Beyond Death (The Afterlife Series Book 1)

by Deb McEwan

  ‘Who is it?’ he said over the intercom and Claire loved the fact that his voice quickened her pulse still, even after two years together.

  ‘It’s me and I’ve forgotten my key again. Sorry.’

  She heard him laughing and the click signalled that he’d unlocked the outer door. She entered and walked up the stairs, composing herself so that she didn’t give anything away.

  It was pretty obvious that something was going on as soon as she entered the flat. Even though it was still light outside there were candles throughout the lounge and Jay had opened out the small dining table and a candle was lit in the middle. They kissed as if they hadn’t seen each other for weeks not one day, and Jay handed the love of his life a glass of champagne.

  ‘Happy anniversary, darling. This is the second of many.’ They clinked glasses and Claire looked around.

  ‘Someone’s been very busy and all for our anniversary?’

  He nodded and winked. ‘You know you’re worth it, Claire. Now go and sit down so I can spoil you.’

  She looked up to the ceiling and for the third time that evening thanked her lucky stars for the day she met this man. She didn’t know what she’d done to deserve this happiness and was amazed that the physical side of their relationship was still electrifying. Their love life was out of this world and made her two previous serious relationships seem like kids stuff. She looked at Jay. The man she loved was gorgeous, kind, could cook and didn’t mind doing household chores, and he adored her as well. Life was perfect.

  ‘Okay?’ Jay could see the expression on Claire’s face and knew that this would be a night to remember. She smiled in reply and he put the plates on the table and nodded his head in its direction.

  The orange and melon was delicious and left plenty of room for the main event.

  ‘Shall I clean up as we go while you’re sorting the main course?’ she asked.

  ‘You just stay where you are, darling I don’t want you to lift a finger tonight,’ he said and Claire smiled in reply.

  As he’d expected, she loved the main course and he pushed the plates to one side once they’d both finished. ‘More champagne?’

  ‘Don’t mind if I do, babes.’ She pushed her glass forward and he recharged both. He looked at the woman he adored and decided the time was right for the question but Claire had other plans.

  ‘Jay, before you serve dessert I just wanted to give you this.’ She bent to the floor and picked up a wrapped package. ‘It’s only a small anniversary present but when I saw it I knew it was exactly right for you.’

  He opened the package carefully so that the paper didn’t rip, and was delighted when he saw what was in the box.

  ‘A genuine Swiss Army watch, waterproof to what…’ he scanned the leaflet, ‘two hundred and fifty metres. Claire, it’s perfect, exactly what I’ve always wanted.’

  The watch was tough and would be great for all his outdoor pursuits. He left the table and grabbed hold of her, picking her up and swinging her around.

  ‘Thank you, darling. It’s great.’

  ‘Put me down I’m going to be sick.’ He put her down but enveloped her in a big hug. His smile disappeared as quickly as it had arrived and, solemn faced he released her.

  ‘Please sit down. There’s something I need to say.’

  Although she knew this was coming Claire felt the butterflies dance in her stomach and she started shaking. She returned to her seat and looked at her boyfriend. He took her hand.

  ‘You know I’ve loved you more or less since the first time we set eyes on each other don’t you?’

  ‘What do you mean, more or less?’ she said and Jay laughed, thinking it typical of her to latch on to the negative.

  ‘Okay, it wasn’t until the second date that I was one hundred per cent sure but by then I knew I wanted to spend my life with you.’

  Satisfied, she didn’t interrupt further.

  Letting go of her hand, he knelt on the floor on one knee and produced a small box. He opened the box and smiled.

  ‘Claire Sylvester, will you marry me?’

  Claire was laughing and crying at the same time and quickly reached inside her bag for a tissue to wipe her eyes and nose.

  ‘Yes, oh yes. Of course I will.’

  Jay slid the solitaire on her finger and the ring was a perfect fit.

  ‘Tash?’ she asked and he nodded, lifting his fiancée to her feet.

  They kissed, slowly and then hungrily, as if nothing else in the world existed. Dessert was forgotten as he led her to the bedroom where they made love urgently at first then leisurely the second time, savouring each and every moment and the exquisite hidden places of their bodies. Both still awestruck at the intensity of feeling.

  Exhausted and totally satiated, they slept the sleep of the dead.

  *****

  Ron was absolutely knackered. He’d agreed to do a month of night shifts for his mate Ken who was also his boss. Ken had told him that he was short of reliable taxi drivers but Ron had found it hard to believe as the recession meant that loads of people were applying for few jobs, but he’d convinced him.

  ‘Look, mate. I know that for every vacancy we get twenty applicants but that’s only because they have to apply,’ said Ken, ‘not because they want to.’ He went on to say that the firm might go bust and that Ron could lose his job if that happened.

  ‘It’s only for a month until we train the new guys. Then you can go back to days and the occasional night shift.’

