by K E O'Connor
Flipper came and sat by my feet, and I placed a hand on his head, more to reassure myself than him.
“Who’s just joined us?” asked Helen. “You’ve gone pale. Have we got a new ghost friend present?”
“We do have ghostly company,” I said. “And from his coloring and smart suit, I’m guessing it’s a family member.”
“The recently departed Lonnie?” asked Helen.
The ghost looked at Helen, surprise on his face, and nodded.
“Looks like you’re right,” I said.
Lonnie started to speak and gestured at us to move away from him, brandishing his hands wildly as he did so.
I glanced over my shoulder, but nobody else was around. “I can’t hear you, Lonnie. You’re going to have to communicate in a different way. Are you telling us to go away? If you are, don’t worry; that’s what we’re trying to do. We just need to find our missing car.”
The ghost frowned and made the same gesture with his hands.
Uneasiness crept through my veins. “He wants us to hide.”
Lonnie’s gaze shot over my shoulder, and he gestured frantically before blinking out of sight.
“What do we need to hide from?” asked Helen.
“Ladies, what are you doing out here?”
Chapter 5
I turned, my teeth gritted, as I spotted the looming bulk of Michael in the shadows. He stepped towards us and folded his arms over his chest.
“We were just...” I was all out of good ideas and looked at Helen for help.
“Well, why are you out here so late?” asked Michael. His gaze flew from me to Helen.
“We wanted to get some air before bed.” Helen flashed him her brightest smile.
Michael appeared unimpressed by that lie. “With your suitcases?”
“We were planning on storing them in the trunk of the car,” I said. “Get them out of the way. But we’ve been having trouble finding it. Do you know where the car is?”
“There’s plenty of storage inside.” Michael picked up the cases, ignoring my question about the car, and I could see he was testing the weight of them in his hands. Looked like we’d been rumbled.
“We can manage our cases.” I tried to take mine off him, but he didn’t acknowledge me.
“I’ll take you back to your rooms.” Michael turned and walked towards the front door of the house.
“What shall we do?” I asked Helen.
“We follow him. They’ve got our car and our clothes. And my favorite little red dress is in that case, and I’m not leaving without it.”
I shrugged, not liking the thought of having to go back into the house. “I guess we’re spending the night. But first thing in the morning, we need to find a way out of here.”
As we walked through the front doorway, Sylvia was wheeling herself out of the parlor. She stopped and stared at us. “What’s going on here?”
“Miss Shadow and Miss Holiday were getting some air,” said Michael. “They’re back now. They won’t be going out again after dark.”
Sylvia’s dark eyes narrowed, and she let out a cackle of laughter. “We can be a bit scary, but there’s no need to flee in the night. So long as you follow the rules, you’re safe here.”
“Are there many rules we need to know about?” asked Helen. “I quite like going out at night.”
Sylvia cackled again. “I thought you girls were made of sterner stuff than this. I was just telling Lonnie so, when he vanished on me. But running away after your first meeting with the family suggests otherwise. Don’t tell me I’m wrong about you two?”
Michael shook his head. “Sylvia, Lonnie’s not here. You can’t tell him anything.”
I shot Sylvia a quizzical look. It wasn’t so strange for people to talk to those who’d recently died. But from her tone of voice, she sounded convinced she’d been speaking to Lonnie in person and not in her head. She’d also been talking about her sixth sense abilities. Did that stretch to talking to the dead?
“We weren’t running away,” said Helen. “But I want to know where my car is.”
“I’ve taken it to be serviced,” said Michael, as he stood in the hallway, our cases still in his hands.
“It doesn’t need a service,” said Helen. “It’s running just fine. I look after my car.”
“Boss’s orders,” said Michael.
“I’m the boss when it comes to that car.” Helen jammed her hands on her hips. “And I say it’s fine as it is. I want it back where I parked it right away.”
