Murder Vows (Storage Ghost Murders Book 4)

by Larkin, Gillian

  Archie said, “Did he really hate me that much? Grace, I’m coming with you.”

  Grace gave him a slight nod. Then she led Jessie to the van. She had to help Jessie with her seat belt as her hands were shaking too much to fasten it. Archie sat next to Jessie, his ghostly hand rested on top of hers throughout the journey.

  Rob was waiting for her at the police station. He jerked his head towards Grace and snapped, “What’s she doing here?”

  Jessie lifted her chin and said firmly, “Grace kindly drove me here. Where’s Dad?”

  “In a cell. You can tell her to clear off, I’ll take care of you now.”

  “I don’t mind waiting,” Grace offered. She needed to hear Gordon’s story.

  Rob took a step forward. He glowered at Grace. “I said I’ll take care of her.”

  “Stop it!” Jessie called out. “Rob, I can take care of myself!” She turned to Grace. “Please could you wait for me? I’ll need a lift back to the shop to collect my van.”

  “Of course,” Grace said, resisting the urge to give Rob a satisfied look.

  She took a seat in the waiting area. Jessie and Rob walked over to the enquiries window. Archie sat at Grace’s side. She took out her phone and typed a message, she showed it to Archie: ‘I know you’re angry but you have to control yourself, you’re turning black again. I need you to hear everything that Jessie tells me.’

  Archie muttered, “I’ll try. I just can’t stand to see how he treats Jessie.”

  Grace typed another text: ‘Remember what she said – she loved you and sill does.’

  Archie’s face relaxed and a small smile appeared. “She does, doesn’t she? I still love her.”

  Grace put her hand over her mouth and whispered, “She needs our help, yours and mine.”

  Jessie was led down a corridor by a uniformed police officer. She shook her head at Rob as he tried to follow her. Rob sat on the same row of chairs as Grace, four seats away. Grace picked up a leaflet on home security and pretended to read it. She could feel the hate coming from Rob towards her.

  A long thirty minutes later, Jessie returned. She quickly wiped away fresh tears and headed towards Grace. Rob jumped in her way and put his big hand on her arm. Jessie shrugged him off. “Rob! I’ve already said I’m going back with Grace.”

  “I’ll take you. Come on, Jessie, stop being stupid,” Rob said.

  Jessie turned on him. “Leave me alone!”

  Rob opened his arms out. “Don’t be like that! I want to know what Gordon said. Did he really kill Archie?”

  “I’ll tell you later.” Jessie turned to Grace. “Can we go? Now?”

  “Of course,” Grace said.

  They left the confused-looking Rob behind and walked into the car park.

  Jessie said, “I’m going to fall apart in a few minutes but I don’t want Rob to see me. Can we drive a few streets away?”

  Grace looked at her. “Are you going to faint again?”

  Jessie shook her head. She sniffed. “No, I’m just going to cry. I can feel it coming like a dam about to burst. I haven’t cried for years and now I can’t seem to stop. Hurry!”

  Grace and Jessie jumped into the van and Grace sped away. She stopped in a deserted street and, true to her word, Jessie burst like a dam. Grace handed her tissues and put her arm around her shoulders. Archie sat helplessly at Jessie’s other side.

  It was a good ten minutes before her crying subsided. Jessie gave her nose a final blow and smiled at Grace.

  “I think I’m done now. Sorry, you’ve ended up in the middle of a family crisis. You can take me back to the shop now.”

  “Do you want to tell me what your dad said?” Grace asked, silently praying that Jessie would say yes.

  Jessie looked down at her shredded tissue. “He said he killed Archie because he didn’t want me to move to New York. He said he’d be heartbroken without me.” Jessie looked up and frowned. “It doesn’t make sense, does it? He knew he could have come over to see me and Archie in New York. We’d already made plans for him to come over.”

  Grace remembered how Archie had described his death. She said to Jessie, “How did he kill Archie?”

  “He said he went to check on Archie and found him asleep on the bed. His rage overtook him and he smothered Archie with a pillow. Then he made it look like a break-in.”

  “That’s not true!” Archie shot out. I wasn’t lying on the bed when I died, someone must have put me there. Gordon must have found me lying on the carpet, he must have been the one who put me on the bed. He’s covering up for someone, he knows who killed me.”

