by K E O'Connor
“Don’t be mean,” I said. “We’re not all blessed with talents in the kitchen.”
“It’s just a matter of reading a recipe,” muttered Helen.
We approached the headstones, and I kept an eye out for Francis, just to make sure she didn’t come back.
“Are you picking up any ghostly vibrations?” asked Helen.
“Everything is peaceful.” I looked over to where Flipper was investigating the base of a large oak tree. He seemed calm.
“And no other ghosts making their presence felt?”
“No one is here,” I said.
Helen lifted a card from one of the flower posies. She raised her eyebrows as she passed it to me. “What do you think this means?”
I read the words. They simply said I’m sorry.
“What could she be sorry for?” asked Helen.
“She’s sorry they’ve gone,” I said, “or she’s sorry about what happened to them.”
“Or she’s sorry because she did something to them,” said Helen.
I nodded. That thought had passed through my mind as well. “If Francis was involved in their deaths, then why is she still here? Is she staying because she feels guilty?”
“If she’s as bad a nanny as she is a cook, then we need to worry about her,” said Helen.
“Her bad cooking doesn’t make her a suspect. But I agree, we need to keep a closer eye on Francis.” I looked at the small neat headstones in front of me. “If she did harm these children, then we need to make sure she pays.”
Chapter 19
I was up early the next morning. A happy fluttering sensation filled my stomach as I waited outside the cottage. Zach and Jessie were coming for a visit, and I couldn’t wait to see both of them. I surprised myself by how much I’d missed Zach now he wasn’t working in the same place as me every day.
The familiar rumbling of his Land Rover’s engine signaled his arrival, and I buttoned my coat before giving him a wave as he stopped the vehicle.
Zach opened the door and climbed out. He was closely followed by Jessie, who bounded over to where Flipper sat, his tail wagging wildly as he spotted his best friend.
“Time for a walk with the dogs?” I kissed Zach’s cheek as he reached my side, and linked my arm through his.
“Absolutely,” said Zach. “Jessie has been missing Flipper like crazy. She won’t settle in the evenings, and I’ve had to accept that she’s going to sleep on the bed. It’s the only place I can get her to rest.”
“You’re as soft as me when it comes to the dogs,” I said.
“What do you always say? Love me, love my dog,” said Zach.
I grinned up at him. At least we’d never argue over the fact the dogs came first in our relationship. “How’s the new job going? Have you sorted out all the tools you’re going to need?”
“It’s fine,” said Zach. “The tools are in order.”
“You don’t sound too excited about it, though.”
“My new employer is a bit... tricky,” said Zach. “He likes things done a certain way, and to my mind, they aren’t always the right way. It means I have to do a lot more work than is needed. But he’s the boss, so I have to follow his orders.”
“Once you’ve been there a while, and he gets to know you, it will get easier,” I said. “Maybe he has trust issues. Didn’t you say his last gardener left him in a mess?”
“I hope it’s just that,” said Zach. “It’s handy the job is so close to you, but at the moment, that’s the only good thing about it.”
“You can always find another position you’re more suited to.” I hated the thought of Zach being far away, but I also didn’t like the idea of him being miserable in his job. Zach loved gardening, and I didn’t want to take that joy away from him just so he could be close to me. That wouldn’t be good for our relationship.
“Like I said, it’s fine,” said Zach. “And you’re right; maybe my new boss just takes a bit of warming up to. Before I know it, we’ll be on first name terms and sharing a beer together.”
“I’ve no doubt about that,” I said. “You can make friends with anybody.”
Zach smiled at me as we walked along the sun splattered lane. “And how about you? Is the job still good? And most importantly, have any more ghosts turned up?”
“No problems with the family,” I said. “Helen is still unhappy about the terrible food, but she’s doing a sterling job of making our own meals, and inventing excuses for us so we avoid mealtimes. And, so far, no more ghosts have appeared.”
“That’s good to know. Sounds like you have enough here already.”
“It’s not the easiest of situations,” I said. “I hear the children laughing, but I’ve only met one child ghost outside the house. And I’ve seen the ghosts of two adults inside the Bellamys’ house. Neither of them are friendly when I try to make contact, though.”
Zach looked at me sharply. “Do you mean they’ve tried to hurt you?”
“Nobody’s been hurt,” I said. “But Helen was slimed.”
Zach stopped walking and turned towards me. “What do you mean?”
“Well, one of the ghosts covered her in goo.”
“They can do that?”
“It’s rare, but I’ve had it happen to me a couple of times,” I said. “After the first time it happened, I looked into what it was. It’s as if the ghost can manifest or secrete a sticky substance. It has something to do with the way they generate their form and use the energy that surrounds them.”
Zach turned and we continued our walk, increasing our stride to catch up with the dogs, who were way ahead of us, chasing leaves caught up in the breeze. “And the ghosts can use this weird substance on people?”
“This one did on Helen,” I said. “And she was not happy about it.”
“I can imagine,” said Zach.