Sylvia laughed. “There you are! I knew it. You girls aren’t frightened of some big men in suits who have forgotten how to smile. Stay, you might find you enjoy it here when you get used to us. It’s an entertaining place to be, and there’s always some argument or other to referee over.” She gestured behind her, where raised voices could be heard. It sounded like Chelsea and Elita were at each other’s throats again.
“We would like to know where the car is,” I said.
“Like Michael said, it’s being looked after,” said Sylvia. “We take care of our own. It won’t cost you a thing, and your car will purr like a kitten when it’s been serviced. Trust us.”
I wouldn’t be doing that anytime soon. “We can talk about it in the morning.”
Sylvia grinned at us. “Meet me for breakfast. I can let you in on all the family secrets.”
Michael cleared his throat. “I believe Elita wishes to spend some time with the ladies tomorrow morning.”
Carson walked out of the parlor and stopped when he saw us all in the hallway. “What’s going on here? Not having a little party without me?”
“We’ve given these lovely girls a scare,” said Sylvia. “But everything is sorted now.”
Carson’s eyes narrowed, and he walked closer to me. “What’s the problem?”
“There’s no problem.” I resisted the urge to take a step away. The menace radiating from his pores was making my skin itch.
“I thought we had an understanding,” said Carson. “You do a good job here, keep your mouths shut, and you’ll be rewarded.”
“Actually, we’re thinking this isn’t the right place for us,” said Helen. “And we don’t like being told to shut up.”
“I never told you to do that.” Carson’s steely gaze switched to Helen. “I simply advised you that it’s wise to be discreet. People who misbehave are not tolerated in this family.”
“Then it’s fortunate we aren’t family,” I said. “We work for you, but that’s it.”
“It makes you honorary members of our family,” said Carson.
Sylvia tutted. “Stuff and nonsense. Carson, you’re as much of an employee as these girls. Stop doing your best gorilla impression and trying to intimidate them. They see beyond your bluster and know what a big teddy bear you are when you’re not strutting around trying to lay claim to everything.”
Carson flashed Sylvia a thin smile. “Lonnie considered me to be like a brother.”
“He might have done.” Sylvia tapped her fingers on the wheels of her chair. “But he’s gone now.”
“Something we all feel deeply.” Carson dipped his head. “But it’s important we stick to the rules and don’t go changing things. It’s worked well in the past, and we can’t start messing with what works.”
“We won’t mess with anything,” I said. “But Helen’s right; this isn’t the place for us. You can find people better suited for these jobs.” People who didn’t mind being intimidated and trapped in a house against their will.
“Don’t be hasty in making a decision,” said Sylvia. “Take your time in getting to know us. We aren’t all as stuck in our ways as Carson.”
Carson bowed and took a step back. “I only wish to maintain the family status, keep everything as it should be.”
Sylvia raised a hand. “Enough of these boring rules and business talk. I need some air.”
Michael took a step forward, but Sylvia waved him away.
“I want these girls to ta
ke me outside,” said Sylvia. “Since they seem to like being outdoors so much, they won’t mind pushing a little old lady around the grounds.” She gave me an obvious wink.
“You’re not supposed to be left on your own,” said Michael.
“I won’t be on my own. I’ll be with Helen and Lorna,” said Sylvia. “They know how to take care of themselves. And I’m sure they won’t mind keeping an eye on me. I can’t get up to any mischief while I’m in the garden.”
From the twinkle in her eye, I got the impression she could. “We’ll be happy to take you.” I walked to the back of her chair and saw Carson tense.
“Allow me to accompany you,” said Carson. “You don’t want to burden the girls with your chair.”
“You’re needed here,” said Sylvia, not bothering to look at Carson. “Keep an eye on the rest of the family, since you enjoy doing that so much.”
Carson frowned but then nodded and turned towards the parlor.
“I can push the wheelchair,” said Michael. “I want to help.”
“There’s no need. We’ll be fine,” said Sylvia, her tone softer. “And it sounds as if you’re needed as well. Elita and Chelsea can’t stay civil when they’re sharing the same space. I wonder what Lonnie was doing giving them half the house each in his will. It’s as if he wanted to see two women fight to the death over him.”
