Henderson Manor

by Emma L. Clapperton

  “Excuse me please,” he said as he left the bedroom and went into the hall to answer.

  Jenny was left standing in Sam’s room with Patrick and she looked him straight in the eye.

  “Do you honestly not know who she could be here for?”

  Patrick shook his head.

  “Do you think it could be me?”

  “I don’t mean to scare you but if what Sam said about the stalking is true then it is a possibility.”

  Jenny’s eyes glistened against the moonlight filtering through the window.

  “She hated the fact that we were — are — best friends. She wanted him to stop being friends with me. She hated me. I could see it in her eyes. Of course she denied everything and I just kept my mouth shut whenever Sam spoke to her about me. You think that she wants revenge?”

  Patrick narrowed his eyes.

  “Revenge for what?”

  “For not getting her own way and for not getting her claws into Sam. For dying before she could really do some serious damage?”

  “You really think that Sarah was so jealous of your friendship with Sam that she would have gone on to do something far worse?”

  Jenny shrugged her shoulders. “Who knows? She was pretty crazy when Sam broke up with her.”

  Patrick rubbed the back of his neck. “How did she die?”

  “The police said that it was accidental. She fell down the stairs in her house apparently. She lived by herself in a huge house that was left to her in some family will. I seriously thought that Sam was set for life when he first started seeing her; clearly he wasn’t.”

  Patrick sat down on the bed, wondering what to do next.

  “Are you alright?” Jenny asked.

  Sam entered the room just then, still holding the phone.

  “That was Deborah on the phone. She’s coming over.”

  Patrick’s mind was working overtime as he tried to piece together all of the information he had received so far. But something didn’t feel right.

  “Sam, what did you say Sarah’s surname was again?”

  “I didn’t say, but it was Henderson. Sarah Henderson. Why?”

  Patrick stood up and ran his hand across his head.

  “Jenny said that Sarah lived in a huge house that was left to her in a family will, is that correct?”

  Sam nodded.

  “Ok, well in that case, I think I’ve bought Sarah Henderson’s house: Henderson Manor.”

  28

  Sam felt completely deflated after Patrick had left, almost like someone had pricked him with a thin needle and the air was slowly releasing from a puncture wound somewhere on his body. How much of a freakish coincidence could it be that Patrick had come to buy Henderson Manor? Surely he had made some sort of mistake or jumped to conclusions. There had to be many women out there with the name, Sarah Henderson. Jenny didn’t seem to think it was a coincidence, she was almost certain that Patrick had gotten it right and that on some level, and that Sam was meant to meet Patrick because he would know what to do. Deborah, on the other hand, didn’t believe a word that had come out of his mouth, even if she hadn’t had the chance to meet him herself.

  “There is no way that he’s telling the truth; he wants to suck money out of both of you,” Deborah said as she handed Sam a hot coffee.

  “But he said that he wouldn’t take any money from us,” Jenny said as she sipped on a glass of wine.

  “Of course he said that. He’s not going to take anything off you straight away, is he? He’ll ‘delve’ a little deeper into it and when his mind hits a dead end, so to speak, and then he’ll say that he needs to start charging you a fee.”

  Deborah was furious that this had happened. How dare this Patrick person put Sarah into Sam’s head. It had taken him long enough to forget her and what she had done to him.

  “Deborah, I really think that this is all too close to be a coincidence,” Jenny said, “I really think that he’s right and that he can help us.”

  “Are you seriously suggesting that this flat is haunted?”

  A wave of confusion crossed Jenny’s face. How else would you explain it?

  Deborah turned away from Jenny and looked into Sam’s eyes.

  “Listen, baby this is all nonsense and the sooner you start to realise that, then the better off we’ll all be.”

  Sam shook his head. He couldn’t just leave things hanging like this.

  “No, something isn’t right. And maybe this place isn’t haunted or maybe Patrick has made a mistake. But until I know for sure, I can’t let this lie.”

  Sam stood up and went to his jacket that was handing over the back of the single recliner across from the sofa.

  “What are you doing?” Deborah asked.

  “I’m phoning Patrick. I need to speak to him.”

  “But he has just left. See; look what he has done to you. You hear her name after all this time and suddenly you can’t think of anything else.”

  Jenny nodded. “She’s right Sam. Just leave it until tomorrow, when your head is a little clearer. You’re just a bit shaken because he told you that it’s Sarah.”

  Sam swung on his heel. “See, you said it yourself. It’s Sarah, so you admit that there is something going on in this flat and that there is a strong possibility that it could have something to do with her.”

  Deborah tried to keep the venom from her voice as she spoke but it was a hard task to carry out. “I’m sick of hearing her name. She is dead! How can she be doing any of this when all she is is dust in the ground now?”

  Sam ignored her and began to dial. Deborah flapped her arms in the air in defeat and stormed into the kitchen.

  “What’s her problem?” Jenny asked quietly.

  Jenny understood and agreed with Deborah’s point but at the same time she wasn’t the one to experience what had been happening in the flat and she was also not around when Sarah was creating merry hell. Her thoughts were interrupted by Sam’s voice.

