The Team and the Ghost

by S G Read

  ‘I found something but I can’t free it.’ He said as he sat in the mud where Stuart first patted Marmalade who now sat beside Tim.

  ‘Anyone willing to have a go?’ Stuart asked and was surprised when four boys took off their tee shirts and dove into the water.

  ‘Wow that is cold.’ Ben declared always willing to have a go. ‘Where is it Tim?’

  Tim dove down and showed them and they all pulled and pushed but whereas Tim stayed down the others had to come up for air. A quick few breaths and they dove down again. CJ appeared and then Ben it was like a procession then a load of bubbles came floating up followed by a coffin. All the boys surfaced and cheered believing they had found Waif’s mother’s resting place. The coffin was towed ashore by the swimmers, who then climbed out and started to dry their selves, while the others studied the coffin.

  ‘Do you think this is the right body?’ Simon asked looking closely at the coffin.

  ‘How many dead bodies can there be round this place?’ Ben retorted. ‘We have to get the right one sooner or later!’

  Tim stuck his head through the top of the coffin for a quick look and drew it back out straight away. ‘There is a gun in there!’

  ‘What sort of gun.’ Sherman asked.

  ‘A six gun I think.’

  There was a collective groan.

  ‘They might have shot her.’ Ben suggested. ‘And put the gun in with her.’

  ‘Or it is an old grave of a soldier.’ Toby replied.

  ‘I was just clutching at straws.’ Ben admitted.

  ‘Now I get it.’ Stu exclaimed. ‘I wondered why they stopped building where they did, the paddock is probably an old grave yard and old Brent couldn’t build on it anyway.’

  ‘Our football pitch is on top of a cemetery?’ Simon groaned.

  ‘We haven’t seen any markers though Stu.’ Toby argued.

  ‘If you wanted to sell land as building land, would you leave all the headstones there?’ Stuart asked.

  ‘I suppose not.’ Toby answered. ‘The good thing is he is in jail now and we own the land. So far no one has come up and complained about us playing on top of them so I’d say they didn’t mind.’

  ‘There is that,’ Stuart agreed, ‘or we would have been overrun with players.’

  They all laughed.

  ‘Are you going to find out just who it is Tim, before we involve Sergeant Portland in it?’ Stevey asked.

  ‘Okay but it can take time and sometimes they never come at all.’ Tim answered and entered the coffin trying not to fire the pistol inside.

  The other sat round outside, either stroking Marmalade, who was never far away and could put up with being stoked for a long time, or throwing stones into the pond trying to get them to bounce across the water. When nothing happened for an hour they decided to go back to the hall to wait.

  ‘We are going back to the hall Tim let us know what happens.’ Stuart called and Tim’s head appeared.

  ‘Okay I’ll give it another hour before I give up.’ Tim answered and the head disappeared again.

  They walked back to the hall leaving Tim to his task and flopped down in their seat in the drawing room.

  ‘Set the table you lot we have company tonight.’ Pat called in from the kitchen where she was trying out her new range.

  ‘And that means all of you.’ Wendy called from the same place.

  They started to set the table.

  ‘Ask mum how many Si?’ Stevey asked as he took out the napkins.

  Simon walked round to the kitchen. ‘How many places Mrs Brown.’

  Pat counted up on her fingers. ‘Eighteen Simon.’

  Simon walked back. ‘Your mum says eighteen.’

  They all started counting to try to work out who was coming. With Wendy there that meant David as well, Pat made sixteen; Dan was out visiting his sister which meant there were two more.

  ‘Jenny and her dad.’ Stuart cried. ‘Wicked.’

  ‘Set nineteen shall we.’ Stevey suggested.

  ‘But who is… wicked.’ Simon answered. ‘Twenty it is but can he eat?’

  ‘I don’t know do I?’ Stevey answered. ‘But we will find out.’

  The table was set and before they could settle again they, were sent up to get ready for dinner. They were ordered to put on their best clothes, as this was the first proper meal Pat had cooked in the Hall. They showered and put on what they considered was their best clothes and congregated in the drawing room.

