by Katie Penryn
“He will?”
Felix winked at Jimbo. “Sure thing, kiddo. Just keep calm and let the guy do what he has to do.”
We gave the inspector a couple of glasses of wine and let him out into the yard again to lay his bait. Nothing was going to stop him from doing his duty and ticking his little boxes.
When he left the unpleasant smell of officialdom hung in the air only as long as it took Felix and Sam to collect up the bait and put it in the dustbin.
With the rats taken care of, Felix and I were ready to visit the cats in the library later on that night.
Chapter 3
As I was accompanying Felix on his second nocturnal visit to the library, he didn’t have to shift down to Felix the Savannah cat to enter the library through the cat flap, but we did have to take care not to be seen outside the service door as I uttered the open lock spell.
Felix put his finger to his mouth to shush me as he closed the door softly behind us. “Be careful. We have to watch out for the human security guard.”
We’d only taken a few steps when two large cats came running out of one of the side rooms to greet us.
“Hail, Felix,” said the tabby with the biggest head I’ve ever seen on a cat. “You kept your promise.” He swept his eyes over me, taking in every last bit of me from head to toe. “So this is your beautiful redheaded witch.”
“Beautiful?” I asked. “Who said I was beautiful?”
“He did, of course,” the cat answered pointing at Felix with his paw.
I raised my brows at Felix who grinned and said, “Everyone always exaggerates about their boss, either upwards or downwards. So you are either the most beautiful witch in the world or the ugliest, covered in warts. Which witch would you rather I said you were?”
“I wish you wouldn’t ask me questions like that.”
Felix chuckled. “Just don’t let it go to your head. I was only being polite.”
For some reason I couldn’t pin down my heart sank at Felix’s remark, but I shrugged it off and asked Felix to introduce us.
“I’m Magnus,” said the tabby. “We didn’t give Felix here our names last time he visited us. And this is my friend and colleague, Feo,” he said waving an ugly white Persian forward to offer his paw.
The civilities dealt with, Feo led us to the stairs saying, “We’ll be more comfortable upstairs in the library proper.”
On the way we passed a service kitchen. We didn’t need to look in the doorway to know the guard was fast asleep. His snores followed us up to the next floor. We took seats at a table well away from the windows. The two cats spent a few seconds giving themselves a wash and brush up before sitting up straight and regarding us with a businesslike stare.
“So,” I said feeling a little uncomfortable at the intensity of their examination of me.
“We don’t mean to be discourteous,” said Magnus, “But we’ve never seen a real witch before. We’ve talked about it, read about it and I for one have dreamed about it… and now here you are in the flesh. It takes my breath away.”
Feo laid a paw on the table and leaned forwards towards me. “You are the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. I would have known you were a witch if you had come into the library as an ordinary mortal. It’s your rainbow aura that gives it away.”
“What?” I said casting a glance down at myself. “Rainbow aura?”
Felix laughed. “Didn’t you know?”
“Of course, I didn’t. Do I really have an aura that you can see?”
Feo clapped his paws together. “It shimmers all around you as you move. Cats can always see a witch’s aura. As you know we have a special relationship with witches.”
“Which brings us to why we wanted Felix to bring you in to see us,” said Magnus. “We were hoping you knew some other witches and could find us a job as a familiar.”
“But I don’t know any other witches.”
“You don’t go to meetings and dance around naked?” asked Feo.
“I’m afraid not,” I answered trying to ignore the smirk spreading across Felix’s face. “And I’m new to this magic business, anyway.”
Magnus let out a long meow. “The stories must be exaggerated. We’ve read books about witches here in the library. Some witches get up to all sorts of mischief.”
Feo sighed. “And then there are those who came to an untimely end – in a pond or at the stake.”
“Not nowadays, Mpenzi,” said Magnus quickly. “Only in the olden times. People like witches now.”
“Not everywhere,” said Felix. “In Africa where I come from witches are different. They are thought to put the evil eye on people or curse them.”
