by A D Evans
They would put this whole sad affair behind them and get on with their lives. Paul Lynch was now dead. Stuart Seymour could now begin his life.
EIGHTY
‘Are you going to the church tonight Davie?’
‘Aye, of course I am mate’
‘May I come with you?’
‘Yes, that would be great’ his brother-in-law answered in a surprised tone.
‘Where do you go?’
‘I'm going to the wee church in Stirling. It’s very cosy and nice’
‘Ok, I’m coming with you then if you really don’t mind
He had been desperate to go to the Spiritualist church, but had been a bit afraid to approach Davie on the subject. He was not afraid of going to the church itself, but this was Davie’s territory, and he did not want to invade his personal space. He had been experiencing things that had no explanation in the real world. He had put it off as long as he could and no longer had a choice. He had to go the church and learn how to control what was happening. It was the church or insanity. It had taken him months to pluck up the courage to ask Davie, and now he felt some relief at last.
It had been nearly nine months since the deaths on the glen, and he had never heard anyone even ask a question concerning the whereabouts of the men. A few weeks after the incident, Davie had brought a Glasgow paper up with him. It told of the two gangsters going missing. The ‘Record’ was trying to tie it in with the Paul Lynch disappearance.
‘WHERE HAVE ALL OUR GANGSTERS GONE?’ was the catchy headline. The police did not seem too concerned and stated that until they had a formal complaint from someone they could do nothing. For all we know they could be in Spain topping up their tan, or be away on a world cruise, was their tort reply.
Charles Ritchie was asked directly what he thought about the story:
‘I have no opinion at all, apart from the one the press office issued to you this morning’
‘Is it true that you are about to marry Paul Lynch’s ex girlfriend?’
‘It is true that I am to re-marry soon. Yes, my fiancée did know Paul Lynch, but it was only in a business sense. She bought some premises from him unknowing that he was a gangster’
‘Do you think that Lynch, Hamilton and Peel are dead, Mr. Ritchie?’
‘I don’t know any more than you do. I am a police officer not one off the criminal fraternity so I have no more to say’
The story had died a death in the papers, and had not been mention at all for quite a few months now.
Today’s news, tomorrows chip paper wrapper.
EIGHTYONE
Stuart had thoroughly enjoyed his first evening at the church, and had felt very comfortable with the other members of the congregation.
After the service they had all gone down stairs for tea, and a chat. Stuart noticed a nice looking female serving at the tea counter. He had not been with a woman for over a year now, and tried casually to ask Davie who the female was. His brother-in-law gave him a bit of kidding about then told him her name was Jane Baird. He went on to tell him that she was a spiritual healer, and that was why they had not seen her at the start of the service. Jane would have been downstairs working at the healing clinic, and would only have joined the service after it started.
He asked Stuart if he would like an introduction to her, and he quickly agreed to meet her. They walked over to the tea counter and ordered two teas, and a couple of fruit scones. As Davie attempted to introduce him she was called away, and did not reappear again that night. He was disappointed and could not wait for the next Sunday to come round. He had formed a master plan as to how to get closer to Jane, and went to the church earlier this week where he attended the healing clinic. There were three healers in attendance Jane, Old Stan and his wife Maureen. He tried to manipulate the queue so that he got his healing from Jane. To his delight it worked, and sat in the chair giving Jane a radiant smile.
She smiled back and he felt his heart flip, because she was even better looking up close. She started the healing, and the feelings of well-being became very intensive. He could not quite believe it when his healing was over so quickly. He put a donation in her box, and as Jane washed her hands he leaned over close to her and asked if they could get together for tea later. She readily agreed to this, and he felt brilliant almost skipping up the basement stairs to the church.
The service was over and he had really enjoyed himself again that night. Davie could not make it this evening, but he felt comfortable enough in the church that he could relax and enjoy the service. When the evening service drew to a close he proceeded downstairs for tea. His heart was beating like a drum; he had not experienced anything like this for a long time. It felt so good to have these feelings again, and yet so frightening at the same time. He bought tea with a doughnut then sat at a table near the tea bar.
After everyone had been served, Jane came out and sat with him. He felt like a big daft schoolboy on his first date. He actually blushed when she first spoke to him. They talked in general about spiritualism and the church. Jane said she had been going for five years now. Her husband had been killed in an accident, and she had come to the church originally in an attempt to contact him. She said that no contact had ever been made directly to her but went on to say she had received a few messages from the mediums on the platform of the church. He told her a little of what had brought him to the church, but obviously could not tell her the whole truth. Well not yet anyway.
