by S G Read
‘My mother is alive?’ Waif asked half pleading for it to be true.
Sonia walked into sight. ‘Yes I am Waif and I have come to take you home. I am sorry you have been in the hands of this monster all this time but you will come home with me tonight’
‘And me.’ Her father added walking into the room. ‘I am your father.’
‘And me.’ Charlotte declared. ‘You are my big sister.’
Waif fainted.
‘You need more than just your say so Sonia Pierson.’ The mother superior argued.
‘I have you cow. This is my DNA sample, this is Waif’s and it shows I am her mother. This is my husband which shows he is her father and this one shows that she is indeed Charlotte’s big sister. Which proves that you lied to me and then kidnapped my baby and you have held her prisoner for ten years and by God you are going to pay?’
The mother superior pointed at Sonia to say something. Sergeant Portland slipped one half of the handcuffs he had just taken from his belt on it and enjoyed the feeling.
‘Get that thing off my hand.’ She screamed but he merely slipped the other one on to her other wrist.
‘I understand the places you sleep in are called cells mother inferior well I am sure you will be at home in mine.’ He said contentedly.
‘Her bedroom is nearly as big as our dorm.’ Celia declared from the doorway. ‘And she has a water bed.’
The mother superior glared at her but the constable led her away. Waif opened her eyes and reached out to her mother. Sonia picked her up to cuddle her, making her wince in pain but Waif did not complain. Soon she was surrounded by her family and the rest left them to it and walked into the dining room where the food was now being served. Everyone sat down to eat and the Barkers joined them but Pat saw that Stevey was missing.
‘Where is Stephen?’ She asked.
Stuart looked round the table before he answered. ‘At a guess I think he is with Celia Mrs Brown.’
Pat looked at the door then at the table. ‘I don’t have to worry just yet do I?’
‘Not just yet Pat.’ Wendy answered. ‘But it won’t be long.’
‘That is what I am worried about.’
‘Is her mother coming to collect her?’
‘Tomorrow sometime.’ Pat sighed.
‘She could sleep at our house.’ Wendy suggested.
‘Somehow I don’t think Stephen would ever forgive me.’ Pat answered with a smile. ‘Besides it is only one night.’
It was a tearful goodbye when Waif and her new family left. Sonia Barker assured them that she would not be called Foundling Waif much longer but they would let Waif decide what her new name was going to be. Waif would also be coming back to visit them as they were the ones responsible for freeing her from her slavery.
Chapter 13
Stevey woke early in the morning and found Celia eating breakfast in the kitchen.
‘Good morning.’ She greeted cheerily. ‘Can we go and see Marmalade before I go?’
‘Yes Ronnie will be working over there, if not working, now that the house is habitable he sleeps there to save the rent he was paying on his flat.’ Stevey answered.
‘You call that habitable?’ She asked with look of amazement.
‘You didn’t see it before the fire.’ Stevey answered.
‘What did happen over there?’ She asked.
‘It’s a long story.’ Stevey answered quickly.
‘He nearly got himself toasted alive over there!’ Pat declared. ‘If it wasn’t for Jenny calling out the rest of the team he would have been.’
‘Who is Jenny?’ Celia asked.
‘Stuart’s girl friend.’ Stevey answered quickly.
‘Does she know that?’ Pat asked.
‘Not in so many words but he does like her.’ Stevey admitted.
‘And you don’t?’ Celia asked.
‘Oh I like her but not as much as I like you.’ Stevey answered as he emptied his bowl of porridge. ‘Shall we go?’
‘After I have cleaned my teeth I think.’ Celia declared and went up stairs with Stevey following.
His plan was to get out before the others were ready to go, mainly so that he could be alone with Celia but it was not to be and the whole team plus Celia and Molly walked over to the breakers yard to see Ronnie and Marmalade.
While they were all together and in the breakers yard Celia turned the talk to what happened in there and finally heard the whole story. That meant when they walked back they were all singing ‘Always look on the bright side of life’ again.
To Stevey’s annoyance Celia’s mother arrived for lunch and took Celia home after they had eaten. Molly’s parents were on holiday and a telegram arrived asking Pat to look after her while they were away after the report of the happenings at the convent. The convent was now closed while the police mounted a full investigation to find out just who they could charge with what.
Pat waved as Celia was taken away and relaxed. She was glad it was Molly who had to stay behind even though Sherman was getting very friendly with her.
Stuart convened a meeting in the games room to discuss further searches for Tim’s mortal remain and Molly sat in on it. They discussed it for a long time and decided to try their luck with the new probes on the other side of the road which the drive opened on to and then move up the lane toward the main road, using Tim’s ability to look under the ground with out the necessity of digging to speed things up.
‘I just hope we find the right body this time.’ Toby declared.
‘Have you found other bodies while you have been searching then Toby?’ Molly asked.
‘Yes in one cave, the cave where Ronnie’s evil brother hid Lenny Mole’s body we found a body but he turned out to be an old tramp who had died. We found a coffin in the pond by the breakers yard and thought our football pitch might be on top of and old cemetery but that turned out to be a skeleton which the local undertaker used as a display. Some drunks had stolen it one night and given it a decent burial in a drainage trench.
