by S G Read
The leader of the team of explosive experts waited for the dust to settle and returned to the coal store but now all that remained of the door was a pile of rubble but the wall looked in tact.
‘Get a team in here with torches and let us shift this rubble.’ The leader declared and the clean up operation started. The stone had to be carried up by hand to waiting barrows then wheeled outside and piled onto the garden. No of which pleased Dan very much, although he knew the stone needed clearing sooner than later, to find the people inside. The top stones were toppled quickly so that they could be moved and then the lower stone until someone could use a torch and peer inside.
‘Can you see anything?’ The leader asked.
‘Only some bones at the far end. They have suffered a bit as the stone was blown that way but apart from that there is no one here unless they are under this pile!’
They worked hard to clear the stone but some of the lumps took a lot of moving and it took three men with ropes to dislodge them but they were finally dragged out of the way. The floor was cleared with still no bodies and the leader of the explosive team walked out to give Dan a piece of his mind for wasting their time.
Stuart led the way to the end of the tunnel and they found another chamber.
‘This will be one of the graves in the graveyard and it wasn’t far from the house.’ Stevey declared. ‘So why haven’t we seen it?’
David climbed the stairs at the end and heaved at the slab on top of the crypt. It did not move. He tried again putting his back against the slab and lifting it slightly before he slid it sideways and it moved an inch.
‘Well done dad.’ Stuart declared passionately, mainly to keep him trying.
David tried again and moved it another inch then another inch until there was a visibly gap then he slid his fingers in it and heaved this time moving it two inches. With renewed vigour he kept trying until the slab slid far enough for him to get out and he was followed out by the others, one after the other. The first thing Stuart saw was the breakers yard fence. He looked round to find they were indeed in a little graveyard but it was all over grown by weeds, shrubs and brambles.
David cleared a way through to where they could see a host of blue flashing light in time to see a man remonstrating with Dan. He walked over followed by the others and Dan saw him coming.
‘Here they come now!’ Dan declared. ‘They must have found a way out which was rather good considering they would have been crushed by all the stone you dislodged!’
‘Hello Dan, I see you called out the cavalry.’ David said when he reached him.
‘The Indians might have been safer.’ Dan answered. ‘They made a fair mess of the coal store.’
‘They didn’t blow up Tim did they?’ Stuart asked worried they might have lost the body again.
‘No he is still there.’ Dan assured him. ‘The police have cordoned off the area and they had to turn off the water as Humphrey blew a hole in a pipe.’
‘I told you so.’ Stevey declared meaning Humphrey trying to drown them.
‘You told them what Stevey?’ Dan asked.
‘Humphrey Carlisle was trying to drown us as well!’ Stevey answered.
‘No that was my fault.’ Dan admitted. ‘I waited until he came up the stairs and knocked him back down with the shovel but when he landed the shotgun went off and hit a pipe in the ceiling.’
‘Now that is what you call bad luck.’ Stuart declared.
‘It made my bum wet.’ Molly complained.
‘Well as soon as I have had a talk with these clowns, who have nearly blown us up, we will go back to our house to clean up, while the police sort things out here.’ David announced and he did just what he said he was going to do and loudly.
Wendy steered the boys and Molly away from he noisy argument but they were not allowed into the hall, as it was considered dangerous until structural engineers had given it the all clear. The bones were photographed and bagged ready to go to the morgue for a post mortem but they saw no sign of Tim.
The six were allowed to go to the Sellars house and clean up before they made a statement and they could attest to Humphrey Carlisle confessing to killing his nephew before dumping him in the priest hole. He was also guilty of false imprisonment attempted murder and a few other crimes.
‘So what happens now dad?’ Stuart asked, when he finally felt clean enough to walk down to where the others were eating.
‘When they have finished with Tim’s bones they will be returned to us for a funeral service and we can ask Tim where he wants burying.’ David answered. ‘Then we will have the funeral service but it will be a while before you can go back into Gordon Hall.’
‘So what do we do when the others come back tomorrow?’ Stuart asked.
‘The mobile homes have not gone back yet and I do have a house in Devon which will son be ready for our inspection.’ Stevey answered.
‘So you do.’ Stuart answered. ‘And we can play football tomorrow.’
‘We can but Jenny won’t be there.’ Stevey retorted. ‘Do you play football Molly?’
‘I love football but I am not very good.’ Molly answered when her mouth was empty.
‘Seven aside.’ Stuart declared. ‘Are you working tomorrow morning dad?’
‘It doesn’t sound like it, does it?’ David answered.
That made Stuart smile, he gave his father a big cuddle.
