by S G Read
‘He has it easy.’ JC agreed.
‘Up until now.’ Pat declared. ‘Tonight your parents are coming for a meal and a get together about the plane crash so the video player has to find a new home.’
‘Where mum?’ Stevey asked.
‘Anywhere you like as long as we can not hear it and I don’t want you know who crying tonight either, so don’t go upsetting him.’
‘Us upset him!’ Simon declared. ‘That’s a laugh.’
‘I know we’ll set the video player up in the north wing so he can watch it.’ Stevey exclaimed. ‘That should do the trick.’
A knock at the front door meant that Ben, who happened to be the nearest, opened it to see a delivery man.
‘Parcel for Stephen Brown.’ The man declared.
Ben signed on the dotted line in his best handwriting and took the parcel. ‘Your videos have arrived Stevey.’ He called.
‘Take them up to the north wing and leave them there we’ll look at them when we have the videoset up.’
Despite it running, they stopped it, took the video out of the player then unplugged the player; a painful operation as Tim was showing his displeasure. Then they carried it up to the north wing and along to the farthest room the room next to Tim’s bedroom. They set it up again and put the same video back in to play on. With the film playing the stopped to unpack the new supply of videos. After showing his displeasure Tim followed but rather than watch the same video he looked through the new ones to see what was there. As he had never watched a video before now he had never seen the new videos. It was hard to select one to watch first. The boys saw the video in the player ejected and another floated through the air while the rest of the boys were there. He put it in and it started playing. Tim fast forwarded the video to the start of the film then sat back to relax almost slipping and becoming visible but he remembered just in time. Not that he would have minded the boys seeing him but for now he thought it was better not to show himself even if it did mean moving places if someone went to sit where he was sitting.
When Stevey walked back down, the doorbell rang and he opened the door to find the caterers outside.
‘Wait here I’ll ask mum where you are supposed to be.’ He asked and walked off to find Pat who instead of sending a message back via Stevey, went to talk to them herself, leaving Stevey to get ready.
The caterers were Wendy’s idea, as there would be around forty of them. The dining tables were extended to their full length and the chairs set round and the extra chairs brought from the room they were stored in, to complete the seating. The children all showered and put on their best clothes before assembling in the drawing room to wait for their parents to arrive. By seven o’clock they were sitting round eating in the dining room. The caterers brought in the food and then cleared away the dirty plates and dishes, leaving Pat to enjoy herself which she did. It felt nice not to have to do everything for once although it would be a long time before she would sit round doing nothing without feeling guilty.
When the meal was over the boys withdrew to the drawing room with Toby explaining why it was called the drawing room, not that anyone was interested. They started playing board games, playing cards and doing other things which would not make any noise while upstairs Tim was working his way through the new videos. They had orders not to stray, as some were going home with their parents when the meeting was over. Under discussion was the airlines latest offer for compensation, which was a lot better than their first offer but still needed improvement. As the date for the hearing came closer the offer was going up and the group thought there was still more mileage in their claim yet. It was a meeting behind closed doors with plenty of refreshments available to anyone not driving.
The door to the dining room opened and the drawing room slowly emptied until Stevey sat there looking at Pat as she stood in the doorway.
‘It makes it a very big house when it is empty.’ Pat declared.
‘Yes mum but I think I like it and want to stay even when we have helped Tim find peace.’
‘Is that what you expect to do?’
‘Of course; we don’t know how yet but we are working on it.’
‘Shall we go up to bed?’
‘Okay.’ Stevey turned to go then turned back. ‘Mum…’
‘Yes you can, it is a large double bed.’ Pat answered before he could ask.
‘Thanks.’ He turned and walked away.
‘Do you want a hot drink in bed?’
‘Yes please mum.’ He called back from the bottom of the stairs.
Pat put the kettle on and stood waiting for it to boil and was suddenly aware that she was not alone. She looked up and saw a young boy she recognised, standing in the corner of the room.
‘I take it you are Tim?’ She said with what was supposed to be a welcoming smile on her face.
The boy nodded.
‘Can’t you talk Tim?’
‘Oh yes I can talk but I hadn’t done so for a long time until today.’ Tim answered.
‘Not even to Dan?’
‘I don’t know what to say to him.’
‘You could tell him what happened to you, I think he deserves that Tim.’
‘I am not sure what went on my self but the others are working on it and the videos are helping with the boredom.’
‘Are you happy that they are trying to help you?’
‘Oh yes and the guessing games are funny.’
‘Guessing games?’ Pat asked but there was no one there any more.
Stevey walked in. ‘Were you talking to me?’
‘No just showing my age; come on let us go up to bed.’
They took the drinks and went up to the large bedroom they were going to share for the night, leaving all the other rooms left for Tim to wander through, as he wanted.
Chapter 4
Stevey woke late in the morning. He sat on the bed alone as Pat was already up and vacuuming phoned Stuart on the mobile phone as Stuart had it in his bedroom.. ‘Any more info on the convent?’
‘Some, come down and read it.’
Stevey walked downstairs in his dressing gown to find Stuart in the kitchen.
