by Helen Phifer
‘Phew, I’m glad that’s over with. Come on, I’ll sort you out a desk and anything else that you might need. In fact, I can go one better than that, I can give you your own personal assistant.’ He opened the office door and watched everyone stare at the new girl. Laura smiled at them then bent her head to continue typing. Will looked at Stu who was staring at Grace with an awestruck expression. Bugger, I can’t let Stu work with her he’ll drool all over her. He guided her over to his desk making the introductions as he went around the office. He paused when he got to Laura.
‘Grace, Laura will assist you with anything you need if I get called away.’
Laura blushed but didn’t seem too bothered by the babysitting duty.
Grace walked over to the whiteboards opening her briefcase to search for a pen and notepad.
‘I’ll be fine for a couple of hours. I need to see everything you have up to now: case files, pictures, pathology reports, the whole lot. And then I’ll need to go and visit the crime scenes.’
‘Laura will sort that out for you. I just need to make a couple of calls.’ He needed to see who he could send to keep an eye on Annie. She might think she was tough enough but he didn’t think she was a match for the mad man of the Abbey.
Chapter 33
Henry found himself walking along the path to the woods. He couldn’t remember how he had got this far but he headed towards the farmhouse. As he got close to the gate he could hear vacuuming inside so he jogged over to the hay barn and walked in, taking up his position in front of the window. He could see her flitting from room to room having a cleaning frenzy. It was tempting to go and knock on the door but he didn’t think she would open it for him. He supposed he could try the missing dog routine one last time but if she phoned the police it would be over before it began.
While he sat dithering over what to do another man strolled up towards the gate. He hadn’t seen this one before. How many men can one woman know? He watched, puzzled, as to who this one could be. He didn’t know if he had the strength for many more murders in him, he was kind of all murdered out.
She had plenty of male friends but he hadn’t seen any of the female kind. He wondered if she was lonely. He’d spent most of his life on his own and look where it had got him. The sound of the kitchen door being unbolted pushed all thoughts from his head. He watched as the man entered the house. He was quite old and he didn’t think he would be much trouble in a fight. He listened for the sound of the bolt going across and smiled when it didn’t. That was a very good sign: exactly what he had been waiting for. He stood and stretched. Five minutes and it would be chaos over there.
Annie was glad Derek was here. She felt like she was on the verge of breaking down she was so worn out with it all.
‘I got your message and came straight here. I’ve been thinking about the best way to get to the bottom of this and the only thing I can think of is doing a séance in the house. That way I can get a feel for the place, ask some questions and hopefully get some answers. What do you think?’
Her mouth went dry and she couldn’t get her tongue to move. ‘I don’t think I really want to. I don’t like the thought of messing with anything like that, Derek, but do I have much choice?’
He peered outside. It was mid-afternoon and if the rain didn’t start again it would be light for a couple of hours yet. Derek didn’t want to be in that house in the dark either. ‘No. I think we should do it now.’
Annie grabbed her jacket and the key for the house off the hook. ‘Come on, if I think about it too hard I’ll chicken out. Is there anything we need like a cross, holy water or maybe a couple of silver bullets?’
‘A couple of cloves of garlic if you have them.’
The colour drained from her face which stopped Derek from laughing out loud. ‘I’m sorry, Annie, I was joking. I didn’t realise you were being serious.’
She let out a huge sigh of relief. ‘Phew, good because I’m proper scared, my hands are shaking.’
He smiled and patted her arm. ‘Well, then you’re in luck because as it goes I’m one of the best in the business. We’ll get this sorted out and put those ghosts to rest and have you back in time for tea. How does that sound?’
‘Bloody wonderful, Derek. In fact, it would be amazing.’
She pulled her trainers on her feet just in case she needed to run.
‘Ready when you are. I always did have a secret fantasy about being a Ghostbuster.’ She winked at him but her voice trembled. Stepping outside she was followed by Derek who was followed by Tess. Annie ushered Tess back inside and locked up. Should she phone Will? She decided not to. It was time to take control of her life.
They set off towards the old house.
Henry had known his patience would pay off. He watched as they headed into the woods in the direction of the house. Perfect. He couldn’t ask for anything more. He would give them a head start and follow them. The woods were so peaceful not even a bird was chirping. Thank God it wasn’t the school holidays because then they would be full of screaming kids.
Edith could not settle. It wasn’t right. In all the years she had been friends with Gladys she had never even mentioned having a sister, she may have said a distant relative but not a sister. Henry had looked different as well. When he opened the door his appearance had shocked her. He hadn’t shaved for days and there were dark circles under his even darker eyes. Gladys had said she was worried about him and she could understand why.
Turning off her television Edith stood up. As she stretched the bones in her knees creaked. Shuffling over to the phone she rang Gladys again: it rang and rang, Edith knew she couldn’t stand back and not do anything. Not when her friend might need her help. She knew where the spare key for Gladys’s house was hidden so she phoned a taxi. She would ask the driver to wait for her while she checked the house. Never one to shy away from a fight in her younger days she knew that even if Henry was inside she was going in regardless. What was the worst that could happen? He might call the police but tough. If all policemen were as nice as the one she spoke to earlier it would brighten up her day.
