Beyond Death (The Afterlife Series Book 1)

by Deb McEwan

  For the first time in ages they were able to talk without shouting at each other and they agreed the best way forward was to visit the police station and talk to someone in authority about their concerns.

  *****

  Claire had been busy following Fiona’s movements and had missed her father’s visit to her sister’s school. She was currently in the cafe section on the fourth floor of a large department store. She looked around the trendy room approving of Fiona’s taste. It had a black and white theme and offered designer sandwiches, beautifully presented tiny cakes and more varieties of coffee than the European Union had MEPs. The window table where Fiona sat had a stunning view of the city’s panorama. Fiona was admiring the view when a voice turned her head.

  ‘Kayleigh!’ They hugged and Kayleigh joined her friend at the table. Ten minutes later with a tall, decaf cappuccino and latte in front of them, Fiona’s strawberry concoction and Kayleigh’s chocolate delight, they caught up with events since they’d last seen each other.

  Claire was initially fascinated listening to their chatter about daily life. When the fascination turned to boredom she travelled around the cafe looking at some of the other clients and wondering what everyone was eating and drinking. When she’d been alive, shopping with Tash had been one of her favourite non-Jay experiences. Her time in the department store brought back many pleasant memories of when they’d been totally exhausted by the sheer effort of shopping for clothes and had flopped down gratefully in a cafe, surrounded by shopping bags and gagging for a cup of coffee. She floated along the queue of people waiting to be served and was disconcerted when a middle-aged woman in a navy blue business suit winked at her. Claire and Ron had always assumed that nobody could see them and were still shocked when the odd person was able to detect their presence. Gabriella had told them that although there were a lot of charlatans around who were happy to prey on people when they were at their most vulnerable, there were also a few people who could contact the spirit world and some who could see them but not talk to them. These were in addition to the angels sent to Earth by the Committee. Contrary to some beliefs there were far too many people for everyone to have their own guardian angel, but the angels did their best to help out when they could. She smiled shyly at the woman in acknowledgement and returned to Fiona’s table.

  As if on cue, Kayleigh put down her coffee mug and leaned in closer to her friend.

  ‘So what’s troubling you, Fi? Is it Jim?’

  Fiona nodded. Kayleigh knew her so well and there was no point in denying it. ‘Yes it is, but not in the way you think?’

  ‘Sounds interesting.’

  ‘Unbelievable and I know you’re going to take the mickey, but please don’t.’

  Intrigued now, Kayleigh could hardly contain herself. ‘For God’s sake, Fi. What’s happened?’

  Fiona outlined the conversation she’d had with Jim and Tony in Tony’s bedroom, and Kayleigh looked thoughtful. ‘Hmm, it is hard to believe isn’t it?’

  ‘That’s what I thought, until Tony mentioned the colour of my underwear and then I freaked.’

  ‘So they’re telling you that their dead sister is sending them messages?’

  ‘Yup, and when I was listening outside the room, they were saying something about catching muggers and me helping.’

  ‘Oh, I don’t like the sound of that either.’ Kayleigh saw the look on Fiona’s face. ‘Oh no, you’re going to get involved aren’t you? I can see it would be right up your street. Don’t do it Fi.’

  ‘The way I look at it, they were both very close to their sister and maybe this is their way of coping with her loss. I don’t know about the other stuff but you know how I feel about Jim, and if he needs my help, well, what can I do?’ She opened her hands, palms upwards, and shrugged, as if she had no say in the matter.

  ‘The fact that you’re an adrenaline junkie who craves excitement has got nothing to do with it of course?’

  Fiona took a sip of coffee but the twinkle in her eyes was obvious to Kayleigh. ‘So what are you going to do next?’

  ‘I’ll play it cool and wait for them to broach the subject. And as for the stuff with their sister, I’ll try not to let it freak me out. I’m sure as time goes by that it’ll happen less and less. I just have to remember that sometimes identical twins can be a bit weird.’

