The Haunting of Highdown Hall

by Shani Struthers

  “Come in,” he said at last, his resentment evident.

  Tentatively, Ruby, Cash and Jed entered the flat. The stench of old food, of dust and dirt long forgotten, made her want to gag. She could see Cash grimacing too. It was such a stark contrast to where they’d just been.

  Rawlings opened the door to the living room. As he did so, a mangy looking brown terrier rushed out, no longer barking but wagging its tail, seemingly glad of visitors. It came to an abrupt halt, however, at the sight of Jed, retreating backwards, whimpering. Jed looked disappointed at such a reaction. He wanted to play.

  The living room was dark with a damp smell to it, the curtains shut tight. The floor was strewn here and there with litter, a tin of beer, some cheap, generic brand, a rolled up piece of newspaper, presumably meant as a ball for the terrier to fetch, any interest in it, however, long gone. The only furniture was an old sideboard, an armchair that looked every bit as worn as its owner and a TV, a surprisingly modern one. There was a table too, up against the far wall and a couple of dining chairs. It was these Rawlings motioned to when asking them to take a seat.

  Sinking down into his armchair, Ruby couldn’t help but feel sorry for Geoffrey Rawlings, despite his somewhat lurid past. Whatever he had done, he had done as a young man. He was elderly now and vulnerable by the looks of it. Why weren’t social services or a relative, if he had any, keeping an eye on him? If they had been, she was sure he wouldn’t be living in quite such squalor. Too many people ended their days this way, she reflected ruefully. It was a sad exit from the world.

  “This friend,” said Mr Rawlings, interrupting her thoughts, “who is it?”

  Ruby braced herself; he wasn’t going to like her reply.

  “Cynthia Hart,” she said finally.

  Rawlings’ already pale face drained completely of colour.

  “But... but she’s dead.”

  “Yes, I’m aware of that.”

  “She has been for years and years, you can’t possibly know her. What is this all about?”

  “Please,” replied Ruby, “keep calm. I can explain – if you’ll let me.”

  Rawlings fell silent but his whole demeanour had stiffened. Ruby shot a sideways glance at Cash, who looked uneasy too, before pressing ahead.

  “I’m a psychic, Mr Rawlings. Do you know what that is?”

  “Of course I bloody do. I’m old, not an idiot.”

  Chastised, Ruby pressed on. “My company, Psychic Surveys, is involved with, amongst other things, spiritual clearance. We’ve been called to Highdown Hall, Cynthia’s former home. The current owner feels it’s haunted. We’ve visited the hall and verified his claim. It is haunted. By Cynthia Hart.”

  If Rawlings was shocked by this statement, he hid it well. He simply continued to look at Ruby, his face a mask.

  “In death, Cynthia is distressed. Considerably distressed. She is unable to leave this realm and pass into the next. And we believe the reason for this is that she thinks she has sold her soul to the Devil and so she hides.” Ah, ha! Ruby detected a visible start at this revelation. “Now, please believe me when I say we are not here to judge you or your past actions, but we do know that Cynthia Hart was a friend of yours from many years ago and that, at one point, the two of you were close.” Although she and the team could only surmise what had in fact happened between Rawlings and Cynthia, Ruby ensured she spoke her next words with absolute conviction. “We also know about the ritual you performed with her and that she shot to success soon after. Tell me, was this ritual merely a ruse on your part in order to sleep with Cynthia Hart?”

  “Of course it bloody was!” Mr Rawlings burst out, confirming their theory. “She was young, she was pretty, I wanted her, who wouldn’t? I wanted lots of them. And the wannabe film stars, they were always the prettiest. They’d never have looked at someone like me though, not unless I could think of some ingenious plan to make them.”

  He stopped then, as though lost in memories, a smile, not a pleasant one, creeping across his lips.

  “Mr Rawlings...” Ruby prompted.