I decided not to tell Zach about the ghost shoving me off my chair. He could hardly go in with fists waving and stop the ghost from materializing and doing it again. “I don’t understand what any of the ghosts want, though. And it worries me that something bad happened to the children. But I’m not sure which children were harmed.”
“You think the Bellamy children were harmed?”
“Or the child ghost I’ve seen,” I said. “Something bad could have happened to all the children, or none of them. The ghosts aren’t helping by their lack of communication.”
“Or they’re just confused and don’t want to leave home,” said Zach.
“They must be in the house because they want to discover why they were harmed. But that doesn’t explain why the adult ghosts are also there. And from the research I’ve done with Helen, it suggests the adult ghosts I’ve been seeing are from a completely different time period.”
“You have been busy,” said Zach. “Does your new employer mind you hunting down these ghosts?”
“Chris and Jasmine have their own issues to deal with,” I said. “Chris is hiding his feelings in a bottle, and Jasmine is medicating herself. I don’t think they know what Helen and I get up to.”
“And you’re not getting yourself into any trouble, are you?”
“Everything is very sedate here,” I said. “In fact, I had tea with the vicar yesterday.”
“That sounds like a safe thing to do,” said Zach. “I don’t like to think of you here alone risking your safety over some confused sounding ghosts who may not even need your assistance.”
“You know I never do anything stupid,” I said.
“You do occasionally,” said Zach. “I wish I could be here to take care of you.”
“As nice as that is, I can take care of myself.” I’d done it for a long time before Zach had arrived.
“I know that, but now I’m here, you don’t need to,” said Zach.
“But I want to be able to look after myself,” I said. “And there’s not much you can actually do to help me with the ghosts. You can’t see them.”
“Neither can Helen, and she helps you,” s
aid Zach.
“But Helen’s been by my side forever,” I said. “We grew up together with me seeing ghosts. To her, this is a normal, everyday thing.”
“And it will be the same for me if you keep me around for long enough,” said Zach.
“I’m not planning on letting you go anywhere.” I squeezed Zach’s hand. “But you must understand, I need to be able to look after myself when it comes to the ghosts.”
“You could always ignore them,” said Zach. “You don’t have to do their bidding every time they insist upon it.”
“I’m not doing their bidding.” I pushed down the irritation bubbling inside me. “I want to help them. Well, most of the time I do.”
“But you could get yourself hurt,” said Zach. “I’m only thinking about that.”
“Think about something else,” I said. “My ghost seeing ability is a part of me.”
“What if I asked you to give it up?” asked Zach.
“Why would you do that?”
“Well, if our relationship moves in the right direction, I’m not sure how comfortable I’d feel with you wandering through our house chatting to thin air all the time.”
I pulled up short and glared at Zach. “We won’t be moving in any direction if you don’t accept the ghosts. I’m not giving them up.”
“Wouldn’t you be happier if you did?” asked Zach. “I mean, they do get in the way of you leading a normal life.”
“They don’t get in your way, though,” I said. “You have nothing to concern yourself about. And to me, this is normal.”
“But I do,” said Zach. “I care about you. Therefore, I have to be concerned about the ghosts. You always get yourself in trouble when you’re helping them. And you get nothing in return.”
“I get the satisfaction of knowing I’ve assisted someone who was wronged when they were alive,” I said. “You wouldn’t ignore them if you could see them. And I know you wouldn’t ignore these children. Something is wrong. They need help.”
“But it’s not your actual job,” said Zach. “And you’ve lost good jobs in the past because you’ve been caught trying to help ghosts. Don’t you want an easy life?”
“Not if it means giving up on the ghosts.” I dropped my hold on Zach’s arm and stepped away from him. “I can’t believe you’re asking me to do this.”
“I didn’t ask you to do anything,” said Zach. “I simply made a suggestion that you might enjoy a quieter life without being pestered by restless spirits.”
“But I wouldn’t.” I glared up at Zach. I did sometimes think life would be easier without the ghosts. But if I couldn’t see them, who would be there to help them? I didn’t like to think about what would happen if my ability disappeared. What would I have in my life to give me purpose?
“I didn’t mean to upset you by making the suggestion.” Zach tried to take hold of my hand, but I pushed him away.
“I’m not upset. I’m angry,” I said. “You knew what you were getting yourself into when we started dating. I’ve been honest about my abilities. You said you didn’t mind.”
“I don’t mind,” said Zach. “I just don’t want you to get hurt chasing after something only you can see.”
“You make it sound as if I’m making all of this up,” I said.
“No, that’s not what I meant.” Zach ran a hand through his dark hair. “Maybe we should talk about this another time, when you’re not so angry.”
“Good idea,” I said. “But my answer will be the same. I’m not giving up on my ghosts.”
Zach nodded and whistled for Jessie, who reluctantly ran towards him and away from Flipper. “I get that. And I understand why you’re so passionate about helping them. But what are you missing out on because of that?”
“Nothing! My life is perfect just the way it is.” Frustration rolled through me as I watched Zach shrug, turn away, and walk back towards his Land Rover.
How dare he suggest I give up on the ghosts? Sure, there were times when they annoyed me, particularly when I was asleep, and they woke me to pass on some vital bit of information. But that didn’t mean I would ever stop helping them.