They sat round that evening discussing what had happened after they had all given their statements to the police. Sergeant Portland listened with interest to Stuart and Stevey’s version, as they were busily not trying to mention Tim, as a policeman was not likely to believe a ghost helped them open the stone door.
‘Look the truth is that you would not believe what really happened and you certainly would not put it in any report.’ Stevey declared when he was at the end of his made up statement and the sergeant pounced on some inconsistencies.
‘Try me?’ The sergeant retorted.
‘Okay.’
They walked into the other room.
‘I am just going to introduce the sergeant to Tim.’ Stevey announced.
‘Is that wise?’ Molly asked which was echoed by Wendy as well.
‘He knows we had help to open it in the first place or the rest of you would not have been in there with us.’ Stevey answered and led him to the paddock gate and then through the garden gate with Stuart and Molly following.
They walked up to the house which was still taped up and the sergeant removed the tape.
‘Is he in here then?’ He asked.
‘He is always here but you can’t see him unless he wants you two.’ Stevey answered and lead the way up the stairs.
They could hear a mournful crying coming from the north wing and knew just where Tim was. The sergeant heard the crying as well but when no one mentioned it and they all headed for it, he said nothing. Stevey opened the door to Tim’s bedroom and a cold chill ran through him.
‘Come back Tim.’ He cried crossly.
Tim appeared by the end of the north wing.
‘I thought it was my uncle.’ He said worriedly.
Although the sergeant was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the boy he quickly replied. ‘Your uncle is locked in a police cell and with stay there for a long time.’
‘He will?’ Tim asked from the same position.
‘Yes he has been arrested for trying to kill Mr Sellars, his wife and son and for trying to kill Mrs Brown and her son as well as attempting to murder Miss Molly Parsons.’
‘And a fat lot of good you were after you saw your uncle.’ Stuart declared.
‘I was scared.’ Tim exclaimed. ‘Anyway what about me?’ Tim declared. ‘He killed me, there was no attempted about it!’
‘You do not look dead.’ The sergeant answered.
Tim faded then drifted through the sergeant and reappeared on the other side.
‘How did that feel, warm and alive or dead as a dodo?’ He asked.
T
he sergeant was still shivering as Tim spoke and Tim passed back through him but this time almost visible.
‘Or that time?’
‘Okay so you are dead but I cannot put a ghost on the stand to testify!’ The sergeant declared.
‘Why not?’ Tim asked.
‘Because the jury would probably run out when you walked in through the ruddy wall!’ The sergeant retorted. ‘Besides you may not have to appear. Your uncle thought no one would ever see the others again and admitted that he did kill you. That means he will stand trial for your murder anyway but any physical evidence is ruled out because of the damage caused by the clowns who blew the door off the priest hole.’
‘Is that what that noise was?’ Tim asked.
‘Give me strength.’ Stuart moaned. ‘You will have to let us know where you want to be buried when they release your bones for burial though Tim.’
‘Oh I know just where I want to be buried Stuart; have you seen the cemetery by the fence?’
‘It just so happens I did notice it Tim.’ Stuart replied sarcastically.
‘Well I want to be buried between my mother and Dan’s wife in that cemetery.’
‘But isn’t that where the path is?’ Stevey asked.
‘Oh yes but I sure it can be moved.’ Tim explained.
‘If that is where you want to be buried Tim that is where we will bury you and I will help dig the hole.’ Stuart replied.
‘In that case so will, I if we get permission to bury you there from the… who gives permission for something like that? Is it the courts or the church?’ Stevey added.
‘I think you can do it through the courts Stephen.’ Sergeant Portland answered. ‘But I will find out for you and let you know. The fact that you have a cemetery here should make it a formality and the ground must already be consecrated so the church shouldn’t be involved apart from getting the local vicar out here to do his bit. Now Tim I know it will not be admissible in court but you can tell me just what happened when you died and I will write it in my book. That way, if I get a chance to use any of it I can.’
The three children left them to it and walked back to Stuart’s house and a good nights sleep. Stevey phoned Brian to see how things were going and asked him to come up and get them as soon as he could to take them to Devon. Pat had no desire to stay while the work was being done on the hall, so she planning to go as well and David was driving down with Wendy to take a well earned holiday, although he would have his lap top with him, to keep on top of anything which cropped up.
Chapter 18
Morning came and with it came an influx of children all ready for the game of football they had been promised and ready to go to Devon as soon as Brian was ready to take them.
Jenny heard about the goings on at the hall. She also heard about the football match and that night she persuaded Brian to drive back to the hall so that she could play. Molly phoned Celia about the game and as she was languishing at home until her parents found another school for her she persuaded her parents to bring her up. Children came from everywhere much to the amazement of Stevey and Stuart who thought they had it all planned.