  Grace had already come to the same conclusion. There was something that didn’t add up. Grace said, “Why is he telling you now?”

  “I’m not sure. I did have another crying fit last night at his house, I couldn’t help it. I wanted to tell Dad how much I missed Archie but, instead, I made up a story about wanting to run away from everything, to have a fresh start. When I spoke to Dad just now he said that when he goes to prison I can sell the business and pay off his debts. Then he said I don’t have to marry Rob. He’s never said that before.”

  Grace and Archie looked at each other. Could it be that Rob had killed Archie and Gordon knew? Had Rob threatened Gordon, maybe threatened to kill him too if he didn’t convince Jessie to marry him? Rob was putting his money in to Gordon’s company – was that to buy his silence too?

  So why had Gordon confessed to Archie’s murder now? Had Rob forced him to do it, maybe he threatened to kill Jessie?

  Or, was Gordon the real killer? If so, why did he really do it?

  Grace rubbed her head, she could feel a headache coming. Jessie noticed and said, “Oh, I’ve gone on too long. Take me back to the shop and we’ll talk about that quote.”

  Grace started the engine. “Can we leave the quote for another day? You’ve got a lot on your mind.”

  And so have I, Grace mentally added.

  Chapter 29

  Grace dropped Jessie at the shop. Jessie got into her van and, promising to be in touch, drove away.

  Frankie’s stern face greeted Grace when she entered the shop. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him.

  Frankie said, “What’s going on? Why have you suddenly become involved in that woman’s life? I thought she was giving us a quote. Have you met her before? Do you know her family?”

  Grace moved closer to her brother. There wasn’t just noisiness etched on his face, there was concern too. For all his bluster and bad jokes, Frankie cared about her. He’d taken it upon himself to be a mother and father to her.

  Grace’s heart felt heavy. She wished she could tell him about her ability to see ghosts. She’d love to explain about the murder investigation she’d got herself involved in. She could imagine him helping her, he’d be good at questioning people. But there again, what if he didn’t believe her? What if he thought she’d gone mad? He might not want her working in the shop if he thought she was seeing imaginary ghosts everywhere. He certainly wouldn’t want her going to storage auctions with him.

  “Well?” Frankie prompted her.

  Grace told him as much as she was able to.

  Frankie folded his arms and leant against a table. “So that woman, Jessie, her husband died on their wedding day and her dad said he murdered him. Wow, there’s a lot going on in this town, isn’t there? I don’t understand why you’re involved. Hang on a minute.” Frankie unfolded his arms, stood up straight and pointed at Grace. “You got yourself involved in a murder last month. It was that woman who owned a sweet factory. Are you running some sort of detective agency? Is that why you go off on your own sometimes?”

  Grace shrugged. “I just seem to get involved in these things. People like talking to me.”

  Frankie smiled. “That’s because you’re a good listener. Mum always said I was the talker and you were the listener.”

  Grace said, “I think it’s because you were always talking that I had no choice but to listen.”

  F
rankie nodded. “That’s because I had plenty to say. I’m still like that today, I’m a man of the world, I know a lot of things. Nothing shocks me.”

  Grace again considered telling him something that would shock him. A voice in her ear hissed, “Don’t even think of telling him, Grace Abrahams! I can see it on your face! He wouldn’t understand. Get rid of him, we need to talk.”

  Pearl stood at Grace’s side, hopping from foot to foot.

  Grace made a pretence of looking out of the shop window. She said, “I can see Chloe coming out of the cafe. I think she’s coming this way.”

  “No!” Frankie ducked.

  Grace looked at him. “You can’t stay there. Go to your room, I’ll get rid of her.”

  “Thanks,” Frankie whispered. Still in a crouched position he scuttled past Grace and out of the shop.

  “He looks like a crab, silly so-and-so,” Pearl said.

  Grace listened out for Frankie’s footsteps above her. “Right, he’s in his room. Oh, hi Archie. Have you told Pearl about our visit to the police station?”