The church was beginning to close for the night; they were washing and putting away the dishes. People began leaving, and calling out cheery good-bye’s, and some saying that they would be back tomorrow night. He asked if the church was open on a Monday evening too. Jane told him it was, but there was no healing on a Monday. He plucked up the courage and asked her if she would be there on Monday. She had replied that she would. He really pushed the boat out and asked her to go with him for a meal before the service. She said sorry she couldn’t do that as she had something else to do, but she could go for one after the service. He was ecstatic, but managed to say that was okay by him. They parted on the steps of the church, and he was already longing for the following evening.
EIGHTYTWO
Monday, was usually quite a busy day for him, it was the day that he paid all his bills. It had taken a while to get his banking organised. If he had not always had contingency plans on the go he would have real problems now. The bank account he used had been set up five years previously, purely as a precautionary measure. It had made sense to Paul Lynch to be able to change identity quickly and safely. There was no tie to any previous life, and the bank knew him for what, and who he was today. Even the credit cards he used had been utilised for about four years. He had no fears in that department.
He had considered opening a small business he wanted to do this purely as a way of being seen to make a living. He had plenty of money stashed away, but did not want people wondering how he could survive without working. He had been toying with the idea of buying a carry out sandwich business, as it did not tie up a lot of your time. Once it was up and running he could put someone in to manage it. It was a struggle but somehow managed to get the day to pass. He carefully considered what to wear for the evening, and eventually settled for a plain dark blue suit. The suit was well tailored and fitted perfectly. It emphasised his broad shoulders and slim waistline.
At last, it came time to go to the church. He sat in the front pew a few minutes before the service started, but Jane was nowhere to be seen. He had looked all round the place but could not see her. He was feeling bitterly disappointed as the service started.
The medium who was working the platform that evening was Grace Miller, she was very well known in spiritualist circles for the accuracy of her messages. She turned her attention to Stuart.
‘May I come to you sir?’ she asked him.
‘Yes, you may’
The medium gave him a message. She told him that he was on the correct path, to follow his instincts, and to
join a spiritualist circle if possible. The letter ‘J’ will become very important in your life, not just in a personal way, but spiritually too.
He was delighted with what she had given him so far, and went on to tell him a few other facts, but he was preoccupied with the first part off the message.
The end off the service was approaching fast, just as congregation stood to sing the leaving hymn he noticed Jane. She was at the rear of the church, and when their eyes met she smiled radiantly at him. He felt his knees buckle, and was like a teen-ager again. It was a wonderful way to feel and he thanked God for this second chance at life.
They went to an Italian restaurant near the church in Stirling. Over the course of the meal they got to know each other a bit better.
It just seemed to take off from that night. They were ‘joined at the hip’ was one phrase used, and all their friends were delighted too. Stuart and Jane decided to go into business together. Nothing fancy, but a little lucrative, and they soon opened a small snack bar come tearoom in the centre of Stirling. They both agreed on the décor and type of customer they wanted to attract. In the morning the ‘blue rinse brigade’ for their scone teas, then later the lunchtime crowd and in the afternoon anyone they could drag through the doors. The small business was well set up with linen tablecloths, and waitresses with nice white aprons. Home baking, was what the customers craved for and his partner was an excellent cook and baker. She made much of the produce at home. The wee place really took off, and the money it generated was remarkable.
The couple spent their mornings and early afternoons at the business, and then closed early so the rest of the day was their own. They had a woman who ran the place for them on a Saturday, so they had every weekend off. Time passed and eventually they opened another place in Perth. The next year they opened one in Inverness. Jane wanted to open one in Glasgow next, but he was against doing this. He said he hated Glasgow, and could they not open one in Edinburgh instead. That was exactly what happened, and very soon, they were quite well off financially.
She would have liked to get married and he would have wanted this too, but he was afraid to commit himself in case anything from the past came to haunt him. He had all the necessary paper work in his chosen name, so that was not a hurdle. The couple talked about it and decided they would marry that June. The 16th was chosen and things were organised and set up in no time at all.
Stuart and Jane bought a beautiful house in Drymen. It was handy for the city and for Balquidder. The highland place of his ancestors had become very special to him. When he was there, he considered it home, and could not imagine living to far from the area.
He had also become a healer in his local church, and loved what he did. He was in a spiritualist circle, and it sat on a Thursday evening. All week he looked forward to his circle night, and was receiving huge amounts of messages from the spirit world. Some off the messages just made no sense at all, but on occasions he would see things he could not explain.
Davie had become a medium, and travelled to the various churches all over Scotland. Stuart often accompanied him to the venues.
One night in a Glasgow church near Charing Cross, a very strange, but uplifting experience changed his life again.