  Tim lay in the coffin waiting but nothing happened at all and no one came to see what he was about. In the end he climbed back out and left it laying by the pond for the police to inspect when they came. He walked back to the hall and found the boys all congregated in the drawing room in their best clothes.

  ‘What is going on?’ He asked.

  ‘We are having a family dinner.’ Stevey answered.

  ‘I’ll go and watch some videos.’ Tim replied.

  ‘No you won’t you will put on you best clothes and join us.’ Stevey ordered.

  ‘Are you sure?’ Tim asked. ‘I can’t actually eat or drink anything.’

  ‘We thought you may not be able to but we would still like you there.’ Stuart answered.

  ‘If you say so.’ Tim answered. ‘But shouldn’t I ask your mother?’

  ‘No.’ Stevey ordered. ‘No one is coming who has not been here before Tim.’

  ‘Is that other girl coming again? The one who came in with you the first time?’ Tim asked.

  ‘I am not sure but I think so.’ Stevey answered honestly. ‘Her name is Jenny.’

  ‘Okay.’

  The front doorbell rang and they all smiled.

  ‘Someone at the door Tim.’ Stuart said inviting him to answer it.

  ‘If you say so.’ Tim answered, walked over to the door and opened it. ‘Whom shall I say is calling?’ He asked in his best English.

  Jenny leant forward and looked closely at him. ‘Is that you Tim?’

  ‘It is Jenny welcome to Gordon Hall, is this your father?’

  ‘Yes; dad meet Tim.’

  Tim held out his hand and shook hands as he had been taught from very young but made sure his hand was warm and welcoming. The two shook hands.

  ‘Come in the food will soon be ready.’ Tim invited.

  Jenny was suitably impressed. ‘Will you be joining us for dinner Tim?’

  ‘I believe I am Jenny but I do not have a large appetite nowadays, so I may not eat a lot.’ Tim answered.

  ‘You look like you need building up.’ Brian declared and walked into the kitchen to see if he could help, leaving Jenny to greet the boys anyway she wanted to.

  They all flocked round her just to say hello and she was allowed to sit in whatever chair she wanted to and the person who usually sat there squeezed onto the sofa. They talked about what was going on here and Jenny told them what was happening in Apsford. Soon everyone had caught up on what was going on at each house, including telling Jenny about their attempt to help waif.

  They were called to the table and all sat round while the food was served by Wendy, David, Pat and Bob. Brian put a plate in front of Tim and the boys all smiled. As soon as the food was served they ate with the exception of Tim who ate nothing and with the others eating, he could not really talk to anyone. Brian looked up to see than Tim was not eating.

  ‘You wonder why I am not eating Mr Robbins.’ Tim asked.

  ‘I just wondered what would happen if you did; have you ever seen Casper the friendly ghost.’

  ‘I don’t think I have.’

  The boys all glared at the other parents, who had told Brian what to expect.

  ‘Well in it the ghosts are almost see through but are blobs.’

  ‘Blobs?’

  ‘Yes blobs. A bit pear shaped with a head and a tail.’

  ‘A tail?’

  ‘As best I could describe it Tim.’

  ‘I thought you were going to turn it off when I went to bed.’ Jenny accused.

&nbs
p; ‘I just thought I would see what it was like and it was quite entertaining Jenny.’ Brian answered.

  ‘I can do invisible.’ Tim declared and disappeared from sight. ‘But not almost invisible I can’t do that.’ He reappeared in his best clothes.

  ‘Well as I was saying they used to eat food and drink drinks but they just went straight through them and landed on the floor underneath.’

  ‘Sounds like a waste of time but I did let a drink go right through me once when my uncle was here just to annoy him.’

  ‘Why would you want to annoy your uncle?’ Jenny asked. ‘Oh of course he was the one who killed you.’

  Tim nodded. ‘I drove him out in the end and he sold the house. I drove the new owners out but the latest owner has more going for him.’

  Brian had found it hard to believe that Tim was in fact a ghost but all three of the other grown ups there warned him to be broad minded and he had been just that. The fading away and coming back impressed him but he needed the cold feeling to be sure.

