by Morgana Best
I tightened my grip on the makeshift leash. Before I could speak, Sally continued. “I’ve been knocking on the door for ages. I clean Mrs. Cornford’s house at the same time every week, and have done for years. I’ve knocked until my knuckles were raw, but she hasn’t answered the door.”
“Maybe she’s gone out,” I offered.
Sally shook her head. “No, that’s her car there.” She pointed to an old white Cortina parked next to Sally’s small blue Ford.
My sensation of apprehension grew. “Do you think something’s happened to her?” I asked Sally.
“What do you mean?” she said.
I didn’t want to state the obvious, so I said, “Maybe she’s had an accident.”
Sally’s jaw dropped open. “Oh! Do you think we should go inside?”
By this point, I knew that Mrs. Cornford had left her earthly body. Her spirit had not appeared to me, but I could sense a new ghost around. “I’m happy to go in alone,” I said, but Sally insisted on coming with me.
I tried the door handle, finding the door was unlocked. That was normal in this part of the country, so I pushed the door open and walked in. I was at once hit in the face by the overwhelming stench of mothballs. I don’t like chemicals at the best of times, and this smell was so overwhelming that it prompted a sinus headache immediately.
I had never been in the house before. The first room was a small room, which opened onto a small bathroom on my left and a laundry room on my right. In front of me was a single step, and I could see an old oak dresser with a china tea set and various other items directly in front of me. The house was clean, but awfully cluttered.
I walked up the steps and stopped. There, in the middle of the room, was Mrs. Cornford perched precariously on the edge of her chair. She was slumped over her kitchen table, her empty tea cup upended and sitting next to her.
There was another empty tea cup across the table from her, and in the center of the table was a plate of lamingtons—those delightful cakes that Australians either love or hate, always covered with coconut-sprinkled chocolate, and these filled with the optional cream oozing between two square layers of sponge.
As I walked forward, I heard Sally gasp behind me. “Do you think she’s...?” Sally said hesitantly.
I gently shook the woman’s arm, but the movement made her fall onto the floor. I already knew she had departed, but I had to go through the motions of pretending to ascertain whether or not she was dead, for Sally’s benefit.
Sally burst into tears and I put my arm around her to comfort her. “I’d better call the police,” I said.
“No, you should just call an ambulance,” Sally said.
I was surprised. “Really?”
She nodded. “I clean a lot of homes of elderly people, and when one of them passes away, it’s an ambulance that’s called, never the police.”
“Are you sure?” I asked her.
“Yes, quite sure,” she said.
I reached into my pocket for my phone, only to realize I had left it at home. “Sally, do you have your phone on you?”
Sally hurried out to her car to fetch her phone, leaving me in the room with the body. Mary whined continually, so I stroked her head and tried to comfort her. The spirit did not appear to me, although I could feel her around. That was normal for the newly departed. It took quite a while for most to learn to communicate with the living. It was a process, one which I always considered something akin to learning a new language.
Sally returned to inform me that she had called an ambulance and that it was on its way. “She must’ve had a heart attack, poor old dear,” she said.
“She wasn’t all that old, was she?” I said, looking at the body. I thought I saw foam around the mouth. “Did you see that foam before?” I asked Sally.
“What foam?” she said, followed by, “Oh. No, I sure didn’t see that there.”
“Perhaps the fall to the ground dislodged it from her mouth,” I said. “Is there anywhere I can put the dog while we wait for the ambulance?”
“No, Mary was never allowed in the house. I think that’s why she always wants attention and jumps up on people,” Sally said. “Don’t get me wrong, Mrs. Cornford looked after her well in the sense of feeding her and taking her to the vet and all that, but I never saw her have a kind word for the dog or even give her so much as a pat.”
Just then, I heard the sound of an ambulance siren. Sally and I walked out to the yard to meet the paramedics. “I’ll stay out here and hold the dog,” I said to them. Sally showed them inside.
Shortly afterward, one of them came out and spoke to me. “Was it you who found her?”
“Her dog got out. I came to return the dog and found Sally, her maid, just leaving. She hadn’t been able to raise anyone from the house, so we thought something was wrong and we both went inside and found her.”
“Did you notice anything?” the paramedic said.
Apart from the dead body? I thought. Aloud I said, “Do you mean anything suspicious? I shook her arm gently to see if she was okay and she fell to the ground. I noticed foam at the side of her mouth when I looked again.”
He nodded. “The police are on their way.”
“Police?” I said sharply.
“Yes, we can’t rule out suspicious death.”
I hurried to apologize. “I’m so sorry I didn’t call the police at first. I thought we only had to call you guys.”
He shook his head. “That’s normally the case, so don’t worry about that. The police only get called in if there’s any likelihood of a suspicious death.”
“So you think she was murdered?” I asked in disbelief.
The paramedic looked hesitant. I supposed he didn’t see many murders in this neck of the woods. “That’s for the police to decide. They should be here soon.”
