Ghostly Affairs

by K. E. O'Connor

  I let out the breath I didn’t even realize I’d been holding and waited a moment until I was sure Lady Camilla had gone. I then pulled open the door and let Flipper in. If I had to do the tedious job of filing all day, at least I deserved to have my furry best friend by my side.

  Eight hours of dusty filing later, I shuffled back to the servants’ quarters for Flipper to find Helen. My fingers were riddled with paper cuts, and I kept sneezing from all the dust lodged in my nose, making Flipper whine every time I did so.

  My mood brightened as Helen placed a plate of stew and dumplings in front of me.

  “I know it’s not exactly summer food, but it looks like you need a hearty meal.” Helen brushed some dust from my cheek. “How was your first day working for the dragon lady?”

  “She was as I’d thought she’d be, distant and unfriendly.” I sampled the stew and gave a contented sigh. “But I did find out some interesting information. She has a daughter.”

  Helen sat opposite me. “Don’t tell me, she ran away from home because her mom was so mean to her.”

  “Well, according to Lady Camilla and Ranulph, she’s dead.”

  Helen lowered her fork. “Is that what you’ve been experiencing? A ghost making her presence felt?”

  “There’s more,” I said. “When I was outside this morning with Zach, I saw two ghosts, and I’m certain one of them was Katie Reynold, the dead daughter.”

  “You think Katie died in the house?”

  “I’ve no idea,” I said. “But she was with another ghost, and neither of them looked too happy.”

  “Well, you wouldn’t look happy if you were dead,” said Helen.

  I shook my head at her. “I mean, they were both glum, as if they didn’t like being here. Although it’s weird, Ranulph assumed his sister had run off with someone, and then died because she couldn’t look after herself, but Lady Camilla simply said Katie was dead, but wouldn’t say any more than that.”

  Helen jabbed a piece of carrot with her fork. “And Ranulph hasn’t bothered to find out what happened to his own sister?”

  “He doesn’t strike me as a particularly caring brother,” I said. “He tried to give me his dead sister’s car.”

  “He is a charmer,” said Helen. “So, what are you going to do about these ghosts?”

  “I’m not certain,” I said. “Zach wasn’t happy there were ghosts here. You know what he’s like when it comes to me and ghosts.”

  “Yes, and he knows exactly what you’re like. He knows you’ll want to help them.”

  “What if they don’t want help?” I asked. “They could be in the garage because there’s something in there they need and they want to make sure it’s passed on to the family.”

  “Want to go and have a snoop to see if you can find out more?”

  “It’s not a bad idea to have a look in the garage,” I said. “Ranulph interrupted Zach and me, so we didn’t get very far with the ghosts.”

  “Katie’s ghost still being there after all this time, suggests she’s restless for a reason. You don’t hang around for that amount of time just to pass on an expensive wristwatch to a family member.”

  “Maybe I can get you looking into this mystery without me,” I said. “Zach gets so stressed about me helping ghosts.”

  “What he doesn’t know won’t hurt him,” said Helen, giving me a wicked smile. “We’ll have a look tomorrow if we get a chance.”

  “Why won’t we get a chance?” I asked. “We’ve hardly got a full social calendar. This is only our second day here.”

  “Well, you might not have a full social calendar, but I already have a date.”

  “You’re a fast mover,” I said.

  “It wasn’t even me doing the fast moving,” said Helen, her cheeks glowing. “Henry sought me out. We spent a couple of hours together this afternoon, and I’ve got a load of his shirts to starch.”

  “Hold on a second, you’re doing his laundry?” I asked. “That’s hardly romantic.”

  “I offered,” said Helen. “I hate to see a man in poorly starched shirts. He didn’t thrust them upon me and insist I do it. And I like to see my men properly dressed.”

  “So that was your date, dealing with his clothes?”

  Helen stuck her tongue out at me. “Okay, so it wasn’t the most romantic of afternoons. But I have agreed to meet him tomorrow evening. He’s going to show me around the village, and even talked about dropping in at the local pub.”

