by Cat Knight
“Where do you propose we go? And his name is Pewter.”
“How would I know? Felix, I don’t ask for much. I don’t demand like some women. But I love my job, and I’m damned good at my job, but I can’t do my job if the power cuts out every fifteen minutes.”
He stood and held his arms open. She went to him, and he hugged her.
“I tell you what,” he said. “Tomorrow, I’ll start looking for a new flat or house or place where you can work without interruption. I don’t expect I’ll find something right away, but I promise I will find something. Deal?”
“Deal,” she said and kissed him.
Two days later, while she was engrossed in a game-wide test, she received a text from Felix. She glanced at it.
“I’ve found it,” the text read. “Tell you after work.”
Smiling, Nora put down the phone and returned to the test game. If this went well… she’d have it done and dusted.
She prayed Mercury wasn’t home to trip the breakers.
Chapter Two
Felix set the pint in front of Nora and slid into the seat opposite her. His smile reassured her. He seemed almost giddy. “Before you say no,” Felix began. “I want you to picture the sea, waves breaking over rocks. A calm seclusion where the only sounds you hear all day are the calls of the gulls. A place where the power supply never goes out or gets cut or even fades and where the communications are second to none.”
“And where is this Shangri-La?” she asked.
He pulled a printout from his pocket and slid it across the table. “Take a look.”
She opened the page and stared. “You’ve got to be kidding.”
“Before you say no, the cottage has three bedrooms and two loos. One of the bedrooms can be converted into an office. The train depot in St. George is minutes away, and the ride to London is less than an hour. When I said it has great communication and power capacity, it’s because those were essential while it was functional, which it no longer is, but we just need to get an electrician in and make sure it’s all up to grade.”
“But it’s a lighthouse,” Nora protested.
“Precisely. Hellfleet is on the ocean and pretty much all by itself. And it’s a steal. It came on the market because the old geezer who owned it didn’t have heirs. I already put quid against it because it really is prime real-estate. I’ve arranged to take tomorrow afternoon off so we can do a quick look-see.”
Nora opened her mouth to say something. He raised his hand. “Don’t ask me why I think highly of a place I’ve never seen, because I don’t know. I just have the feeling that it will meet our needs.”
“OK. It’s got a helluva name, but apart from that, do you really want to commute every day?”
“For a while. I think that after a bit, they’ll let me work from home. After all, I can trade from anywhere.”
Nora looked from the image of the lighthouse to Felix, and she could feel his excitement.
At first blush, it did look decidedly better than their cramped flat. Ocean, salt air, a place of their own, there weren’t many drawbacks.
“And it comes furnished, we barely have to move.”
“OK, but what about all the old geezer stuff that’s there? You get to remove any of his stuff I don’t want and get rid of it.”
“Gladly. I’ll donate it. Everyone is looking for geezer stuff, aren’t they? It’s retro.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
The next day, Nora used the GPS on her phone to guide them. Well, she tried to use it.
The coverage that far from London reception dipped in and out. After traveling down the wrong road, twice, they decided to find a pub, lunch, and directions.
Over bangers and mash, they asked the waitress how to find Hellfleet Point Lighthouse.
“Where?” the waitress asked, her eyebrows shooting up to her hairline and voice edging toward incredulous.
“The lighthouse,” Felix said. “Hellfleet.”
“I’m not at all sure you want to go there,” the waitress said warningly.
“Why, it was only a few weeks ago that the daft old codger jumped off the platform and smashed hissself on the rocks.”
“I believe he slipped,” Felix said.
“More likely, the ghost shoved him. There’s a ghost there you know. Old Woody don’t much like anyone at the Fleet.”
Nora gazed down into her tea while Felix cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Oh, is that so? Well, how intriguing. Well, we’re here now… and since we are… we’d just like to have a look at the old place.”
The waitress gave them another ‘you’ve been warned’ look before drawing a rough map on a serviette.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“You didn’t mention anything about a ghost,” Nora said as Felix drove down a narrow lane.
“Because neither of us believes in ghosts.”
“Full disclosure, Felix, full disclosure. What about the ghost?”
Felix shrugged, “I don’t know all the fine print, but it seems some locals believe a spirit haunts the lighthouse. But the lighthouse dates from the seventeenth century. Anything that old is always haunted.”
Nora wanted to pursue the ghost aspect, but at that moment they rolled over a dune and caught their first glance of Hellfleet. White, tall, it stood stark against the dull grey of the ocean.
“Besides,” Felix said. “Ghost or not, you’re going to love this place.”
And Nora did fall in love with Hellfleet. It’s rough and rocky shore and washed stone cottage seemed like it held a secret, a little bit of magic. Nora believed in magic, as much as she believed in ghosts but its charm wormed its way into her psyche and she wanted it.
Every window held a view. And the rooms were light and airy. The bedroom she decided would be theirs, was the one that adjoined a small courtyard with a bench that looked out to rocky crags, where the ocean beat against the rocks.
She thought she might even put in a sliding door, so that they might enjoy direct access to it.
