The Good Sisters

by Helen Phifer

  ‘I smelt something weird in the bathroom. When I came out it was stronger on the landing and then I heard my friend Amy call my name. Only it couldn’t have been her because she’s dead. I followed the voice and the smell to the room you were working on less than half an hour ago.’

  All three men were leaning forward, obviously wondering what she was going to say next.

  ‘I sound stupid, don’t I?’

  Ollie shook his head. ‘No, not at all. You heard your name called, something smelt weird and then what happened?’

  ‘I couldn’t open the door. I was too scared so I listened and I heard the sound of something heavy. It was cumbersome and it was slowly moving towards the door. Well I knew you lot had gone to get some dinner and it scared me. There’s someone or something inside the house and I don’t know who or what it is!’

  ‘You wait here. Me and the masked avengers will go inside and investigate.’

  ‘Shouldn’t we just phone the police?’

  ‘I’m pretty sure whatever or whoever it is won’t want to mess us three around. We’ll be fine won’t we, lads?’

  ‘Speak for yourself, boss. If something scared Kate then who are we to doubt that?’

  ‘I don’t bloody believe it, you wimps. What’s wrong with you?’

  Ethan got out of the van. ‘I’m not a wimp, but Jack is a complete wuss. Aren’t you, Jack?’

  Jack gave Ethan the finger. ‘I’ll wait here with Kate, make sure she’s okay.’

  Kate could feel her hands shaking and she clasped them together. She felt so cold even though it was a warm autumn day. She watched as the two men went inside her house and felt as though she’d just sent them in to their deaths, the feeling of dread in the pit of her stomach was so intense.

  ‘I can’t stay here and wait. I have to go with them.’ She jumped out and ran to the door, closely followed by Jack who was muttering underneath his breath. She ran into the entrance hall and saw Ollie and Ethan almost on the top stair, stepping over the crushed pies on the floor. She ran as quietly as she could until she was on the step behind them. Ollie pointed to the bedroom that they’d been working in and she nodded. Ethan looked at Ollie who was now standing with his hand on the doorknob. He twisted it then threw the door open.

  Kate, whose legs had turned to jelly, saw that the room was empty. There was no huge man in there with an axe waiting to kill them all, and no ghost of Amy. Ollie stepped inside followed by Ethan. They checked the en suite, but the door hadn’t been hung yet so they could see straight inside it from where they stood. All of them let out a huge sigh of relief except for Kate. She knew that she’d heard something inside there. She could also detect a very faint odour, the same as before, but it was residual and not as strong.

  ***

  Ollie didn’t say anything. He was wondering if she’d been on the vodka again whilst they’d been gone. Alcohol could play strange games with a person. He stole a glance at her to see if she was a bit worse for wear, but she didn’t look like she was. What she looked was scared and he wanted to pull her close and hold her more than anything.

  ‘I’ll go and check the attic. Ethan, you and Kate can check the rest of the rooms on this floor. Jack, you go and check the ground floor. I’ll also do the cellar. Is that okay with everyone?’

  They all nodded and Kate muttered, ‘I swear to God I’m not going mad. There was someone inside this room.’

  No one spoke. They just went their separate ways and began to check every room, nook and cranny in the whole house. After ten minutes they all met up again in the kitchen. Kate had picked Ollie’s crushed pies up, which were still steaming hot, and put them onto a plate for him. He took one look at them and began to laugh. In fact he began to laugh so hard that tears fell from his eyes.

  ‘That’s the funniest thing I’ve ever seen. One of them was yours, by the way, so should I divide that mess onto another plate.’

  ***

  Kate smiled. Ollie had the nicest laugh she’d ever heard. Martin’s was such a loud, false guffaw, but this was a proper belly laugh.

  ‘No, thank you, I’ve done enough damage. I don’t want to deprive you.’

  ‘I already had one in the car on the way back. I swear I’m not eating that on my own. I’ll only eat half if you have the other. I’m not being rude, Kate, but you never eat. Even a pie in that state will do you a world of good.’