  “Patrick? It’s Sam here. We need to talk. Can we meet?”

  ***

  Patrick had sat Jodie down earlier that evening and explained everything to her. He was worried that she would have gone crazy when she found out. What she had done was far worse.

  “You seem really quiet. Are you ok?” Patrick asked her.

  “I’m fine.”

  “Every man knows that when his wife uses those words it usually means the exact opposite.”

  Jodie didn’t respond as she put Lewis’s lunch for the next day into the fridge. Mashed up sweet potato with broccoli: he was a vegetable lover at a young age.

  “Jodie, I can’t just ignore this. You do realise that?”

  She didn’t respond. Instead she left the kitchen, went upstairs to their bedroom and closed the door, leaving Patrick alone with his words.

  Lying on the bed, she listened to Lewis’s soft breathing and wondered what on earth Patrick had been thinking. How could he offer to bring his work home for a complete stranger and bring all this into Lewis’s life?

  He had explained to Jodie about Sam and how it had turned out that they were living in the house of his ex, whom was now ‘haunting’ him and his flat mate. Jodie’s response was flat and lifeless.

  “You’ll remember the night I was sleepwalking, when we first moved in? And I told you that some spirit told me someone was missing and they wanted my help to find them? Well Sarah Henderson isn’t in that plot. I think it’s her who I’ve needed to find.”

  Jodie’s response was relatively flat and lifeless. “Are you serious?”

  “Jodie, I didn’t ask for this; it’s just come around. You chose to leave this part of your life behind but I am still very much a part of it.”

  “Did you not learn your lesson after what happened the last time?” Jodie had said as she stacked the dishwasher.

  “That was different.”

  “Not so much. We just lived in a different house then. It affected our personal life. I almost died at the hands of an absolute l
unatic. Why can’t you see that you are tempting fate by getting involved in something like this again?”

  Patrick had shaken his head at this point. “I’m not getting involved with a killer. I am helping someone who is having trouble with something and it turns out that it comes back to this house.”

  “Yes, THIS HOUSE!”

  Jodie rarely lost her temper with Patrick but when he was being stubborn to the point where it affected their son then she wasn’t going to stand back and be little miss quiet.

  “Jodie, it will be over before you know it.”

  “You know what Patrick?” Jodie tried to calm herself. In anger, her emotions became jumbled and tears would flow, something that she hated about herself. “I love you more than anything on this earth, except for Lewis. And I am not going to allow you to bring someone else’s problems into this house and disrupt his little life just because their ex-lover used to live here. That is my final word on the matter.”

  They hadn’t spoken much after the conversation and Jodie had hoped that her words had been strong enough for Patrick to understand that she was dead against the idea.

  As she lay on the bed, she propped herself up, resting the side of her face on her hand and watched Lewis as he slept in his cot. She knew that he should be in his own room soon but she just couldn’t bear the thought of him sleeping alone. The door opened slightly and Patrick’s head appeared in the gap.

  “Can I come in?”

  Without waiting for an answer, he entered the room. He caught a glimpse of his son asleep and knew that what Jodie was asking was completely appropriate. However, something inside him just didn’t feel right when he considered ignoring it. Had his house not been at the centre of what was going on in Sam’s flat then it would be easy to pass it onto another medium. But it was and so he felt like he had to do something.

  “We agreed after Ross that we wouldn’t let work life affect home life,” Jodie said quietly.

  “Yes, we did agree.”

  “So, what’s changed?”

  Patrick sat down on the bed, next to Jodie and without taking his eyes off his sleeping son.

  “This house and it’s direct involvement with Sam. And it’s for that reason why I can’t ignore it, Jodie.”

  Jodie sighed and fell back onto the pillow. What could she do? When Patrick had something in his head that he had to do, there was no stopping him. And that is what bothered her. Not even his son could stop him, so what did that mean for them?

  “Patrick, if you bring this to our home, I will take Lewis and I will not be back until you can prove to me that we’re your number one priority.”

  Patrick felt like he had just been punched in the stomach.

  “Are you serious?”

  Jodie could only nod.

  Patrick stood up and slowly walked over to Lewis’s cot. Watching his beautiful baby boy was the most tranquil feeling he had ever experienced and his heart felt like it would burst with love and pride.

  “Jodie, I think that you and Lewis should leave and when this is finished you’ll come back and things will be ok.”

  Jodie stood up and, feeling winded, couldn’t think what to say.

  “You’re right. You and Lewis are my number one priority and that is why you and he shouldn’t be in this house until I can sort things out. There are burial plots in our garden for Christ’s sake and Sam is being harassed by his dead girlfriend who, funnily enough, used to live in this house. So for both your safety and wellbeing I think it is best that you move out for a few days until I can get this sorted.”

  Jodie was still, with no words. How could this be happening?

  “Are you serious?” She asked.

  “I don’t want you to go, Jodie. But you’re right; you and Lewis cannot be around this anymore. You have chosen to give up being a medium to be a mum to our beautiful boy and I don’t want to be the one who forces this on you.”

