Forever Is Over (46 page)

The policewoman turned to Kelly,

“
nothing for you to worry about, Kelly, we just have to follow
procedure.
”

Kelly managed to half-smile at the policewoman.

“
Thanks Gillian! Thank you so much for everything.
”

“
It
’
s alright, love. You take care now and I
’
ll see you again soon. Just
to check you
’
re OK.
”

The coppers left. I took Kelly by the hand and guided her through
to the lounge, sitting her down on the settee, then sitting down next to
her and giving her cuddle. I was desperate to find out what had gone
on, but Kelly wasn
’
t speaking and I didn
’
t want to push it, so we sat in
silence until Mum
’
s silhouette could be seen through the glass panels
of the lounge door.

“
Let me in, Richard. I can
’
t open this door with a tray in my hand!
”

             
As I got up to open the door, the neon blue light on the video
recorder revealed that it was 5.13am.

On opening the door, Mum came in with a tray containing a teapot,
two mugs, a sugar bowl and an assortment of chocolate biscuits.

“
How are you feeling, love? The nice policeman told me everything.
He was ever so nice, wasn
’
t he? Must have been a terrible shock for you,
love. Put plenty of sugar in your tea and take a biscuit. Sugar
’
s good for
shock!
”

What the bloody hell had gone on? This was torture, I was unable
to sustain my diplomacy any longer!

“
What happened, Kelly?
”

I asked in my softest, most compassionate voice. All of a sudden,
Kelly shot up out of the settee, like a spring had catapulted into her
backside.

“
I need to go out, Richie, will you come with me?
”
she said this with
some urgency like a drunk
would just before a vomit.

             
“
Of course I will.
”

As I stood up, I could see the disappointment written all over
Mum
’s
face, I had inherited my inquisit
ive nature from her bloodline.

             
“
What about your tea?
”
she protested.

“
Sorry Mum, we
’
ll have a cup later. Let me just throw on some
clothes over these pyjamas, Kelly, and then we can go. Do you just want
a quick walk around the block? A breath of fresh air?
”

“
No,
”
Kelly replied,
“
I want you to walk me up to the
“
Sunny Road.
”

             
“
The sunny road?
”
Mum was confused.
“
It
’
s not going to be sunny
now, love, it
’
s still pitch black out there. Stay and have your tea!
”

             
“
It
’
s fine, Mum. The
“
Sunny Road
”
is just a name we gave a road
over on Clieves Hill and anyway, it
’
s starting to brighten up already, by the time we get over there, it will be daylight and by the looks of things,
it might even be sunny.
”

I threw some clothes on and despite Mum
’
s protests we headed off
on our walk. From Mum and Dad
’
s to Clieves Hill and the
“
Sunny 
Road
”
is no more than a mile and a half, a half hour walk, but we left
in lamppost lit dusk and arrived in daylight. On the journey, sketchy
details of Kelly
’
s ordeal began to emerge and the real victim was revealed.
Initially though, my assumption that Jemma was dead, led to mutual
confusion!

“…
so Jemma and I pretty much knew she was dead straight away.
”

             
“
Whoa! Whoa! Whoa!
”
I needed to grasp this, it was all a bit too
freaky for me.

“
Kelly, you
’
re saying both you and Jemma knew she was dead.
”

“
Yes. She wasn
’
t breathing.
”

Assuming there
’
s an afterlife, which I don
’
t believe there is, but
assuming there is, when you die, you know you
’
re dead, but I didn
’
t
understand how Kelly could say that both her and Jemma knew Jemma
was dead.

“
I don
’
t get it.
”

Kelly looked at me like I was as bright as a black button at midnight.

“
Richie, what is there not to get?
”

“
How did you know, Jemma knew she was dead?
”

“
She told me.
”

“
She told you?
”

I looked at Kelly like she was some sort of freak.

“
Yes. Jemma told me she was dead. I
’
ve told you this.
”

“
How did she tell you then? Using some weird telepathic, spiritual
power?
”

“
No, she moved her mouth.
”

Kelly had lost it. Speaking to the dead! She was well on the way to
the Psychiatric Ward! I was just
playing along now for a laugh.