Zach had no right to suggest I do this. And for what reason? Not so I could have an easy life, but so he could. He was jealous because I didn’t pay him enough attention and spent my time helping others. Zach was an idiot, and if he wanted to keep seeing me, then he’d have to accept ghosts were a part of me and that was never going to change.
I realized I was standing in the middle of the road, staring after Zach. I shook my head, turned away and stamped after Flipper, working my frustration out on any stone that got in my way.
Men were so infuriating. But I couldn’t worry about Zach’s temper tantrums and his jealousy. I needed to investigate Francis and see exactly what she had to do with the deaths of Mirabel and Michael.
Chapter 20
“Are you sure everything’s okay?” asked Helen for the fifth time that evening.
I’d decided not to tell Helen about my fight with Zach earlier that day. I needed to calm down after our argument about the ghosts. And I had to focus on figuring out if Francis was involved with the children’s deaths, not dwell on the fact my boyfriend was a stubborn idiot. “I’ve told you, everything’s fine. My mind’s just in a mess because of all the ghosts in this house and worrying about who may have harmed the children.”
Helen gave me a concerned look. “I heard Francis mention to Jasmine that she’s going out this evening. We can follow her and see where she goes.”
“If she leads us straight to a convention of Murderers Anonymous, then I’m all in,” I said.
“She’ll be leaving soon, so we can see if that’s exactly where she goes. Although she's more likely to be going to a knitting group than a murder group.” Helen pulled on her boots and stood from her seat at the kitchen table. “But I’m only going to join in if you start smiling again.”
“I am smiling.” I forced my face into an expression that felt like a smile. It made my cheeks hurt.
“You haven’t smiled all evening,” said Helen. “And you only ate half of your pudding. That means you’re either upset about something or sick.”
“I’m neither,” I said. “Let’s get our coats and go lurk outside to see where Francis goes.”
Helen shrugged. “Fair enough. But I will get the truth out of you.”
I knew she would. I didn’t keep anything from Helen for long. But I needed some time to figure out what was going on with Zach, and how to handle his revelation that he didn’t like the ghosts in my life.
We left the house, and only had to wait outside for a few minutes before Francis emerged, her collar turned up on her black jacket and her hands shoved into her pockets.
“Wherever she’s going, she looks furtive,” said Helen.
“She’s heading back towards the churchyard,” I said as we followed Francis at a safe distance.
“Guilt making her visit the graves again?”
“Could be that,” I said.
Francis turned right and walked through the gates of the church. But she didn’t go into the graveyard; she headed inside the church building.
“Oh no, I bet she’s going to a church service,” said Helen. “Does that mean we have to go as well?”
“It won’t do us any harm,” I said. “But we’ll have to make sure we stay at the back so nobody sees us.”
We snuck through the wide wooden doorway and tucked ourselves at the very back of the church. The inside of the church was mainly stone, with large grey slates on the floor, and a dozen wooden pews set facing an altar and stained glass window. There were a dozen or so people in the church waiting for the service to begin.
“Francis will spot us if she turns around,” I whispered to Helen.
“We’ll just have to keep our heads down and hope for the best,” said Helen. “The service should start soon.”
We were lucky. Reverend Davies emerged from a door at the back of the church a few seco
nds later and began the service. It was a relaxed, welcoming sermon, talking about friendship and community spirit. Perhaps he’d taken on board what I’d said to him the previous evening about the community being so hard on Jasmine. It didn’t seem to inspire the people sitting in front of us, though. I noticed two elderly ladies nod off at one point and only jerk awake when the organ started for the hymns.
“We should hide outside,” whispered Helen as Reverend Davies ended his sermon and people began collecting their coats and purses.
“What if Francis goes out a different door and we lose her?”
“I don’t see any other exits,” said Helen. “But won’t she think it’s a bit odd seeing us here?”
“She doesn’t know we’re not regular churchgoers,” I said.
“But if she sees us here once, she’ll expect us to be here all the time,” said Helen. “I don’t mind the occasional church service, but having to come every evening might be a bit too much for me.”
I glanced around and spotted an alcove half hidden in the shadows. “If we hide back there, we can keep an eye on Francis and see where she goes.”
Helen nodded, and we ducked out from the pew and into the dark covering of the alcove. The rest of the congregation left slowly. Reverend Davies stationed himself by the door to shake hands with everybody as they left.
“Now we’re trapped,” whispered Helen. “How are we going to get out of here without him spotting us?”
“They’ll all leave soon,” I whispered back. “Just watch out for Francis.”
Five minutes later, my left calf was cramping from being squashed into the back of the alcove.
“Why are they taking so long?” whispered Helen. “How can people move so slowly?”
I tried to stretch out my calf, but couldn't move it more than an inch. “Some people like to chat.”
Helen clamped her hand over her nose and squeezed her eyes shut.
“Don’t you dare sneeze,” I said to her.
She shook her head, her eyes still closed. “It’s the dust in here. And there are cobwebs. I'd better not feel anything crawling on me.”