  ‘But what if she’s really visiting them and giving them messages,’ said Kayleigh. ‘Ooooh, the ghost of Claire Sylvester is watching you.’ Kayleigh raised her arms and made ghostly noises and the two women burst into fits of laughter.

  Bloody cheek thought Claire concentrating on one of the plates. She was as amazed as the two women when the chocolate delight plate crashed to the floor. Their laughter stopped abruptly and they looked around before gathering their bags and leaving the table, intent on more shopping but both spooked by the experience.

  Chapter 11

  Big Ed was not a happy man. He’d covered his tracks well and the police didn’t have anything on him this time, but he knew what they were like. Only a stupid man would carry on with the venture and think he wouldn’t be caught, and he certainly wasn’t stupid. The parties had been a nice little earner and he’d lose face as well as money when he explained to the clients that they couldn’t go on any longer. He could have sworn that the two girls wouldn’t squeal, and this was confirmed when he’d contacted Alice and had a chat with her about her little brother. She’d caved in and eventually told him that it was the one who’d got out of the taxi. He recalled that her name was Mel, and she’d been to see her Head Teacher and that’s what caused his current problems. Alice had insisted that she and Drew had not told Mel what they remembered from party and Big Ed believed her, for now. The girl Mel would need to learn that nobody messed with him. He’d have to be careful but would teach her a lesson she’d never forget.

  *****

  During the time she had followed her Claire had gathered plenty of information to prove to Fiona that she wasn’t a figment of her brothers’ imagination. It was a work night and Fiona was at the flat having dinner with the twins before Tony went out to give them a bit of privacy.

  ‘Very tasty, Fi.’ She’d made a quick pork stir-fry meal with egg noodles and it was absolutely delicious. They were chatting away about nothing in particular when Tony commented.

  ‘Oh no.’

  Fiona could see by the look on Jim’s face that something weird was going on and she put down her fork.

  ‘Is it your sister again?’

  ‘It is and she says she smashed the plate. Does that mean anything to you?’

  Fiona paled and Jim reached for her hand. ‘Are you all right, sweetheart? You look like you’re going to faint or something.’

  ‘I’m fine, I’m fine.’

  ‘She also said... I don’t believe that I’ve got to tell you this,’ said Tony cringing, ‘but Claire said to tell you that a pink lipstick would suit you better than the dark red one you bought from Boots.’

  Claire was satisfied to see that the look of disbelief on Fiona’s face had now turned to one of resignation and acceptance.

  Seeing that the twins weren’t frightened by the strange presence gave Fiona confidence.

  ‘Tell her I said she’s a cheeky cow and that I’ll help.’ She smiled and now it was the twins’ turn to be shocked.

  ‘I heard some of your conversation last time she visited and it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to work out that you need my help. This is still too freaky for me so I’m going to leave you to umm, talk to your sister or whatever it is that you do, then you can let me know what it is you need my help with.’

  ‘She wants you to be bait so that we can catch muggers.’ Tony blurted.

  ‘Oh, wow!’ Fiona walked to the door, ‘bring it on boys.’

  ‘And that’s why I love that woman.’ Said Jim when Fiona left the room and thought she couldn’t hear him. She felt lightheaded as she walked away, her lover’s comment ringing pleasantly in her ears even though he hadn’t
yet said the magic words directly to her face.

  *****

  Ken had enjoyed the sanctuary of the sofa and had taken the time to reflect on events since his death. This had made him look back on his life with regret and something strange had happened to him. He realized that he did care and he wanted to do as many good deeds as they would allow him to prove to them that he could redeem himself. He wasn’t yet sure if these feelings were borne out of fear for his future or genuine compassion and kindness. He also wasn’t sure who the they were but knew that Gabriella was one of them. He hoped that he would be allowed to assist in catching the muggers. Thoughts of his immediate future induced a sense of urgency and a need to implement changes right away.

  A whoosh followed by a dazzling bright light heralded Gabriella’s arrival.