  Ron had reluctantly agreed but was having problems adjusting to his new routine and seemed to be always tired. The extra money would be handy to give Val the holiday she’d always wanted, though. She’d been distant and snappish recently and, whatever was wrong, he wanted to put it right and celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in style. He’d spoken to Libby their oldest, and she’d agreed it was a good idea. Their son Carl didn’t have a clue what was going on and Ron was happy to keep it that way.

  The night had been quiet so far and Ron had snatched forty minutes sleep before the radio brought him back with a jolt.

  ‘You there, Ron?’ Sheila sounded pissed off and Ron answered straight away.

  ‘Of course I’m here.’

  ‘Answer your damn calls then. I’ve been trying to get hold of you for ages.’

  ‘I had to answer a call of nature actually.’ Sheila knew Ron was lying but didn’t push it.

  ‘I’ve got a pick-up from Richmond Avenue - girl named Claire. Can you do it?’

  Ron nodded to himself. He’d picked up Claire on previous occasions and taken her over the river. She was a lovely girl, originally from Yorkshire and down to earth. A good laugh and also a good tipper.

  ‘That means I won’t be able to pick-up Mrs Cooper later, though.’ Mrs Cooper stayed over with her daughter every Thursday night and liked to get up early and return home before visiting her late husband’s grave where, she’d told Ron, she hoped to join him in the not too distant future. She lived near Ron and it was convenient that she had become his last fare before he knocked off on a Friday morning.

  ‘I’ll get Mike to cover,’ said Sheila and Ron smiled to himself. Sheila wasn’t a bad sort. She knew he was saving to give Val a good holiday and young Claire’s fair would earn him more than the old lady’s. Every little helped as they said.

  ‘Okay, no probs. I’ll be there in,’ he looked at his watch, ‘fifteen minutes max.’ They hung up and Sheila relayed the message to Claire.

  *****

  It had been a perfect night and Claire wished she could play hooky and stay in bed with Jay all day. She snuck back under the duvet after calling for the taxi and Jay was still sleeping. She looked at his relaxed face and body only half covered by the quilt. Smiling in memory of how skilled he was with that body, she gently put the quilt over his exposed arm and torso and lightly kissed his cheek, not wanting to wake him.

  He opened his eyes and grabbed her. After a long, lingering kiss they came up for air and Jay could see
that Claire wasn’t happy about leaving.

  ‘I’ve got to work too, darling. Shall I make you a coffee before you go?’

  God, he was such a catch. ‘No thanks, babes, I’m fine. Go back to sleep for a bit and I’ll see you tonight.’ They kissed one last time. Jay smiled and turned over. He was sleeping by the time Claire closed the door.

  Although it was stupid o’clock in the morning she walked to the taxi with a spring in her step, looking forward to the weekend and making plans with Jay for the rest of their lives together.

  ‘Hello, love.’ said Ron when she jumped off the bottom two steps and fell into the back seat of the taxi.

  ‘Bloody hell. Take it easy girl,’ he said. ‘Don’t want you injured on my shift.’

  She laughed as they pulled out onto the road. Despite the city being awake all night it was relatively quiet on the roads at this time in the morning. Claire looked at her watch wondering how long she should wait before calling her brothers to tell them how it went. She’d call her parents later on tonight when she knew her father would be home rather than speaking to him at work. The good news might cheer her mother up as she’d sounded a bit down just lately.

  Ron looked in the mirror and thought his fare looked extremely pleased with herself.

  ‘I can see somebody’s had a good night, love. Care to…’

  ‘Effing hell,’ screamed Claire and Ron mounted the empty kerb, managing to dodge the car speeding in their direction, too far on the wrong side of the road.

  ‘Bloody lunatic!’ he shouted, honking his horn at the same time but it was over in a flash, the other vehicle long gone. His quick thinking had saved them from a head-on collision and Claire took a deep breath.

  ‘Oh my God. I could have been killed on the same night my boyfriend proposed to me. That would have been…’ She stopped to consider and smiled as Ron looked at her in the mirror.

  ‘Shit, Ron. That’s what that would’ve been. Great driving by the way.’

  He acknowledged with a smile. ‘Congratulations. When’s the big day then? Oh, hang on.’ Ron’s mobile started ringing and he leaned over to pick it up off the passenger seat, keeping one eye on the road. The phone fell to the floor.

  ‘Shit.’ The roads were pretty quiet so Ron kept his right hand on the steering wheel as he fumbled on the floor with his left. If somebody was calling him at this time in the morning it must be pretty important so he had to answer it.

  Claire saw the lights getting nearer and nearer. ‘They’re changing, Ron. Slow down. Slow down!’

  Dave’s filter light was on green and he’d manoeuvred half of his big truck through the right turn when he saw the taxi heading towards him. Must have good brakes was his first thought before he realized that there was no way the car would stop at the lights and impact was inevitable. There was nowhere Dave could go and nothing he could do. His world turned to slow motion and he touched the cross that he always wore on his silver chain. The impact came and jolted the big truck but Dave managed to bring it to a halt and he said a silent prayer before jumping down from his cab and running to the gruesome scene.