He went back inside, and I walked over to a little garden seat and sat on it. For a moment, I wasn’t sure it would take my weight, and I was fairly certain it would have redback spiders under it. I just hoped they would keep to themselves. I didn’t know what else to do. I couldn’t let the dog go, because she would run away again if the front gate was left open, and no doubt it would be left open with paramedics and police coming and going. I couldn’t see a dog pen or anything else, so I supposed I had no choice but to sit there with the dog.
I didn’t have long to wait before the police arrived, two uniformed officers. They both nodded to me and then walked inside the house. I stood up, as my legs were going to sleep. I wandered around the garden shaking out the pins and needles in my legs, with Mary still on the leash. It was clear that she spent most of her time in the front yard garden, because there were worn tracks all over the grass. Some camellia trees were growing stoutly, as were some established lavender and rosemary bushes. Everything else had been trampled down, with the exception of one purple iris which was growing through one of the lavender bushes. The garden smelt unpleasantly of dog, and I realized that Mrs. Cornford had not cleaned up after Mary lately. I looked around the yard, and figured that she had never cleaned up after her at all.
I suppose that whoever had murdered Mrs. Cornford had left the gate open, and that was how Mary had escaped. And, unless Mary had been wandering around the area before heading for my cottage, then surely the murder had occurred not much earlier.
I reminded myself that I was getting ahead of matters. It had not yet been established that there was a murder.
One of the officers came outside and introduced himself as Sergeant Benson. He asked me for my version of events. I was disturbed by the word ‘version,’ although I supposed they said that to everyone.
As I was recounting what happened, a utility truck came to an abrupt stop outside the gate. A short, stocky man hurried over to us. “What’s happened? Is my aunt all right? Has she been robbed?”
The sergeant took him by the arm, and guided him to the garden seat where I had been only minutes earlier. They both sat down, and then I saw the news register as sho
ck and disbelief on the man’s face. He ran inside, shaking off the sergeant’s restraining hand.
I stood there, not knowing what to do. I could hardly take the dog inside to what might be a crime scene, but I didn’t know what to do with her. In the end, I just stood there, clutching the makeshift leash. She had quieted down somewhat and had given up trying to jump on people. It seemed that the somber mood had overtaken her, too.
Still, practicalities had to be taken care of, so when the man came out, I spoke to him. “Hi, I’m so sorry about your aunt. I didn’t know her well. I’m Prudence Wallflower, and I live over there.” I gestured in the general direction of my cottage.
He didn’t speak, but just nodded. “Um, I’m just wondering what to do with your aunt’s dog,” I said hesitantly. “That’s how I discovered your aunt’s… um, that’s how I discovered what happened to your aunt, because her dog got loose and I found her outside my house.”
“Take it to the pound,” the man said, “if you don’t mind. Or I can, I suppose.”
I was shocked. “Is there another family member who could take her?”
Dogs were clearly the last thing on the man’s mind. “No, I’m her only relative. I can’t have a dog. Do what you like with the dog.” With that, he marched off.
I was furious. I realized that he was wholly consumed with his aunt’s death, but something had to be done about the dog. I hurried after him and reached his car just as he shut the door. He rolled down the window.
“Are you absolutely sure no one else can have the dog?” I asked him.
“I’m sure,” he grunted at me.
“Can I keep her?”
An unmistakable look of relief passed across his face. “Yes!” he exclaimed eagerly. “If it’s got any registration papers, you know, for the Council and stuff, I’ll be sure to send them on.”
“Could you give me something in writing now?” I asked him, and then hastened to add, “Just if I need to take her to the vet. She’s probably microchipped, and the vet won’t treat her unless I have proof that she’s my dog. I know it’s a terrible time to ask, but if you could even scrawl something on a piece of paper for me now, that would be good.”
He readily agreed. He probably thought the dog was one less worry for him. He wrote something on a piece of paper and handed it to me. I thanked him, but he had already driven away before I could finish the sentence.
I looked down at the dog. She was already looking at me adoringly, her eyes big and her tongue hanging out. What had I done? A dog was a big responsibility, and I was a cat person, after all. More importantly, what would the cats think about this new addition to my family?
Chapter 3
By the time I got home, I had lost even more skin from my hand due to Mary’s sudden, wild dashes after the rabbits.
I was relieved to see Constance standing on my front porch. Those are words I never thought I would utter. She was the loudest of my friends—opinionated, always right, and a self-proclaimed expert on every matter imaginable. What’s more, she would never take No for an answer. And those were her good points.
Constance, probably for the first time in her life, was speechless. I showed her into the house. The cats both left the room hissing, with their fur standing on end.
“I don’t know what she’s like with cats,” I said, “so please be careful she doesn’t chase them. I just have to hurry to the police station and give a statement.”
Constance finally found her voice. “I’m so surprised you’ve taken on a dog. I suppose you can keep her until you find a good home for her.”
“And you’re surprised about the murder, too,” I said dryly.
Constance looked shocked. “Of course, of course. I really didn’t know the woman well. She always kept to herself. No one around town liked her.”