  Fixing his faded but steely eyes back on her, he continued, “I needed a bit of magic in my life, who cared if it was black? I never took any of it seriously, anyway. I was surprised they did. I met Cynthia when she was still treading the boards. Did you know she used to live in Brighton, before she moved to London? We had that in common at least. Her mother was a char or something. Cynthia was embarrassed by her, hated talking about her. She had much grander ideas, did Cynthia, wanted stardom she did. Never seen anyone want it as much as her and I saw a few, believe me. I spun the usual line, told her I could make her dreams come true and she believed me. I told her she could have all the fame she wanted – at a price. She obviously thought the price was worth paying at the time.”

  “And so you tricked her?” said Cash. “To get her to sleep with you, you tricked her?”

  “Cash,” whispered Ruby, wincing at the look on his face. “Leave this to me.”

  Cash shut up but reluctantly, she could tell, champing at the bit to say more. Jed, meanwhile, continued to look hopefully at the terrier. The terrier, however, was refusing all eye contact. He remained hidden behind Rawlings armchair, his small body trembling.

  “So what if I did? The woman was a whore anyway. Women like her, they’d sleep with man or beast if they thought it would further their careers. And she did, sleep with the beast I mean, or rather me,” he said, actually chuckling to himself, inflaming Cash further. “Used to give them mescaline, feed their imaginations more like, worked like a charm. But I’ll tell you something you don’t know – Cynthia gave the Devil his money’s worth, before she passed out that is!”

  Again he chuckled. Ruby shot Cash another warning look.

  “I can’t believe the old girl bought it though, not really. Most of them played willingly along, enjoyed the game, most of them except that bloody Darlene that is, frigid she was.”

  “Mr Rawlings,” said Ruby firmly, tiring not only of him all of a sudden, but the stench in the room and its thick, oppressive atmosphere, “Cynthia did believe you. And she’s tormented in death because of it. I want you to help me help her.”

  “Help her?” Mr Rawlings snorted. “Why should I help her? I don’t give a damn about her. She dropped me after that one encounter she did. Shame really, cos like you said, she hit the big time soon after, I would have liked a share in that. Hell can have her for all I care.”

  “Come on, let’s go,” started Cash, obviously finding him unbearable too. “We’re wasting our time here.” But Ruby wasn’t going to give up so easily.

  “Mr Rawlings,” she began, “how old are you?”

  Clearly taken aback at the change of subject, Rawlings faltered before replying sharply, “Mind your own bloody business.”

  “Okay,” said Ruby, maintaining a deliberate coolness. “I’m guessing you’re in your mid-eighties. Whatever, there can’t be many years left in you. You’ve done a lot of harm in your life; hurt a lot of people. There’s such a thing as karma you know.”

  “Karma? I don’t believe in karma,” he snorted.

  “Even so, it exists; there are consequences to actions, always.”

  “I want you to leave,” Rawlings started to rise from his chair but Ruby sat still.

  “Do you ever feel afraid Mr Rawlings? As though someone is watching you?”

  “No.” His denial was emphatic as he dropped back down, but fear had begun to dance in his eyes.

  “But what if someone is watching you, someone who wants to make you pay for what you did? Darlene, perhaps?”

  Incensed, his nostrils flared as he spat back, “I went to prison because of Darlene, I’ve paid already.”

  “Two years for what you did to her? It was tantamount to rape, wasn’t it? Do you really think Darlene would agree that two years was payment enough?”

  Before he could answer, she carried on. “You need to do something to redress the balance while you can. Counter bad with good.
It will stand you well at your life review.”

  “Life review? What the...”

  “I can see her, Mr Rawlings, Darlene, as clear as day, she’s standing behind you. She was a pretty young thing, wasn’t she? Lovely brown hair. But, oh dear, she’s not happy with you, what you did to her, what you did to the others. She’s not happy at all.”

  His eyes flickered nervously, first to his left and then to his right.

  “She’s probably going to be the first person you see when you pass over and, believe me, I don’t think you’re going to enjoy your encounter with her so much this time.”

  There was a slight turn of his head.

  “But, Mr Rawlings,” Ruby spoke more softly now. “I could explain to her how sorry you are, that in the end you tried to make amends. It will stand you in good stead. It will make her go away.”