Chapter 34
As they approached the entrance of the house Annie felt her body begin to buzz. It was as if there were some electrical current running through it.
Derek sensed her sudden wariness and reached out for her hand. ‘It’s OK you are being bombarded with the memories of this place. Whoever lived here feels a strong connection with you. She trusts you and is trying to tell you something although I don’t understand why she has waited so long to start haunting someone.’
Annie shivered. She knew why. It all had something to do with the diary and the terrible secrets it revealed. She wanted to tell him about the diary and what she knew but she couldn’t physically speak, something was stopping her.
Derek looked her in the eye. ‘You will be fine my dear.’
She took the key from her jeans pocket knowing that regardless of whether she was OK or not she had to go through with it for the sake of her sanity.
Derek stared at her. She looked different. Her face had taken on a slightly rounder shape and her eyes were focused on something that only she could see. He followed her as she pushed the front door open and stepped inside. The energy running through the house was so strong it made the hairs on the back of his neck prickle. Annie began humming and carried on walking through the big hall to the corridor.
‘Come on.’ She gave him a gentle smile, but it wasn’t her usual one. They entered the kitchen, the smell of the damp and mould from the years of being empty turned his stomach.
Annie sniffed. ‘Cook makes the best shortbread in the whole town and I’m so hungry.’
Derek took hold of her hand and led her to sit on the windowsill. ‘Is Cook here now, Annie? What do you see?’
‘I see Cook baking. There are trays of biscuits on the side ready for afternoon tea. If I’m good and get my chores done she will let me have one with a glass of milk. I must work hard and make sure they
are all done before Edward comes to disrupt me.’
The temperature in the room had dropped so much that when Derek spoke he could see clouds of his breath in front of him. ‘Can you tell me about Edward. Why does he disrupt you, Annie?’
‘Alice, my name is Alice, silly. You should stop calling me Annie; that is another girl. Edward is her ladyship’s son and he doesn’t like me very much. In fact, he hates me and I don’t want to be here when he comes back because he is so mean to me.’
‘Alice, how old are you?’
‘I’m seventeen.’
‘Alice why do you keep talking to Annie? What is it that you want from her?’
‘I think it is because she looks like me and I need her to help me: Edward has come back. He killed those poor women in London, you know: slaughtered and butchered them like animals and now he is back. I hear his voice whispering and his footsteps in the cellar. He wants blood, that is all he ever wanted.’
Derek was so absorbed in his conversation with Alice’s spirit he never heard the footsteps creeping up behind him.
Annie’s expression froze as she gasped, ‘Edward.’
Derek turned to see a man standing behind him, a hammer in his hand. He swung towards Derek, hitting him on the head; his glasses fell off and he lost his balance. The hammer hit for a second time and Derek collapsed. Annie stood up from the windowsill and slipped in a pool of blood which was spilling from the side of Derek’s head. As she felt the world turn black a pair of rough hands grabbed her.
‘Well, well, it’s been a long time, Alice. I never thought I would see you again.’
Edith got out of the taxi and stared at the house. It was in darkness. It was a relief that Henry was out, it made her feel a lot better about what she was about to do. She knocked on the driver’s window.
‘You wait there, young man. Keep the meter running. I don’t want you to go dashing off and leave me.’ She walked up the garden path to the front door and looked for the plant pot with the shrivelled lavender plant inside. Bending down she lifted it up and sure enough there in the plastic moneybag was the spare key. Her hands began to shake as she tried to put it into the lock. She had a bad feeling about this and was terrified about what she might find. But she had to do it for Gladys’s sake: her friend may need her help.
As she stepped inside a strong smell like metal made her lift her hand to her nose. Her husband had been a sheet-metal worker in the shipyard and the air smelt like his overalls did when he would bring them home every Friday to be washed. She went straight into the living room and picked up Gladys’s handbag. Inside were her glasses, purse, phone and diary: all the things you wouldn’t leave behind if you had to go away suddenly.
She put the bag down and went back into the hallway shouting up the stairs, ‘Gladys, it’s Ethel. Are you there, love?’ She was greeted by silence, not wanting to risk going upstairs in the fading light she felt for the light switch and her hand touched something wet and sticky. As she bathed the hall with light she looked down at her fingers: they were covered in a dark red liquid. Lifting them to her nose she balked: blood.
Horrified, she stumbled outside to the waiting taxi. ‘You have to phone the police, please tell them something bad has happened. There is blood on the light switch.’
The driver looked at her like she was a senile old bat. ‘Now then, love, how do you know something bad has happened, did you see anything?’
Edith held up her blood-soaked fingers. ‘Because, young man, I know what blood is. Now please call the police.’
He picked up his radio handset and asked the operator to get the police. Then he turned his meter off and muttered ‘bollocks’ under his breath.
Edith didn’t know what to do for the best so she leaned against the car and waited.
Jake printed off the statement for a job he’d attended earlier and was about to book off an hour later than he should have when a 999 shout came in for the house he’d attended earlier. He watched as the parade room emptied. He put his radio and CS gas into his locker and walked into Kav’s office.