  “He has. Right. Listen to me,” Pearl ordered. She began to pace up and down in front of Grace and Archie. “There’s something fishy going on. Let’s say that Rob murdered Archie. He hated the sight of him, he was in love with Jessie, blah blah blah. That’s enough motive for murder. He was at the hotel on the wedding day. He used his ladders to climb on to the balcony, forced his way into the room, hid in those walk-in wardrobes and then somehow killed Archie. He fled the scene. Gordon came in, found Archie dead on the carpet. He knew it was Rob. Maybe he could smell the stink that the scumbag left behind. He didn’t want any scandal, maybe he was glad Archie was dead. Gordon put Archie on the bed, made it look like a robbery, and so on.”

  Grace nodded. “That’s a possibility.”

  Pearl held a hand up. “Shh. I haven’t finished. Then Gordon confronts Rob and says, ‘Oi, Stinky-Face, I know you killed that Archie bloke, I’m going to tell the coppers.’ And Rob replies, ‘Oh yeah? Then I’ll kill you or your pretty daughter.’ Gordon panics and says he won’t tell the coppers. Rob says, ‘I won’t kill you if you get that hot daughter of yours to marry me. And to make everyone happy, I’ll throw in some money to stop your business from sinking.’”

  Grace said, “I don’t think they talk like that. If that happened, why has Gordon confessed?”

  “Maybe Rob told him to. I don’t know! I haven’t got all the answers!” Pearl faced Grace. She waved a hand at her and said, “I still haven’t finished, stop interrupting. Right, maybe Gordon did kill Archie, bopped him on the back of the head, flung him on the bed and tried to make it look like a break-in. Perhaps Rob heard him or saw him from his position below the balcony. He could have climbed up the ladder and peeped in at the honeymoon suite.”

  “Why would he do that?” Archie said.

  “Oh! Don’t you interrupt me now! He might have wanted to see where his beloved Jessie was going to be spending her honeymoon night.”

  “That’s weird,” Grace muttered.

  Pearl ignored her. “So Rob saw what Gordon did. He told Gordon he’d keep quiet if Gordon convinced Jessie to marry him and so on.”

  “Why did Rob ...?” Grace began.

  “Will you be quiet! There’s another alternative. Jessie killed Archie. We’ve said before that Archie was likely poisoned. She was supposed to check on him. She went outside with Rob before she got the chance. She could have easily climbed up to the balcony, even in her dress. She poisoned Archie and then escaped. Rob could have helped her. Gordon came in, saw what Jessie had done and tried to protect her by staging a break-in. He’s protecting her still by confessing now.”

  Archie shook his head. “No! She wouldn’t!”

  Grace said, “We’re missing something.”

  Pearl came to her side. “You’re right. And that girl is going to help you find out what it is.”

  Lily came out of the shadows. She made her way over to Grace, swishing her dress from side to side. She grinned and said, “Hi Grace! You’re coming with me!”

  “Where?”

  “To see my mum!”

  Chapter 30

  Standing outside Ms Berry’s house on a dark November evening seemed a bad idea. It seemed even worse now that it was happening.

  Lily didn’t think so. She danced around Grace. “Mum will be so happy to see you!”

  Grace wasn’t convinced. “I don’t know why you want me to speak to her. Are you sure I should be doing this?”

  Lily clasped her hands together. “Oh yes! And you must tell her you can see me. She’ll believe you.”

  “I doubt that. I don’t tell people that I can see ghosts,” Grace said.

  Lily grabbed Grace’s arm. “You must! You have to! Promise!”

  “Okay,” Grace said reluctantly. She knocked again at the door. This was such a bad idea.

  “She’s coming!” Lily jumped up and down.

  Grace looked twice at the woman that opened the door. It was Ms Berry but she looked years younger. Her hair hung loose over her shoulders, she was dressed in jeans and a sweatshirt.

  Ms Berry’s smile dropped the second she saw Grace. She stiffened and said, “What do you want? Why are you here? What’s going on?”

  Lily was like a Jumping-Jack, bouncing up and down at Grace’s side. “Hi Mum! Grace, tell her! Tell her you can see me!”

  Grace took a deep breath. She had nothing to lose–but her dignity. “Ms Berry, I’m sorry to trouble you but I need to speak to you about your daughter.”

  Ms Berry’s grip on the door tightened. “Lily? What about her?”