  *****

  At 5.17 am Claire’s twin brothers Tony and Jim awoke simultaneously in the flat they shared. Jim left his sleeping girlfriend Fiona in their bed, picked up his phone from the bedside cabinet and switched on its light. He slipped on a pair of tracksuit bottoms and t-shirt and quietly left the room. Something awful had happened to his sister. The light was already on in the kitchen and Tony was standing there, looking at his own phone when Jim entered.

  ‘I’ve texted Tash. No reply,’ said Tony. Neither thought it strange that they were both awake at the same time, worried about their sister, and didn’t need to communicate their worries to each other.

  ‘I’m going to phone her.’

  Deep down they both knew that their sister was gone but neither was ready to accept the inevitable.

  Chapter 2

  Claire surveyed the scene below her. Somehow she seemed to be up in the air, looking down at people in white coats in some sort of clinical environment.

  ‘Where am I and what’s going on?’ She couldn’t see anybody else and was surprised to hear Ron’s voice.

  ‘You don’t know do you? I’m so sorry, love.’

  ‘Where are you? Ron?’

  Before he had a chance to answer Claire saw movement below and took another look. A package had been placed on a slab and one of the white coats unzipped the package and with the assistance of another, lifted a body out of the bag.

  Claire was surprised but still didn’t get it. ‘Oh look, Ron. She looks a bit like me.’

  Ron appeared next to her. At least, she thought it was Ron. He had an aura of Ron about him but didn’t seem to be in his physical form somehow. Something very strange was going on and she needed to get it sorted. At this rate she’d be late for work and that would scupper her chances of an early Friday finish.

  Then it clicked.

  ‘I’m having a dream,’ she said to herself. ‘I’ve nodded off in the taxi and because of that little fright I’m dreaming that I’m dead.’

  Then it really did click.

  ‘Oh my God. Am I dead? Ron, where are you?’

  Ron heard the panic in Claire’s voice and realized she’d worked it out. Poor girl. She’d had her whole life ahead of her and he’d ruined it because of his demanding mobile phone.

  ‘I’m so sorry, Claire. Really, really sorry.’

  ‘Sorry,’ shouted Claire. ‘Bloody sorry! Sorry doesn’t cut it buster. Wait ‘til I get my hands on you I’ll effing kill you!’

  ‘Err, I hate to be the one to point this out, love,’ said Ron, ‘but I think you’ll find you’re a bit late for that.’ He heard Claire’s scream and decided to leave her to it.

  *****

  He didn’t know how it happened but the scene below him changed and he could see right into his house. Ron was gutted that he wouldn’t be around to look after Val and to give her the holiday of her dreams for their 25th wedding anniversary. He was relieved that he had plenty of life insurance and hoped the policies would pay out even though his negligence had caused the accident. Ron looked down and could see her hugging herself and crying. He started wailing when it dawned on him that he’d never hold her again, play verbal table tennis or be around to look after her in their old age. Their daughter Libby walked into the bedroom and Val and Libby hugged. They tried to console each other but were too distraught to offer much comfort.

  ‘It’s all my fault,’ said Val between sobs. ‘If I’d been a better wife your father would still be alive.’ Libby shook her head and carried on hugging her mother.

  Ron wondered why Val was blaming herself as he watched his wife and daughter try to comfort each other. He sensed the presence behind him and without turning to look he knew it was Claire.

  ‘Why does your wife think she’s to blame?’ asked Claire and he couldn’t tell whether she’d calmed down since their last discussion or whether she was going easy on him because he was upset.

  ‘Who knows? Maybe it’s because we were going through a rough patch.’ Ron felt tears and was surprised he could still cry when dead.

  Claire wanted to put an arm around him but not yet used to her current state, wasn’t quite sure how to do it. Ron felt the warmth of her hug without the physicality of it.

  ‘Thanks, love,’ he said, ‘and I really am sorry about the, you know. If there’s anything I can do to make it up to you, let me know.’

  Claire laughed but it wasn’t funny. ‘I can’t think of anything aside from rewinding time and not causing me to die,’ she said.

  ‘Point taken. Look,’ said Ron, needing to change the subject and indicating the change in the scene below. ‘You have visitors. Must be there to identify you before your post mortem. Coming for a look?’

  Claire knew it would be very emotional but couldn’t stop herself. They moved nearer and watched events unfold, just like me and Tash would do on a Monday night in wat
ching all the soaps, she thought.

  *****

  Jay refused to believe it. Claire’s twin brothers had picked him up and they had collected Tash on their way to the mortuary. Her parents were travelling down from Yorkshire and would meet them there. The twins sat quietly in the front, Tony driving and Jim looking out of the window. It was obvious that they’d been crying but now they seemed to have turned inward and every time Jay spoke they merely grunted or gave one word answers, refusing or unwilling to get into a conversation. In contrast Tash was sitting next to Jay, balling her eyes out. He knew that all this was one big misunderstanding and that the body at the morgue would be that of a complete stranger, not his Claire.