When I looked up, there was a young girl standing right in front of me. I stopped, dead in my tracks.
‘Whoa, where did you come from?’ I asked, catching my breath.
‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you,’ she said in a soft, shy voice.
She was tiny—and looked to be no more than ten or eleven. She had long dark hair and big brown eyes, and her skin was tanned. She wore red shorts and a white top, and a pair of sandals that looked to be a few sizes too big. Her toenails were painted bright red—the same colour as her shorts. It struck me as quite an odd outfit for a cold winter morning.
‘That’s okay,’ I said, taking a step back.
She looked down at the ground again, ‘Sorry.’
‘It’s okay, really. Are you … here by yourself?’ I looked around but couldn’t see anyone that appeared to be with her.
‘Yes. I saw you yesterday—talking to that young girl … and the old man.’
Yesterday? A young girl and an old man? The only young girl and old man I’d been with lately would be Elizabeth and Henry. Did that mean … she could see them too?
The realisation must have shown on my face, as she smiled. ‘You weren’t far from here. You were talking to them just like they were real.’
A shiver ran the length of my whole body. She knew they were ghosts. I quickly scanned the area again but there was no indication that anyone was looking for her.
‘Yeah? You saw them too, did you?’ I asked.
‘Yes, I saw them. You were talking to them … and it didn’t look like you were scared or anything.’
I wasn’t entirely sure I liked where this was heading … but then again, she seemed nice enough. I’m sure I was frowning, and I didn’t know what to say to her. I nodded slowly, waiting for her to continue.
‘…and I just thought that since you could see them, maybe you could see me too … and help me,’ she said, looking down at the ground as she shuffled her feet.
She was a ghost. That’s why she saw Elizabeth and Henry. And why should I be surprised? Counting those three that had been murdered, I’d already seen five ghosts … so why not a sixth?
‘So … you’re a ghost then, are you?’ I asked, thinking just how stupid this was going to sound if she wasn’t actually a ghost.
‘Yes. I mean … I think so,’ she said, smiling—no longer looking shy.
A chill ran down my spine. This was very different from talking to Sam’s little sister, and her big teddy bear friend. And even those three that had been murdered—Elizabeth was with me then, and she made me feel safe. But this felt … uncomfortable.
‘You look scared,’ she said, taking a step back as if to give me more space. ‘Really, I’m just a little girl. Please don’t be afraid.’
She was right, of course. It was the middle of the day, in a public park. There was nothing to fear. And besides, she didn’t look scary at all. She really was just a young girl.
‘So … what do you want from me? Why did you approach me?’ I asked, my curiosity getting the better of me.
‘I need help. I’ve tried others, but they didn’t see me. It’s been awful, wandering around and not being able to talk to anyone.’
I thought about Sam, and wondered if he’d seen her? He could see all the ghosts. And Elizabeth—didn’t she seem to know everything that went on around here?
‘So, you say you’ve tried others … well, what about the girl you saw me talking to yesterday? Have you tried to speak to her?’
‘No,’ she answered quickly, ‘I’m not really interested in talking to other ghosts—they’re a bit scary. Besides, there isn’t anything they can do to help me. I need someone who can touch things … who can help me find something.’
I decided that might explain why she hadn’t approached Elizabeth, but I still wondered about Sam.
‘And what about men? There is one in particular … he spends a lot of time very near here … just up the path a bit, near that tree. Have you tried to speak to him? I know he sees ghosts.’
The girl cringed, and replied, ‘Oh, I don’t talk to men—especially not those un-dead ones … those vampire thingies. They’re the scary ones!’
So, she knew he was a vampire. I’d never thought about whether or not Sam’s illusion worked on ghosts. What did he look like to Elizabeth? I’d always just assumed she saw him the same way I did, but perhaps she saw his translucent skin and red eyes. The thought that she might see him that way made me sad.
The young girl appeared to be getting impatient with me. She took one tentative step toward me, then stopped and flashed a sweet smile.