  “I can see her. I can see ghosts. She wants me to talk to you.”

  Grace fell off the doorstep as the door was slammed violently in her face. She turned to Lily and said, “I told you this was a bad idea. People don’t want to know I can see dead people.”

  Lily giggled. “We forgot to sing the song!”

  “Song? Nope, I’m not singing any songs. Let’s go.”

  Lily threw herself at Grace. Grace took a sharp intake of breath. It was already cold enough out here without being hugged by a freezing cold ghost.

  Lily stood back. “Me and Mum watched ghost films a lot, we loved them. I told Mum that if I died and came back to see her I’d sing a certain song. Then she’d know it was really me. Grace, we have to sing the song!”

  “What song?” Grace asked fearfully.

  “I’ll start us off. There’s a dance too!”

  “Great,” Grace mumbled.

  Lily began to sing and move her hands. Grace’s eyes widened. “That song? You had to pick that song?”

  Lily waved her arms and moved from side to side, singing at the top of her voice. Grace sighed. What was that expression? ‘In for a penny, in for a pound’? Grace cleared her throat.

  Within thirty seconds of singing, and dancing to ‘Y.M.C.A.’ Grace was enjoying herself. Lily was so enthusiastic it was hard not to go along with her. Grace stamped up and down the path with Lily, singing louder and louder.

  Lily suddenly stopped. She tapped Grace on the arm that was currently forming a ‘Y’ and said, “Mum’s watching us.”

  Grace froze. She didn’t dare look at Ms Berry. She was sure there would be laser-like beams of hatred shooting out of her eyes. Grace slowly lowered her arms and turned to the open door.

  Tears were streaming down Ms Berry’s face. She opened the door wider and said, “You’d better come in.”

  “I told you! Come on!” Lily bounded in to the house.

  Ms Berry led Grace to a cosy living room. There were photographs of Lily everywhere.

  Grace sat on a sofa, Ms Berry sat next to her.

  Ms Berry spoke, “Can you really see her?”

  Grace nodded. “She’s here now. She’s jumping up and down on your armchair. She’s got a lot of energy.”

  Ms Berry smiled. “She certainly has, sorry, did. Did she tell you that was our code song? We used to joke about becoming g
hosts, I never thought it would happen. Can you see many ghosts?”

  “Enough. I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”

  Ms Berry waved her concern away. “These are happy tears. It does you good to cry now and again. It’s Grace, isn’t it? I’m Ruth. Start at the beginning, tell me why you’re here.”

  Grace decided to tell Ruth everything. It was a relief to talk to someone about seeing ghosts, someone who was alive. She told Ruth about Archie and his murder, and about Lily wearing Jessie’s dress.

  “Lily keeps appearing to me and I don’t know why. And I’ve no idea why she’s wearing that dress,” Grace said.

  “I do. She died wearing that dress,” Ruth said. “If that wasn’t enough of a surprise to you, listen to this, she died the same day that Archie did. I came home from that dreadful day at the hotel to find my beautiful baby lying dead on her bedroom floor.”

  Ruth’s voice cracked and more tears trickled down her cheeks. Grace passed her a tissue, she seemed to be doing a lot of that recently.

  Ruth dried her eyes. “Is Lily still here? What’s she doing?”

  Grace replied, “She’s doing a handstand against the wall, and showing her Mickey Mouse knickers.”

  Ruth burst out laughing. “She could never keep still. Let me tell you about her. Lily was the light of my life. Such a happy child, always singing and dancing, wanting to have fun all the time. Which is wonderful when you’re a child but not ideal when you’re an adult trying to hold on to a job. She couldn’t keep her attention on anything for more than five minutes. She was fired from five jobs before I managed to get her a job at the hotel. I couldn’t help but be mad with her. Anyway, I got to see more of her at the hotel, and I could keep my eye on her.” Ruth paused, a sadness appeared in her eyes. “Lily used to borrow things from the guests’ rooms I’d be forever finding things in her room, she was like a magpie going after shiny things. More than once I found her trying on wedding dresses and gowns in the guests’ rooms I had to cover for her, I returned the stolen items I knew she’d get in to real trouble one day. I didn’t think she’d end up dead.”