The next entry in my Supernatural Writings of Stuart Palmer series is the first of two (possibly three) stories about Karl Brandt, "ghost layer."
- A Sleeper Bewitched: Mr. Crane has been asleep for a month. No one knows why; no one can wake him up. And there's a strange, disembodied hand hovering over his bed. Mrs. Crane calls in Karl Brandt, "ghost layer," to help save her husband.
Brandt started out as a ghost debunker, working with his cousin in the real estate business to rehabilitate the reputations of so-called "haunted houses" for his cousin to sell. A cute idea! And, naturally, in the course of his job, Brandt runs into enough strange phenomena to change his mind about the non-existence of ghosts. Hence, his new sideline as "ghost-layer."
I really like this story, and I also like the idea of a Thomas Carnacki type character who works in real estate. What a great series that could be! As we will see, apparently Stuart Palmer thought so, too. Although the real estate angle never actually comes into play. Ah, well.
According to an article he wrote for the Baker Street Journal, Palmer, Stuart. "The I-O-U of Hildegarde Withers," The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 3, No. 1, January 1948. Collected in Hildegarde Withers, Final Riddles?, Crippen & Landru (2021). Palmer had been a fan of Sherlock Holmes since childhood. Conan Doyle's portrayal of Holmes was a strong influence on Palmer's Hildegarde Withers character, and you can see those influences at play in this earlier Karl Brandt story, as well.
Brandt's "Watson" is an old schoolmate named Stanley Horton, who opens the story by alluding to "the Prentiss case," which I'm pretty sure is not a story Palmer ever wrote. And like Holmes (and Miss Withers), Brandt has the irritating habit of keeping his deductions close to his chest until the very end. But at least Brandt doesn't seem to have any substance abuse problems—or a violin.
Anyway, do enjoy. You'll be seeing Karl Brandt again.