‘Fair enough,’ I replied. ‘I’d probably be afraid of them too, if I’d met them under different circumstances. But Elizabeth isn’t scary.’
The girl shook her head, and looked down at the ground again. ‘No? Well, maybe to you she isn’t, but all ghosts are scary to me. I’m afraid of ghosts—always have been. I kept the light on in my bedroom until I was seven, then Mum got me a nightlight that I used … up until …’
My heart went out to this poor young girl. She was obviously very frightened, and needed my help.
‘So, you want me to help you. What do you want me to do?’
‘You’ll help me?’ she asked, a smile lighting up her face.
‘If I can,’ I answered tentatively, hoping it was going to be something relatively simple.
‘Oh, I knew you’d be the one when I saw you yesterday. Thank you, thank you, thank you.’
‘Well, you better tell me what you want before you start thanking me too much—you don’t know for sure that I’ll be able to do it—whatever it is.’
‘You can—it’s easy. I just need you to find something for me. And you don’t even need to look too hard. I know exactly where it is,’ she said.
‘Okay, but I don’t have a car or anything … is it close, this thing you want me to find?’
‘Yes, it’s not far at all. Can we go there, now?’ she asked, gesturing for me to follow her.
I thought about Elizabeth, and how eager I would be to help her with anything. So, was this all that different? This was just a young girl who needed my help. And maybe the thing she wanted me to find was the key to her still being here. I remembered how wonderful it had been when Elizabeth had spoken to the three ghosts—watching them as the confusion dissolved from their faces. I’d thought at the time how much I wanted to be able to do the same thing—help ghosts let go. Maybe this was my chance. Maybe I could help this girl. I began to relax, and felt honoured at being selected to help her.
‘So, where is this thing you want me to find? And what is it anyway?’ I said, resolved to do what I could to help.
‘It’s not far … just down here to the right, at the base of that tree … behind the bushes. You’ll have to dig down a little bit.’
I followed her back down the path in the direction I’d just come from. When she stopped, I tentatively stepped into the garden bed she where she indicated. There was a row of prickly bushes, but just beyond them near the base of the tree was a mulched area. I reached down and felt the ground—it was hard below the thin layer of mulch.
‘Are you sure?’ I asked, thinking she must have the wrong spot. She hadn’t mentioned digging would be involved in this exercise.
‘Yes, I’m sure it’s the right spot. And it isn’t too deep. I thought the ground would still be soft—where it was buried.’
‘Was it recent? Or are we talking, like, years ago?’ I asked, thinking about the ghosts under the market parking lot. But this girl was wearing modern clothes, and nail polish. Surely, it couldn’t have been too long ago.
‘No, I don’t think it’s been long. What month is it now?’
‘August,’ I said.
‘August,’ she replied, then after counting the months on her fingers she continued, ‘eight months ago then. It happened just after Christmas. The tree was up and there were still some presents underneath it.’
That explained her sh
orts and sandals. ‘Christmas—oh, that’s so sad. I’m sorry.’
I started poking around in the ground and had visions of finding a metal box with some precious belongings—photos or jewellery or letters maybe. But there was no way I could dig up anything with my bare hands. I’d have to get a shovel, or maybe a large stick would do. But it wouldn’t be easy to do it inconspicuously.
‘Are you sure this is the right spot?’ I asked again. ‘I don’t want to go digging up the gardens unless you’re sure.’
‘Yes, I’m sure. See that branch that hangs down over the path? It’s the only one like that. I noticed it, while I stood here watching him bury it.’
‘Him? Who is him? And you never did tell me what it is you want me to find.’
‘It’s a gun—the gun that killed me.’
‘Killed? You mean … you were murdered?’
‘Yes. My father shot me, then hid the gun here.’
~~***~~
When the police finally arrived, they looked at me suspiciously. And fair enough, really. I mean, it wasn’t like the gun was just lying there and I’d literally tripped over it or anything. I’d dug a hole that was nearly six inches deep before I spotted it. How, they kept asking me, did I know where to look?