             
“
Go on then, tell me when Jemma told you that she was dead.
”

             
“
Whilst Jemma and I were waiting for the ambulance to come and
collect her body.
”

I smiled.

“
Right! You spoke to Jemma whilst you were waiting for her body
to be collected!
”

“
Yes! So?
”

Who did she
think she was? Mary Magdalene?

“
Does that not strike you as being completely insane?
”

“
It was insane that she was dead, but it was not insane that I would
be speaking to Jemma. We
’
re sisters, she brought me up, we had been
through this together. Why would I not be talking to her?
”

“
I can understand why you would be talking to her, but I don
’
t
understand why Jemma would be speaking to you?
”

This question seemed to freak Kelly out even more.

“
What do you mean? What are
you trying to say, Richie? Why
would Jemma not be speaking to me? Are you accusing me?
”

“
Kelly, I
’
m not accusing you of anything.
”

This was the most bizarre conversation I had ever had.

“
All I
’
m asking is whether Jemma spoke back to you?
”

“
Absolutely. It was Jemma that stopped me completely freaking out!
”

             
At that very moment, I must admit, I wanted to wash my hands of Kelly. Jemma had tragically died, but even after her death, Kelly was
having a two way conversation with her. It was all too weird for me.
Kelly was scaring me. I imagined grief had the capacity to do strange
things to the mind, but I wasn
’
t expecting Kelly to be the type of girl
who would embrace the paranormal so readily.

A random question only asked to break an eerie silence, was the one
that solved the mystery.

“
Where was your Mum whilst all this was going on?
”

“
Out for the count at the bottom of the stairs. We didn
’
t move her.
”

“
Drunk?
”

“
Probably Richie, but I think the fact that she was dead was more
important than the fact she was drunk!
”

“
Your Mum
’
s dead?

“
Of course she
’
s dead! What
’
s up with you, Richie? The police car,
the uniformed officers, the tears, this whole strange conversation - are
they all not one big clue?
”

“
So Jemma
’
s not dead?
”

“
NO! Why would Jemma be dead? I
just told you I was talking to
her!
”

“
Well, why are you crying then?
”

This was not meant to be heartless. If my mother or father had died
unexpectedly, I would be a total wreck, but there was a major difference
here, I loved my Mum and Dad with all of my heart. OK, my Dad was
a gambler and more than a little unreliable, but he was a loveable rogue.
From all accounts, Kelly
’
s mother was a nasty piece of work, always
drunk, uncaring, selfish and promiscuous. Until Kelly muttered her
response, I was still in the phase of thinking none of this added up.

“
Because
…
.
”
Kelly half-choked on her line,
“
I killed her.
”

The penny dropped faster than a freefall skydiver. We stopped walking.

“
How? How did you kill her?
”

“
She was going to attack Jemma again. I was cowering in my room,
hating myself, wishing I had the bottle to do something, then, all of
a sudden, I did have. Someone or something took over my body and I
just ran at her screaming. She was at the top of the stairs, I pushed her,
she took a step back, lost her balance and fell.
”

To an extent, I felt relieved. I thought Kelly was going to say she
stabbed her or poisoned her or s
omething equally first degree.

             
“
Kelly, you can
’
t blame yourself for that. You said she lost her balance
and fell. You were just pushing her away from Jemma. It sounds like it
was an accident, Kelly. A tragic accident.
”

“
Richie, it wasn
’
t! OK, I didn
’
t mean to kill her but I pretty much
pushed her down the stairs. Mum would still be here now if I hadn
’
t.
The police are going to send me to jail for this or at least some young
offenders unit. My Mum is dead and I killed her! As soon as the police
cotton on to that fact, I
’
ll be heading behind bars for a very long time.

“
Don
’
t be ridiculous, Kelly. It was an accident. You won
’
t go to jail.
”

“
Richie, you
’
re right, I won
’
t go to jail. I won
’
t allow them to do that
to me. I
’
m leaving, Richie. I am going to pack a bag and go. Disappear.
The thing is, Richie, I don
’
t want to do this on my own. I want to run
away with you, Richie. I need you to come with me. Please, come with
me. Show me how much you love me and come with me. Please Richie,
I don
’
t think I can do this without you
”