He stopped speaking abruptly.

An audible shudder went through the audience.

Inspector Jackson seemed uncertain about how to proceed. "Can you, uh, tell me why the killer is so enraged with Mrs. Toller, sir?"

"He believes that they deceived him," Elsworth said in mesmeric tones.

Caroline felt Adam shift slightly in the chair beside her. He leaned forward, arms resting on his thighs, suddenly very intent.

"In what way did the mediums deceive the killer?" Jackson asked, sounding more like a policeman now.

"Both claimed that they could communicate with the spirit world but both lied."

Jackson took out a pencil. "Can you supply any of the particulars concerning these lies, sir?"

Elsworth sat perfectly still for a long moment.

"In the course of the séances they gave him he asked questions that only the spirit could have answered correctly," he said at last. "Toller and Delmont gave the wrong responses, so he knew for certain that they were frauds. In, his fury, he decided to punish them."

The killer attended sittings with each of the mediums, sir? Jackson displayed real eagerness for the first time. "Is that what you're saying?"

Elsworth hesitated. "So it appears."

Astonishment whispered across the room.

Caroline could feel Adam's alert tension. He and Jack-bon were both displaying similar reactions to the clue that Elsworth had just offered. Both men reminded her of bunters who had caught the spoor of their prey. It occurred to her that, had he not found his way into Polite Society, Adam might have made an excellent detective.

"Would this have been a recent sitting?" Jackson pressed. "Can you provide a date?"

"I'm afraid not." Elsworth appeared abruptly overcome with weariness. Raising his hands, he massaged his temples. "That is all I can do for you today, Inspector. I regret to say that I cannot provide more information. But the exercise of my powers in this extremely intense manner drains me of strength quite rapidly."

"You've been very helpful, sir," Jackson said. "Very helpful, indeed. If you're correct, we're looking for a sitter who attended séances with both Mrs. Toller and Mrs. Delmont. That should help narrow the list of suspects."

"Not bloody likely," Adam said half under his breath. The air of keen attention left him as quickly as it had come. He relaxed back into his chair. "The man's a complete It and, just as I thought."

The audience buzzed softly as people discussed the revelation. On stage, the announcer stepped forward.

"Mr. Elsworth has concluded his exhibition of psychical powers. He thanks you all for your attention."

A round of applause went up across the room. Caroline saw Otford and the other gentlemen of the press surge

toward the doors. On stage, Elsworth rose, bowed to the crowd and then vanished through the curtains, leaving Jack-son alone.

The inspector glanced around, as though not sure what to do next. Then he rose and hurried away off stage.

The lights came up. Caroline noticed that Adam was studying the empty stage with a pensive expression.

"What are you thinking?" she asked.

"It occurs to me that Mr. Elsworth has just provided an interesting distraction for the police. I expect that Inspector Jackson is about to waste a great deal of time trying to obtain the names of all of the male sitters who attended séances conducted by both victims. If he does manage to identify some, he will then have to carry out extensive investigations to see if any of them had motives or alibis. It will be a very lengthy and no doubt futile process."

"You are assuming that Mr. Elsworth's psychical powers are not genuine."

"Very insightful of you, my dear. That is precisely what I am assuming." Adam got to his feet and reached down to draw her up alongside him.

"But why would he go to the trouble of inventing clues? Surely the falsehoods will come back to hurt his credibility when the real killer is found."

He took her arm and guided her toward the door. "There are two possibilities. The first is that Elsworth is going with the odds."

"Which odds?"

"The ones that favor the unlikelihood of the police ever catching the murderer. After all, it won't be Elsworth's ^I fault if the inspector never finds his man, will it? He did his best as a psychical consultant"

"Good point. What is the second possibility?"

Adam's expression hardened. "That Elsworth knows something about the murders and used today's entertainment to create confusion and misdirection."

She was shocked to the core. "Are you suggesting that Mr. Elsworth is involved in the murders?"

"Mrs. Fordyce. Please wait a moment. I must speak with you."

Julian Elsworth spoke from somewhere in the hallway behind Caroline and Adam. They stopped quickly. Caroline was very aware of Adam's hand tightening reflexively around her arm, as though he wanted to pull her out of the reach of the other man.

Julian strode toward them, handsome features set in an urgent expression. He had managed to remove most of the makeup around his eyes, Caroline noticed, but he had obviously rushed the task. There were slight traces and smears left.

He halted in front of them and gave Adam a mocking inclination of his head. "Mr. Hardesty, I believe. I don't know how it came about but I somehow managed to get your name wrong at our last meeting. I could have sworn that you called yourself Mr. Grove"

"No need to concern yourself with the mistake, Elsworth," Adam said dryly. "These things happen. I as-sure you I took no offense."

Julian smiled derisively. "I am relieved to hear that. I expect you had your reasons for ensuring that the mistake got made in the first place." He turned to Caroline. "I am honored that you chose to attend my demonstration this afternoon."

"I found it quite fascinating," Caroline said.

"Thank you," Julian said. He lowered his voice. "I became aware of your presence in the course of my trance a few moments ago. I sensed you out there in the darkness and I realized that I had to warn you."

"Warn her of what?" Adam asked.

Julian ignored him. "When I saw you in my trance, Mrs. Fordyce, I became aware that you are in grave danger." "I beg your pardon?" she whispered.

Adam took half a step forward. Caroline sensed the controlled menace emanating from him.

"If you have something important to say, Elsworth, be specific," Adam said.

Elsworth's mouth thinned. "I regret I cannot provide you with any other details. I can only tell you that during the trance, I became aware of an aura of great danger closing in upon Mrs. Fordyce." He looked at Caroline, clearly troubled. "I only wish that I could define the threat more precisely for you, madam."

"That would certainly be a good deal more helpful," Adam said, still speaking far too softly. "It would also make you appear somewhat less of a fraud."

Elsworth paid no attention to him. He focused intently on Caroline. "I can only urge you to be extremely cautious, Mrs. Fordyce. Do not trust anyone with whom you have not been well acquainted for a very long time."

He slid his gaze toward Adam in an unsubtle, insinuating manner. Then, turning on his heel, he strode rapidly away down the corridor.

Adam watched him go. "Bastard. He was warning you off me"

"Yes, along with anyone else I do not know well, which includes any number of people." She tapped her fan idly against her palm. "What reason could he have for doing that, do you think?"

"Distraction."

She did not like the way he said the single word. "Do you really believe that he may be the killer?"

"I think it is a distinct possibility, yes"

"But what motive would he have had for murdering Mrs. Toller and Mrs. Delmont?"

"There is money involved in this thing. I have always found that it provides a near-universal motive for any sort of crime."