‘You do lead interesting lives.’ Molly declared.
‘You did quite well in the convent according to Waif.’ Sherman replied.
‘It was interesting when Celia dropped out of the window we escaped though. She had to do it head first and I had to try to catch her.’ Molly exclaimed. ‘It is a good thing she isn’t fat!’
‘How long are you here for Molly?’ Sherman asked.
‘Until Monday when my parents return from their holiday then they are coming to collect me.’
A cloud crossed Sherman’s face he was going home on Friday and there was no getting out of it.
‘I might see you when I get back on Monday then.’ He said hopefully.
‘We do have the rest of the week yet.’ Molly answered.
‘Yes we have.’ Stevey agreed, ‘let us get searching.’
They walked down the drive and crossed the road to start the search. Toby had designed a grid they could use so that they knew where they had searched and marked the findings on it. Everyone was issued with a probe although she found it hard to push in and Sherman had to help her a lot, he enjoyed helping Molly. They worked along the side of the road where is was possible to bury a body in the time Humphrey had to dispose of it, although it was suggested that he might have hidden the body and then buried it later. If that was so it would not help the searchers one bit.
For once they did not find a body before they returned for lunch. After lunch they continued with the search and it was dark when they returned to the hall. That side of the road was searched with no results. They discussed the search on the lane the back gate opened on to and decided during dinner that they would start in the morning. Wendy and David Sellars were there and offered to help the next day, to keep things moving and their help was gratefully accepted.
That night Molly lay in bed not sleeping because she was in a room on her own and she was not used to it. She could hear a low crying coming from what she knew was the north wing and
walked along to see who was crying and found Tim in his room. It was not his normal loud crying but more a whimpering and when she opened the door he remained where he was and visibly.
‘What’s up Tim?’ She asked.
‘I liked Celia, I like you but I can never be anything but a friendly ghost to either of you.’ He complained.
‘That’s true but surely if we do find your body while we are searching, you can go to your mother and father in Heaven?’ Molly answered and sat on the bed next to him.
She instinctively put her arms round him and found he felt warm to the touch. He responded and put his arms round her. They lay on the bed cuddling for the rest of the night and both fell asleep.
It was the first time Tim had actually slept since he had been a ghost and he woke refreshed. He yawned and it woke Molly who stretched and yawned herself.
‘That’s the first time I have slept with a girl.’ Tim declared.
‘It is the first time I have slept with a ghost.’ Molly replied. ‘Did anything happen?’
‘You mean like… I don’t think so? I have seen what they do but I don’t know if we did it. Can a ghost make you pregnant?’ Tim spluttered.
‘I hope not.’ Molly declared. ‘It would difficult when you couldn’t find the baby!’
They walked out of the north wing laughing and walked right into the others who were searching for Molly.
‘That’s where you are!’ Sherman said worriedly. ‘We were looking for you.’
‘Sherman was looking for you.’ Toby corrected. ‘We were just helping.’
‘It was alright Sherman, I was in safe hands.’ Molly explained. ‘And he was a complete gentleman.’
The strange looks she received from the boys including Sherman made her add.
‘So, I slept with a ghost!’
They left the boys talking among them selves and walked down the stairs for breakfast. The boys followed on and were still discussing it when Molly went up to shower. Tim remained at the table and in sight just in case they thought he might go up and watch, with his track record of going into the showers at the convent.
The search on the other side of the lane started when Wendy and David arrived with Stuart. As they walked over the garden the boys were all bringing Stuart up to date with recent events and they discussed what a ghost was able to do in detail.
The search was the same as by the other road and the grids were marked with string as they went and then the string was removed when the area was searched. As they moved along getting nearer the convent they did not stop looking although it was someway from the hall. They stopped for lunch and walked back to the hall leaving the probes sticking in the ground ready to continue. After lunch they continued and when Tim investigated a soft patch he leapt out of the ground almost as soon as he went in.
‘What is it Tim?’ David asked.
‘A baby.’ Tim answered. ‘A dead baby wrapped in a towel!’
The search stopped and they all returned to the hall where David phoned sergeant Portland. He did not know how he was going to explain the search to the sergeant but it had to be investigated.
The boys were disappointed in two ways, one was because it was not Tim’s remains and the other was because they had to stop searching when they were so near finishing. They all congregated in the games room to discuss the find but Tim was shaken at actually seeing a little baby buried without a coffin and only wrapped in a towel.
Sergeant Portland arrived fresh from his arrest and charging the Mother Superior on numerous counts. He had sent men to the cottage hospital to subpoena records and they had found a second set of books, kept by the hospital administrator, just in case there was trouble and she was fully cooperating with the investigation. He did not even ask why they were searching but merely wanted to know where the body was, from there on it became a police operation with the boys and Molly getting as close as they could get without being told off.
Tim wanted to know more, so any close inspection was carried out by him and when a second baby’s body was found he informed the boys immediately.
