Murder by Medium

Chapter 9-The Spider's Web Begins to Fray

—-——The Spider's Web Begins to Fray—-——

Months later, the money pot had long exceeded 10 grand. Phaedra and Rowan... well Rowan had seen to it that Charlotte Williams visiting the circus their spouse Oliver had loved days after the funeral went to Phaedra to talk to them. That Saxon Sinclair sought Psychic Phaedra's services to mourn the sudden death of his uncle Jim, and that Julian Reed in need of guidance, bumped into Phaedra on a walk soon after his father Thomas had passed and countless others.

Meanwhile Phaedra had delivered each séance, each medium meeting with sympathy, poise and grace while quietly suggesting that Oliver Williams last meal would never have been chocolate nut spread on toast if he was allergic to nuts. Subtly throwing in 'random' conjecture about Saxon's uncles' obsession with cleanliness yet his last known journey was on a bus and not using his car and hinting it was odd for Thomas to visit a park pond minutes before an important business meeting.      

As time went on Phaedra's reputation as a gifted medium soared. Her ability to connect with the departed seemed uncanny, and she became a sought-after figure in the community. Rowan, her accomplice, watched on with a mixture of admiration and unease. He knew she was lying, turning him into a murderer for the 'greater good' of 'closure' and of course money but he couldn't deny the undeniable impact she had on the lives of others. The line between genuine compassion and calculated deception blurred, leaving him questioning the morality of their charade.

At their usual meeting place, the bench that was still standing, Phaedra laughed as she recanted Maggie's Séance to Rowan. Rowan had to wait a moment to get his bulging eyes back into his head. Phaedra really had a way with words; this deception was seemingly easy for her. Too easy. "But what does Steatoda nobilis actually mean?" he pressed.

She smirked, leaning in almost conspiratorially. "It's Latin for 'Noble False Widow Spider,'" Phaedra explained. "Can it kill?" Rowan asked aghast. Phaedra shook her head with mirth. "No. And that's the beauty of it, don't you see! A bite by those little beauties causes pain, swelling, but not death. The police and poor Maggie will assume her sister was bitten and perhaps succumbed without help or is in a hospital unconscious somewhere."

Rowan paled. "But I made her have an allergic reaction to pet dander? Won't they notice and wait aren't black widow spiders deadly?"

Phaedra smiled slyly. "They are, but noble false widow spiders aren't and pet dander allergic reactions look suspiciously like spider bites. She smirked ."They're just like me in a way and this crime I suppose, mimicking the real thing."

Phaedra didn't know like a spider's web it would all soon unravel.

Meanwhile, the air in the police station was thick with the stale scent of coffee and disinfectant. The fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting an eerie glow on the worn linoleum floors. A constant hum of activity filled the room, as detectives typed away at their computers and officers barked orders into their radios.

Front and centre stood an old crumbling oak desk that hadn't seen a polish in 20 years, and behind that desk stood Detective Maurine 'Molly' Marlowe; a smartly dressed older woman whose tailored navy suit and crisp white blouse seemed at odds with the gritty police station. Her once pristine white shirt was now tinged with a subtle yellow, and the navy of her suit had faded to a more muted shade.

Detective Marlow sighed, rolling her eyes at Mrs Margret's frantic pleas of Steatoda nobilis. This woman was clearly hysterical, having gone to and believed a psychic. Luckily Molly had an interest in spider's. The detective took a deep breath, the scraps of her long-gone patience wearing thin "Mrs Margaret you have surely been played for a fool!" she began, her voice firm but measured, "Steatoda nobilis are harmless spiders. Enough to be and cause slight pain but definitely not enough to kill now please do move along"

"But but," Maggie stuttered "Psychic Phaedra heard her say it, and she's hasn't been wrong in 6 months!" Marlowe already had one ear bud in her ear, back turned away. But Maggie continued on determined "She was right about Oliver accidentally eating the chocolate spread with nuts in it although he's allergic, right about Jim having death threats so he didn't take his car that morning and Thomas lured to the pond by a 'mystery friend"

"Oh and Agnes- she knew something was off about her death she said tea leaves and it turns out their family friend had 'accidentally poisoned her!"

That piqued Marlowe's interest. A lot of those details although matching the official coroner's reports weren't public knowledge. Marlowe supposed it could have been plausibly guessed but this 'Psychic Phaedra' was either truly psychic or knew a little more than she should. She turned back, her eyes narrowing. "Mrs. Margaret, you've given me something to think about." With a nod, she dismissed the woman. As soon as she was gone, Marlowe reached for her phone and dialled a number. "Get me a file on Psychic Phaedra," she ordered. "I think it's time we pay her a visit she could never see coming."