Tick Tock (Storage Ghosts) (6 page)

There
was a shocked silence as the three of them stood still, nobody knew what to
say.

Finally
Grace said, “Your Clare is right. He murdered you, he most likely murdered my
parents, and there must be many more deaths going by all the newspaper
clippings that Clare has.”

Tom
said, “I can’t believe he could do such an evil thing. You’ve got to stop him
Grace.”

“How?
I can’t take him on, he’s evil. If he hasn’t been caught by now he must be
covering his tracks well.”

“You
have to find a way,” Tom insisted. “You can’t let anyone else die.”

Grace
looked at the floor. Tom was right. She had to stop Eddie, she had to expose
what he’d been doing. She realised that if the truth came out she could clear her
dad’s name, everyone would know that he wasn’t a drunk driver.

She
looked back at Tom and said, “You’re right, but how? We need evidence.”

Lynne
spoke, her voice trembled. “That red book of Eddie’s, he seems to write
everything down in it. You said that Clare has newspaper clippings? Perhaps the
names in those clippings will match up to the names he has in his book. Oh!
Tom! I can’t believe he did that to us.”

Tom
pulled his wife close. He gave Grace a grim look. “That red book could be
evidence, it’s the only thing we’ve got to go on. You’ve got to get it, Grace.
Then you can give it to the police.”

Grace
wasn’t sure. Even if she could get the book would the police even listen to
her? Would they dismiss her like they did with Clare?

“How
can I get my hands on that book? He never lets it out of his sight,” Grace
pointed out.

There
was a thundering on the shop door.

“Frankie?”
Grace ran over to the door and flung it open.

Eddie
Tominski smiled his oily smile. “Hello there, Grace, won’t you let me in?”

Grace
heard a shriek from Lynne behind her. Then she heard Tom cry out, “Let him in,
Grace, this is your chance!”

Grace
opened the door wider and Eddie stepped through. Grace almost collapsed when
she saw what Eddie was carrying. It was a cellophane wrapped basket, with a bow
on the front.

There
was another shriek from Lynne followed by, “Tom! The basket! He’s going to kill
Grace! Stop him.”

Grace
swallowed the ball of fear that had jumped into her throat. “What do you want,
Eddie?”

Eddie
gave a jovial laugh. Grace shivered, she remembered that laugh from the vision,
just after he’d pushed Lynne down the cellar stairs.

Eddie
said, “I’ve had a visit from your dear brother and that giant friend of his.
It’s your lucky day, Grace, the giant has paid off your loan. You don’t owe me
anything. Isn’t that wonderful?”

Eddie
looked right into Grace’s eyes. She felt like he was trying to suck her soul
out. She blinked, “Where are Frankie and Big Bob now?”

Eddie
shrugged. He held out the basket and said, “I’ve brought you this gift, to say
sorry for the times that I might have been a bit ... heavy handed with you.” He
coughed. “I haven’t had a cup of tea for hours, would you be kind enough to
make me a quick cuppa? Then I’ll be on my way.”

Tom
appeared at Grace’s side and said, “Get the book. Grace, you’ve got to find a
way to get it.”

Grace
took the basket and went through to the kitchen, her head was buzzing. How was
she to get the book? And how was she to avoid being killed by Eddie? Oh! Where
was Frankie?

Eddie
followed her, her back prickled as she felt him staring at her.

She
placed the basket on the kitchen table and then filled the kettle with water.

In
a calm voice Eddie said, “There’s some special tea in this basket, luxury tea
to die for. Why don’t you use that?”

Grace
shot back, “I don’t feel like tea, I’ve got some instant coffee in the
cupboard.”

There
was a rustle of cellophane. Eddie appeared at her side, so close that she could
feel his breath on her cheek. He said, “I’ve got coffee too, use this.”

Grace
swallowed and muttered, “Thanks.”

Eddie
sat down at the table and watched her. “It’s a shame we didn’t get the chance
to work together, I’m sure we would have got on well.”