‘Is the second one a boy or a girl?’ Ben asked when the sergeant walked by.
‘Have you lot got eagle eyes or something?’ He replied trying to judge the distance from the dig. ‘We have neither baby’s sex as yes that will be up to the pathologist.’
A call sent him back over to the dig and Tim followed.
‘It is another one.’ He said when he came back. ‘Where do you think they are coming from?’
‘At a guess from the cottage hospital.’ David answered from behind them. ‘I think any nun who has got into trouble either before she goes into the convent or after goes there to have the baby removed and sometimes too late by all accounts. Some pupils have been in there as well.’
‘Ursula went there.’ Molly declared.
‘She wasn’t having a baby was she?’ Simon asked worriedly.
‘No she was having the tooth Tim knocked out refitted.’ Molly answered. ‘She has to go back and have it done again as it came out when she fell over that ghastly Veronica Smitherman.’
In all four babies were found and removed but they did not stop digging and the boys hoped they would find Tim’s body while they were at it but they were herded away by David, for their dinner.
After dinner they looked over at the dig which was now lit up to make sure nothing was missed but they decided not go back over to it again that evening, even though there was nothing to stop them.
‘They might find you while they are looking Tim.’ Toby exclaimed hoping it was true and that they would not have to search any more.
‘I hope so, this haunting lark has its draw backs.’ Tim answered from the chair he was sitting in.
Molly was teaching both him and Sherman chess, so that she would be able to play with them later; she liked chess almost as much as hitting someone with a bible.
The day drew to an end with the lights still shining through the trees to show that someone was still there working, if anyone cared to look. Molly waited until it was quiet and slipped into the north wing where Tim was waiting. This time they sat and talked and eventually fell asleep and it was the second time Tim had slept because he felt at ease.
The search for Tim’s body would have to wait until after the weekend as tomorrow all were going home except for Stuart who did not have far to go, if David or Wendy wanted him. So far there was no sign of Tim’s body where the police were digging but there was still hope all the time they were digging.
Friday morning came and they did very little, apart from a walk over to the dig in time to see them putting away their tools and taping of the area to keep people out, the people mainly being the boys. They watched them drive away, having gleaned as much out of them as they could. There were four babies there, three aborted late into pregnancy and one which had been delivered prior to burial. It remained to be seen if the last one was murdered or still born that was up to forensics to decide but it did mean that the Mother Superior had a lot more questions to answer.
With no investigating to do the boys did what they would normally do when they were there. One by one they went home, except in the case of the arrival of Ben’s brother, who took three with him when he went. Soon it was just Stevey, Stuart, Tim and Molly in the games room playing. The boys introduced Tim and Molly to the card game ‘sod it’ which indeed invoked that very phrase on occasion. They played it until they were advised to go to bed.
Chapter 14
Morning came and they all gathered by the breakfast table. David and Wendy were there.
‘We are going to see my aunt Stuart, so I assume you would rather stay here.’ Wendy said discreetly.
‘What Aunt Sissy?’
‘Yes Stuart.’
‘Stevey and I have something planned.’
‘We have?’ Stevey retorted, ‘oh yes we were…’
‘We had a super idea how to find Tim’s mortal remains.’ Stuart interposed quickly.
; ‘I thought that would be the case.’ Wendy answered with a knowing smile. ‘We will see you when we get back but I will have a cuddle with my baby tonight!’
‘Of course mum and you as well dad.’
‘I’m with the doing something important camp.’ David answered.
‘You are coming and you are not getting out of it David Sellars. There is no way I am going up to see Sissy on my own!’
The children watched them drive off. A little later Pat was in her car to go shopping and the four were left alone.
‘So what were we doing which was so brilliant?’ Molly asked.
‘Just getting out of going with them.’ Stuart answered.
‘Oh, so you didn’t really have a new idea?’ She asked.
‘No; why have you?’ Stuart asked.
‘Not at all.’ She answered.
‘I am going to have a look round the convent now that it is closed to see if I can come up with any ideas.’ Tim announced. ‘I’d take you with me but you can’t walk through walls.’
‘Just us then.’ Stevey concluded. ‘So what do we do?’
‘Go out for a ride on our bikes?’ Stuart suggested.
‘I suppose Molly could ride Sherman’s bike.’ Stevey replied as though it was a good idea. ‘Do you ride a bike Molly?’
‘I bet I can ride as well as you two.’ Molly declared and they headed for the cellar.
They rode up the slope onto the flat ground beside the hall and Molly raced down the side turned and raced back up. One by one they did the same but Molly had one more go.
‘Did you search in there?’ She asked when she returned, pointing to what they assumed was just the cellar.
‘It is just a cellar.’ Stuart answered.
‘One bit is but look at this.’ She dumped the bike and walked back through the cellar, up the stairs and along the passage then down into the old coal cellar which was black and smelled of coal. ‘See that chute there?’
The boys looked at the chute and nodded.
‘How far would you say it is from the cellar wall?’ Molly continued.