Michael’s gaze shot towards the parlor, where the sounds of increasingly screechy insults were being traded.
“You go,” said Sylvia to Michael. “I’m in need of some girl time.” She gestured at me to get the chair moving, and I obliged, pushing her towards the front door and outside.
Helen and Flipper followed me, and I was glad when Helen shut the door, muffling the argument. And, as we moved away from the house, I felt the tension in my shoulders ease.
“Don’t mind Michael being overprotective of me,” said Sylvia. “He worries too much. I’ve known him since he was young and consider him to be a surrogate grandchild.”
“He’s not the only one keen to keep an eye on you,” I said. “Why doesn’t your family want you to be on your own?”
Sylvia laughed and pointed ahead of her. “Head to those trees. You can see the city lights at night from there.”
I noticed she’d avoided my question. “How long has the family lived in this house?”
“Ever since Lonnie decided we needed to show a united front and stop breaking the law.”
I raised my eyebrows and looked at Helen. “What law did he break?”
Sylvia cackled out a laugh. “We’re a famous family. It wouldn’t be hard to find out. But we’re not famous in the way you might think.”
“Are you more notorious than famous?” asked Helen.
“Clever girl,” said Sylvia. “Although we now live in leafy, middle-class suburbia, we’re originally from the East End of London. The Cornells used to be close to the Reitz family. Ever heard of them?”
“The gangsters!” This was getting worse.
“That’s right,” said Sylvia. “I even named my dog after one of the sons. Reggie Reitz was such a smooth talking guy. He even flirted with me a time or two, and I was old enough to be his very inappropriate cougar.”
“You made your money committing crime?” asked Helen.
“The family never took from people who couldn’t afford it,” said Sylvia.
“Like Robin Hood,” I said, not able to keep the sarcasm from my voice.
“Just like him,” said Sylvia. “And that’s enough of your tartness; we did what we had to. But things changed when Lonnie decided to go straight. He planned one final job before he retired, and that was when the trouble began, which is how we ended up here. I miss London life, but hearing the birds sing in the morning instead of the roar of buses isn’t so terrible.”
“What was his last job?” asked Helen.
“No, wait!” I said. “We only want to know if it doesn’t get us into trouble with Carson. The way he was glaring at me, I wouldn’t put it past him to place a horse’s head in my bed as a warning to behave.”
Sylvia laughed. “You’re thinking of the wrong family. And Carson’s not part of this family, no matter how hard he tries. He’s a Rosso, and they’ve always worked for us, always have and always will. He’s as mean as a stepped on king cobra, though, so stay out of his way and you’ll be fine.”
Something I had every intention of doing. “So, what crime did Lonnie commit?”
“This hasn’t been proven,” said Sylvia, as she gestured for me to stop pushing the wheelchair. “If you go blabbing to the authorities about this, I’ll deny everything. But the police believe he stole twenty-five million in gold.”
“Wow,” I mouthed at Helen. “That’s a lot of gold.”
“It is, so it’s hard to move and sell on,” said Sylvia. “And where would you hide so much gold? That’s the question everyone wants answered. Have you ever held a gold bar?”
“Not yet, but it’s on my list of things to do before I die,” I said.
Sylvia tutted. “They’re heavy. You could only manage to carry a few.”
“The gold paid for your move to this house?” asked Helen.
“Not a single gold shaving paid for any of this,” said Sylvia. “We’ve always had money, so we used that to get away, settle down, and find some peace. Have a happy ending.”
“But it didn’t end well for Lonnie,” I said. “Dying in the bath like that is a tragedy.”
“It would be if his death had been an accident,” said Sylvia. “But my Lonnie is still around. And I know why; it was because he was murdered.”
I sucked in a breath. “Do you have proof of that?”
“The proof of my own eyes,” said Sylvia.
“You saw someone kill Lonnie?” asked Helen.