The room she had chosen to be converted into her office, was positioned was such that it bordered the rocks and looked out directly to the ocean. With its small square windows, it offered a nice view that would allow her some space to think, yet not enough to distract her if she didn’t want it to. The bed would have to go though.
Contemplating the space, something caught Nora’s eye. It stuck out from under the legs of the bed.
Bending down Nora found an old trunk which, after she had pulled it out, snapped open easily. A strong smell of moth balls caused her to close her hand around her nose. Immediately she could see that it contained an old man’s clothing.
Rifling through she found no more than this, and a single pair of worn, brown boots.
“Old geezer stuff here,” she called out to Felix. He didn’t answer, but she knew he would get rid of it.
They meandered around the cottage and made their way to the winding stairs in the tower that led to the lantern room and the platform. Nora stood on the metal mesh and looked outward, watching the gulls soar.
The breeze ruffled her hair, and Felix embraced her. She snuggled in. Hellfleet was more romance novel than real life.
“Like it?” he asked.
“You knew I would.”
“I’m told it can be a rough go when the winter storms hit.”
“I don’t care. I’ll be safe and warm and turning out the most fantastic games ever. I can think right now of a dozen ways to use this. It reminds me of something from a Tolkien book.”
“Don’t say Mordor,” Felix warned. “We do not want to curse this place.”
“There are no curses,” Nora said. “And this is painted white, not black. It’s more Gondor than Mordor.”
“Whatever you say, game maker. I’ll bow to your superior knowledge of fantasy and magic kingdoms with monsters around every corner.”
“If you’re going to build a sword-and-sorcery land, you have to do your research.”
“Just leav
e the demons and dragons out of our house, OK?”
“They’ll exist solely in the nether world of games. For us, it’s sunshine and smooth sailing.”
They walked from the lookout and along the platform, back down the winding stairs. On the wind, a musical lilt almost caught Nora’s attention. If the buffeting of the old structures hadn’t been so loud perhaps she would have heard clearly the man’s voice, faint, weak, and rasping out GOD SAVE THE QUEEN—
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nora weaved the move into her tight schedule, but she did find time to tell Mercury-Pewter that he could take his testosterone-driven speakers and put them where the sun don’t shine. She knew such talk was definitely not ladylike, but she didn’t care. The confrontation was too satisfying.
Once In the cottage, her first priority was setting up her office. Deadlines didn’t disappear because she was moving. The packed boxes would have to wait until after she had held a status meeting with her team. Everything would have to wait for that milestone, and that milestone was reached long after Felix had gone to bed.
Although elated, Nora didn’t wake him. She slipped into bed and looked out the window at the moon. That was the last thing she remembered before the morning sun filtered through, and she woke to find herself alone. Felix had left on his commute.
With contented sigh, she snuggled back under the covers. A few more moments of blissful daydreaming and then the sound of the kettle hissing got her attention.
Perhaps Felix hadn’t left yet? He should have but… She slipped into a robe and started for the kitchen. When she got there, she stopped cold.
“Who are you?” Nora asked.
Chapter Three
An old woman fussed at the counter with a teapot. She turned but didn’t smile.
“I’m Erma,” the woman said. “I clean this place.”
Annoyance surged over Nora. “And you got in… how?”
“Oh, I have a key,” Erma said. “Floyd gave it to me because he couldn’t remember when I was coming. He got a bit addled at the end. Half the time, he thought he was still in the war. Called me nurse when he was that way. At first, I tried to correct him, but that didn’t do nothing. So, I became the ‘nurse’. Didn’t change anything. I did my job, and if he had wanted me in a nurse’s getup, well, I would have drawn a line there. Cleaning is fine, daydreams are something else again.” Erma poured boiling water into the tea kettle. “How do you take your tea?”
“I’m sorry, but I wasn’t aware Floyd had a cleaner. You’re a bit of a surprise.”
“I understand. The cleaner ain’t included in the will, is she now? So, how do you like your rugs? I can vacuum every day if you wish.”
Nora walked past her, pulled a cup from the cupboard and faced Erma.
“I’m not certain I need a cleaner.”
“I don’t do windows, dearie. You can never get windows right, so I don’t even try. But I do know a bloke who will make them like crystal, and he don’t cost an arm and a leg.”
Nora frowned as Erma stood, shuffled over, and grabbed the cup out of Nora’s hand. Nora gaped as Erma made a cup of tea.
“I do tea because everyone needs tea, and when you’re sick I’ll bring a bit of chicken soup.” Erma winked. “A hot toddy ain’t out of the question either.”
“We should talk about your employment,” Nora said.
“Don’t worry your pretty head. What Floyd give me was quite enough — unless you want me to come three days instead of two. Then, we have to chat. I’ve got other houses on those days.”
Erma handed over the cup of tea.
“I do laundry and dishes as long as they’re reasonable. Some like to take advantage by letting things pile up, so I’m giving notice right now. But you don’t look like that type which does that.” Erma touched Nora’s arm. “And I want to assure you that I don’t do wine or spirits while I’m workin’. Some cleaners do, but not Erma. No, ma’am.”
