Halton Cray (Shadows of the World Book 1) (21 page)

Twenty

CAUTION: DENSE FOG
AHEAD

REDUCE YOUR SPEED
NOW

…Acknowledging the sign, I
drove slowly into town. Since the day of the blackout I became desperate to
tell Beth a great deal about Thom, in a bid to get her opinion. Now that I
understood the very nature of my feelings for him, I became confused about why
I wanted to tell her half-stories and suspicions.

Beth was meeting me outside the shopping mall
under the Clock Tower. She had Eloise in a buggy, and the little Houdini was
wedging herself under the straps, attempting to break free. The moment she saw
me she called on me for help, pointing and endeavouring to pronounce my name. –
Her being under three years old and my name containing a sounding ‘L’, I could
hardly express my surprise at being called ‘Addicts’ – the crueller side of
Fortune occasionally has a sense of humour. She soon lost interest and began
watching a man nearby walking his dog. She pointed to the pooch and clearly
shouted ‘Chicken!’

‘Bee, what on earth have you been teaching her? On
second thought, what have you been feeding her?’

‘I think she just does it to wind me up,’ she said
nonchalantly. ‘She knows it’s a dog.’

‘No,’ said the incorrigible child, no longer
looking at the animal. ‘It’s not dog. It’s chicken.’

We headed to Costa Coffee at the centre of the
mall, with the surrounding shops overlooking us. Beth granted her daughter
freedom by removing the straps. The sprightly child leapt from the seat like a
spring. She gestured to sit on my lap and while there, which was very
short-lived, Beth ordered some coffees. When the waitress came near to wipe the
table, Eloise cried hard.

‘Is she hungry?’ I asked.

‘No. She’s not long eaten.’ Beth stroked her hair
to compose her. ‘It’s people. She doesn’t like strangers. You remember?’

‘Yeah, I just didn’t realise how sensitive she was
to someone coming in close proximity for two seconds.’

We bought some sandwiches, and Eloise refusing her
own ate from both our plates instead.

‘I’ve not heard anything from Stacey for a while,’
Beth remarked, furrowing her brow. ‘It’s not like her. She’s usually in need of
something. Is she alright?’

‘Actually, no. She’s been off work for a week
now.’

‘What, on holiday?’

‘No. On sort of sick leave.’

‘Why?’

‘Oh, where to begin, Bee!’

I began relating what had happened last Saturday
during the blackout, and I continued telling my best friend only the official
story.

‘I’ll be surprised if Stacey goes back at all
after that,’ she said, shaking a sachet of sugar. ‘When is she due back?’

‘Tomorrow.’

‘Just be prepared. You know what she’s like.’

I smiled. ‘Mrs Evans went to her house to check up
on her. Really, it’s only to ensure she doesn’t quit. She’s even got me phoning
her every five minutes to see how she’s doing.’

‘And how is she doing?’

‘She’s anxious, but no longer convinced a ghost
was after her. She now believes the escaped mental patient version instead of
some monster being on the loose.’

‘Alex, you almost sound like you’re not
convinced.’

‘Really?’ I laughed nervously.

During intervals in our conversation, I kept
thinking whether to open up about Thom, and perhaps my feelings for him. Even
more terrifying, I was still contemplating telling Beth all that had happened
at the Cray. For this I’d have to start from the beginning – from the moment I
met him, to the truth about the blackout, and of course, mention his offensive
female friend. I wanted her opinion on all of it and the things he said to me.
But the more I fudged about trying to begin such a subject, the more I feared
that she might decide on Thom being too suspiciously strange. I realised it was
not her opinion I wanted at all. I actually sought her concurrence with my own,
and I wasn’t prepared for any other. I realised how much I wanted her to like him.
I was excited only to hear her say ‘he seems lovely, and he must really like
you…’ The idea of influencing someone to take up against him made me feel
altogether like I was betraying him
and
myself. I was soon glad that I
hadn’t said a thing.

‘Alex?’ called a familiar voice. It was Dan.

Eloise roared a cry as he came close, a half-chewed
bit of sandwich tumbled out of her mouth.

‘Oops!’ he yelped, edging back. ‘I know I’m ugly
but I can’t help it. Didn’t mean to scare the little one! Wow, you’re a beauty
aren’t you?’ he said as she recoiled in Beth’s arms.