He was introduced to an elderly lady who was serving tea, and told her name was Celia Cranbridge. His blood ran cold. Here was the mother of the man who had killed his parents. He had seen her face once before in a newspaper picture. The article had been about the murder of her son and husband. The woman shook his hand, and said she was pleased to meet him, but he caught her looking at him a few times before the service started. Davie was on the platform performing his medium-ship, and was getting a message through from a son and father. The message was for Celia Cranbridge, the message asked her for forgiveness for things that had been left undone at the time of their passing. She was told that she was not aware of all the facts surrounding their death. She was then advised to move on and enjoy the rest of her life because her son and husband were happy. Stuart looked in her direction and gave a start. Standing on either side of the woman were her son and husband. Both were dressed as they had been before he murdered them many years ago. The two spirits looked at Stuart, and smiled. Both said in a voice that he believed only he could hear.
‘We know why you killed us Paul. Let the past go and be what you are now. You are a good man Paul Lynch; if you continue what you are; doing you may help plenty of people. Goodbye Paul, and God’s blessing be on you’
The two spirit people faded away, and he looked towards Celia. She smiled to him.
After the service, he spoke to Celia. She looked at him with a small smile on her lips, and said that she also had heard what the spirits had spoken about to him. He was stunned at this news, but she then took his hand and said
‘Bless you, Stuart for helping your fellow human beings’ With that, she went back to her teacups and saucers, he never saw her again. He returned to the church about a year later, and enquired about Celia, he was told she had moved into the world of spirit nine months previous.
EIGHTYTHREE
He started doing medium-ship in the churches and was soon on the circuit. He loved what he was doing and how people responded to his messages from the spirit world. Jane went with him all over Great Briton and abroad too. He was making a name for himself in Spiritualism, and was being asked to do spiritual readings for well-known people. He had received a call from a well-known policeman in Glasgow. The call asked if he could do a private reading for his wife and her friends, he did not charge for spiritual readings, but asked that the people donate to the churches. Jane handed him the message sheet from the phone table. The Policeman who had requested the readings was a Chief Superintendent Charles Ritchie and his wife Marion. He was stunned for a few seconds, and told Jane that he couldn’t do this engagement. He could not, or would not explain his actions. She thought this behaviour was rather strange, but just shrugged it off. Mediums could be very temperamental people.
EIGHTYFOUR
He continued with his work as a healer and medium, and then an incident happened that worried him. He saw a man being murdered. He did not know the man, or where the murder had taken place, but the very next night the story of the murder appeared on the Scottish news. He had seen a red car with a number plate when in his trance like state. He phoned the local police station and asked for John Henderson who was a detective there. John was also a member of the spiritualist church, and came on the phone with his usual happy sounding voice.
‘Hello, this is John Henderson. How can I help you?’
‘Hi John, its Stuart Seymour here from the church’
‘Hi Stuart, how are you doing? It has been a while since I saw you. How can I help you?’
He explained what he had experienced, and John took a note of the car number and said he would get back to him. Next day John phoned to tell him the case was solved. It turned out they had the man before his message had been passed on, but the car number plate had been exact. He thanked him and said that if he got anything at all he was to phone. He also promised that everything passed to them would be taken seriously.
Another year went passed; Jane and Stuart were enjoying life. They had been married in the June of last year. All their friends had attended. He had the entire crowd from Balquidder and Jane had all her crowd from the church. It was a spiritualist wedding and everyone really enjoyed themselves.
He was sitting reading one morning when the phone rang. He was expecting Jane to answer it. The ringing continued so he went out to the hall, and answered the call. It was John Henderson, and he was asking if he could come and see him for a chat about a spiritual matter. He agreed immediately, and John said he would be there in ten minutes. He eventually tracked down Jane to the small gym at the back of their house, and told her about their visitor. She said she would go and percolate some coffee, and butter some of the fresh baked scones.
John arrived just on the ten-minute mark. The couple greeted hi
m warmly, and Jane poured coffee. Stuart asked what he could do to help. He asked if he could come to the local police station at Maryhill, as he had something there that maybe he could help the police with. He went on to explain he was not allowed to bring the item with him, but did not want just to phone Stuart, but to ask him in person. He immediately agreed and when the men finished their coffee they headed for Glasgow. They arrived at Maryhill Police station and went straight up to Johns room. The room was not very large, about twenty feet by sixteen feet and there was an extractor fan in the ceiling noisily whirring like a swarm of angry bees. The two men got settled on the hard metal chairs. As John went into a bag he had with him, Stuart looked around the room, and reminisced about the time he had spent here a few years ago. His friend took from the bag a piece of female clothing. It looked oriental. He handed the clothing to him. Can you get anything at all from this Stuart? We are really stumped with this case. Can you help? he raised his hand as if for quiet holding the piece of cloth to his head he closed his eyes and concentrated. He did not move for a lengthy period, then suddenly sat bolt upright.
‘John does this belong to a young Asian girl of eleven years old?’
‘Yes, it does’
‘Is her name Sumey?’
‘Yes, it is. Can you tell me anything about her? Where is she at this time?’
‘I can see a park. Has she been abducted?’
‘Yes she has. She is being held for ransom. Her family are rich Asian business people’
‘I can see where she is’