  “He seems keen,” I said. “Don’t move too quickly, though. You don’t know much about him.”

  “Which is why we’re going on a date,” said Helen. “I intend to get to know a lot more about Henry.”

  “So, I guess I’ll be doing the ghost-hunting alone this time,” I said.

  “I’ll help when I can,” said Helen. “But I don’t want the dead to get in the way of my living relationships. No offence to the ghosts if they’re listening.” She glanced around the kitchen.

  “They’re not here,” I said. “Did you learn much more about Henry while you were sorting out his clothes?”

  “He’s definitely single, and he owns a huge house of his own. He’s the estate’s neighbor, and he’s close to the family.” Helen scratched her nose and squinted her eyes. “Actually, he mentioned dating someone called Katie. It was only in passing, but I wonder if it’s the same person.”

  “Henry dated Katie Reynold?”

  “I don’t know for sure,” said Helen. “He talked about being involved with someone from this family. But nothing came of it.”

  “You’ll have to find out more,” I said. “Henry might have some interesting ideas about what happened to Katie.”

  “I’m hardly going to discuss one of his exes when I’m on our date,” said Helen. “Talk about killing the romantic mood.”

  “Well, if he offers any useful information, make sure you pass it on. It will help me work out why Katie’s still here.”

  Helen nodded. “You said there were two ghosts. Who’s the other one?”

  “A male ghost. He looked about the same age as Katie. He was tall, well dressed, with dark hair.”

  “Another sibling that’s not talked about?”

  “They didn’t look similar. I assumed they were a couple,” I said. “And Ranulph said Katie ran off with someone.”

  “Henry might help with that mystery. He should know who Katie ended up with.”

  “Isn’t Henry a bit old for Katie anyway? The ghost I saw couldn’t have been more than twenty five. Henry must be in his forties.”

  “Maybe Katie’s like me, and preferred the older man,” said Helen. “Nothing wrong with that. They have more life experience.”

  “And more baggage,” I said.

  “I can handle a bit of baggage,” said Helen.

  I smiled at her. “Just go slowly with him. Some men don’t like it if you show you’re too keen.”

  “You mean like you were with Zach?” asked Helen. “You played it so cool that he thought you weren’t interested.”

  I shrugged. “Fine, I’m not the world’s expert when it comes to relationships, but just make sure you get to know Henry properly before you move into his mansion.”

  “Don’t worry, I haven’t set the wedding date just yet.”

  The pipes in the wall began their ominous thumping again.

  Flipper jumped to his feet and began to whine, his gaze on the wall where the thudding was coming from.

  I stared at the wall for a few seconds, trying to detect any sensation that indicated the ghosts were materializing but didn’t feel anything.

  “Is that Katie and her mystery man?” asked Helen.

  “I’m not sure if it’s the ghosts or the house’s dodgy plumbing,” I said. “If it is the ghosts, it could be their way of telling me to do something to help them. We should go to the garage now and see if they’ll communicate, and tell us what’s going on.”

  “Okay, let’s get this ghost business out of the way,” said Helen
. “Then we can get back to the important subject of my date tomorrow.”

  Chapter 6

  On the pretence of taking Flipper for a walk, something he was happy to oblige, Helen and I donned our jackets and headed into the warm evening.

  We did a brief circuit of the lawn at the front of the house, checking to make sure we were alone, before heading to the garage.

  “Keep an eye out for Ranulph,” I said to Helen. “He was lurking here when I was with Zach.”

  Helen shuddered. “We don’t want that creep getting in our way.”

  I stopped by the garage door and look around, making sure no one was watching us.

  “This is where you found them?” asked Helen, as she looked through the window.

  “They were inside,” I said. “Gave me a fright when they first popped up.”

  “Are they in there now?”

  I peered through the pane of glass into the garage. At first, I couldn’t see anything, but slowly, the misty images of Katie and her mystery male friend appeared.

