Deception at Dark Hall (The Briony Martin Mystery Series) Read Free

at least, he didn’t smoke before. He’s become more irritable and snaps if Mark or I ask him any questions about Miss Dark or what’s going on at her mansion.”
    “Do you know if he pays a reading fee each time he attends a séance?”
    “He does, although I don’t know how much. He slipped up once and mentioned something to that effect and then clamped his mouth shut. He knows Mark wouldn’t approve of him throwing his money away.”
    Briony told her about the case she’d worked on in Wichita and suggested Daniel might be the victim of a scam. “Has Mark ever gone to the mansion with Daniel to meet Miss Dark?”
    “No. He’s been too busy with work and helping me with the baby. And Daniel’s his older brother. Mark doesn’t want to step on his toes, although he’s as worried about the situation as I am. We don’t know what to do. Daniel’s heart was broken when Monica died. He’s still vulnerable. We hate to think someone is taking advantage of him, or he’s trying to stave off his sadness by using drugs.”
    Briony had never seen Paige’s face so wrought with worry. “I wish there was something I could do to help,” she said.
    “There might be,” Paige replied quickly. “Would you go with Daniel to Dark Hall and see for yourself what this woman is up to? After your experiences in Maine with investigating your father’s murder and communing with ghosts, you seem the perfect person to be able to figure out if Daniel’s in danger or not.”
    Briony leaned back in her chair. “Wait a minute. I’m not a detective, and I know nothing about mediums.”
    “But you know about scam artists. You just said so. And you have good intuition. Please, Briony. If you sense something fishy is going on, maybe you can talk some sense into Daniel whereas Mark and I can’t. Or if you can determine this woman, Sharlyn Dark, is doing something illegal, like selling him drugs or coercing him into giving her his money, we can go to the police.”
    Briony wished John was here. He was the real detective. He’d know how to interrogate someone correctly and search for clues without being obvious. He did a great job doing just that on Cape Marble. An idea skated through her mind. Perhaps he could give her advice over the phone. This could be the perfect excuse for her to call him.
    “Please, Briony,” Paige begged. “Daniel is Mark’s only sibling. If he were to end up arrested, broke, addicted, or part of a cult or something, we’d never forgive ourselves for not stepping in. We want to help, but he won’t listen to us.”
    Briony shrugged her shoulders. “What makes you think he’d listen to any words of wisdom I’ll have to offer? I’m no one to him.”
    “That’s just it,” Paige said with enthusiasm. “I’m sure you’ve heard that old adage about how it’s easier for someone to share his deepest secrets with a stranger. With you, Daniel will have less fear of being judged. He might feel free to be honest and more likely to listen to your advice.”
    Briony gazed into Paige’s pleading eyes and couldn’t say no. She’d thought she was coming to Chicago to take her mind off of John, spend some down time with her best friend, and to participate in her goddaughter’s christening. It seemed a séance in a Victorian mansion would be part of the itinerary as well.
     
     

 
     
    CHAPTER TWO
     
    Daniel’s gaze ping-ponged between Mark and Paige and then landed on Briony. Obviously, he was confused as to why a woman he’d met only once before now would want to go to a séance with him tonight rather than stay at home visiting with her best friend whom she hadn’t seen in over a year. Briony didn’t blame him for acting suspicious. She thought the plan bordered on absurd and would probably backfire on them, but she’d do anything for Paige.
    “Aren’t you tired from traveling?” he asked her.
    “No, I feel fine. The flight wasn’t long. The trip was exhilarating. In fact, my adrenaline is still