  ‘I understand you can pass through people and freeze their insides Tim.’ He asked.

  ‘I can Mr Robbins.’

  ‘I will probably regret this but can I feel the effect myself?’

  ‘At the dinner table?’ Tim asked.

  ‘You go ahead Tim.’ Wendy said quietly. ‘The man needs showing what you can do.’

  Tim passed through Brian without delay and Brian felt the intense cold pass right through him.

  ‘Now that was cold.’ Brian declared, still shivering slightly even though Tim was back in his seat and the boys all laughed.

  Jenny wanted to but held back, she did not want to upset her father, who was a man who did not believe in such things as ghosts up until now. With the evidence before his eyes and even talking to him it was hard to refute, although he still wanted to. He carried on eating and the buzz of conversation rose again with Tim sitting there chatting to whoever he could, when he could. Brian spoke quietly in Jenny’s ear and she answered then having finished her first course walked round to where Tim sat.

  ‘Can you sit next to my dad he would like to talk to you he has never talked to a ghost before.’ She asked politely.

  ‘Okay Jenny.’ Tim replied and vacated his chair so that she could sit down.

  He walked round the table, just as she had, in case he accidentally cooled the hot food down and sat next to Brian. From then on Brian and Tim were in deep conversation. What about no one knew, as they kept their voices down and there was always a buzz of conversation, to drown out what they were saying.

  After the meal the parents stayed talking in the drawing room while the children went upstairs in what was now the games room. It had a lot of sockets to allow the computers to be used together and there were all the other games. The final game was cheat involving all the children and three packs of cards making it possible to say twelve of something and it happened a lot but they did not tell the truth the whole time. It proved to be so much fun they rolled about with laughter especially when Simon with only one card left said twelve aces. His answer was that he did not want the game to end by his winning.

  Slowly they went off to their bedroom, later than anticipated and very tired. Soon there was just Tim there playing on the computer trying to overcome his enemy’s army.

  Chapter 8

  With the morning came the phone call to the police about the body in the coffin. The fact that it was in a coffin made it non urgent but they still waited over there for the police to arrive and investigate.

  Sergeant Portland arrived soon after ten to see what it was all about with a member of the forensic team. They looked at the coffin where it lay all muddy but still sealed.

  ‘We think there is a gun in it.’ Simon declared.

  ‘A gun you say?’ The sergeant replied.

  The coffin was hosed off and made ready to open then the forensic expert used a hand held X ray machine to look inside.

  ‘They may be right.’ The forensic expert declared but the sergeant took a step back.

  ‘Hang on a minute I recognise this coffin, it is the one old Chilston used to have on display in front of his funeral parlour!’ He declared.

  The forensic expert took a step back to get the full picture. ‘You are right it is. It went missing one night and we assumed it was drunks!’ He exclaimed. ‘If I remember they were digging a drainage ditch over to this pond at the time so I assume they carried it down here, put it in the drainage ditch then filled it in so that no one found it!’

  ‘But it has a body in it!’ Ben declared.

  ‘No it has a medical skeleton made out of plastic in it with a sword and a replica six gun.’ Sergeant Portland replied. ‘Bad luck lads but you were right last time we have arrested a woman for the hit and run.’

  ‘When will they bury the dead woman?’ Stuart asked.

  ‘When it is cleared by the coroner and I have no idea when that will be; probably after the trial!’ The sergeant answered.

  The boys returned to the garden through the gap in the two fences and then on to the football pitch. They were surprised to see Jenny get ready to play. They picked teams with Stuart as one captain and Stevey as the other. Stuart had first pick and picked Jenny. Whether it was because he felt sorry for her and did not want to see her picked last no one knew but the others picked for his team had a scowl on their face until just after kick off when Jenny took the ball round JC and passed it to Stuart who ran up the wing with it. After that the fact that she was a girl was forgotten and they played with equal teams for once and with David refereeing.

  Tim watched them for a little while and then chose to go to the convent to make sure Celia and Waif were not being hurt. He chose to go to the infirmary first to see how Ursula was getting on but she was no longer there. Now worried he went in search of Celia and found her in a classroom with Ursula and her two friends and he knew he had to do something.