I thought about telling them that a ghost had come to me and asked me to dig there. But in the end I went for the slightly less crazy sounding version. I said that I’d had a vision. I explained that I run in the gardens most days, and that this particular day I got a vision of a young girl being shot—and then a man burying the gun here, in the gardens.
They asked me to describe the girl, and that was easy. I was looking right at her. Then they asked me to describe the man, so the girl quickly described him. But I hesitated … I didn’t like the idea of lying to the police so I just said he was a man, but that I couldn’t see him clearly. When they asked if I knew the names of these people in my vision, I hesitated again. If I’d had a vision, would I know the names? Somehow I didn’t think so, but the young ghost was practically screaming her name at me, so in the end I gave them her name: Rachel.
The police were shaking their heads, and giving me these sideways looks, but the fact was they were in possession of a gun with bloody fingerprints on it. They had to treat this seriously.
After an hour of questioning, they let me go, saying they might need me for further questioning later. They’d be in touch if that was the case.
As I walked down the hill to leave the gardens, the young ghost followed me.
‘Thank you—that’s perfect. They’ll check their files and they’ll get him. My bastard father will get locked up for this.’
I didn’t know what to say, so I just repeated how sorry I was. It was an unthinkable situation—a father killing his own daughter. Was he insane? Or was he covering up some abuse or something? How could I ask her such questions? It would be far too insensitive, wouldn’t it?
I looked at the girl, but she didn’t appear to want to offer any further explanation, so rather than upset her I just gave her a sympathetic smile.
And then she smiled back—only this time it was a smile that changed her face. She was no longer an innocent child—she was something else—something sinister and dark.
Every hair on my body suddenly stood on end, and a feeling of dread came over me. It was like nothing I’d ever experienced before, and I felt like I was going to be sick. When I looked down the ground seemed to be coming up at me—was I about to faint?
I put one foot out to the side and braced myself—breathing deeply and slowly trying to stop the dizziness that was threatening to overcome me. When the dizziness subsided, I looked up, wanting to question her further, but she was gone.
I spotted a bench on the edge of the park, so I walked over and sat. I couldn’t understand what had just happened. Had I done the wrong thing? Surely not, but why did I feel like this? And where had Rachel disappeared to? And why had she given me that wicked smile?
I sat there for a few minutes, wishing someone would appear to make everything right—Sam, or Elizabeth, or Crystal. But no one came. They were all busy elsewhere. The only solace came when I convinced myself that all I’d done was provide evidence to the police. Sooner or later, surely, they’d have stumbled upon the gun themselves, right?
~ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN ~
Just after four Sam rang. I could hear the stress in his voice, so I did my best to keep mine even. There was no point in burdening him with my problems—he had enough of his own.
‘So—how are you? I hope all that talk yesterday didn’t get you too upset,’ he asked.
‘No, I’m fine. How are you?’
‘Okay. Tom and I skipped early from the market—we’ve been getting ready for this fight. It’s mostly for my benefit, as Tom gets much more involved in the kills than I ever do. Hopefully it won’t come to that anyway. It’s just a precaution.’
‘Of course, just in case—I understand.’ I hoped I didn’t sound as distracted as I felt.
‘So, what have you been up to today? I hope you’ve found something to entertain yourself—keeping out of trouble?’ There was a laugh in his voice, and I could swear he knew something. Or maybe it was just my guilty conscience. It was an innocent enough question, said with a laugh.
‘Oh, well, you know … I just watched a bit of TV, did some emails … went for a run … the usual. Nothing too exciting,’ I said, trying to keep my voice even.
‘What are you doing now? Shall I come over for a while?’
‘Oh, I’d love you to, but I’ve already promised Claire that I’d meet her for a drink when she finishes work. I’ll have to go shortly, actually.’ I wanted to invite him along but I knew Claire would not be impressed.