‘Sorry!’ Beth apologised. ‘It’s not you, honest! –
come on, Ellie. Sit still. – She’s just unsociable by nature.’

‘Dan, this is my friend, Beth. Dan works at the
Cray.’

‘Nice to meet you.’ He nodded, ineffectively
attempting one last smile at Eloise. After learning her name and age, he looked
back to me.

‘I’m up here with Thom, but he’s disappeared on
me. You haven’t seen him on your travels by any chance?’

‘You’re here with Thom?’ I recapped.

‘Are you just repeating what I’m saying?’

‘Umm, evidently – but no, I haven’t seen him.’ My
eyes darted all over the mall. My stomach churned as if a fire had ignited under
it.

Beth leant over to me and whispered, ‘The infamous
Thom? I take it you’ve never seen him away from Halton Cray before?’

‘No,’ I shot back, ‘I haven’t. Stacey would be very
disappointed if I told her! She likes to think he’s bound to it, remember?’

She giggled.

‘Ah!’ Dan bellowed. ‘There he is. Rues! Over
here!’

Thom had already spotted us, and made his way over.
His black eyes stood out wildly in the floodlit shopping mall, resembling black
and brimming inkwells. He was less smart than usual in a charcoal V-neck
sweater and blue jeans. His hair was rather unkempt too, and yet he still
looked very well.

‘Hello, Thom.’ I found myself especially nervous
to see him out of context. ‘What are you doing up here, shopping?’

‘No, I’m fly-fishing.’ He smiled. ‘What else do
people do in a shopping centre?’

‘Experiment with the lowest form of wit?’ I shot
back.

‘Touché! You’re as thorny as ever, or is it all
that coffee – and it’s given you the trembles; your hands are shaking.’

‘I’m cold,’ I lied, rubbing them.

‘I’m cold,
what
?’

‘I’m cold, sir.’ I glowered at him.

‘I think it is the last day of it, Cassandra, so
make sure you adhere to the rules. You don’t want extra time added, I’m sure.’

It was difficult for Beth to get a decent look at
him, or make any conversation, since Eloise was fidgeting in her arms. They
said hello but Eloise had already begun to cry again the moment Thom came over.
It wasn’t half as bad as I expected. As with him, I thought she’d throw a hissy
fit. I’m sure he thought this was specific to him, but he hid it well.
Astonishing me he reached out to her. Amazing us all she became rather still. She
watched his hand coming closer to her face. He gently pressed the end of her
tiny nose with his index finger, like a button, making her eyes squint as he
did so. She stopped crying altogether. Her head bowed forward and her thumb
found its way into her mouth. Beth’s jaw dropped in sync with mine.

‘She obviously likes you,’ said Beth, as Eloise sat
quietly on her lap.

Dan emphasised a tutting sound. ‘Ever since I’ve
known him he’s had this enchanting way with the ladies.’

It seemed ridiculous, though no less real, that I endured
a stab of jealousy to that statement.

‘But that’s too unfair!’ continued Dan, laughing.
‘I feel like a monster now. And he knows much less than me about babies, don’t
you?’

‘Much less, I agree,’ Thom said smoothly. He stooped
before Eloise, casting a dark uncanny shadow over her, as he examined her face
and stood upright again.

(
Turning to Dan
) ‘It’s a girl!’ – (
To
Beth
) ‘Am I wrong?’

To Thom’s smirk, Eloise gave a hearty giggle. She
looked at him as if he was a cute puppy eager to play.

‘Right, well I reckon you’re going to be coming
home with us, Thom,’ Beth joked. ‘I’ve never seen her take to somebody like
this. You must have the soul of an angel or something!’

Dan laughed excessively. ‘More like the soul of a
sissy!’ he said, before excusing himself to make a phone call.

Thom smiled genuinely to Beth’s compliment. I
offered him a seat, and there he sat with us. Beth bounced Eloise on her lap while
engaging him in conversation.

‘Alex tells me you live down at Halton Cray?’

‘I do.’

‘I never imagined anyone actually living in that
old house before,’ she remarked. ‘We used to ghost watch there at all hours of
the night. Did you tell him that, Alex?’

‘She never tells me anything,’ he answered before
I could. ‘I might as well be of spirit form myself for all the notice she pays
me.’ He tried carefully, but failed miserably not to cast a look my way.
‘Except of course when she’s plain impudent; in which case she’s got more sauce
than a burger bar.’