“So they’re unpopular there?” asked Magnus. “There’s not much point looking for work in Africa then.”
An idea had come to me while Magnus and Felix were talking. Gwinny was a witch and if I had my way, she would soon be moving back to her own house. Maybe she could do with a cat. I didn’t mention Gwinny to Magnus and Feo because Gwinny wasn’t much of a witch and quite honestly if she wanted a cat she might want a prettier one.
“I know what you’re thinking,” said Magnus wiping his paw over his ear. “You think we’re past it. Too battle worn. But these are honorable scars, aren’t they, Feo.”
Feo jumped up onto the table and sashayed over to me. He bumped his smashed nose against mine and withdrew to look at me, cat to witch so to speak. “We’re only asking you to keep an ear open for us. You’ll do that?”
“Of course, she will,” said Felix before I had a chance to answer.
I smiled and agreed. I did say I might have someone in mind. “But no promises, mind you.”
Seeing that the business part of our visit was over, Felix took out his silver hip flask and offered Magnus and Feo a capful of his precious Laphroaig while he and I quaffed out of the little silver cups that sit on top of the flask.
The golden single malt whisky loosened us all up, and we spent a happy hour chatting with the cats. They fell about laughing when Felix told them what we had done to the rats.
“All the less work for us,” said Magnus. “Mice I don’t mind but rats… urgh!”
As we left, the fearsome duo assured us that if we needed their help again, or if ever we needed to tap into the local grapevine, we could count on their services.
*
Midnight had come and gone by the time Felix and I made our way up to our bedrooms. As he turned in his door I said, “Goodnight, my friend. Things are beginning to settle down. We’ve cleared up the rats and the back yard, and thanked the library cats. That horrible murder is behind us. Tomorrow we can begin the work on the brocante. I can’t wait to find out what’s in there.”
Felix pulled me to him and gave me a friendly hug then tapped me gently on my bottom, “Off you go, boss. Get some sleep.”
It wasn’t to be. The day had been too busy for sleep to come easily. Every time I drifted into that space between waking and sleeping, some stray thought would bounce out of the bushes and jerk me to full consciousness again. It must have been after four o’clock in the morning before my mind closed down and allowed me to fall asleep.
I awoke to hear Jimbo screaming for me. I rushed across the landing to his bedroom and flicked on the light. An icy blast greeted me as I stepped over the threshold. Jimbo sat scrunched up against the bed head, his eyes screwed tight shut. He held his pillow in front of his chest as a shield. His terror was such that he didn’t notice me until I crossed the room and pulled him into my arms.
The tremors shaking his body robbed him of speech. He could only gasp my name.
Holding him as firmly as I could to infuse him with my support, I asked, “Whatever’s the matter, Jimbo. Are you having a nightmare?”
“Penzi,” he whispered. “I’m so frightened.”
“I can see that, darling. What’s scared you?”
“It’s the ghosts. They come every night.”
“Ghosts? You mean floating white sheets in the
air?”
He opened his eyes at that and said with annoyance, “Yes, ghosts. You know what I mean. And the worse one is that woman who was shut in the fridge.”
“How do you know it’s her ghost?” I asked treating his story seriously.
“Because she says so. She moans out her name and complains about being killed. Says how unfair it was.”
“What does she look like?”
“She changes all the time. I never saw her, did I? You wouldn’t let me see her. So I don’t know what she looks like.”
I eased his hands down from his pillow and took them in mine. “Come down to the kitchen with me and we’ll make some cocoa.”
I drew him off the bed and made sure he put his slippers on. As we stepped out onto the landing, Felix appeared.
“What’s going on?” he asked in alarm.
“Jimbo’s seeing ghosts, but it’s nothing to worry about. We’re going downstairs to sort it all out.”
“I’ll come with you. Three heads are better than two.”
We were halfway down the stairs when Audrey came hurrying down from the top floor with her two children, both clutching their mother’s hands and sucking their thumbs. For Simone that was normal. She was only two and a half after all. But Wilfred was eight.
