returned to London since you left?”

Grenville shook his head. “I came back to Swindon just over a year ago, and my agreement with Thaddeus is that I would stay away.” He met Tilda’s gaze. “If I wanted to find the Levitation Killer, I would start with the people he blackmailed. I can’t imagine he stopped after the first woman.”

“He did not,” Tilda confirmed. “Who was that woman?”

“The wife of a fairly prominent MP,” Grenville replied. “Mrs. Horace Tarrant. I believe she paid the money, but I don’t know for certain.”

“Have you any idea how we might discover who else Mallory extorted over the past year?”

“Perhaps he kept a diary?” Grenville suggested. “I would tell you to ask Cyril about the blackmail because he was aware.” His eyes lit. “But you can still ask Victor. I think he also knew about it.”

“Excellent, we’ll do that,” Tilda said. “Was Deborah Frost also aware of the blackmail?”

“No, because I threatened Mallory that I would tell her if he didn’t stop. I knew she wouldn’t like it.”

“But you didn’t tell her,” Hadrian surmised. “Instead, you took Mallory’s bribe and left London.”

Grenville’s eyes flashed with regret and perhaps pain. “Deborah was happy to have an occupation. She enjoyed being a medium, and she was good at it. I didn’t want to ruin that for her.”

Tilda recalled what Ellen Henry had told them. “Mrs. Frost’s maid said that Mrs. Frost had come to London after her husband died and that she wasn’t entirely happy, that she was considering leaving the society. Perhaps you were mistaken about her level of content.”

Grenville’s lips parted. He seemed surprised. “I had no idea. I did offer to bring her back to Swindon with me, but she declined. I truly thought she was happy.”

“Did you ever meet Balthasar Montrose, Cordelia Sullivan, or Duncan Parr?” Tilda asked.

Grenville frowned. “Those names are not familiar.”

Tilda considered they may also have adopted new identities as Vale had. “Miss Sullivan is older and wears a veil. Montroseis Welsh and has a beard. He also wears spectacles. Parr is a Scotsman with bright red hair.”

“I don’t know of them,” Grenville replied. “Are they mediums?”

“Members of the society who frequently attend séances. They apparently possess a special energy.” Tilda cocked her head. “Do you have any idea what that could mean?”

“Only that they may be sensitive—like Mrs. Frost. Or like me.” His eyes rounded. “Perhaps they possess the same ability as Thaddeus.”

That was precisely what Tilda was thinking. But how could they find out for certain? And why wouldn’t they just be mediums?

“Do you know how Mallory—Vale—went about recruiting mediums?” Tilda asked.

“I would have said he looks for people who possess a sensitivity to others and with whom he’s forged a personal bond, such as me and Deborah. However, that seemed to change when we arrived in London. Cyril was flashy and alluring, and Victor Hawkins justlookedlike a medium.”

“Because of his eyes,” Tilda said with a nod.

“Exactly,” Grenville agreed. “He and Cyril were most captivating, just like Thaddeus.”

“That is true of most charlatans,” Hadrian said. “Would you provide Captain Vale’s direction to us?”

“Certainly. He lives just off the Bath Road toward Wootton Bassett. The house is large. You won’t miss the gatehouse.”