‘What news?’ Stevey asked.
Stuart showed him the printed pages so that Stevey could read the news for him self. It concerned the mother superior who was replaced ten years ago and sent to a missionary outpost.
‘She isn’t ten that girl is she?’ He asked.
‘Dad thinks it was when the nun was found to be pregnant and the new mother superior took over, from then there is no news at all, apart from general school news as it is a working girls school.’ Stuart answered.
‘Do you think it was a male teacher who made her pregnant?’ Stevey asked.
‘Might have been but as I said there is no news from the convent about anything but school work.’ Stuart explained.
‘Not even a sacked male teacher?’
Stuart shook his head.
‘What about unhappy pupils there had to be some of them? Surely the best way to get some low down on the school is to ask old pupils? Do they have year books?’ Stevey asked.
‘Brilliant.’ Stuart cried and phoned David. After ten minutes David phoned him back.
‘They stopped with the new mother superior!’ Stuart reported.
They both fell silent.
‘Some one who was young and in the last year book would have still been at the school when the new mother superior took over and when the girl was born.’ Stevey declared.
‘Brilliant but how do we find out their addresses?’
They both fell silent again.
‘We could make a list of names and look through the papers again from that year on.’ Stuart suggested.
‘Not the paper again!’ Stevey complained.
‘Have you any other idea?’ Stuart asked.
‘None that spring to mind and we won’t have any help until next week now, unless a few come back before then.’
‘Let’s go then.’ S
tuart urged.
‘I need some breakfast and I need to get dressed!’ Stevey declared.
‘Well get a move on.’
When Stevey was ready they jumped on their bikes and rode to the paper office. Stevey no longer rode Wendy’s bike but had a new racing bike. They were hoping to find someone who would talk about the convent. For that they needed an ex pupil who was not happy there. They trawled through page after page looking for a mention of one of the names on the list that had an address or that they could find the address from. Despite boredom they kept going until they found two names and they were able to get both addresses. They wrote down both and rode home for some well earnt refreshments. When they had eaten and recovered from their long search, they tried to phone each person.
‘Who is going to talk to them?’ Stuart asked.
‘You are the speaker.’ Stevey answered.
‘That was in the jungle!’ Stuart argued but it fell on deaf ears.
He dialled the first number and waited for a reply.
‘Hello Mrs Spink I am doing an English project and I chose the Convent of St Agnes. I wondered if you would talk to me about the mother superior who is in charge at the moment?’
‘It is Miss Spink and no I would not!’ She put the phone down but picked it up again to phone the convent. ‘Elspeth I just thought you ought to know someone is trying to find out about the convent.’
‘Thank you Daphne did you get your eggs this week?’ The mother superior asked.
‘Yes and very nice they were.’
‘Thank you for the warning I will tell Ursula to keep Waif out of sight for a while, she will just have to get her chestnuts her self.’
‘What about Sybil?’
‘She could be a problem and they are obviously doing their homework but I am sure you can persuade her to keep quiet?’
‘I can Elspeth.’
‘I knew I could count on you.’
Stuart knew nothing of the warning and phoned the next old girl.
‘Miss Porter I would like to speak to you about the Convent of St Agnes.’
‘It is Mrs Parker now young man and I can tell you a whole load about the goings on inside the convent come and see me tomorrow morning. I am at the Gables on Merryweather Street.’
As Stevey had his ear as close as Stuart had his ear to the receiver they both punched the air together.
‘One up for Minton Cruisers.’ Stevey declared. ‘I’ll tell the others.’
‘Okay then we can spend the rest of the day trying to find out more about Tim’s death.’ Stuart replied.
‘Like what?’
‘How he was killed.’
‘We have done that to death.’ Stevey declared.
‘But without getting the answer. What about where he died that might help?’
‘Brilliant.’ Stevey declared. ‘Let us go and find him.’
They listened but could not hear any crying or the video player playing.
‘We’ll have to search for him.’ Stevey exclaimed. ‘Amazing isn’t it, he is never there when you want him!’
Jenny was mowing the lawn when she saw a van pull up. She slowed the mower and altered direction to see if it was the man with the aerial. When she saw the logo on the van she smiled and continued with her mowing after all it would take a while to install the new aerial and get it all up and running. This was Stevey’s orders an aerial and more than one television to watch in on. For that they needed a special control box and she was going to test it to its full potential.
She finished the mowing, cleaned the mower and put it into the shed next to the outside toilet. The toilet was still there and working but now they had two inside toilets that worked; one upstairs and one down. She took advantage of the toilet nearest her, as it was to be left working for the gardener to use and then walked inside to wash her hands properly at the new kitchen sink.
Things had been moving quickly with Brian doing what carpentry there was to be done and calling in a reputable plumbing firm who could do more than a self employed plumber could. The new family bathroom was now in use and the first ensuite bathroom nearly finished. The washroom down stairs had a toilet but the basin was yet to be connected. A new boiler was being installed and after agonising over whether to go for LPG or oil, LPG won. Not because it was cost effective as they kept raising their prices without real reason but because it was less detrimental to the countryside should it leak and oil smelled horrible. Radiators were springing up round the house.