  ‘Hello, Kenneth. How are you feeling?’

  Ken was overcome with a joy he had never before experienced. He loved the being in front of him and not in the biblical sense. He would do anything to please her and at that precise moment in time, all he wanted was for Gabriella to be happy.

  She had saved many deranged souls in her years as an angel and knew that he would be experiencing feelings of gratitude, love and blind adoration that he couldn’t articulate.

  ‘I’m happy and I want you to be happy, forever.’ Was the best Ken could manage and she gave him her most beatific smile, allowing him a moment of supreme peace and happiness.

  ‘I want you to close your eyes and concentrate on what you feel right now.’

  He did as instructed.

  ‘The tasks I intend to bestow upon you will test you to your absolute limit. You will need to be able to harness that feeling and remember what it is like. It will be the one and only thing that can get you through some dark days ahead. Do you understand, Kenneth?’

  He kept his eyes closed and tried to keep calm. The wonderful feeling was still with him and he never wanted it to go away.

  ‘Are you sending me back to hell?’

  A decision hadn’t yet been made about his long-term future.

  ‘No, Kenneth, I’m not. But I am giving you the best chance to redeem your soul and you will come up against some unforgiving opposition. You start by assisting Ron and Claire with whatever they need you to do.’

  He opened his eyes and the moment had passed. ‘When do I start?’

  *****

  Claire and Ron found themselves back in Cherussola. They hadn’t made a conscious decision to return so understood that Gabriella had summoned them. Their instincts were correct and she told them to take a seat with Ken on the sofa.

  ‘Things have calmed down somewhat and I now have a little more time on my hands. I’m going to be keeping my eyes on you and assessing your progress, Claire and Kenneth.’

  ‘Excuse me, Gabriella. But you can’t put me in the same category as...’ Claire looked at Ken as if he’d crawled out of a sewer, ‘...him.’

  Ken didn’t like her tone or the look she gave him, but could understand her reasons under the circumstances.

  ‘Don’t jump to conclusions, Claire, and be patient. I merely wanted you to be aware that I’m going to be about more to assist or intervene as necessary. I trust that your brothers and the plucky Fiona are willing to participate in your plan to catch the muggers?’

  They hadn’t told her about their plan so were surprised by her comments.

  ‘A few of my assistants have been tracking your movements while I’ve been busy,’ she explained. ‘It’s a risky strategy but I’m willing to let it go ahead. Ken will assist if you need him and I’ll be about if things go awry.’

  Ron and Claire looked at each other in confusion.

  ‘Err, we weren’t actually going to do anything, Gabriella. Claire’s brothers and Fiona have agreed to set a trap and we were going to leave them to it.’

  ‘Aren’t you helping at all?’

  ‘We’re going to watch. The twins are perfectly capable of sorting out a few thugs,’ said Claire, ‘and Fiona is the sort of girl who can look after herself.’

  ‘You can’t ask them to do something this dangerous and not give them any back up. I insist that you are ready to be actively involved and prepare for the worst, even though it may not happen. Also be aware that all is often not what it seems, so keep your eyes peeled for the unusual.’

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean? Can you be more specific?’

  But she’d disappeared with a whoosh, deciding to leave Claire’s questions unanswered.

  *****

  Dressed in jeans, t-shirts and hoodies the twins left the underground station and starting walking to the address given to them by their dead sister. The further from the station, the more run-down the buildings appeared. The streets were unkempt with rubbish discarded on the ground, even though there were council rubbish bins liberally placed. The graffiti ranged from artistic to unimaginative with the worst about a girl named Elisha and what she’d done to certain parts of a Mikey's anatomy. There was also the usual nonsense about which was the best football team in the area. It had been a while since the twins had visited such a depressed location and they tried their best to look like part of the fabric and resisted the urge to stand and stare.

  ‘I’m trying not to check my back every few seconds.’ Jim nodded in complete understanding with his brother.

