The Team and the Ghost

by S G Read

  ‘Another waste of time.’ He declared.

  ‘Seems so doesn’t it but I will let Toby look through the book, he will be here tomorrow.’ Stuart answered looking up from the comic he was reading.

  ‘But there is no mention of a birth, a baby or any one giving birth!’ Stevey complained.

  ‘No but it can’t hurt can it?’ Stuart replied.

  ‘I suppose not.’

  Chapter 11

  Toby arrived and listened to what they had been up to. He opened the book and looked through it page by page just like Stuart and Stevey had done the previous day. When he reached the end he started again and looked through it page by page again until he reached the end again.

  ‘I think Waif was born on the third of February.’ He said when he closed the book.

  ‘How do you come to that conclusion?’ Stuart asked.

  ‘It is the only day which is missing.’ Toby answered.

  Now they were all interested and they opened the book carefully on that date on JC’s orders. They could all see the second of February and it was followed by the fourth of February.

  ‘Well is it something!’ Stuart admitted.

  ‘Let Doctor JC have a look at it.’ JC said intriguingly.

  No one argued and JC looked at the fourth with a magnifying glass.

  ‘We might be in luck.’ He declared and picked up his science kit. He had seen it while they were out shopping and begged Stevey to buy it for him. Stevey did not argue. From the kit he took a dark powder and a fine brush. Then he brushed the fine dark powder over the page until it was covered then he tipped it off leaving lines hither to unseen behind. Before he started he copied the page down on another sheet of paper so that they could compare it.

  ‘Wow good work JC.’ Simon said as he tried to decipher what they could see extra.

  All we have to do now is to work out the writing impressed from the previous page.’

  The boys peered at the page eagerly, looking at the hand written page as they did so. Slowly they worked out what had been written on the third. Unfortunately the writer had not pressed hard and not all of it had come through.

  ‘That says baby.’ CJ declared pointing to the word he meant.

  ‘That bit looks like it says healthy girl!’ Sherman exclaimed, forcing himself closer.

  ‘It gets better.’ A woman named S something something something A Pierson gave birth to a healthy girl on the third of February. The baby was seven pounds three ounces in weight.’

  ‘That must be Waif.’ Toby concluded. ‘So why is she in the convent all alone does it mention the mother any more?’

  ‘It goes on to say both mother and baby well.’ JC added. ‘All we have to do is find a woman named Pierson with the first name s----a, which could be lots of names by the way, who gave birth to a healthy girl on the day and we have Waif’s mother.’

  ‘Just how many names can you think of that start with S is five letters long and ends with A then JC?’ Sherman asked. ‘Because I can’t think of one.’

  They all sat thinking of girls names begging with an S and ending in an A and five letters long but no one could.

  ‘Well I just assumed that there must be lots.’ JC answered.

  ‘Can you get a list from the internet?’ Stevey asked.

  ‘I’ll try.’ JC answered and they all congregated round the monitor again to see what happened.

  They watched the list grow until they had over twenty names.

  ‘I never heard of some of those names.’ Simon declared.

  ‘Same here.’ Ben replied.

  ‘But there are a lot.’ JC added.

  ‘Is that it then?’ Sherman asked.

  ‘No I am going to interview Mrs Parker later today.’ Tim said from the doorway.

  ‘I hope you have more success than us Tim.’ Colin declared.

  As soon as the funeral was over Tim was waiting to go underground. He watched the mourners drift away and then dived into the ground to wait in the coffin.

  ‘Who are you?’ A voice asked.

  ‘I am Tim.’

  ‘What do you want?’

  ‘Well you were going to talk to my friends about St Agnes convent before you were killed, so they sent me down here to ask you about it, as you told them you had information on the place.

  ‘I do, well I did. I used to go to school there when I was younger and that new Mother Superior was something else. The first day she arrived she sacked several teachers and replaced them with her friends.’