‘Erm, Sarge, I went to a job at that address earlier and spoke to the bloke that lives there. He was a bit odd but everything seemed in order. Do you want me to go back out?’
Kav shook his head. ‘Nah, get yourself home. It says on the log a taxi driver has reported it on behalf of his fare – some old bird called Edith Wright. She said there’s blood on the light switch. It will be a load of old tosh, poor guy has probably cut himself shaving.’
Jake turned to leave, smiling to himself. That woman was a persistent customer if ever there was one.
Chapter 35
Will had gone through both cases with Grace who he found easy to talk to. She was blonde, tall, slender and very attractive – exactly his type – yet not once did he find himself imagining sleeping with her, which was a first for him. Instead he found that he could concentrate on the case and talk it through like a professional. The only woman who kept popping into his mind was Annie and he couldn’t wait until he was finished and could go see her. His mother would be so proud of him.
He had shown Grace the crime scenes. He’d taken her to where Emma’s body had been found and then to the Abbey museum. Along the way he pointed out where Jenna’s last known sighting had been. The light had been fading rapidly and the Abbey ruins took on an eerie feel. He was tempted to ask if he could nip and check on Annie but it was complicated and didn’t feel like telling Grace the entire history of his private life.
While she was pacing around and writing notes he tried to ring Annie again but it went straight to voicemail: he left another message. His chest began to burn and he rubbed it. He didn’t have time to get heartburn now and he didn’t have any Rennie® on him either. Grace finally returned to the car and asked to be driven back to the station.
When they had walked back into the office Stu gave Will the nod and he frowned at him. Laura caught the look between them and blushed. Grace had sat down at the desk with her notepad and was busy typing on her laptop. A little while later, when everyone else had gone home and Will was nodding off, Grace lifted her head.
‘You can go home, Will. I’ll carry on for a while yet. As soon as I have something you can work with I’ll let you know.’
He was sorely tempted and stood up to stretch. ‘I can’t, sorry. I’m not allowed to leave you unsupervised in the station.’
‘Ah that’s all right, I understand. I spent most of my childhood in and out of police stations.’
Will thought about it. She wouldn’t be allowed to do her job if she had a criminal record.
‘Let me rephrase that. I spent most of my younger days in them because of my dad. Oh God that sounds even worse. I’m not a delinquent my dad was a detective just like you, and a workaholic. I was always hanging around waiting for him although I doubt it would be allowed these days, too many health and safety rules.’
Will relaxed a little wondering if he knew her dad. He glanced at the name on the visitor’s badge around her neck. The surname ‘Marshall’ glared back at him. ‘You wouldn’t be related to the Detective Inspector would you?’
Grace looked down at her hands and spoke much quieter. ‘Yes, he’s my dad.’
Will replayed every minute he’d spent with her wondering if he’d screwed up in any way; he didn’t think that he had. ‘Don’t worry it’s cool and I won’t hold it against you. To be honest I haven’t met him. I just spoke to him on the phone but he seems like an all right kind of guy.’
She smiled, flashing him a perfect set of white teeth and all he could think how lucky it was he hadn’t tried it on with her. She stood up. ‘I have everything I need for now. I’ll let you get home. Give me your number and I’ll ring you if I come up with something you can use tonight. Otherwise I’ll see you in the morning.’
Will recited his phone number and slipped his jacket on, excited to be able to finally go and see Annie.
Kav came puffing through the door like a stampeding bull. ‘
Murder, need you at the scene. It’s a right fucking mess, so Smithy has said, he went to an emergency concern for welfare some old dear rang in and he’s only gone and found a body in the bedroom with the head caved in.’
‘Female?’
‘Nope, sorry mate, it’s a male.’
Will looked over at Grace. ‘How often do you get dead bodies pilling up in this town? I know for a fact it’s few and far between. It could be a coincidence but it could be our guy. Count me in,’ she said.
Henry picked up the woman as if she weighed no more than a sack of coal. He threw her over his shoulder and surveyed the scene. The man was out cold if not dying on the floor. He would come back and sort him out later. His priority was Annie. He finally had a name for her as he’d listened to the conversation the two of them had before he so rudely interrupted. This time she would not get the better of him. It was only a matter of minutes before she came round. He needed to get her into the cellar and into his little room. He carried her down the cellar steps to his trophy room. He needed no light; his feet could find the way unaided.
Kav, Will and Grace got into the unmarked car which was the only one left in the back yard. Kav drove fast and as they turned into the street they were greeted by chaos: three patrol cars with lights flashing illuminated the early evening sky; an ambulance pulled up behind them as they parked up. They could see a taxi driver arguing with Smithy about how much money he was losing while sitting there. Kav and Will got out of the car leaving Grace in the back. A silent look between them said it was the best place for her at the moment; she wouldn’t be able to get out because of the child locks.
Will suited and booted for the second time this week and went into the house. He noted the blood on the light switch and followed a trail of it along the banister and up the stairs. He walked along the landing to the only room with an open door, keeping to the opposite side of the wall away from the banister, careful not to destroy any evidence. A noise behind him made him turn to see Kav.