The Case of the Psychic's Vision Read Free

certain information just by touching an object. This is more commonly known as psychometry. And clairolfactance is when the psychic gets information through smell.”
    â€œDo you really believe all of this, Fenton?” Aunt Gertrude suddenly asked her brother.
    â€œDo I believe this, Gertrude?” Mr. Hardy said. “Well, if I can’t disprove it on my own, then I don’t say I disbelieve it. I may be skeptical, but I always try to keep an open mind. That’s what’s important. I just don’t know. I don’t think anybody really knows.”
    â€œHave you ever used a psychic to help you solve a crime, Dad?” Joe asked.
    Frank thought he saw a slight blush come to his father’s face, but he couldn’t be sure.
    Mr. Hardy smiled. “Well, as a matter of fact I did once,” he said.
    There was an audible gasp from Mrs. Hardy, who had come back into the dining room.
    â€œFenton, I didn’t know that,” she said. “You never told me. When did it happen?”
    Mr. Hardy turned to the boys and Aunt Gertrude. “Your mother’s reaction is typical. For some reason, psychics scare people. I think it’s because we all have a fear of the unknown.” He turned to his wife. “It was a couple of years ago, Laura. I was really stumped by the Marston case.”
    â€œI remember that,” Frank said. “Missing diamonds.”
    â€œRight,” Mr. Hardy said. “I was talking to Chief Collig about it and he just happened to mention a psychic who had helped him solve a similar case two years before.”
    â€œChief Collig uses psychics?” Joe exclaimed.
    â€œThat information is not to leave this room, Joe,” Mr. Hardy said. “Chief Collig told me that in confidence and I expect my family to keep the confidence. I only mentioned it to you because you boys have been involved in solving a lot of crimes and you understand these things.”
    â€œRight,” Frank and Joe said in unison.
    â€œThe psychic was a man named Wilson Chatham. He lives about thirty miles from Bayport, in Brand-stone,” Mr. Hardy explained. “I contacted him andhe agreed to use psychometry. That’s when a psychic takes something that belonged to the victim, in this case, a leather drawstring bag that held the diamonds, and touches it to get information. Research has shown that in times of great stress, such as when somebody is stealing a fortune from you, your energy merges with the energy of the object, the bag, and leaves a memory trace. I don’t know enough about this to explain it very well, but the psychic can pick up on that memory and give the police—or in my case, a private investigator—all kinds of clues.”
    â€œIt worked?” Joe asked.
    Mr. Hardy nodded. “I got enough information from Chatham to locate the diamonds and return them to their owner.”
    Just then, the telephone rang.
    â€œI’ll get it,” Joe said. He excused himself from the table and grabbed the extension in the kitchen.
    â€œHey, Joe! It’s Chet! Are you guys ready?”
    â€œReady?” Joe said.
    â€œWe’re going over to Callie’s, remember?” Chet said. “We’re going to make sure this is a séance they’ll never forget.”
    Joe couldn’t believe that he had forgotten about the séance again, but just listening to his father talk about using psychics to solve mysteries had taken his mind off it.
    â€œYeah, sure! Frank’s finishing up dinner,” Joesaid. “Are you coming by or do you want us to pick you up?”
    â€œI’ll be by,” Chet said. “It’s just going to be the three of us.”
    â€œWhat happened to the rest of the gang?” Joe asked.
    â€œThey chickened out,” Chet said. “I think they got spooked.”
    I can almost understand that, Joe thought. “Well, we’re still on,” he said to Chet.
    â€œI’ll be