  Tim wanted to ask her about the pregnant nun but Sybil was not about to be hurried she was in no hurry to go anywhere anymore, so he had to lay there while she droned on, making sure to remember the important parts, when she mentioned them. He lay there unable to go anywhere and not wanting to, in case he missed something, until she finally stopped talking.

  ‘So that gives you the history of the convent and the Mother Superior who took over from Mother Seraphina; I heard she was sent to Nepal you know to a monastery.’ Mrs Parker added.

  ‘Thank you Mrs Parker you can rest now.’

  ‘Not until that wicked Daphne Spink is found guilty and throw in jail.’ Mrs Parker answered. ‘I can’t rest until then.’

  ‘Do your best.’ Tim retorted and allowed him self to rise up to the surface.

  He hurried to the hall and found the boys in the games room. They had exhausted all the avenues they could follow and were waiting impatiently for him.

  ‘Did you see her?’ Simon asked.

  ‘No but I heard her. Boy did I hear her drone on and on and on. I will give you the short version if you like.’

  Most were willing but Stuart shook his head. ‘We are not in any hurry and a little bit left out could make all the difference.’ He warned.

  ‘From the top then Tim.’ Sherman announced. ‘But let us start the recorder in case we need to go over it again.’

  They all settled down to listened to what proved a long but interesting story. Tim droned on and on as Mrs Parker had and related it all just as she had, give or take a few things he might have missed. When he said the pregnant nurse was called Sister Sonia the name echoed around the room, it was on their list. He told them that she was taken out when the baby was due and only the baby returned with the story that the nun died in childbirth but they never had a funeral for Sonia, as they would have all gone because they all liked her.

  ‘So she was Sonia Pierson.’ JC declared. ‘And we know she lived through the birth as it says so in the book.’

  ‘So now all we have to do is to find Sonia Pierson but she might have married the father of her baby and could have any surname by now!’ Toby exclaimed. ‘So how do we go about it?’

  ‘We start with the paper but they might well have moved away from this area to be as far from the convent as they could.’ Stevey answered. ‘But it is a place to start.’

  ‘Not all of us though.’ Stuart added. ‘I will go and see sergeant Portland to see if he can tell us anything.’

  ‘I will go and see Robbie.’ Ben declared. ‘He has lived round here for ever and might know something relevant.’

  The boys all had ideas and they all went where they were going with the exception of JC who decided to search the internet.

  Waif walked up the stairs and removed the loose screw; she had her clothes now and soon it would be time to go. No one would come back down here so she could get ready but she put off moving the receiver or putting on her new clothes just in case and it was very wise. She heard footsteps approaching the door and fled back down the stairs to her cot. Ursula unlocked the door and scowled at her.

  ‘Mother wants to see you.’ She ordered.

  It was never good if mother Superior wanted her and Waif came to a decision.

  ‘I am not going; if she wants to see me she can come here, I know she can walk the lazy cow.’

  ‘Don’t make me come down there!’ Ursula warned but Waif was adamant.

  Ursula stamped down the stairs and grabbed
Waif by the hair but still Waif resisted. Ursula started dragging her up the stairs which made her cry out in pain. At the top of the stair Ursula stepped through the door and a bible hit her. Then another one hit her then another and another until she let go of Waif’s hair and fled. In truth there were only two bibles but when one had been used to hit her the next one did and by then the first one was ready to go again. Waif looked up from the floor to see Molly and Celia standing at the top of the stairs.

  ‘Come on.’ Molly insisted. ‘You have to go they are moving you to some other convent where you will be just as badly treated.’

  ‘But…’ Waif started; thinking about the clothes which she had secreted, it was not supposed to be like this.

  ‘You have to go!’ Molly insisted. ‘Ursula will be back with mother superior soon and then we will all be in trouble.’

  Waif gave up resisting and was half dragged along the corridor, round a corner and then into a pantry.

  ‘Wait!’ Celia cried and ran back up the corridor leaving them there wondering what she was doing. When she came back she had the cellar door key in her hand. ‘I locked it so they don’t know if we are in the cellar or not, it might delay them.’