“Penzi, wait for me,” she called out. “My kids are having nightmares.”
“Me, too,” said Jimbo. “Nasty ghosts and things all over my room making horrid noises.”
I stopped and waited for Audrey to catch up with us.
Once we were all safely in the kitchen with Zig, Zag and Piffle for company and protection, Felix made the cocoa while Audrey and I calmed the three children. They all told the same story. Scary ghosts crying and moaning.
“And their room is so cold,” Audrey said. “It’s too much of a coincidence for all three children to have the same nightmares.”
I had to agree with her. It had to be more than nightmares.
Jimbo twisted round in his chair and gave me a deep look. “So you do think we’re telling the truth?”
“Jimbo darling, I never doubted that you were frightened, but I thought you were possibly imagining things because of the events of the past fortnight.”
Felix had been standing waiting with the mugs of cocoa. Now he placed them on the table in front of the children. “I haven’t wanted to say anything before, but it’s possible the house is haunted. Ever since I arrived its atmosphere has been weird, but it doesn’t feel threatening to me. It’s more that it’s sad and melancholy.”
I tapped his hand and pointed to the cupboard. “If we’re talking about a real haunting and not children’s nightmares, please give Audrey and me a small glass of cognac.”
Audrey nodded and rose to fetch glasses and put them on the table ready for Felix to pour out the cognac.
The children sipped their hot cocoa and we three adults sipped our cognac while we thought over what Felix had said. I for one thought there could be some truth in what he said. Searching out the murderer of the woman who had been killed in our garden had taken up most of my attention. I’d been oblivious to things paranormal. I’d been too busy coping with things supernatural — taking my baby steps to becoming a witch.
The pallor had left Audrey’s face as the cognac worked its miracle as the water of life. “We have to speak to the priest, to Father Pedro. We can’t continue like this.”
Felix topped up our glasses. “I agree with Audrey. Fetch the parish priest and have him perform an exorcism. We can’t stay here if the children can’t sleep. They can see the ghosts because they’re young and are extra sensitive.”
“Audrey, you’ll have to take us to meet your Father Pedro. We’re new here and we aren’t Catholic.”
“That doesn’t matter. Father Pedro accepts everyone in his church and he’s sympathetic to newcomers. He was one himself once. He’s Spanish.”
“Would you phone him first thing in the morning and make an appointment for us to visit him?”
“Of course. But now we should get the children to bed again. Dawn isn’t far away. They will be tetchy tomorrow if they don’t get any sleep.”
“Jimbo,” I said tapping him on the shoulder. “Come along.”
He pulled away from me. “No, Penzi. Can’t I stay down here in the kitchen with the dogs until morning?”
He hadn’t understood what we’d decided because he couldn’t speak French yet. “Jimbo, we’re going to ask the Catholic priest, Father Pedro, to come round and sort out the ghosts, but now you have to come to bed.”
“Can I sleep in your bed tonight? And can we take the dogs upstairs with us?”
“Just for tonight. We’ll take Zig and Piffle. Audrey can have Zag. They’ll let me know if the ghosts come back while you’re asleep. Dogs always know when there’s a ghost in the room.”
Chapter 4
I slept late and came downstairs to hear Audrey on the phone to Father Pedro. I busied myself with putting on the kettle and laying the breakfast table while I waited to hear what he had to say. Gwinny came in as Audrey clicked off her call.
“What a beautiful morning,” she said pushing her drab blond hair back from her face. She walked over to the front window and gazed out over the bay.
I joined her to look out at the view. All was peaceful across at the Esplanade. Tiny figures darted about setting up shop for a busy day of earning their income from the many tourists who had flocked to the little town for their summer holidays. “You look as if you slept well.”
Gwinny cast a smile my way. “I did. I feel wonderful, ready to take on the world. But you look tired, Penzi. A bad night?”
Audrey appeared at my side with a mug of tea and one for Gwinny. “It was terrible, Gwinny. The children, all of them, had nightmares about ghosts.”
