A Deadly Lesson (Storage Ghost Murders Book 5) Page 10

  Grace’s attitude towards the old man changed in an instant. It was obvious he was lonely. Perhaps she could spare him a few minutes.

  Abbie whooshed to her side. “She was meeting someone, wait ’til you hear this!”

  Grace didn’t look at her. Abbie turned her head to see who she was looking at. “Who’s he? Some sort of pervert?”

  Grace said to the old man, “I have to go back to work now, it’s a ten minute walk away. Would you like to walk with me? I’d love to hear about you and Betty.”

  The man seemed to grow two feet. He beamed at Grace and crooked his arm. She took it and they headed towards the park gates.

  It was hard to listen to Abbie ranting at her side at the same time as listening to the lonely old man talking about his wife – but Grace managed.

  Anyway, she didn’t need Abbie to tell her who Brooke had been meeting. She saw him as he sauntered out of the park a few paces in front of them.

  Carlos.

  Chapter 27

  Frankie was waiting by the front door of the shop as Grace walked in. He frowned at her and said, “What were you doing with that old wrinkly? Have you been on a date?”

  Grace pushed past him. “Don’t be silly. What’s wrong with you? Why are you looking round the shop like that? And why have you got your coat on?”

  Frankie jumped and swivelled around. He turned back to her, his face white. “Did you hear that?”

  “Hear what?”

  Frankie moved closer to her. He nodded towards the kitchen. “I keep hearing things. I keep hearing some old woman shouting. I thought it was someone outside, maybe something on the radio. Arghh! There it is again! Tell me you can hear it!”

  “I can’t hear anything,” Grace said, her eyes looking towards the kitchen, searching for a grey-haired old ghost. “What is the old woman saying?”

  Frankie gulped and clutched Grace’s arm. “She said I have to go. Said she’s come back now, and that I have to go. Are you sure you can’t hear her?”

  Grace pressed her lips together. She certainly heard something then, the familiar cackle of Pearl. She couldn’t see her yet though.

  Grace turned to Frankie and said, “I think you need a rest, you’ve been working too hard. Maybe that voice is your conscience, telling you to have a break. Take the rest of the afternoon off.”

  “But where would I go? I can’t go to my room, I tried but I could still hear that witchy voice.”

  Grace replied, “This would be a good time to look for somewhere new to live, you can’t stay above the shop forever.”

  “But I like living here,” Frankie said in a sulky voice. “Can I go to your house? Have you got some food in? Not that low fat crap stuff, I hate that.”

  Grace considered the matter. If Pearl’s voice was near, then the old ghost’s body wasn’t far behind. “Course you can go to my house. Have a bath, have a sleep. I think there’s a lasagne in the freezer.”

  Frankie nodded and looked back towards the kitchen. “I might get a takeaway on the way back, those lasagnes are tiny.” He shivered. “I think I’m having a breakdown, I’ll stay at yours tonight, you can keep an eye on me.” He took one last look around the shop and then headed out of the door.

  Grace locked the door behind him. She needed to talk to Pearl – now. She called out, “Pearl! I know you’re here! That wasn’t nice, playing tricks on Frankie. Come on out! Please!”

  There was a chuckle, then a grinning mouth appeared. Abbie giggled, “She looks like the Cheshire cat in that film, that bit where his mouth appears first.”

  “I’m not a cat!” Pearl appeared right in front of them, an indignant look on her wrinkly face. “Watch what you’re saying, young lady!”

  Grace didn’t know whether to be angry or relieved. She chose the latter option. “Pearl! Where have you been? I’ve been so worried about you.”

  Pearl’s face softened. “I’m sorry, I had to go. I had to take something with me, something to protect young Abbie here.”

  “Protect me against what? I don’t need protecting!” Abbie declared.

  Pearl smiled at her and softly said, “Oh, you do need protecting. When Grace found you, you were overcome with fear, and I know why. I’m holding on to the source of that fear, for a little while longer.” Her smile faltered. “I can’t hold it for much longer. Grace! Don’t look so worried. I’ll explain everything soon, I promise.”

  Abbie folded her arms and said, “You’re mad. I’m not scared of anything.”

