Wait Until Midnight by Amanda Quick Page A

asked.
    "According to the correspondent, the watch was broken," Elsworth explained, "most likely at the time of the murder. The hands were stopped at twelve o'clock." He smiled humorlessly. "Midnight is often viewed as a particularly significant hour in the world of psychical research, you know"
    "Some feel that it is the time of the night when the veil between this world and the Other Side is most easily breached," Reed added with a somber, knowledgeable bob of his head. "It is all extremely disturbing."
    Caroline glanced at the picture in his hand. "I see you have a photograph."
    "Yes, indeed." Reed brightened and held it up for her to view. "I was just showing it to Elsworth here."
    Caroline leaned closer for a better look. "It is very intriguing."
    Adam studied the picture over her shoulder. The subject was an attractive young lady seated on a straight-backed chair. An amorphous, ghostly image of another woman appeared to hover in the air behind the head of the sitter.
    "It was taken by a member of the Society," Reed explained enthusiastically. "The medium is apparently able to cause manifestations to appear."
    "The problem is that no one trusts spirit photographs . any more." Elsworth was clearly bored. "Too easily faked, I'm afraid."
    "Like so many things," Adam said.
    Caroline shot him a reproving glance. He pretended not to notice.
    "Shall we go, my dear?" he asked. "It is getting late." "I am in no rush," she said.
    "You have evidently forgotten our appointment," he added, maneuvering her toward the door.
    For a moment he feared she would dig in her pretty heels but instead she made her good-byes to Reed and Elsworth.
    Outside on the front steps of Wintersett House, Caroline paused to remove her dainty green parasol from the chatelaine that secured it to her waist and opened it with a snap. "Really, Mr. Hardesty, there was no need to be rude. Mr. Reed is not only the president of the Society, he has done a great deal to promote serious, scientific psychical research."
    "Scientific psychical research? Now there's a contradiction in terms if ever there was one."
    "And as for Mr. Elsworth, you should know that in some quarters he is considered to be the heir to the crown of D. D. Home. They say that like Home, he can actually levitate his body."
    "If you believe that, Mrs. Fordyce, may I suggest an interesting investment opportunity that has recently come to my attention? It involves a diamond mine in Wales. The stones are just lying about on the ground there, waiting to be scooped up by anyone with a bucket. You are bound to make a fortune."
    "That is not amusing, sir. For your information, Mr. Elsworth has been examined several times by psychical re-searchers and pronounced genuine. One investigator claims that both Mr. Home and Mr. Elsworth may have descended from werewolves and that is why they have such extraordinary powers."
    He looked at her, brows raised, and said not one word. She had the grace to blush.
    "Very well," she said gruffly, "I'll admit that particular thesis is rather unlikely. But I would remind you that Mr. Elsworth has something else in common with D. D. Home. His sitters have included the most exclusive people in London"
    "I have news for you, madam. It has been my experience that the exclusive sort are just as gullible as everyone else."
    "They say the queen herself requested a séance after Prince Albert died."
    "Yes, I have heard that gossip." He guided her down the
    steps. " Unfortunately, grief-stricken people, no matter their rank, are notoriously easy victims for those who would take advantage of them."
    "I do not know why I even bother to try to hold a logical discussion on psychical research with you. It is obvious that your skeptical opinion has been set in granite."
    "That is not true" He angled her across the street to-ward his carriage, a dark, unadorned vehicle that could easily be mistaken for an anonymous cab. Because the vehicle did not draw attention on the street, he preferred