Erma turned and started away. “Time to get to work.” She paused and turned back to Nora. “Last, I don’t work at night. I’m gone a good hour before sundown if you please.”
With a nod, Erma turned and left the room.
For a minute, Nora wasn’t exactly sure what had happened. When she woke this morning, it was just her and Felix. Now, she had ‘Erma’, and she came with a seemingly long list of stipulations. How had that happened? She knew she should chase the woman down and set things right, but that prospect didn’t appeal - she was just an old lady after-all.
Sipping tea, Nora decided that the problem of Erma could wait until Felix came home. After all, Erma would be cleaning for Felix too.
Smiling at her logic, Nora added more tea to her cup and started for her office.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
“Well,” Felix said as he buttered his bread. “How much will this Erma cost?”
“That’s just it,” Nora replied. “I don’t know. “No more than it cost Floyd. She guaranteed that.”
“You hired a cleaner without knowing what she costs?”
“More like inherited a cleaner. And I’m sure it can’t be too much. A pensioner like Floyd couldn’t afford much, could he?”
Felix quizzed her. “It’s not like you to tolerate someone in your space. She shrugged.
“This place is bigger than the flat. I could probably use the extra time it would give me.”
“She sounds doddery and old, you’ll probably have to wash the dishes again after she’s gone.”
“I’d be a terrible person to get rid of her for nothing. She seems to have been around forever. And she’s not exactly doddery, on the way maybe but not there yet.”
Felix scoffed then laughed.
“If your crew could see you now. What’s that name they call you? Cruella? I say they’ve got you all wrong.”
Nora tried to look hurt, but she really didn’t care. She had heard it said about her a couple of times, just because she wanted to get the projects off the ground and flying in on time. Her competitiveness is what kept her at the top of her game. She worked hard and her crew had to as well.
“Oh, come on… I’m not that bad!”
“You remind me of a burned marshmallow. Hard and crusty on the outside, but soft and melty in the middle.”
He laughed again and bit into the bread. Half wanting to argue about it, she stopped and laughed with him instead, there was a grain of truth in every criticism after-all. They were still smiling when the cold draft blew over them.
“Window open?” Felix asked.
“I don’t think so,” she answered.
“I’ll look.”
She hugged herself as Felix left the table. Would Erma have left a window open? Erma didn’t wash windows, so it didn’t seem likely. Yet, perhaps if she had opened it she’d just done it to air the place out.
“Back bedroom,” Felix said as he re-entered the kitchen. “Must’ve been the new maid” “She’s not a maid. She’s a cleaner, and she doesn’t do windows. So, I’m wondering why she opened it.”
“Just ask her. I’m sure she’ll have a perfectly fine explanation.”
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Nora worked solidly for several hours, long after Felix had gone to bed. While she felt like sleeping, she knew she had work to complete and tired as she was, her thoughts kept running around in circles. She tapped a key and pushed the problem of Erma from her mind. Nora hadn’t yet decided if she was going to keep the cleaner or let her go. That decision could wait.
For just a moment, she wondered about the open window, and made a mental note to ask Erma the next time the cleaner appeared. Nora didn’t want Erma leaving behind open windows. That wouldn’t do. Years of city living had taught her caution.
As the screens came alive, colour flooded her eyes. She forgot about Erma and the window. The opening screen shots of NIGHT OF THE DEAD appeared, and she had to admit the graphics were awesome.
Chapter Four
The smell wasn’t the smell of a rotting carcass or eggs gone bad. It was
a pungent body odour akin to how a fisherman might smell, a fishy, dirty human body. The smell stung her nose and made her look up from her screen.
“Felix are you out there? Has something gone off in the fridge?”
No answer was forthcoming. She got up and left the office. There were no lights on, and Felix was not in the kitchen. Maybe when he checked that window earlier, he had checked others and accidentally unlatched one. Nora knew that didn’t make sense, but she wanted an explanation. Yellow light flooded the rooms as she switched them on, checking rooms. The odour wafted around her not seeming to be stronger in any one place than another.
The light house, so far away from any other homes, had no curtains and a sense of vulnerability niggled at her.
She was keenly aware that the night was pitch black, any-one looking in could see her, and she would have no idea they were there.
As she walked into the spare room she quickly shut the lights off and tiptoed toward the window. She could see nothing but the night sky, scattered with stars and moonlight streaming in through the glass panes. But if someone was close enough to bring that smell with them, they wouldn’t be outside anyway…. She made quickly for the light.
As she stepped, her foot skidded and Nora’s feet went out from under her. A searing pain tore through her forehead and everything before her eyes swam. She heard Felix call to her and was vaguely aware of him laying her down on the bed.
Felix put a cold cloth to her temple. His face was drawn and worry etched his eyes.
“What happened?” she mumbled.
“You slipped I guess. On part of a fish by the look of it. A damned seagull or a raven must have brought it in through that open window. I must’ve missed it when I was in here before. They’re always bloody well hopping around it seems.
Blasted things. I didn’t think they’d have the gumption for that though. Maybe the old fellow fed them or something.”
He continued wiping her forehead.