Chapter 26

 

 

Amber had told Pen to stop by again after the séance, no matter how late. It was a little after nine o’clock when Pen texted to say she was on the way, and Amber had invited the other Ladies to come over and see the results. Only Gracie couldn’t make it.

“I was able to record the live experience and also quiz one of the duo’s avid followers. I just hope it turned out well enough,” Pen said.

Carefully taking the brooch from Pen’s lapel, Amber removed the backing and took out the small chip. She slipped it into a casing that allowed her to plug it into a USB port, and the video came up on her screen.

“This quality is amazing,” Pen said. “The place is quite dimly lit and I was worried whether anything would actually show.”

“Let’s just turn up the audio a little …” Amber said, fiddling with controls.

They watched as Sunshine greeted newcomers. Pen had lingered near the entrance and had captured the arrivals of two more people, including Anna. The Ladies remained still, concentrating on the video as Orion came on stage and called on Pen.

“So, does he say anything truly new?” Amber asked, pausing the video when he turned to another victim. “Everyone knows this stuff about you. Anyone could find it.”

“Exactly,” Pen said. “He’s found commonly available information to lead into the so-called reading. Other than the date of my mother’s death—notice how he picked that up from what I told Anna before the show began. Watch this next bit. It’s when Anna turns to me and talks. I hope this turned out well. It is, I believe, the sort of evidence Benton was referring to.”

The video started again. On the screen, Anna tapped Pen’s forearm. “The private sessions are really worth doing,” she whispered. “I’ve had two of them with Orion in the past two days. He’s marvelous.”

Pen had turned toward her neighbor and caught the ecstatic look on Anna’s face as she admitted the price she’d paid.

“Holy crap!” Mary burst out. “That’s crazy.”

“Yes, it seemed an astounding amount for a fifteen-minute session, to my way of thinking,” Pen said.

Sandy spoke up. “How do Orion and Sunshine approach the money aspect?”

“You’ll see at the end, there’s an ever so slight reference to ‘donations to our cause are always appreciated.’”

“They don’t call it a fee?”

“Only a donation, and they make it sound as if it all goes to the housing cause.”

“Hmm. You’ll have to run this by Benton and see what he says. My guess is that as long as the money is given voluntarily it will be a difficult case to prove, legally speaking.”

“That’s my fear,” Pen admitted. “Although we have managed quite nicely in the past when law enforcement wanted nothing to do with our cases.”

Smiles all around. The video had ended with Orion and Sunshine on the stage, hands in prayer position, heads slightly bowed.

“One thing I can say for that pair,” said Mary, jutting her chin toward the screen. “They really are the ultimate DIY-ers. Melissa stages a good show, knows how to work a crowd, and apparently he handles the money and manages to keep the finances off the radar. They do it all.”

“Yes, they do,” said Sandy, “but we have a wide range of talents among us, too. We’ve caught their act. Now I think we just need to track the money and catch them in the act.”