  Flipper grumbled and paced from side to side.

  I rested a hand on his head. “No need to worry, I know they’re here. I don’t think they mean us harm.”

  “Just make sure they are friendly before we make contact,” said Helen. “I’ve had enough of mean ghosts for a while.”

  I suppressed a smile as I thought back to her last encounter with a ghost who decided to cover her in ectoplasm. “They’re here.”

  “Find out what they want,” said Helen. “I’ll keep an eye out for anyone coming.”

  I pulled open the garage door and the smell of diesel and oil filled my nose. I flicked on the overhead light and focused on the ghosts who hovered in front of me.

  “Are you Katie Reynold?” I asked the female ghost.

  She shot a surprised look at her companion and then nodded.

  “I’m Lorna Shadow. Not sure if you’ve met anyone who can see ghosts before, but I can. I can’t hear you, though, so there’s no point in making any noise unless that’s you thumping the pipes in the kitchen to get my attention.”

  Katie shrugged and pointed to the garage floor.

  “Well, yes, you’re right, the noise did get me out here.”

  Katie looked over her shoulder at the cars.

  “If you left something in one of these cars, I can retrieve it for you and give it to someone.”

  She turned back to me and shook her head. She raised her hand and pointed to the sporty red car in the corner of the garage.

  I looked over Helen. “Is it still all clear?”

  “Yes, no one else is around,” whispered Helen. “Go do your ghost thing.”

  I crept farther into the garage and over to the red car. I walked around it slowly but couldn’t see any signs of damage or repaired bodywork. “What do you want me to see here?” I asked Katie.

  Katie looked at the ghost standing next to her, his shoulders were hunched and his head down. He had dark hair and a high, broad forehead. His nose was long and straight and his clothes looked well made.

  I tried the handle on the car door but it was locked. “Any chance you can get me inside?” I asked Katie.

  She slid away from the other ghost and drifted through the car door into the passenger seat. A few seconds later, the indicator lights on the car flashed.

  I tried the handle again, and this time the door opened.

  I sat in the driver’s seat, wondering at all the gadgets in front of me. “When did cars get so complicated?”

  Katie hovered next to me, an expectant look on her face.

  “So, we’re here now,” I said to her. “Is there something in the glove compartment you need to pass on?”

  Katie shook her head and gestured to the seats.

  I flipped open the glove compartment anyway, but there was nothing but the user manual, a set of gloves, and an empty sunglasses case.

  Shutting the glove compartment, I felt around under the visor and then the front seats. There was nothing there either.

  I looked at Katie. “If you didn’t leave something in the car, were you involved in a crash?”

  She shook her head again and frowned at me.

  I repressed a sigh. “I’m trying to help you, but you need to give me a few more clues. How did you die? Did someone hurt you when you were in this garage? Can you show me what happened?”

  The air chilled inside the car as the male ghost joined us and sat in the back seat.

  “Were you together when you are alive?” I asked him. “Are you married?”

  The male ghost smiled but shook his head.

  “But you are a couple?”

  The male ghost nodded and smiled again, affection for Katie clear on his face.

  “Okay, so the two of you were an item, and you both die at the same time?”

  Katie nodded.

  “And you died in the garage?”

  Another nod.

  We were finally getting somewhere. “Someone lured you in the garage and killed you?”

  Katie shrugged and looked at the other ghost.

  “You don’t remember what happened?” I scratched my forehead as I watched them exchange a puzzled glance.

  “Your brother isn’t even sure you’re dead,” I said. “He thinks the two of you eloped.”

  The air around me chilled and my breath plumed out in front of me as the car vibrated underneath me. “Guess you don’t think much of Ranulph?”

  Katie scowled and thumped her fist on her leg.

  “He made me want to do that as well. Did you hear him offer me your car?” I asked. “All I had to do to get it was be nice to him.”

  Katie rolled her eyes and mouthed the word sorry.