  Grace recalled how terrified Abbie had been when they’d first met. What had been scaring her so much? And how much longer could Pearl keep that at bay? She hadn’t missed the strain in Pearl’s face as she spoke.

  Pearl clapped her hands together. “Right then, I want to know everything. Have you found out who knocked this slip of a girl over? And why? Let’s sit at the kitchen table and you can tell me everything. Grace, you look like you could do with a cup of tea.”

  “I could,” Grace agreed. She walked with the two ghosts into the kitchen and put the kettle on. Once she had a cup of tea ready she told Pearl all that she had found out.

  Pearl listened intently. “So, Abbie was knocked down at about ten-forty. Brooke and someone else sneaked out of the party ten minutes before, so they’re suspects, but we don’t know the identity of the first person who drove out of the car park. I suspect that Carlos, he sounds a slippery customer. We know that Abbie’s dad’s car left the car park too, which makes him a suspect, or he lent his car to someone else that night. We know that Julianne, Carlos and Brooke have dealings with that repossessions company. Are they in it together? Are Carlos and Brooke an item? Oh! It seems like everyone has their secrets!”

  Abbie flew up above the kitchen table and cried out, “When are you going to listen to me? I found out who Brooke was meeting today at the park! And why!”

  Pearl clicked her fingers and said, “Stop that right now. Get your skinny bottom in that chair and keep it there.”

  Abbie did as she was told. She muttered, “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay,” Grace said. “I saw Carlos in the park. Was that who she was meeting?”

  Abbie looked disappointed. “Yeah.”

  “Why was she meeting him?” Grace asked.

  Abbie brightened. “They’re planning on running away together! Carlos said Julianne was getting suspicious and even Derek had started asking questions about the company.” Her face fell as she remembered something. “Carlos laughed and said he couldn’t believe how stupid Julianne had been, and Derek. They believed every lie that he’d told them. He was saying awful things about my family, I didn’t know he could be like that. Then Brooke joined in, she said the whole family was stupid and at least Dorothy was in the place where she belonged – in the nut-house.”

  Pearl put her arm around Abbie and pulled her close. “Being dead hurts, doesn’t it. You find out exactly what people are like. They can only hurt you if you let them. They sound terrible people. Let your anger out, call them whatever name you like! I don’t mind swear words, I could do with learning some new ones.”

  Abbie grinned. “I can’t say any in front of Grace.”

  Grace pulled a face at the pair of them and stood up. “You two potty-mouthed women can go ahead. I think I heard someone at the shop door.”

  Grace’s ears turned red as she didn’t leave the kitchen quick enough before the cursing began. She almost cursed herself when she opened the shop door and saw who was standing there.

  Chapter 28

  Derek Quill looked at Grace and said, “May I come in?”

  Grace couldn’t read the look on his face. Was he angry? Was he intending to shout at her? Had Carlos being filling his head with lies? She stood to one side and opened the door wider.

  Derek stepped through. “I wasn’t sure if your shop would be open. It says it should be on the opening times thing on the door, but when I tried the door it was locked. Then I read the times and days again to make sure I wasn’t going
mad! Then I checked my diary to make sure I had the right day.” He laughed. “Sorry, I’m waffling. Dorothy used to say I could be a waffling champion!”

  Grace was relieved to see him smiling. She closed the door behind him and said, “Would you like a cup of tea? We have a small kitchen at the back.”

  “I’d love that, thank you. By heck! What a lovely shop you have. It’s like Aladdin’s cave. My Dorothy would have loved this.” His smile faltered. “It’s Dorothy that I want to talk to you about, amongst other things.”

  Grace locked the door and led Derek through to the kitchen. Pearl and Abbie stood up and moved to one side.

  Abbie nudged Pearl and said, “That’s my dad.”

  Pearl looked Derek up and down. “I like him, he’s got a kind face and a twinkle in his eyes.” She looked him up and down again and added, “I hope he wasn’t the one that mowed you down.”

  Abbie took a step away from Pearl.

  Once Derek was settled at the table with a cup of tea, Grace began to apologise for upsetting him when she came round with the book.