“They’re probably overwrought after all that’s happened here. They’ll calm down.”
I took a few sips of my tea before saying I thought it was more than that.
Gwinny laughed. “I don’t believe in ghosts.”
Audrey fetched herself a cup of coffee, “Haven’t you sensed a change in the house since Edna was found in the fridge in the back yard?”
“Things are strange, yes, but that’s probably more because we’ve all been strained. Our energy has been negative. It’s not the house itself.”
“Felix thinks the atmosphere is creepy, too,” I said. “And how do you account for the steep dive in temperature in the children’s rooms?”
“You didn’t tell me about that. Maybe Edna’s spirit is hanging around. What are you doing about it?”
“Audrey’s called the local priest for help.”
Audrey jerked her head towards the table and I took her hint and sat down.
“So what did the priest say?” I asked her.
“He said he had to get permission from his bishop to visit a house about a possible haunting. He’ll give us a ring if and when he can come and see us. Probably tomorrow because he has catechism classes this afternoon.”
“Oh dear,” said Gwinny. “You really are taking this seriously, aren’t you? And I was in such a positive frame of mind. I thought I’d go back to my own cottage this morning.”
Good old Gwinny. Running away again. But perhaps I was being unfair. She hadn’t known about the ghosts when she decided to go home.
Jimbo came straggling in, his creased pajamas and the dark circles under his eyes bearing witness to his nighttime fright.
“I heard that,” he said. “Please don’t go,” he said grabbing hold of Gwinny’s arm, making her slosh her tea onto the floor. While Zag hurried over to lick up the mess, Gwinny put her mug down and pulled Jimbo into her arms.
“I shan’t be far away and you know it’s what we agreed. Penzi needs her own space and I do, too.”
She looked up and caught my eye. “Isn’t that right, Penzi?”
A stab of guilt jabbed me in the gut and I flinched. Was she asking me to contradict her? It seemed so. Was I so wrong not t
o let our recently restored mother live with us permanently? Possibly, but that was something I would have to live with. I couldn’t wipe out seven years of neglect in a fortnight, so I didn’t answer her. I spoke to Jimbo instead.
“Jimbo, Gwin—”
Jimbo slid out of Gwinny’s hold and ran round the table to me. He tugged at my T-shirt. “She’s not Gwinny, she’s Mum, my mum, and I want her to live here with us.”
Seeing the need in his eyes as he beseeched me, I realized I was being selfish and cruel. If Jimbo needed his biological mother, I should be able to ignore the hurt feelings of my own inner child and put Jimbo first.
“It’s all right, Jimbo,” I said. “I’m sure Gwinny will stay if that’s what we all want. Isn’t that so?” I asked looking across the table at Gwinny.
She gave me a searching look and when I tipped my head to the side, she said, “Very well. I’ll stay – for the time being. Until you’re all straightened out after the move.”
Jimbo hugged me and ran back to his place where he sat down and helped himself to Weetabix.
“What’s happening?” asked Felix coming into the kitchen followed by Sam.
We caught them both up to date on the priest’s possible visit.
“Why’s a priest coming here?” asked Sam.
“Ghosts,” said the three children together.
With everyone interrupting and telling their part we told Sam about the nightmares, the possibility that Edna Yardley and other spirits were haunting the house and asked him what he thought about the situation.
“Pooh, there’s no such thing as ghosts,” he said.
Jimbo shrank back in his chair. “Sam’s going to say I’m a wuss. He always says that when I’m scared.”
I gave Sam a fierce look. “For heaven’s sake, Sam. Jimbo’s your kid brother. You’re supposed to protect and defend him, not make fun of his fears.”
Sam rolled his eyes. Jimbo watched him anxiously. Growing up with no father, Sam was an important role model for Jimbo, and Jimbo strove to live up to Sam’s expectations. Being scared was taboo. But not this time. Sam sighed and stretched out his arms inviting Jimbo in. Poor little kid didn’t need a second invitation. He was off his seat and over to Sam for a hug.