Beth laughed and whispered loudly to me, ‘I see
what you mean!’ To which Thom shot me a look of surprise.

‘So, Beth,’ he began, though still with eyes glued
on me. ‘Did you ever encounter anything supernatural on these ghost watches?’ He
directed his eyes back to her. ‘But you’re far too sensible for all that I
suppose?’

‘I’m sure we thought we saw things. I don’t
remember to be honest.’

‘We never saw anything ghostlike,’ I interjected,
shaking my head.

‘I’m surprised,’ he said.

‘Why?’ Beth posed.

‘The place is a riot for apparitions, amongst
other things.’

‘So I hear – poor Stacey! But she is prone to
seeing things. Seriously, though, have you seen any? I’ll be pretty jealous if
you have. The amount of trouble we got into for sneaking down there. If only
it’d been worth our while. Then again I’d probably have fainted, especially if
we saw Sir Halton’s ghost. Although it’s meant to spell trouble for anyone
living there. So I guess that means you’re safe for now.’

‘Do you really believe it means that, if you saw
him?’

‘Not really.’ Beth shrugged. ‘It’s just a story.
Why, have you ever spotted Sir Halton?’

‘On occasion,’ he began, folding his arms, and
leaning slightly forward. ‘If you stand just within the grounds of Halton Cray,
at the north end after dark, and you listen very, very carefully – you’ll hear
nothing.’ He sat back. ‘But if you go about your own business in the same area
– happening to be there between midnight and 3 A.M. – you’re likely to think
you heard the faint gallops of a distant horse. It’s in that moment that you
heard him. And I’ve never noticed any calamity to follow.’

‘So you really believe in ghosts?’

‘Oh, it’s no ghost. It’s merely a haunting.’

‘A haunting?’ Her expression changed from amused
to intrigued. ‘What’s the difference?’

‘A ghost is a deceased human or other intelligent
being. The spirit of someone usually caught between planes of existence,
between this world and the next. These ghosts are capable of interacting with
the living, perhaps because it is unnatural for them to become trapped and they
are perchance asking for help. A haunting on the other hand is a recording – an
echo – of a consequential event repeated. It could be described as one of
Life’s memories projected on to the fabric of our reality and faintly replayed
before our eyes. You can’t disturb the echo or change it in any way. Only
it
can vary its ritual slightly. If you’re able to tune into it, you can watch it,
admire it even, but there’s nothing to fear about it.’ 

‘You’re pulling my leg!’

Thom made that classic face where neither Beth nor
I could tell whether he was being serious. Eloise was at this point trying to
get my attention.

‘Addicts? Addicts?’ She pointed to her mouth to
indicate the want of a drink.

‘
Addicts
?’ Thom laughed hard looking over
to me. ‘That explains a lot!’

I reached into the buggy and passed Eloise a fresh
bottle of her juice.

‘What’s your secret then, Thom?’ Beth picked the
subject back up. ‘How do you see a haunting? I know that people report seeing
strange things at the Cray, so you must be in some club.
The ghost
appreciation society
is it?’

‘You want membership?’

‘Depends how much it cost.’

‘Ah, well, maybe I’ll just give you a tip. You
probably focus too hard. You’re more likely to see something in the periphery,
something only visible when you’re not paying attention to it.’

‘And he calls me crazy!’ I said, turning from Thom
to Beth. ‘Don’t let him wind you up, Bee.’

Dan made his way over. ‘All done. Is there
anything else you need up here, Rues?’

‘No, I’m all set.’ He got up.

‘It was nice to meet you, Beth,’ said Thom, waving
to Eloise. Dan said and did much the same, but Eloise groaned and turned her
head into Beth’s shoulder.

Thom gave me a smile as a goodbye. I said nothing
for fear of embarrassing myself. They were soon walking away. Amid giggles,
Beth agreed that they were nice enough guys, and that she was glad to have
finally met Thom. Although I caught a look of disquiet in her eyes as he moved
out of sight. I’d seen a similar look times before when complete strangers met
him. I didn’t understand it, but she brushed it off as if nothing was wrong.
She only said, ‘All you really want to know, Alex, is whether or not he likes
you. In my opinion, he does – a lot.’

I shook my head but no words came out.

‘He sat there for thirty minutes,’ she continued,
‘staring at you for half of it and goading you the rest.’

I might have enjoyed this teasing if I didn’t know
of his interest in someone else and that he was leaving the Cray.