  As he contemplated her words, Ruby was surprised to note that actually there wasn’t anybody waiting in the shadows for Geoffrey Rawlings, no Darlene, no other wronged starlet, not even the Grim Reaper. She’d tell him so, but only after he’d helped her.

  “Mr Rawlings...” Ruby was beginning to run out of patience.

  Clutching onto his cardigan with gnarled hands, there was a tremor in his voice as he replied.

  “What do you want me to do?”

  “Come with me to Highdown Hall. You’ve got some explaining to do.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  “I didn’t think you could do it, but you did, you swung it good and proper,” said Cash, standing outside in the fresh air again, bitter now that evening had descended and, like her, breathing in great gulps of it, trying to remove the stench of the flat that clung not just to the outside of them, to their clothes, but to their insides too, contaminating them.

  “I have my ways,” said Ruby, smiling in mock allure.

  “I’m aware of that,” replied Cash, his eyes sparkling.

  More thoughtfully he asked, “So, come on, is Darlene waiting for him in the shadows?”

  Ruby shook her head. “No, she isn’t. There’s no one, on this side or the next it seems.”

  Rawlings had agreed that they could come back and pick him up first thing on Monday for the drive to Highdown Hall. Ruby would have preferred to go sooner, but Theo and Corinna had weekend commitments and she didn’t want to interrupt them. Besides which, she was pretty sure she’d spooked Rawlings enough that he wouldn’t change his mind in the meantime, if anything the extra time would give him longer to dwell on things.

  Taking shelter from the icy sea wind, in the doorway of a nearby hotel, Ruby called Mr Kierney to tell him when they would be with him.

  “I should bloody hope so,” he snarled. “That thing’s been making a racket up there, banging and crashing at all hours. I’m sick of it.”

  Concealing her dismay at his attitude, she then called Theo, Ness and Corinna in turn to tell them what time to meet them at the Hall on Monday. Theo, she could tell, was unsure at the prospect of bringing Rawlings along, but Ruby had insisted he would only be brought into the room as a last resort. Theo eventually conceded, reluctantly.

  Walking back to the car, Cash vented his frustration. “Geoffrey Rawlings, though, what a bastard. I’m not surprised he hasn’t got anyone waiting for him, someone nice I mean.”

  “I know what you mean, Cash, and I don’t condone what he’s done, but it’s not our place to stand in judgement.”

  “I can’t help it, Ruby. That man is vile.”

  “What he’s done is vile. I think deep down even he knows that.”

  “I wouldn’t be so sure,” Cash replied derisively.

  “Mr Rawlings was an ordinary man who worked out a way to bed extraordinary women – albeit an horrendous one.” Ruby countered. “If he doesn’t fully realise the impact of his actions on this side, he will do when he crosses over, of that I am sure.” Shaking her head, she continued. “And let’s face it; they don’t come more extraordinary than Cynthia. She would never have looked at someone like him – even before she was famous – if he hadn’t enticed her with promises of what he could do for her. Her desperation and greed was what he tapped into to satisfy his own urges. It’s really very sad.”

  Having reached the Ford, Cash turned to look at Ruby.

  “Aren’t you getting in?” she asked.

  “Yeah, I’m getting in.”

  “What’s the matter then?”

  “I just wish I could see what you see.”

  Ruby was perplexed. “See spirits you mean?”

  Cash laughed. “No, nothing quite as grand as that. I meant in human terms. I wish I could see what lies below the surface, just like you do.”

  “I’m not so sure you don’t,” Ruby replied, meaning every word.

  ***

  On Monday morning, at ten o’clock prompt, the Psychic Surveys team and Cash met as arranged on the gravel drive in front of Highdown Hall.

  “Did everyone open their advent calendars today?” Corinna asked.

  As Cash nodded enthusiastically, Ruby raised an eyebrow at him.

  “What?” he rushed to his own defence. “They’re not just for kids you know.”

  Even Ness suppressed a chuckle at this.