  Derek held his hand up. “Don’t you apologise. It’s me that needs to do that. Well, say sorry on behalf of my daughter and that boyfriend of hers.” He tutted and shook his head. “No manners at all! I didn’t raise our Julianne like that. It’s that ... no, I mustn’t gossip.”

  Pearl moved closer to Derek and said, “You gossip, we like a good gossip round here.”

  “Do you have to stand so close to Dad!” Abbie admonished. “You’ll be sitting on his knee next.”

  Pearl considered the matter. “He’s got nice knees, good legs for a man his age.”

  Grace ignored the ghosts as they began to argue amongst themselves.

  Derek went on, “You seemed genuine to me when you came round with Abbie’s book. Carlos said you were trying to trick me, to get some information about his company. I told him that you never mentioned his company. He told me to have nothing to do with you again.” Derek took a sip of his tea. Grace jumped as he banged his fist on the table. “No one tells me what to do! He might give our Julianne orders, but not me! I can make my own decisions. I don’t know what sort of a company they’re running but it doesn’t seem aboveboard to me.”

  “Please don’t get upset,” Grace hesitated. Could she tell Derek the truth? Would he understand?

  Pearl placed a hand on Grace’s shoulder. Grace felt the familiar warmth that occurred whenever Pearl touched her. Pearl said, “I know what you’re thinking. He’s not ready for the truth, not yet, and not from you. Wait, he’s got something else to say.”

  Derek gave her a small smile and said, “I’ve got a favour to ask you, a big favour. Say no if you want to! I’ll understand.”

  “Go on,” Grace said. Abbie moved closer to her dad.

  Derek cleared his throat and smiled again at Grace. “This is going to sound ridiculous, but would you come with me to see Dorothy? Would you show her that book? Please. She hasn’t spoken now for weeks, just keeps humming away to herself. She might say something if she sees that book, and if she sees you.”

  “Why me?” Grace asked.

  “Would you mind if I left that explanation for later? You might not come if I tell you now. Oh! I sound like some sort of conman, don’t I? Trying to lure you away to goodness knows where! I wouldn’t be very good at luring you away, we’d have to get the bus and you could jump off at any time.”

  Derek looked hopefully at her. Abbie had the same hopeful look on her face. Pearl said, “You have to go, I feel that Dorothy knows something about Abbie’s death.”

  Of course she was going to go. Grace said, “We don’t need to get the bus, I’ve got a car. When do you want to go?”

  Derek looked at his watch. “Now? If that’s okay?”

  “Now is perfect. Just give me a minute to lock the shop properly.”

  Five minutes later, Derek was chatting happily away to Grace as they drove along. “What a lovely car,” he said. “My Abbie would have loved a car like this. You’re a good driver.”

  Grace met Abbie’s look in the rear-view mirror. “It’s only a recent thing, me driving again. Tell me more about Abbie.”

  Derek chatted for the rest of the journey. Grace could see a pink glow radiating round Abbie as she listened. It wasn’t only bad things you heard about yourself when you were dead.

  They pulled into the car park at the residential home. Derek became serious. “She might not say anything. She’s taken to staring out of the window and not registering when she has visitors.”

  “That’s okay. You still haven’t told me why she’d like to see me.”

  “I’ll explain when we see Dorothy. Come on.”

  They entered the residential home. Derek went to speak to someone at the main desk.

  Abbie nodded approvingly. “I like this place. Everyone looks happy, even those that look half-dead. Grace, can you see that white line around some of them? What does that mean?”

  Grace had an idea as to what it was, but she couldn’t explain that to Abbie now.

  Abbie pointed at an elderly lady who was half-asleep in a wheelchair. A young soldier ghost sat at her side, looking lovingly at her face. Abbie said, “Look at them! Do you think they used to be friends? She’s got a white line round her too.”

  Grace gave her a brief nod. From the look on the soldier’s face, they were more than friends.

  “This way!” Derek called out cheerfully. He waved to several people as he walked down a corridor and into a big room. Inside the room there was a murmur of voices, and the occasional laugh, as the residents went about their daily activities. Grace smiled, there was a lovely atmosphere in this room.