“And someone really didn’t like her,” I pointed out. “Are you sure you’re going to be all right minding the dog when I’m away? I’ll come back as soon as I can, of course. Help yourself to any food you can find.”
“And wine?” Constance asked hopefully.
I sighed. “Sure. Eat or drink anything you find in the house. Seriously. It’s all yours.” With that, I snatched up my keys and my purse, and made sure I got my phone this time. As I reached the door, I hesitated. “And don’t forget to let her out the back door, only into the walled garden. I don’t want her running away.”
“What about a please?”
“Please? And stay with her and bring her straight back in, will you? Please?”
Constance nodded furiously. “I’m an expert on dogs, you know. I know everything there is to know about them. My cousin bred Old English Sheepdogs. And the former school friend of the son of a friend of mine owned the Old English Sheepdog that was in that TV ad. You know, that ad?”
I had no idea what she was talking about, but I nodded as I closed the door behind me.
By the time I reached the police station, my heart was racing ninety to the dozen. This was not because I would have to give a statement, but rather, due to the possibility of seeing Alum. I knew he was still on sick leave, but there remained the remote possibility that he could be inside the building. I silently chided myself for the thought. It was such a huge building, so even if he was in there, I was unlikely to see him.
I had to wait for a while at the front desk because the officer there was already speaking to two ladies who were quite agitated about something. Finally, they left and it was my turn. The officer took my details and asked me to wait in the waiting room, which was simply comprised of a row of chairs and the space in front of the front desk. The heavy timber counter looked to be original to the building, although there had been attempts to modernize the rest of the area over the decades with red linoleum flecked with white, sixties institution strip lighting, and vertical blinds. Timber partitions divided the entry from the rest of the station. The sound of the police radio was muffled by the incessant ringing of unanswered phones. The unpleasant scent of stale disinfectant hung in the air, trapped in the windowless room.
I sat and thought over the day’s events. Who would have thought when I woke up that morning to a peaceful day, that my closest neighbor would be murdered? I wondered if her ghost would make contact with me. I did not sense her here, at the police station, but I had sensed her back at her house. I figured her spirit would stay around her own house for some time. I was also concerned that I might be seen as a suspect, given that I was the one to find the body, although Sally had been with me at the time.
After I finished giving my statement, it was clear to me that I was not a suspect. At least, the police didn’t appear to be treating me that way. After the officer told me I could leave, I walked to the corridor and nearly bumped into Detective Brown. “I heard you were here,” he said. “A nasty piece of business, your neighbor being murdered.”
“So she was definitely murdered then?” I asked him.
He shifted from one foot to another. “Don’t quote me, but that’s the way it’s looking. Do you have any insight into her yet?”
“What do you mean?” As Detective Brown knew Alum’s spirit had contacted me, and he knew I was a clairvoyant medium, I was wondering if he was asking me if I had contacted her spirit. His next words confirmed it.
“Has her ghost appeared to you?” he asked bluntly.
I hesitated. I knew that most people are skeptics, and police officers even more so, despite the fact that many clairvoyant mediums did actually work for police departments. I decided to give him the facts. “No, but newly departed spirits usually don’t.”
He looked somewhat put out by my response. “How long before she’ll contact you, then?”
I frowned. “I don’t know if she will.”
His face flushed. “Assuming she does appear to you, how long before that happens?”
I was getting a little frustrated. “It’s not an exact science. Plus it’s an individual thing. Spirits are just as individual after death as they were in life.
This one, being a new spirit, will most likely stay around her house for some time, and it’s up to her whether she chooses to make herself known to me or not.”
Detective Brown appeared to be thinking over my words, and then nodded and walked down the corridor, leaving me staring after him.
On the way home, I went to a pet store, and bought a leash, food and water bowls, a nice soft dog bed, dog food, and deworming tablets. I also bought a squeaky toy that the assistant assured me would be hard to rip apart. I was excited to find an interior dog gate that would allow me to pass through it while leaving Mary on the other side. The big plus was that the bars were wide enough for the cats to go through easily. I bought two gates, in an attempt to keep the cats happy.
I then bought a nice bottle of wine for Constance, to thank her for minding the dog. I held my breath as the cashier swiped my card, and then breathed a huge sigh of relief when it wasn’t declined.
All these expenses, and the money was running out fast. My agent had officially given up on me, and who would want to employ someone unskilled? I hadn’t seen any signs in store windows saying, Wanted. Clairvoyant medium.
My mood turned to despair.
Chapter 4
I couldn’t remember when I had last been so nervous.
I looked around the room, wondering if everything was just right. I had called Alum and invited him to change the dinner appointment from the local restaurant to my home. My reasoning was because of my newly acquired dog. I didn’t want to leave her home alone so soon. Alum had said that it was a good idea, and that in truth he didn’t feel quite well enough to go out to a restaurant and that he would be more comfortable in my home.
Nevertheless, I felt I was in an awkward position. Did I use candles on the table? A candlelit dinner might be a little over the top, especially if Alum saw me only as a friend. I used to think he saw me more than as a friend, but he had given no indication of that since he had appeared in person. What was a girl to do?