“No, daft girl,” said Sylvia. “Lonnie is still here, still in the house. I see him, and he’s been showing me what happened.”
“You can see your dead son’s ghost?” I asked.
“Absolutely,” said Sylvia, “and he’s here for a reason. That reason being he wants to ensure whoever murdered him is put behind bars. Well, receives some sort of punishment. We handle things our way when it comes to family being killed.”
I rubbed my forehead, not sure which bit of Sylvia’s revelation to pull apart first. She believed she could see Lonnie’s ghost and that he’d been murdered. I ignored the fact she’d hinted the family would do something unpleasant to whoever might have killed him. Oh, and not forgetting the fact Lonnie supposedly stole a load of gold and got away with it.
I decided on a gentle approach with Sylvia. She was old and could be confused about what she saw. “People often believe they can feel loved ones who’ve recently died. Is that what you’re sensing with your son?”
“Stuff and nonsense,” said Sylvia, “and you know it. I see him with my own eyes. My eyesight has always been excellent. Lonnie is here. I saw him the first night after he died. He popped into my bedroom and gave me a fright. Ever since then, he’s been hovering around, making a nuisance of himself. He keeps drifting about and making the rooms cold. Don’t tell me you haven’t noticed?”
I opened my mouth but nothing came out.
“Grief makes people experience all sorts of things,” said Helen.
“Stop trying to convince me what I’m seeing isn’t true,” said Sylvia. “Lonnie is here, and he’s not going to rest until his murder has been solved.”
“And how are you going to solve it?” I asked.
A sly smile spread over Sylvia’s face. “I thought you girls might like to help me with that little matter. I get the impression this isn’t the first time you’ve seen a ghost.”
“I’ve never seen a ghost,” said Helen. She looked at me with wide eyes.
“What about you, Lorna?” asked Sylvia. “How are your ghost seeing abilities?”
I squirmed under Sylvia’s intense gaze. “It’s complicated.”
“Nothing complicated about it,” said
Sylvia. “You see ghosts.”
Chapter 6
I woke in a tangle of bedsheets, having spent a restless night dreaming about Carson sneaking into the room with a severed horse’s head tucked under one arm. As I blinked my eyes open, I saw Helen’s bare feet by my face, her toenails painted a coral pink. Flipper was laying alongside me, stretched out and snoring.
After our bizarre conversation with Sylvia last night, we’d decided the safest thing to do was share a bed, and I’d gone top to tail with Helen, Flipper wedged in between us. It wasn’t the most comfortable night’s sleep I’d had, but I was glad of the company.
Helen woke with a start before shuffling around in the bed until she faced me. “Please tell me last night was a horrible dream? Sylvia doesn’t want us to investigate a family of criminals and find which one killed Lonnie?”
“It’s all true.” I groaned. “I still can’t believe what she told us. I’ve never met anybody else who can see ghosts.”
“You’re focusing on her ghost seeing talent?” Helen smoothed down her bed messy blonde hair. “What about the killer in the family or the missing gold? All important things.”
“It’s important to me.”
“Are you sure she can see ghosts?” asked Helen. “Sylvia comes across as a bit... eccentric. Maybe she thinks she can see something, but there’s nothing there. It could be in her imagination.”
“It will be easy enough to test if Sylvia can see Lonnie,” I said.
“Yes! The next time he appears, we get him to talk to Sylvia and see how she reacts,” said Helen.
“It would be sort of amazing if she can see him,” I said. It would be great to talk to someone about my ability and not have them think I was losing my mind. “But I think it’s still time for us to leave. And if Sylvia can see Lonnie and doesn’t need our help in communicating with him, there’s no reason to stay. He can let her know who killed him, and the family will deal with it in whatever gruesome manner they want to. We don’t need to be around for that.”
“Even though Sylvia asked for our help?”
“She’s a warrior trapped in an old lady’s body,” I said. “You’ve seen how everyone backs down when she’s around. She doesn’t need us.”