Over
my dead body, Grace thought. Then she shivered, thoughts like that were not
helping.

She
made two coffees and turned back to Eddie, he was gazing around the kitchen, a
smug smile on his face.

Quick
as a flash Grace threw the coffee on him. She yelled, “Oh no! Eddie! I’m so
sorry! Are you alright? Your jacket! Let me take it, I’ll wipe it down.”

She
made such a fuss that Eddie didn’t know what was going on. Grace whipped his
jacket off and ran over to the sink. Her heart speeded up as she turned her
back to Eddie, the red book was sticking out of the inside pocket.

Grace’s
hand closed over it.

“Do
it!” Tom whispered at her side.

Chapter 14

“I’ll
take that.” Eddie reached over her shoulder and took the book.

Grace
turned around, her cheeks felt warm. “Sorry, it was wet, I was trying to dry it
out.”

Eddie
flicked through the pages. “It looks okay to me.”

Grace
tried to smile. “I’m so sorry about dropping that coffee, I don’t know what
came over me.” She still held his jacket.

Eddie
gave a shrug. “I didn’t feel anything.”

Lynne
burst out, “You don’t feel anything! You’re a monster!”

Eddie’s
hand moved towards Grace. She held her breath. Eddie took his jacket and held
it up to the light. “It’s a bit damp, I’ll hang it on the back of a chair
whilst I make you another coffee, you look as if you need one.”

Eddie
used his other hand to turn Grace towards a chair, he firmly pressed her down.
He placed the slim red book on the table, next to the basket.

Tom
came to Grace’s side, he pointed at the things on the table and said,
“Evidence! Take them.”

Grace
froze. What was she supposed to do? Tom was right, the evidence was right in
front of her. She glanced towards Eddie, he was busy making coffee. Could she
grab these items and run out of the shop? Would she be fast enough? Did Eddie
have his cronies waiting outside the shop?

Eddie
appeared at her side and placed two cups of coffee on the table. He gave her a
fond look and said, “Would you mind if I used your bathroom?”

Grace’s
eyes widened, she didn’t trust herself to speak so she nodded.

“I
know where it is, I’ve been here before,” Eddie said with a knowing wink.

As
soon as he’d left the kitchen Tom hissed, “Now! Get the book and basket and
run! Now!”

Lynne
wrung her hands and said, “Be careful, Grace.”

Feeling
sick with nerves Grace grabbed the items and raced out of the kitchen. Her
heart matched her pounding legs as she ran towards the shop door. She heard the
toilet flushing behind her.

She
put her hand on the shop door and pulled it open.

Clare
Opendale knocked into her and forced her back into the shop.

“Move!”
Grace yelled. “Get out of the way!”

Clare
put her hands on Grace’s arms and shouted, “I know how we can get him! Listen!”

Grace
tried to wriggle free. Clare was stronger than she looked and she pushed Grace
further back.

Grace
cried out, “Clare, we’ve got to get out! Quick! He’s here!”

“You’re
not listening to me! No one listens,” Clare pushed Grace again.

“But
he’s here!”

“Who?
Who’s here?”

The
shop door slammed behind them, the locks shot into place. The two girls spun
around.

Eddie
sneered at them. “I think Grace was trying to warn you, Clare, but you never
listen do you? You should have forgotten about this silly vendetta of yours. No
one will ever believe you, look at the state of you.”

Clare’s
hands dropped, she stared numbly at Eddie.

Lynne
screamed, “He’s got a gun! Tom, he’s got a gun!”

Grace
looked at the barrel of the slim gun that Eddie was pointing at them. This
couldn’t be happening.

Eddie
waved the gun towards the kitchen. “Off you go, girls, let’s get this matter
sorted out. This must be my lucky day, two for the price of one. Hurry up, I
haven’t got all day.”

Grace
looked at Clare, all the colour had drained from her face. A spark of anger
ignited in her, who was Eddie to treat people like this?