Stevey’s face lit up when Celia jumped out of her parents car in a track suit ready to play football and when her parents agreed to let her come on the holiday to Devon he was over the moon.
Just before breakfast Brian drove up and Jenny came running over in her football kit ready to play and it became eight aside. What Molly and Celia lacked in skill they made up for in effort and the game was enjoyed by everyone, including the losing side.
The sergeant drove up in his police car near the end of the game and spoke to Pat.
‘It was a forgone conclusion Mrs Brown, as there is a family crypt and he is family, he can be laid to rest there as soon as his bones are released. As the trial will be a long time down the road I have geed up the pathologist, so that you can bury him some time this week. I will let you know when he is free.’
‘Thank you sergeant I will phone the vicar and find out when she is available.’
There was the familiar queue for the showers and bathrooms after the game as the hall was out of bounds for now but they all showered or bathed before they ate a hearty lunch in the conservatory, which was the only place they could all fit in.
Tim appeared while they were eating and stood just outside the conservatory door; David saw him and walked over to where he stood.
‘Not coming in?’ He asked no longer surprised to be talking to a ghost.
‘I let you down.’ Tim answered sadly.
‘Nonsense what could you have done if you came into the priest hole after the lever inside was destroyed?’ David scoffed.
‘I could have frightened off the men with the explosives, as they nearly killed you.’
‘It was a close thing but we knew nothing about it. We could hardly hear the first explosion or there might have been panic but I have to say it was not their fault really. To make the priest hole more secure the person who built it put iron rods into the wall to hole up stone blocks to form the roof and those iron rods had rusted. As soon as the second explosion moved them they came down like a pack of cards. Luckily we had found the trapdoor by then and were on our way out.’
Tim felt a hand in his and looked round to see Molly who dragged him inside; he did not resist.
On Tuesday the sergeant stopped by to tell Pat that the post mortem had been completed and the body was free for burial. The pathologist did not have any problem with him being buried, as he was just bones. If they wanted more information they could just dig him up again.
At midday the children with Brian and David walked over to the cemetery and started digging. First they had to dig up the path and then dig out soil to make the grave the correct depth. They all had a go at digging and slowly the grave started to deepen when the children flagged Brian or David stepped in to dig. They threw out soil like men possessed, until the grave was the regulation depth. Tim looked in and smiled his very own grave, no more sharing with one of his family for comfort.
On Wednesday morning they all dressed in their best clothes to gather round the grave. David and Brian had made it look like a normal burial site by using the green covering they borrowed from the undertakers as they were very happy to be reunited with their display dummy. The vicar arrived and took charge with Tim discreetly standing at the back of the throng. She had copious notes about Tim given to her by the children and the grown ups. Sergeant Portland arrived just in time and joined the crowd, he ended up standing next to Tim.
‘A bit cheeky isn’t it?’ He whispered.
‘I didn’t want to miss it, as I have waited so long for it sergeant, did I? The good thing is that if I had been found when I first died I would have had just Dan and his wife at my funeral oh and Uncle Humphrey, if he had bothered to turn up but today there are more than I count as Celia was taken home before she taught me to count properly.’
The vicar droned on making it as interesting as she could, reading stories about Tim which she assumed were while he was still alive and not things he had done after he had died, with the people who had written it. She finally threw a handful of dirt onto the coffin and everyone did the same. Sergeant Portland expected Tim to do the same but he was no longer there; the sergeant threw on a handful of soil.
‘Rest in peace Tim, I will make Uncle Humphrey pay for what he did.’ He said quietly.
With everything settled they were ready to go on Thursday morning and all assembled to embark but Molly’s parents arrived fresh from their last holiday. Molly groaned and walked over to the car with her suitcase. She had been hoping that they would be gone before her parents arrived. She reached the car very slowly and put her head in the window. What she said no one knew but seconds later she was on her way back to the minibus, at a greater speed than she had left it. The suitcase was stowed and she was welcomed on board waving to her parents as she did so. They watched her parents drive away and then closed the door.
‘Now
before we go girls, are you really ready for this?’ Simon asked standing up by his seat. ‘We always have an adventure wherever we go and I don’t think this trip will be any different!’
‘Well let me see.’ Molly answered. ‘I was nearly suffocated, nearly squashed by a large stone, nearly shot by a mad man.’
‘Don’t forget Ursula and her hockey stick Molly.’ Celia reminded.
‘Oh yes and nearly brained by that moron Ursula. Anything else is going to be a bit tame if you ask me.’
‘Well don’t say we didn’t warn you.’ Simon replied and sat down.
The minibus drove away.