  Jodie opened the wardrobe next to Lewis’s cot and pulled out two hold-all’s. She began to pack some items for herself but mostly Lewis’s things.

  “I’ll help,” Patrick said.

  “No!”

  Patrick stood back, feeling helpless at the situation. This house was supposed to be their new start, together as a family after what had happened with Ross.

  Jodie must have been thinking the same thing.

  “The only way we will ever work, Patrick, is if you give up the church too. We will only work if both our heads are at the centre of this family. It was ok before Lewis came along. But now that he is here, it’s not ok for you to be working to help the dead and we’re side-lined.”

  Patrick watched as Jodie packed the rest of the bags.

  “I’ll be at my parents until you’ve decided what you want more.”

  29

  Sitting wallowing in his own pity, was not something that Patrick did often, however tonight he felt was an exception. He wondered what it was that he was doing. Jodie was gone from their home with their son and all that he could think about was the fact that some stranger was being haunted by some spirit who had once lived in his house. He knew it was ridiculous and that any other normal person would forget about it and get on with his own life, but Patrick felt a niggling in his stomach each time he tried to push it to the back of his mind. Would it have been better if they just sold the house and moved somewhere else? A new build without any history perhaps, or just somewhere that they could live in peace.

  Patrick became distracted from his thoughts when he heard a sound from upstairs. He got up from the armchair in the sitting room and began to climb the stairs. He was getting sick of this life and not for the first time he began to seriously consider giving up his place in the church. It just wasn’t worth all the hassle. He peered up to the landing and realised that the loft hatch was open. Patrick knew that he hadn’t left it open. He jumped when the doorbell sounded and was opening the door before he knew it.

  “Sam, come in.”

  Sam entered the house and stood still, memories flooding back to the last day that he saw Sarah.

  “This place hasn’t changed much.”

  “That’s what having a baby does to your plans,” Patrick replied.

  “So, to be honest I don’t really know what I’m doing here. But I had to come; gut instinct told me to.”

  Patrick nodded. “I know how that feels.”

  Patrick led Sam to the sitting room, having forgotten about the loft hatch. They both sat down and were silent for a short time.

  “It feels strange being back here.” Sam broke the silence.

  “I can imagine.”

  “The last time I saw her was in this room, you know.”

  Patrick eyed him as he spoke, wondering where this was leading. “That day didn’t end well?”

  Sam shook his head. His face was shadowed by a sadness that shouldn’t have been there. He was with Deborah now, and he was happy. Things should have been getting better. But something told him something wasn’t right.

  “You ever get that feeling when you know something isn’t right?”

  “Yes,” Patrick replied. “In fact, I have that feeling right now.”

  “You do?”

  Patrick stood up and Sam followed.

  “I know that you probably don’t understand what is going on in your flat right now, but I think I have a fair idea and considering that your ex used to own this house and you have come here tonight, that tells me that you’re willing to find out.”

  Sam nodded.

  “What are you thinking?”

  Patrick began to walk towards the stairs.

  “If you want to find out for yourself and you want my help, we have to do something that you probably won’t feel that comfortable with.”

  Sam felt sick but he had to stop the feeling of uncertainty in his stomach.

  “I’ll do anything to stop what’s going on in my home.”

  ***

  As Patrick took his place across from Sam on the floor, Sam felt li
ke his heart was trying to burst out from his chest. He could hear the blood in his ears rushing around as the adrenalin took over and a feeling of fear and readiness flooded his veins.

  “I cannot believe I am going to do this.”

  Patrick smiled, remembering his first experience of a séance. “Normally there are more people involved but seeing as it is just the two of us then we may as well get started.”

  “Will it work if it is just the two of us?”

  “So long as there is something that you need to know beyond what I can tell you, then yes it should work.”

  Sam took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Sarah Henderson’s face flooded his mind. At first she was smiling, the way she always used to before she changed.

  I didn’t change, Sam. Things changed.

  Sam opened his eyes, expecting to see her standing right there in front of him. The only person who was in front of him was Patrick.

  “I assume from your expression you heard that too?” Patrick asked him.

  Sam didn’t answer, instead he thought it best to keep quiet and listen. He felt a change in the environment around him — it became colder and his toes became icy.

  You have to help her. She is lost!

  A different voice this time that only Patrick could hear.

  Sam continued to sit quietly and seemed to be in a trance, listening intently to which he would only hear silence as the other voice filled Patrick’s head.

  Our girl needs your help. She has been accused of things which were not her fault.

  Patrick opened his eyes to find Sam staring at him.

  “I don’t hear anything. Do you?”

  Patrick closed his eyes, not willing to break the connection by speaking to him.

  Sarah did not fall down those stairs. She was pushed!

  Anna Henderson’s voice was soft and clear, as if she were sitting right behind Patrick. She spoke with soft determination and Patrick could feel her energy becoming stronger the longer he listened.

  Our lovely granddaughter’s life was taken needlessly from her. She was the only one left to carry on the family name. That chance was snatched away from her. Someone who she loved and trusted took her life from her.