  ‘I feel sorry for some of the people born into this who don’t have the motivation or education to drag themselves out.’

  ‘Look out David Cameron. Jim Sylvester’s coming to get you.’

  ‘Me a politician?’ he swaggered, ‘I’m far too good looking for that.’

  ‘And modest.’ His brother laughed and they carried on walking in silence, each feeling an increased sense of tension as they neared their target’s address.

  They passed the block of flats where the guy named Mikey lived and tried not to be too obvious when looking at the building. They only needed to know how to get there and the lay of the land in case their plan went wrong and they failed to catch the attackers. About a four-minute walk in the same direction there were a few boarded-up shops and what looked like an old abandoned cafe. On closer inspection the cafe appeared to be open and the brothers decided to check it out.

  The counter looked reasonably clean and the woman serving wasn’t particularly friendly but she wasn’t rude either. Having ordered tea and bacon butties both felt eyes burning into their backs. Tony turned around to face the potential aggressors. He folded his arms and his eyes swept the tables. He was well aware that they were in a dog eat dog location and he wanted the other customers to know that they were in the presence of pack leaders. Tony felt more like the runt of the litter but there was no way he intended to show that.

  ‘What you looking at?’ Said a spotty youth with greasy hair, egged on by the other four sitting at his table.

  ‘Fucking try me, sunshine!’ Tony’s pulse was racing like windscreen wipers in a rainstorm.

  Jim turned and leaned against the counter. He folded his arms and hoped he looked menacing.

  ‘Come on, lads,’ said the woman behind the counter. ‘I don’t want any trouble.’

  ‘Wanker.’ From the boy at the table in an attempt to save face before turning back to his mates and deciding not to push Tony any further.

  They moved to any empty table. Tony kept an eye on the spotty youth and Jim gave his brother a what did you do that for look as soon as he sat down with his back to their potential aggressors. When they finished they left the cafe, their unrushed attitude hiding the fact that they couldn’t wait to get out of there. Eyes bore into their backs until they’d turned the corner of the street and Jim gave his brother a solid punch on the upper arm.

  ‘Bloody idiot! What was all that about?’

  ‘You know what these people are like,’ he rubbed his sore arm. ‘He was spoiling for a fight to impress his mates. I had to show him that we can handle ourselves.’

  ‘And now they all know exactly what we look like.’

&n
bsp; Tony disagreed. ‘Didn’t see their eyes, Jim? They were spaced out, the lot of them. They’ll be lucky if they know what bloody day it is, never mind remembering a few strangers in a cafe.’

  Jim hoped his brother was right as they carried on to their destination. A little later they turned a corner onto the street where Val was attacked. Despite it being broad daylight and most of the city streets were bustling with activity, this one was eerily quiet. It was a long side street in a location you would stumble upon if you had lost direction, and not somewhere you would purposely head for. There was nothing of interest there and it didn’t appear to be a shortcut to anywhere in particular. There were a number of industrial sized rubbish bins placed right up against the dirty red brick wall which made the brothers think that a few food businesses might back on to the street, but otherwise nothing. There was a lamp at their end of the street and if they strained their eyes, they could see one more at the far end. The place would be very dark at night in between the lights and the brothers could understand why attackers would pick this location to carry out their heinous acts. Tony and Jim slowly made their way to the far end of the street trying to take in as much detail as possible while nobody else was about. They walked up and down twice until fully satisfied that they’d seen everything there was to see. On the second look, they decided to call it a day and noticed a pub on the corner. They entered and were pleasantly surprised to find that it was a decent looking place, and not a dive as they’d expected. Most of the other punters were dressed in business suits, quietly working on their laptops or with their mobile phones stuck to their ears deep in conversation. The twins felt out of place until they noticed a few tourists, lost off the beaten track they assumed. The middle-aged barman looked them up and down and took their order of two pints of lager. He watched them surreptitiously while serving other customers. Having had a good look around the area they were satisfied with what they had to do and would formulate a plan when they met up with Fiona that evening.