“When
you get there, Grace, you can put that basket and book back on the table, they aren’t
going anywhere. Oh! I do like your spirit! I shall miss you when you’re gone.”

Grace
walked towards the kitchen, Clare followed behind. Grace placed the items on
the table and then helped Clare to sit down. It looked like the life had been
drained out of her.

Lynne
and Tom were at Clare’s side, the hurt was clear on their faces, along with
their love that was shining out. How could Eddie do this to families?

Eddie
sauntered into the room. Grace could see that he was thoroughly enjoying the
power that he had over the woman. Well, she wasn’t going to show him any fear.

Clare
stared blankly at the table. Eddie sat down next to her and shoved a cup of
coffee towards her. “Have a drink, it’ll make you feel better, take all your
troubles away.”

“No!
Don’t drink it!” Grace called out.

Eddie
pointed the gun at Grace. “Let Clare make her own decisions. She looks tired, I
think she’s had enough. She can have a nice drink and then go and see mummy and
daddy. Would you like that, Clare?”

“Stop
him!” Lynne shrieked.

Clare
lifted dull eyes to Eddie and said, “You win, your kind always wins.” She
looked at Grace. “I’m sorry, I thought we could do it. It’s no use, he’s going
to kill us.”

“No,
wait. You said you had something when you came into the shop, what was it?” Grace
said.

Clare
gave a humourless laugh. “It was that red book. It suddenly came to me. I think
the names inside match those in my newspaper clippings.”

Eddie
gave a bark of laughter. “Well worked out, Miss Marple. Now, Clare, have your
coffee, it’ll knock your socks off.”

Clare
lifted the cup. Eddie’s gun pointed steadily at Grace. Grace closed her eyes,
she couldn’t bear to watch the looks on Tom and Lynne’s faces as they watched
their daughter die.

Chapter 15

Eddie
said, “Grace, open your eyes. I want to tell you about your darling brother and
his new friend. I know where they are.”

Grace’s
eyes flicked open. “What have you done to them?”

Eddie
laughed. “I couldn’t believe the nerve of that idiot giant, thinking he could
pay me off. My boys soon taught him and your brother the error of their ways. I
must say, your brother put up a good fight.”

“Where
are they?” Grace repeated, the spark of fury in her tummy started to grow.

Eddie
leant back in his chair, his eyes twinkled. “You’ll like this, Grace, I thought
it was quite fitting. They’re in a storage unit! Isn’t that hilarious? I have
many storage units around the country, I use them for furniture that people
don’t need any more. You know, the furniture like you have in your shop. I
think that table belonged to Clare’s mum and dad. Poor Clare had to sell it of
to pay mum and dad’s debts. Lucky for her I had a dealer on standby who offered
her a decent price. Money that she then gave to me. Rather like your Frankie
had to do with your parents’ things. That’s why I need storage units, to store
all this rubbish til I get fed up with paying the unit fees. Drink up, Clare.”

Clare
sipped at her coffee.

Eddie
waved his gun at Grace. “Your coffee’s getting cold, drink up.”

“No,
you’ll have to force me,” Grace said coldly.

Eddie
gave a pretend grimace. “Why do you have to make things difficult? Just a
minute! I’ve got a genius idea. I can just imagine the headlines – ‘Grief
stricken orphans take their own lives!’

He
chuckled and went on. “What a great story. I can’t believe Clare came here to
visit you and found you dead, a bullet to the head. And in her grief stricken
state she realised she was just like you, she couldn’t carry on with her
miserable life. There was one bullet left and she had perfect aim. Of course,
that means I’ll have to leave my gun here. Never mind, I’ve got more at home.”
He leaned over towards a groggy looking Clare and said, “You can leave that
coffee now.”

He
stood up and reached for his jacket.

Lynne
began to cry, Tom pulled her close. The two ghosts shimmered and disappeared.

“Isn’t
this the part where you gloat about how you’ve tricked people into giving you
money, how you then killed them and got away with it?” Grace said.