Jenny watched the engineer at work with the idea that the aerial system would need testing and she was planning to test it a lot!
The two boys searched high and low for Tim using different methods to get him to freeze them to show them he was about but nothing worked and they finally gave up. Instead they started to look more into the girl’s plight not knowing that her name was actually Waif.
Tim sat on the gate to the lane near the stand of chestnut trees to see Waif he wanted to talk to her some more but apart from the odd car and one or two convent girls out for a walk, he saw no one and came back disappointed. Stevey and Stuart were discussing the girl when he came in so he stopped and listened to hear what they had found out. They did not know who her father was and they had not found her mother’s grave, so he went up to the room with the video player in and turned it on.
‘Tim’s back’ Stuart declared when he heard the video start.
‘I wonder where he has been.’ Stevey mused.
‘I didn’t think ghosts could leave where they are haunting.’ Stuart replied.
‘How many ghosts have you dealt with? And besides we know he went to Dan’s cottage so he must be able to move about the grounds!’ Stevey retorted.
‘Oh yes, he could have been with Marmalade or Dan I suppose. Aren’t dogs supposed to be more aware of ghosts than humans?’
‘I heard that somewhere but it might have been a tele programme and not factual.’ Stevey agreed. ‘Do we go up and ask him?’
‘It would be hard work. We either get froze with every no or when we get it right if he is still there.’
‘We aren’t getting far with the girl.’
‘That’s true, let’s go.’
The walked up the stairs and into the north wing and followed the noise to the video player. There was no one in sight but they both assumed Tim was there.
‘He is in this room.’ Stevey declared and felt the cold on the inside. ‘Hi Tim, we wondered where you had been. Were you at Dan’s?’
Nothing happened.
‘Were you by the scrap- car breakers with Marmalade?’ Stuart asked.
Nothing happened. They both flopped into a chair to work out the next question while Tim paused the video player.
‘You’re getting good with that thing considering you never saw one until I bought it.’ Stevey declared. ‘Were you in the garden?’ He felt the cold chill inside. ‘So you were in the garden but not near Dan’s house.’ He felt another cold chill. ‘Were you alone?’ He felt another cold chill.
‘Why was he out there if he was alone? It would help if we could just talk to him?’ Stuart complained. ‘Were you meeting someone?’
‘Don’t be silly who would he be meeting!’ Stevey exclaimed but saw Stuart squirm with a cold chill. ‘So he was; wow good question.’
‘Did they turn up?’ Stuart persevered but nothing happened. ‘So you were waiting for someone but they did not turn up?’ A cold chill told him he was right.
‘Who would he be waiting for?’ Stevey asked.
‘Well he has been haunting this place for a long time so he might have made friends.’ Stuart answered. ‘Was it another ghost?’ He asked hopefully but nothing happened.
‘Was it Stu’s mum or dad?’ Stevey asked.
‘Were you waiting for Dan?’
‘I’m running out of ideas.’ Stevey declared. ‘Were you waiting for Ursula?’
Nothing happened and Stuart laughed.
‘What about that skinny girl?’ Steve
y added to run through all he knew and received a chill for his trouble. ‘So he was waiting for that girl but she didn’t show.’
‘But why was he waiting for her?’ Stuart asked with renewed interest.
‘To help her of course.’ Stevey declared and felt a cold chill. ‘We saw her and wanted to help, so he must have seen her and decided the same especially if he saw Ursula!’
‘Well we are on the same team there so let us know if you have any news.’ Stuart asked.
‘How does he do that?’ Stevey asked.
‘Can you write?’ Stuart asked hoping for a chill but it never came. ‘Oh bum he can’t write.’
They sat thinking but eventually the videostarted again and they sat and watched it.
Sybil Parker drove to the shops. It was dark and she did not like to drive in the dark but she needed some milk. She parked as near to the shop as she could, as usual and walked across the road. When she came out with her shopping, a car started up and raced forward. Sybil had time for a scream, before the car hit her and it did not stop but careered up the road out of sight. Sybil lay there in the road with so much to tell and died before help arrived. A police car drove up and started to question the only witnesses the shop keeper, his wife and the other customer in the shop.
‘It didn’t stop.’ The customer declared. ‘It was like they wanted her dead and now she is but who would want to kill Sybil Parker?’
The shop keeper and his wife confirmed the customer’s story but no one could shed any light on the make or model of the car or whether it was driven by a man or woman.
That night Stuart and Stevey lay in bed next to each other talking.
‘So we can’t find any notice of the death of her mum and we can’t find any notice of the girl’s birth.’ Stuart declared.
‘We can’t find a grave for her mum either.’ Stevey added. ‘All in all we don’t know a lot.’
‘So let us go back to Tim’s problem. We could find out where he died that might help working out how he was killed.’ Stuart declared.
‘Sounds like a good idea.’ Stevey agreed and they both jumped out of bed, pulled on their dressing gowns and hurried into the north wing.