  ‘If you don’t mind sharing then that would be great. I’m actually starving. It’s the smell that’s making my mouth water. If I don’t look at the mess on the plate, I’ll be able to eat it.’

  Ollie turned to take a plate from the cupboard and a knife from the drawer. After scraping half of it onto the other plate, he passed it to her. She picked up a fork from the draining board and began to eat, hoping it would stop the sick feeling in her stomach and stop her hands from shaking so much.

  Ethan and Jack left them to it and went back upstairs to finish painting the walls of the room that had caused all the fuss. Ollie dead-eyed the pair of them, clearly warning them not to start gossiping about Kate when they got up there. He waited until they were out of sight and she’d finished eating.

  ‘So do you want to tell me what exactly you thought was going on, Kate? I’m worried about you. This is a huge house for one person to live in on their own. You’re bound to get a bit spooked. I know that I certainly would.’

  ‘I’m not hallucinating or drunk if that’s what you think. We both know that I drink, but I don’t drink through the day and I’ve been trying to cut down of an evening as well.’

  She thought about the swig of vodka she’d downed her tablets with, but that didn’t count, did it?

  ‘I didn’t say that. I don’t like the fact that you’ve heard things. And what about those crosses? We haven’t got to the bottom of how that happened, have we? Does Martin know about this place? Because I’m worried he has something to do with it and is trying to scare you half to death so you’ll leave.’

  ‘I don’t know, Ollie. I didn’t think about that. You know I wouldn’t put it past him. He’s such a sneaky bastard. If he thought I was doing well for myself he’d jump straight in and try to rip it all away from me.’

  ‘Do you think we should get some basic CCTV cameras that cover the outside of the building and the drive? That way if anyone is sneaking around you’ll be able to see them and ring the police. I know it’s extra expense, but it would make me feel a whole lot better and you would feel a bit safer. I hate leaving you each night on your own.’

  Kate felt her heart skip a beat at his last words. Had he really just said that or was she making a much bigger thing out of it than was completely necessary? Why the hell were all the nice men spoken for? He was such a gentleman and she hoped his wife appreciated just how lucky she was. If she was married to Ollie she wouldn’t ever want to let him out of her sight because he was too bloody perfect.

  ‘Do you mean that? I mean do you think cameras would make it better?’

  ‘It wouldn’t hurt. If you wanted I could have them fed through to my laptop at home as well, and then both of us could keep an eye on the place. I have to say, though, you are the bravest, craziest woman I’ve ever met. Not to mention stubborn. Most people would have run off by now and booked into a hotel. Plus if we catch Martin or one of his cronies on camera you can give it to the police and they won’t be able to deny it.’

  ‘Do you know anyone who could fit some cameras for me?’

  ‘I do. I’ll give him a ring now.’

  He wandered off, pulling out his mobile phone, and she put the plates in the sink, filling it with hot, soapy water. She had no idea what had been upstairs, but she knew something had been and she didn’t think it was Amy. When she had a chance she would google what the hell that smell had been. Funny how it had all but dissipated when the men had come back. She didn’t believe in spooky stuff as a rule, but the footsteps, crosses and now this were making her wonder exactly what was going on.

  This house
had once been a convent, a holy place of residence, and women had lived here all alone then. The number of crosses and crucifixes around the building had been unreal. She would have to pluck up the courage to read the rest of the diary to see what exactly had happened here. She could also do some research to find out some more about the history of this place as well. When had it stopped being a convent and who had last lived in here?

  Ollie had been right about one thing: she was stubborn. She always had been since she was a little girl. This was what she and Amy had dreamt about so there was no way she would turn her back on it just because she’d had a bit of a fright. When this place was open and she was a respectable businesswoman who was earning her own money, she would be able to take Martin to court and fight for custody of her girls.