  “It’s not your fault your brother’s a sleaze,” I said. “If you and your brother weren’t close, do you think he had something to do with your deaths?”

  Katie turned and looked at the ghost behind us. He gave a shrug and held his hands out.

  This wasn’t getting me anywhere. I only knew who one of the ghosts was, I had no idea how they died, and they didn’t know who killed them. I could be getting everything in a muddle, and their deaths might have been accidents. But if there was no mystery to their deaths, why were they here?

  “Let’s go back a couple of steps,” I said. “First of all, I need to find out who you are.” I pointed at the male ghost.

  Katie mouthed the same word at me several times, but I couldn’t make them out. It looked like she was saying ponies.

  “What have ponies got to do with this?” I asked.

  Katie flapped her hands in front of her face and tried again. But all I could see was the word pony coming out of her mouth again and again.

  “Did you have a riding accident on a pony? Oh no, wait. Isn’t there some sort of animal on the front of some of these cars? Maybe I’m thinking of a Jaguar, though.”

  Katie shot out of the car and swirled around the garage, creating a chilling mist that made my flesh goose bump.

  “Calm down, I’m trying to figure this out. The pony theory wasn’t a good one.” I hopped out of the car and stood by the door. “It will help if I know who both of you are, then I can do some research into your deaths.”

  The Aston Martin on the other side of the garage began to flash its headlights and a horn blasted making me jump.

  Helen poked her head around the door. “Everything okay in here?”

  “Just a frustrated ghost,” I said to her. “Katie, you need to keep the noise down, someone will come and investigate what we’re doing.”

  Katie spun around the garage, getting faster and faster.

  “And you need to calm down,” I said. “I know this must be frustrating, but you have to help me figure out why you’re both still here. I need to ask you questions and find out what happened.”

  Katie continued to spin, and as she did so, I got dizzy. Flipper was by my side in an instant, leaning his weight onto my leg and allowing me to use him for balance.


  “We need to get out of here,” I said to him.

  Flipper walked forward a few steps, letting me rest my hand on his head as I stumbled towards the door.

  Helen poked her head around the door again. “Need a hand?”

  “We’re fine,” I said. “But I’ve annoyed Katie.”

  Another car started beeping and its alarm went off.

  Helen shot a worried look at the cars. “The whole household will wonder what’s going on if those alarms keep going off.”

  I shooed her out of the garage and was just closing the door behind me when a shadow fell across me.

  “Don’t tell me, you fancied a midnight drive?”

  Chapter 7

  I turned to see Billy standing next to me, a half-smoked rollup hanging from his bottom lip and a bottle of whiskey in one hand.

  “I’ve no idea what’s going on.” I slammed the garage door shut. “I was having an evening walk with Flipper when the alarms started going off, so I came to investigate.”

  “You didn’t try getting inside any of the cars, did you?” asked Billy, a waft of whiskey fumes hitting me in the face as he spoke.

  “Cars don’t interest me,” I said.

  “What’s inside them might,” said Billy, giving me a lazy grin. “The family is terrible at leaving things in there they shouldn’t. I’ve discovered wallets, purses, iPads, even a couple of pairs of designer shoes. All worth a few quid.”

  “And I’m sure you returned every single item to the family.” Helen stood by my side, her cold gaze fixed on Billy.

  Billy shrugged. “I might have. But if they don’t miss something, maybe it should belong to a better owner.”

  “You sold off items belonging to your employers?” asked Helen.

  “They’ve got too much stuff anyway,” said Billy. “If you don’t miss shoes that cost five hundred pounds, you don’t deserve to have them. So, come on, tell me what you were doing in there?”

  “Nothing, just investigating the noise,” I said. “Maybe someone was trying to steal a car and me coming to take a look frightened them away.”

  “Sure it did, you’re terrifying.” Billy folded his arms over his chest and ran his gaze over my slight figure. “But I don’t care what you’re doing if it doesn’t affect me.”