The Spiritualist's Dilemma

The Visitor

There was a spring in Maya's steps as she opened the gate to Prof. Mortemius Chinew's garden and stepped towards the door. She ran her eyes upon the three windows, still covered in the strange symbols. They had troubled her inexorably till just a few hours ago, but now their mystery had diminished substantially. She no longer felt the burden of the case cloud her vision, the symbols no longer floated in an arcane vortex in her head, the muddy footsteps did not ring in her ears and her eyes were free from the hallucinations of faceless spirits. She felt distinctly calm and cheerful, the way she felt when she was close to the solution of a problem. The end of the dark tunnel that she was traversing was near, she could see the light of lucidity already. Most pieces were in place save one and she had a clear plan to get that missing piece as well.

Prof. Mortemius Chinew welcomed her to the house. He had exchanged his colorful robes for a well-ironed cotton shirt and trousers and was reading a thick leather-bound book which was called the "Dead Man's Abode".

"Hello Miss Mitchell," said he cheerfully, "I do not see Henry with you, has he sent the 50 Cowries for me?"

"Not yet," said Maya stepping inside the house, "but I would like to tell you that this mystery is worth much more than that."

The professor led her to the living room, but Maya insisted on going to the study where the first symbols had sprung up. The room was locked and the professor scrounged his trouser pocket to produce the keys.

"Are you looking for these," Maya said handing him the hoop which she had nicked yesterday evening.

The professor glared at her in bewilderment but did not question her possession of the keys. The room had not been disturbed at all during the last couple of days. Chinew's motley collection of artifacts still lay scattered on the floor while the Armenian spirit catcher stood on the table. The window too had the symbols intact.

Maya offered the professor the only chair in the room while she paced around scrutinizing the place.

"So?" the professor said in time, "what about this mystery?"

Maya smiled.

"This mystery," she said much more loudly than was required (so much so that the flustered professor wrung his ears to make sure that they had not malfunctioned), "is worth 100 thousand Cowries stored in three lockers in the Shadow Vault."

The professor stared at Maya, his mouth gaping wide. "A Hundred Thousand Cowries! These symbols point to a treasure?"

"Yes, they do."

"I tell them students all the time, spirits are good. See I have evidence now, spirits drawing symbols on windows to point me to a treasure." He scratched his head grinning broadly, "So, would I get a part in it?"

Maya stood up and paced around the room, "Unfortunately," she said even louder than before, "That money is no longer in Cardim. A High Guard called Michael Munro ensured that. The gentleman is already on his way to South Africa to settle down with the treasure."

The professor's face dropped considerably but Maya did not notice it. Her attention was drawn by sudden activity above them. Maya cocked her face up towards the ceiling of the room, pulling out a small knife which she had kept hidden in the cuff of her blouse, while the professor toppled from his chair startled from the unexpected disturbance. There was a sound of footsteps, then a grinding noise, a wooden board was pulled back and a circular hole appeared in the ceiling of the room. Through the dark hole, a rope ladder emerged along with a small diminutive man who took one step on the ladder then jumped into the room.

"Hello, Randall Williams", said Maya brandishing the knife at the visitor.