  She missed them so much. It was like a huge, gaping hole in her heart that couldn’t be filled. It ached and ached. She missed tucking them in at night and reading them bedtime stories. The smell of their freshly washed hair, as she kissed their heads goodnight, filled her nostrils. The pain that followed was so intense it was as if someone had taken a knife and pushed it right through the middle of her heart. Coupled with the loss of Amy, it was no wonder she’d unravelled as much as she had.

  Kate felt as if she couldn’t breathe. She pulled on her jacket and walked to the front door. She needed some air, some space away from the house. She walked outside.

  ***

  Ollie, who had been speaking on the phone to his friend about how many cameras were needed, watched her from the landing window. He wanted to run after her, walk with her, look after her. What was happening with him? He’d sworn that he’d never look at another woman after Ellen’s death but here he was beginning to feel attracted to a woman who wasn’t remotely interested in him. He was so angry with himself because he felt as if he was being unfaithful to Ellen even thinking about Kate in this way, but he couldn’t help it.

  For the last five years he’d watched Ellen get sicker and sicker. It had taken away every feeling except despair from him. He’d forgotten how it felt to have every nerve ending in your body on fire just being in close proximity to someone you found attractive on every level. Not to mention the embarrassment of the erection he’d got when she’d knocked him to the floor earlier and almost straddled him. He’d had to push her off so she didn’t think he was some kind of pervert.

  He watched Kate heading towards the stream and the woods, and wondered if he should run after her, take some time out to walk with her. Then his phone began to ring and he answered it, to confirm they would need at least four cameras to cover the building. When he looked up she was gone, and his heart ached for her just a little, enough for him to realise that he was in big trouble and falling for her whether he wanted to or not. He hadn’t been able to save Ellen, but if he tried maybe he could save Kate from throwing her life away and make her realise that he was there for her.

  Chapter Four

  Kate found a narrow, overgrown path that led to a stream, which was bubbling away with the recent rainfall. There were some stepping stones across the stream that were covered in green moss. She had no idea how she’d known this, she just had. As she cautiously stepped onto the first one, she expected her feet to go from under her and land arse first in the freezing-cold water, but she managed to keep her footing. Only four more to go.

  She stepped onto the next, then the next until she reached the other side and jumped the last bit. Landing on the slippery banking, she almost fell. After windmilling her arms around she managed to catch her balance and let out a sigh of relief. This side of the river was much darker than the open ground she’d just crossed. There were lots of trees and she could just make out where the narrow path continued. Having no idea where it led – but now intrigued – she began to follow it, enjoying the silence of the woods around her.

  Whoever had lived in the house must have used this path quite a lot. After ten minutes she saw a clearing in the trees and the tall spire of St Mark’s church came into view. She carried on walking and smiled to see the clearing open onto a worn, wooden gate. It was like the book she’d read when she was a girl: The Secret Garden. The gate didn’t look as if it had been used in a long time. The black, cast-iron latch was rusty. Still, Kate had to try. She needed to know where it led to. She felt as if she’d been brought here or even as if she’d been here before – a very long time ago.

  After jiggling it around, it gave enough so that she could lift it. The gate was stiff, swollen with years of rainwater, and she had to tug it with both hands. It opened a tiny bit – just enough for her to get both hands through the gap. She wrapped them around it and pulled as hard as she could. It didn’t open all the way, but it opened just enough for her slender figure to squeeze through. As she did she turned around and was surprised to see she was in the vegetable garden of another large house. The long, overgrown, neglected vegetable garden. It looked as if the current owner didn’t have a lot of time or love for tending his garden.

  This house was almost as big as the one she lived in. It had the same Gothic, arched, tall windows and was built of the same red brick. Whoever had built her house had also built this one. She felt a cold shiver run down the length of her spine and wondered if she should even be here. Was she trespassing? Probably, but she wanted to go and ask the owner if they knew about the house and its history. There was obviously some kind of connection between them.

  Taking the least overgrown route to the house, she fought her way through the dense blackberry and gooseberry bushes. Their sharp thorns snagged her jacket and caught the soft skin on her hands more than once. By the time she’d reached the back door of the house she was out of breath and itchy. She didn’t dare to knock on the back door – that seemed so rude – but she couldn’t see a way to get to the front door.