  Something was different with Ursula and he wondered what it was and moved very close to peer at her before he realised that she was now wearing a wig. He smiled and at the same time saw the open window. Seconds later Ursula’s wig flew out of the window and out of sight.

  ‘My wig!’ Ursula screamed. ‘The wind must have taken it. Get after it my mum will kill me if I damage it.’

  The three ran out of the class room with the mower clattering by underneath. Celia turned to Tim who thought he was still invisible.

  ‘My night in shining armour comes to my rescue again.’ She said gratefully and kissed him.

  ‘Glad to be of help little lady.’ Tim answered doing his John Wayne impersonation.

  ‘You watch too much television.’ Celia declared. ‘Come on I have to get somewhere safe before they come back.’

  They walked together out of the classroom and passed other girls but they only saw Celia, even though Celia could always see Tim. They watched out of the window while Ursula fought to free her wig from the mower with Sister Chantel who was doing the mowing waiting to continue.

  ‘One day she will realise that it is better to leave you alone Celia.’ Tim declared.

  ‘One day Tim.’ Celia answered. ‘I will see you on Sunday at the hall.’

  ‘I’ll be there.’ Tim assured her. ‘Probably watching television.’

  Celia laughed.

  ‘Don’t let her see you laughing Celia.’ A girl said from behind them.

  ‘I won’t Molly but thanks for the warning.’

  Molly joined them to watch out of the window and Tim had to move to make sure he did not freeze her. In the end he waved and walked off to find Waif. Waif was working in the laundry again with Sister Angela lending a hand. Some of the bandages were gone and she looked a little less thin.

  ‘Feeding you better then?’ Tim whispered in her ear.

  ‘I told you not to do that Tim. Creeping up on people like that and don’t let Sister Angela see you.’

  ‘She won’t. I think she is too old to.’ Tim answered and realised he had bee
n silly to say it immediately.

  ‘To old to do what?’ Waif asked.

  ‘Work as well as you.’ He explained. ‘Are you being looked after?’ He added before she could think about his answer.

  ‘Yes Sister Angela is nice although she does have to carry out Mother Superior’s orders so I am not allowed outside and I am getting very fed up in here.’

  ‘I’m working on it but we have hit another snag.’

  ‘Like what?’

  Again Tim knew he had said too much. ‘Can’t say any more, I will see you again tomorrow.’ As he spoke he pointed to Sister Angela who was still unaware that he was there. Waif looked at her and then seeing no danger looked back Tim was gone.

  ‘I will find out how he does that!’ She declared and carried on with her work, it was all she knew.

  The game finished and the boys were all impressed by Jenny’s skill with the football. She did not tell them that is was from hours of practice, as she was alone in Devon and Brian was working all the time. Brian stood watching with Wendy and Pat. When the game was all over, they went to Stuart’s house for a barbeque. There was a queue outside each shower or bathroom but it was all good natured with Jenny being the first into whatever room she wanted to go in.

  As the evening drew to a close they were all in the conservatory talking when Tim arrived.

  ‘Hi Tim.’ Simon greeted. ‘Any news?’

  ‘Where do I start?’ Tim asked and sat down in a vacant chair.

  ‘The start is usually a good idea.’ Jenny suggested.

  ‘Well I went to the convent to find Waif, so that she could show me where her mother’s grave was but on my way in I accidentally found myself in the shower. Well a girl there was pushed into me and ran out screaming because of the cold.’

  ‘I can understand why.’ CJ declared.

  ‘I thought I would look her up and say I was sorry or something but when I went into the classroom, that girl Ursula walked by her and whacked her on the head.’

  ‘What was the teacher doing at this time?’ Stevey asked.

  ‘Reading a book.’ Tim answered. ‘Anyway I followed her to her seat, at the back of the class and as she went to sit down I moved her chair. She fell on her bum and looked round to see who had done it but there were only her two friends there. She got up, pulled the chair back and tried to sit on it again, so I moved it again.’