‘Okay, maybe tomorrow then. Have fun. Oh, and don’t forget to take your phone. Ring me if you need anything … anything at all.’
After saying goodbye I felt flat. I desperately wanted to see Sam—to have him hold me and make everything feel right again. But I couldn’t back out on Claire at such short notice. So I showered, got dressed in one of the outfits that Debs had bought me, and put on a touch of makeup. I looked at myself critically in the mirror. I’d do—just. Besides, maybe it was what I needed tonight; to keep me from thinking about … everything.
I walked into the bar right at five-thirty, and Claire showed up by herself just a few minutes later. We sat at the bar and ordered our drinks.
‘Oh, I love margaritas. I’ve been dreaming of this all day,’ Claire laughed, sipping her drink.
‘Yeah? Well my soda water is pretty good too. So, how was work?’ I asked.
‘Boring … as always,’ she replied with a smirk.
‘Oh … don’t look now but I think that guy you were talking to last week is over there. What was his name?’
She looked anyway. ‘Terry,’ she said, turning back to me, ‘Yeah, I think he was about to ask me out last week.’
‘You wouldn’t go out with him, would you?’
‘Well … no, probably not,’ she giggled, ‘but still, it’s fun to be asked.’
‘How is Tom, anyway?’ I asked to remind her that he was the object of her affection.
‘Yeah, he’s good. In fact, we were wondering about having another go at The Grampians this weekend, if the weather’s okay. I think he’s going to talk to Sam about it.’
‘Cool,’ I said, knowing that I’d like nothing better. That would mean everything had gone well for Sam and the others—their meeting with Zunios would be behind us.
Terry walked up. ‘Well, hello there. It’s Claire, right? I never forget a pretty face, but names I’m not always that good with.’
‘Yeah. So, how are you?’ Claire asked, her tone flirtatious.
I glared at her, hoping she’d get the hint. I wanted to keep talking about going back to The Grampians, but she took no notice of me.
‘Good, thanks, and all the better for running into you again,’ Terry replied, sounding like sleazy used car salesman. ‘Pity I d
idn’t run into you again last week, I had tickets to the footy on the weekend. Hawks supporter, right?’
Claire smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at him. Then she winked at me. ‘Bummer—I would have liked going to that game—heard it was a good one. Oh, but we were away last weekend anyway, weren’t we, Lili?’
I nodded and rolled my eyes. I wished she’d stop talking to the guy. The bartender spotted our empty glasses and came over.
‘Another drink, ladies? And would you like to order any snacks? Shall I get you a menu?’
Ten minutes later, a large bowl of chips appeared, and there was no sign of Claire giving up her little flirting game with Terry.
When Claire finished her drink, Terry ordered her another. I clenched my teeth to stop myself from telling the bartender to skip it. Claire was showing no signs of wanting to leave yet.
Claire was just starting on a third drink when I’d run out of patience. I’d had enough of their flirtatious banter, and besides, there was something about Terry that made me uncomfortable. He was good-looking, and sounded well educated, but there was this look in his eyes that I didn’t like.
Finally Claire stood up and I was relieved to see her pick up her bag, and throw the strap over her shoulder.
‘Terry’s going to take us to dinner. Isn’t that nice? He knows a great sushi place. We can walk—it’s just around the corner.’
The hair on my arms suddenly stood straight up and I felt queasy. What had Debs taught me about listening to my intuition? Well, I didn’t have to listen too hard this time: it was screaming at me.
‘Oh, Claire, after all those chips, I’m not terribly hungry. And besides, Debs is expecting us—she wants to do your tarot reading, remember?’
‘Oh, sure, sometime … but tonight? I don’t remember you saying anything about it being tonight.’
‘It must have slipped my mind, sorry, but she is expecting us by seven. And it’s what, after six-thirty now. I’m afraid we won’t have time for dinner. Terry, it was nice of you to offer … perhaps another time?’
Destiny (Absent Shadows Trilogy Book 1) Page 16