  ‘Now what happens?’ Waif asked worriedly as they were still in the convent.

  ‘Now we open this louvered window, take out the little panes of glass.’ As she spoke she did what she was suggesting and took out the first pane of glass. ‘And when they are all out we will lower you down and you are free.’

  They took out the four panes of glass leaving Waif enough room to get through and with help she was lifted up so that she could put her feet through first and then they held her and lowered her down as far as the could.

  ‘You have to drop from here.’ Molly warned. ‘It is about 60 centimetres.’

  ‘How far is that?’ Waif asked not knowing what a centimetre was.

  ‘Not far Waif just drop down and run away.’ Celia answered.

  ‘Where do I go?’

  ‘Go and find Tim at the hall he will help.’ Celia answered.

  ‘Okay here goes.’

  They let go and she dropped to the floor and sprawled in a heap. Soon after that she was on her feet and running. Not in the nice clothes she had stolen ready but in her old torn white dress and black plimsolls which were hand me downs from a pupil at the school. Celia looked out the window and watched her go then looked at Molly. Molly nodded.

  ‘I’ll lower you down as far as I can Molly then you drop I don’t want to be here when mother superior arrives.’

  ‘Okay.’

  Somehow Celia managed to get Molly up high enough to get her feet through the window and lower her down but she could only hold her for a little way and then Molly fell. Outside Celia heard an ‘Ow’ but she was soon on her feet.

  ‘Come on Celia.’ She urged.

  ‘I will never get out of that window on my own.’ Celia said hopelessly.

  ‘Either you come out of the window now or I am coming back inside.’ Molly warned.

  Celia struggled and moved a sack of potatoes close to the window to stand on and from there she could lean out of the window.

  ‘Come on Celia.’ Molly urged. ‘I’ll catch you.’

  Noises outside the door gave Celia the nerve she needed and she went out the window head first trying to hold on to anything she could as she fell. Molly was as good as her word and Celia fell on top of her breaking her fall and the both sprawled on the ground below the window. A noise above their heads had them on their feet and running without looking back to see if anyone was coming after them. And they did not stop running until they came to the gate into the hall garden.

  ‘Normally I would not cross a garden.’ Celia declared as she climbed over the gate. ‘But in times like this I think I can afford to be less ladylike.’

  Waif ran as far as the gate and crossed the garden keeping to the edge but as she came to the gap in the fence Marmalade saw her and barked. It was his hello bark but she had never seen a dog before and fled back the way she had come choosing to pass by the gate again and walking up the side of the chestnut stand necessitating going right round the garden to get to the hall.

  Celia and Molly took the direct route across the garden and saw Marmalade but they ran straight past him and up to the front door of the hall. They stood there for a few seconds to smarten them selves up and catch their breath then rang the bell. Simon opened the door.

  ‘Hello you are the pretty one Stevey likes.’ He said when he saw Celia. ‘Come in we are up in the games room.’

  They walked up the stairs and into the games room in time to hear JC say ‘I found them!’

  Everyone moved over to the computer and for the moment the new arrivals were ignored.

  ‘Where are they?’ Stevey asked.

  ‘Well I first checked the marriage register on the government website then when I found a couple where the woman had the right surname before marrying I checked what their married name was now. It is now Sonia Barker as she married a John Barker who used to be a shop keeper in the next village until ten years ago so it all fits. I then checked the electoral roll and found out where all the Mr and Mrs Barkers were living and I was able to double check with Sonia’s date of birth. They live in Lingfield in Surrey. I even found Waif’s birth certificate she was actually given the name Foundling Waif on her birth certificate.’

  ‘Great work JC’ Stuart declared. ‘Now all we have to do is to get to Lingfield and ask her if she was Sister Sonia who gave birth in the St Agnes cottage hospital and why did she leave her daughter in the convent. Not something we can do over the phone.’