  She followed Derek over to a large bay window. Abbie fluttered at her side and said happily, “I can’t wait to see Mum!”

  Derek stopped beside a frail-looking woman. Her hair was white and she seemed to have shrunk into herself. The woman was humming quietly and gazing out of the window.

  Abbie let out an anguished cry. “No! That’s not Mum! That can’t be Mum! He’s got the wrong woman!”

  Derek bent down in front of the woman and gently took her hands. In a tender voice he said, “Dorothy, I’ve brought someone to see you. A young woman. Her name is Grace. Dorothy, can you hear me? I said her name is Grace.”

  Grace frowned. Why was her name so important?

  She soon found out.

  Chapter 29

  Dorothy’s whole demeanour changed. It was like someone had switched a light on. She sat up straighter, turned to Grace and beamed at her. “I knew you’d come! I knew it! I told everyone but they just wouldn’t listen, not even my lovely Derek here! Grace! At last!”

  Dorothy moved her hands from under Derek’s and grabbed Grace’s hands tightly.

  Grace frowned. “I don’t understand, have we met before?”

  Derek said, “After Abbie died, Dorothy ...”

  Dorothy burst out, “She was murdered! How many more times do I have to tell you!”

  Derek’s head dropped. “I’m sorry, I can’t accept that, you know I can’t. No one would murder my little girl.”

  Dorothy gave him a sympathetic look. “You’re still not ready for the truth. Why don’t you get us a cup of tea, and some of that cake before old Linda over there gobbles it up. Let me talk to Grace.”

  “Cake? You haven’t eaten cake for ages,” Derek said with a smile. “Of course I’ll get some.” He stood up and made to walk away.

  Dorothy added, “Take your time, I’ve got a lot to say to Grace.”

  Derek gave her a cheery nod and walked away.

  When he was out of ear shot Dorothy looked at Grace and grinned. It transformed her, the years seemed to melt away. Abbie sat down at her mum’s side and smiled at her. “She looks more like Mum now, even with all those new wrinkles and white hair.”

  Dorothy released Grace’s hands and said, “After Abbie was murdered I was consumed with grief, I couldn’t eat or sleep. I kept hoping I’d get a
sign from Abbie to say she was okay in whatever afterlife people go to. Sorry, I must sound quite mad.”

  “Not at all,” Grace interjected.

  “I started to visit psychics, I spent so much money on them! Some of them were useless but a few were good, they told me the same thing. They told me I had to wait for Grace. At first, I thought they meant grace, as accepting what had happened to Abbie and coming to terms with it, but then one psychic said it was a woman called Grace. He said she was special and that she would help me.”

  Grace’s heart missed a beat. “And you think this Grace is me?”

  Dorothy gave her a knowing smile. “Of course it is. You know that, don’t you? You’re the one who can see ghosts, aren’t you?”

  Grace stared at Dorothy. After a moment she managed to say, “How do you know that? No one knows that.”

  Dorothy turned slightly to her side, her smile grew. “You’ve brought my Abbie with you. I can see a shimmering form at my side, I can just about make out that purple top that she was wearing on the night of her party. The last psychic I spoke to said you helped ghosts who had been murdered, he knew you’d find Abbie. Oh! I can’t believe you’re here! I’m so happy to see you!”

  “I still don’t understand. If you knew I was on my way to help then why ... sorry, but why are you in this home? Didn’t you tell your family about what the psychic had told you?”

  “Ha! I certainly did. They nodded in that way that people do, like they’re humouring you. They must have thought I’d get over whatever nonsense was going on in my mind. But they didn’t understand at all when I started looking for anyone called Grace.” She chuckled. “I looked on the Internet, in the phone book, even on those social things online. Looking back now I can see I must have looked mad, trying to contact everyone I could find called Grace. I forgot to eat and sleep in my quest to find you. Poor Derek, I must have driven him crazy.”

  Abbie put her arm around Dorothy and said, “Poor Mum.”

  Dorothy’s eyebrows rose. “Is that Abbie? I’ve gone all warm down my back, like someone’s put a blanket there.”