  Standing beside them was Rawlings. He looked very subdued indeed, his eyes downcast, but every now and again he was unable to resist glancing up nervously at the house. He had been silent for most of the journey from Brighton to Highdown too, pulling nervously at the tie around his neck. The fact that he had dressed up for such an occasion, in a two-piece brown suit, a shirt the colour of nicotine and a brown tie, touched Ruby in a way she hadn’t expected. She wondered how often he had such a chance to dress up or whether the suit spent most of its time confined to the back of his wardrobe. Probably the latter, she suspected from its rumpled appearance.

  “Did you know Cynthia lived locally?” she asked him, laying a hand on his arm, hoping to portray in some way how grateful she was that he had agreed to come with them.

  “No, of course not,” he growled. “I forgot about the bitch after she dumped me.”

  Theo visibly stiffened at his words.

  “I don’t think it’s helpful to address Cynthia as a bitch, Mr Rawlings,” she admonished. “I’d rather you refrained from using such language.”

  Rawlings muttered something in reply, but whether it was an apology or not, Ruby couldn’t tell.

  Cash picked up the bag containing the smudge sticks, crystals and oils and followed Ruby to the front door. She’d noticed her necklace still round his neck earlier; it didn’t look like he’d taken it off since the day she had given it to him. Almost involuntarily, her hand reached up to her own neck and the replacement necklace that graced it, a tourmaline one this time. Also effective at repelling negative energy, her grandmother had given it to her several years ago. This necklace was something of a family heirloom, having once belonged to her great-grandmother, Rosamund, and as such it was extra precious.

  When Mr Kierney opened the door to them, a mixture of relief and distaste played across his face.

  “The car keys,” was his greeting, “I can’t find the bloody car keys. I’m sure she’s responsible for that as well, she keeps bloody moving things.”

  Ruby was equally sure Mr Kierney’s own absent-mindedness was responsible for the regular loss of his car keys, as well as any other items that happened to go amiss, but she didn’t say so. Instead, she was relieved when at last he located them and headed outside.

  “Call me when it’s over,” he shouted before scarpering.

  Before they made their way to Cynthia’s bedroom, Ruby turned to her team. “I think we should take a few moments to ground ourselves, to reinforce our protective shields. Cynthia probably won’t be happy to see us again, not at first anyway. Cash, I’ll fix your shield. Theo, perhaps you can include Mr Rawlings in your visualisation too?”

  “I thought you said he wouldn’t be coming into the bedroom with us?” started Theo.

  “He won’t
be unless absolutely necessary. It’s just a precaution.”

  Theo did as she was bid, looking far from pleased as she did so.

  A few minutes later, they were ready to tackle the upstairs. Although not exactly light and cheerful downstairs, it was distinctly preferable to the atmosphere that reigned the further up they climbed. Close to the turret, it was akin to wading through treacle.

  Pointing to a chair on the landing, the same one Cash had occupied the first time they had visited Highdown Hall, high-backed and ornate with an upholstered seat, obviously an antique, Ruby said, “Mr Rawlings, perhaps you’d like to sit there and wait for us.”

  Rawlings mumbled another unintelligible reply as he shuffled over.

  “Are you ready?” said Ruby to the others.

  All four assured her they were.

  “And, Cash, are you sure you want to come in with us?”

  “I’m sure,” he replied, his face stern with determination.

  Ruby took a deep breath. “Let’s go then.”

  The door was resistant. Ruby had expected this. She struggled slightly to get it to open, but at last it gave way. Once everybody was in, she closed the door behind them while everyone took up position in the centre of the room and closed their eyes. She had already explained to Cash that standing in a circle reinforced them by combining their strength. She had also advised him that, unless she or Theo said otherwise, he should remain holding hands with those on either side of him, especially once a connection had been made.

  Satisfied that all was in place and everyone knew what to do, she began. “Cynthia, it’s Ruby. My colleagues and I are back again. Please don’t be angry with us, you know why we’ve come back, not to pester you but to help you. You’re stuck in the dark, Cynthia, and you don’t belong there.”

  The air around them was still. The only sound that of Cash shuffling.

  “Cynthia,” continued Ruby, “we know why you’re hiding from the light.”

  Taking another deep breath and squeezing Cash’s hand, she spoke Lytton’s name.