  ‘We need some blood from Waif to check against the parents to prove who she is.’ Ben added.

  ‘Good one Ben.’ Stevey exclaimed. ‘A DNA sample to make sure she is their daughter, so how do we get it when Waif is locked in the cellar?’

  ‘She isn’t.’ Celia explained. ‘We broke her out! They were going to send her to another convent far away we heard them talking about it and decided to help her but Ursula got there first so we beat her up and got Waif away.’

  ‘We hit Ursula with bibles, big bibles.’ Molly added. ‘But we realised we were in trouble for helping her and came with her.’

  ‘So where is she?’ Simon asked.

  They all hurried downstairs to find Waif so that they could arrange for a blood sample.

  Waif walked up the garden round the top and back down the other side trying to keep out of sight but when she reached the hall instead of crossing behind it to the kitchen door she chose to walk round the front and up the drive to the front door. Ursula grabbed her before she reached the door and dragged her down the drive toward the road she had Waif in one hand and her hockey stick in the other, in case of trouble.

  ‘Think you could get away from me you little guttersnipe? I am taking you back and then you are going to work in a convent in Scotland! They won’t find you there!’

  As they walked they approached the grave Dan had dug for Tim, to try to let him rest and Tim stood by it.

  ‘I don’t think she wants to go with you.’ He said quietly.

  ‘So what are you going to do about it?’ Ursula asked.

  ‘Stop you springs to mind.’ Tim answered idly.

  ‘And how do you propose to do that little boy.’

  ‘I have made bigger people than you run fatso.’ Tim declared.

  ‘You will be sorry you said that.’ Ursula hissed and threw Waif to the ground to make sure she did not run away.

  She walked to where Tim was making Waif crawl before her and raised the hockey over her shoulder. ‘Any last words.’

  ‘You really are fat.’ Tim answered.

  Ursula screamed and swung the hockey stick as hard as she could but Tim did not move making Waif cry out in fear for him. The hockey stick swung through the air and passed right through Tim hitting the marble gravestone Dan had erected for him. The impact reverberated right through Ursula and the hockey stick brok
e in two. Waif put her hand to her mouth in awe.

  ‘That is impossible.’ Ursula exclaimed.

  ‘Not if one is a ghost.’ Tim declared and passed right through her making sure she knew just what he had done. ‘And one is angry at you Ursula the fat.’ He added from behind her and passed back through her making it as cold as he could.

  Ursula screamed a loud shrill scream then looked at him as he came back for another go and ran screaming as she went. The screams alerted the others to where they were and they all came running.

  ‘You are a ghost.’ Waif said as she climbed to her feet and backing away slightly.

  ‘I am but it doesn’t mean I am a bad person.’ Tim answered and they heard the others approaching.

  ‘That is why you could come and see me when I was locked in the cellar. Did you walk through the walls?’

  ‘Through the door mostly you never quite know what you are going to find the other said of a wall.’

  Waif took two steps forwards and threw her arms round him. For Tim it was a very emotional moment and he accepted the hug in the first instance but lost control after a few seconds and Waif fell right through him to the ground.

  ‘Sorry about that.’ He said as he helped her up. ‘I don’t usually drop people on the ground when I like them.’

  ‘Good work Tim.’ Sherman declared when he saw Ursula running down the drive.

  She ran right out into the road but instead of turning left to go round the garden and back to the convent she turned right and kept running.

  ‘It will be a while before she makes it back to the convent going that way but when she does we are going to have company and they will be looking for her.’ Toby declared.

  ‘At least she is bleeding.’ Simon declared.

  ‘Well thank you very much.’ Waif exclaimed.

  ‘He means well.’ Tim said in Simon’s defence.

  ‘We need some of your blood to test against someone else’s.’ Simon explained.

  ‘Who my father? Have you found him! I want to know just why he has left me in that place all these years!’ Waif exclaimed.

  ‘Come inside we have to do things and we have to do them quickly.’ Stevey ordered.