  There was a padlock on the gate and she wasn’t about to start climbing over the garden wall. Someone might call the police and think she was a burglar. That was all she needed. Martin would have a field day. She’d come this far. It seemed stupid not to at least give it a knock and speak to whoever owned it. She walked up the three steps and banged on the back door twice, then she stepped away. It didn’t seem as if there was anyone in. She couldn’t hear any noise and the curtains were drawn.

  Kate was ashamed to say that she didn’t even know who any of the locals were. They changed almost as much as Martin changed his girlfriends. She lifted her hand to knock again when the key turned in the lock and an extremely good-looking young man opened the door. His expression was one of mild confusion as to how someone was knocking on the back door when the gate was clearly padlocked.

  ‘Can I help you?’

  ‘I’m really sorry to be so rude. I wondered if I could speak with the owner. Is he in?’

  ‘He is. Why don’t you come inside? Can I ask you, though, how on earth you got here?’

  Kate felt her cheeks begin to burn. Answer that without sounding like a complete weirdo, you idiot.

  ‘I erm, I followed a path from my house through the woods and it led to the gate at the very back of the garden.’

  ‘Is there a gate out there? I never even knew that. The day I moved in I took one look at that garden and walked straight back inside the house. Gardening has never been my thing. I much prefer playing Call of Duty when I get a minute. Terrible, I know, and not very healthy, but we all have our vices.’

  He started laughing and Kate joined in.

  ‘Sorry, I didn’t even introduce myself. I was so shocked to hear someone banging on the back door I thought I was hearing things. Tell me, did you fight your way through all those brambles? That must have taken some doing.’

  ‘I did and I’m sorry. I bet you think I’m a right weirdo but honestly I’m not. I’m Kate Parker and I live in the big old house on the other side of the woods.’

  She held out her hand, which he took and shook firmly.

  ‘I’m Father Joseph, but you can call me Joe. I don’t really do all the formalitie
s unless I have to. It’s nice to meet you, Kate from the other side of the woods. Now what can I do for you, because there must be some reason you decided to break and enter into the jungle of my back garden?’

  Mortified to realise the man was a vicar, Kate was about to splutter an apology when he laughed again.

  ‘Gotcha, I don’t care. If you’re brave enough to enter the back of beyond there must be a good reason.’

  ‘I just wanted to know if anyone knew the history of that house I’ve bought? It looks very similar to this one only bigger. I’m in the process of renovating it. I’m turning it into a bed and breakfast, but there have been a couple of strange incidents and it just made me wonder who lived there before. Well I know it was empty for at least twenty years and I know it was a convent in the 1930s, but I don’t know anything else.’

  ‘Ah I think I know the place you’re talking about, although I’ve never seen it myself. I’ve only been living in the vicarage three months and I’m still getting my bearings. It’s a shame Father Anthony wasn’t here; he would know. He was the parish priest here for a very long time – over thirty years. Would you believe that he took over from Father Patrick – who was here even longer? I’m sure Father Anthony would know all about your house, but he’s not been very well. He’s in the retirement home.’

  ‘Oh that’s a shame, bless him.’

  ‘If you like I can make some enquiries. I’m going to visit him tomorrow. If he’s well enough I’ll ask him if there’s anyone you can talk to. Have you tried the records office at the library?’

  ‘No, not yet and that would be brilliant, thank you. I’ll go into town when I have a minute. I’m up to my neck in renovations. The builders are knocking the house to bits.’

  ‘Ah I see. When you say strange things have happened, what exactly do you mean?’

  Kate didn’t want to say that she thought someone who smelt of old leather, burning flesh and garlic was in her house, and that they were possibly putting up crosses on her freshly painted walls like they were going out of fashion, in case he thought she was completely off her head. She wanted to tell him something, however. He had the kind of face that made you want to confess your sins without setting foot inside a church.