Shadows of the Lost Child

by Ellie Stevenson

  ‘I’ll listen,’ I said. ‘That’s all I can promise.’ She nodded, content.

  ‘You remember when I last came to see you? I asked you about the School Lane ghosts?’

  ‘I do,’ I told her, suddenly wary.

  ‘I mentioned my cousin, Marianne Parks.’

  ‘I’ve met Ms Parks.’ And I wish I hadn’t.

  ‘Marianne Parks has a personal history with this house. Her mother lived here so she’d like to find out a bit more about it. I believe you’ve heard these children’s voices.’

  ‘I’ve heard something,’ I told her, tersely. How the hell did she know that?

  ‘And, as I understand it, this work you do, the reversing of sound files, can work on crying, as well as on voices.’

  I nodded, warily. ‘That’s only what the research informs me, I’ve never done any crying reversals. To be honest, Mrs James, I’m highly sceptical.’

  ‘Ms,’ she said, and I raised my eyes.

  ‘Ms, Mrs, the point is, Guinevere, I can’t guarantee I’ll find anything of use.’ I already knew where this was leading and I didn’t like it, not one little bit.

  ‘Then think of it as humouring me. You’ll be very well paid for your time – Aleph.’ She grinned, shamelessly but I couldn’t smile back. I waited her out.

  ‘If I was to give you a sound recording of a child crying, do you think you could check it for – reversals?’

  ‘I could,’ I said, ‘that wouldn’t be hard. But I think you’re pulling a fast one, Guinevere. I presume these are meant to be ghosts crying?’

  The journalist smiled and got to her feet. ‘Please call me Ginny. I’ll get the file to you very shortly. And thanks for your time.’

  ‘But, wait a minute, we haven’t finished.’ I was chasing her down the hall as I spoke. ‘You told me you had a murder to solve. What about that?’

  Guinevere smiled as she opened the door. ‘All in good time, Mr Jones,’ she said. ‘All in good time.’

  Chapter 39

  Then – Thomas

  ‘She won’t let us use the cart,’ I said. Ben looked up.

  ‘Won’t let us use the cart, you say? Since when did I invite you along?’

  ‘When you decided to help Miranda. Now we’re a gang, a gang of three.’ He looked thoughtful.

  ‘So why can’t we use the cart?’ he said.

  ‘She reckons it’s far too noisy at night. And during the day there are too many people. Like Tanya Curtis, Miranda says.’

  ‘And Miranda knows best?’ Ben was amused.

  ‘They are her things,’ I told him hotly.

  ‘Or rather, they’re not, that’s why there’s a problem. Even if I don’t know what they are. But you want me to find a solution?’

  ‘If you can,’ I said sharply, not that sure that I wanted his help. Ben and Miranda could both be a pain, they were very well suited. I scowled, sourly.

  ‘Cheer up, Tom, I know what to do. It won’t be easy, but you like a challenge, or so you keep saying. Close the door, I’ve something to show you.’

  I did as he said and pushed the door to. All of a sudden the room went dark. I understood why he kept the door open. Saved on the light.

  ‘Now fetch that lamp from the shelf over there.’ I brought him the lamp, my eyes were becoming used to the dark, and Ben lit it quickly, and opened a door. I followed him into a tiny room. I’d never been in this room before. There was barely enough space to turn around. He moved a heavy old desk aside, and there, beneath it, was an old wooden trap door. He lifted the lid and beckoned me over. ‘Follow me down, and watch your step.’ I shook my head.

  ‘Not on your life,’ I said firmly. ‘That’s a cellar.’

  ‘Give the lad a prize,’ said Ben, laughing. ‘That’s why they send you to school, I guess. He grinned at me. I thought you wanted to help Miranda? Or do I to have to do this alone?’

  I shook my head and gritted my teeth and followed Ben warily down the ladder. It was dark in the cellar but dry, more or less, which made me feel better, until he vanished into the black.

  ‘Ben! Don’t leave me.’ I sounded terrified, damn it, I was.

  ‘Are you a man or a mouse?’ said Ben, reappearing with the lamp. I watched as he moved a pile of bricks along with some planks. Behind the wood was what looked like a tunnel.

  ‘Mind you keep up,’ said Ben, sharply and I didn’t argue, there was no way I was going to be left behind. Six foot in, he stopped abruptly and I nearly collided with his back. He swung his lamp around the space. The floor was made of uneven stone and the ceiling to the tunnel was low. The walls were damp with condensation. I shivered suddenly.

  ‘This tunnel goes under the churchyard, next door. And from that church to Curdizan Church and then to the abbey, or so I’ve been told. It was used to get treasure away from the place, when the churches were sacked, or so I believe.’ I must have looked blank.

  ‘A little before your time,’ said Ben. He grinned at me.

  ‘We won’t be going as far as the abbey, we’ll be stopping just before Curdizan Church.’ He looked around the space carefully. ‘My guess is that these are just sewage tunnels, for mopping up rain and other delightfuls. But, of course, we’ll probably never know.’

  ‘I’m freezing, Ben,’ I said, pleading. ‘Could we have the lesson another time?’

  ‘Guess what’s next to Curdizan Church?’

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ I said, sighing, gritting my teeth to stop them chattering, ‘unless you mean my school, of course.’

  ‘I do,’ said Ben. ‘There’s a route from the tunnel straight to the school, and that’s how we’re going to move the trunks, along the tunnel and up to your place. You wanted them near the school, you said. What do you think?’

  ‘That’s great!’ I said, suddenly exultant and not understanding how much was involved. ‘But how do you know it goes to my school?’

  ‘Because I’ve used it before,’ said Ben.

  Chapter 40

  Then – Thomas

  I always seemed to be late for school, just like today. ‘Bunk up,’ I said, ‘you’re in my seat,’ to the lad who’d nicked my place in the row.

  Ned gave me a scowl but he moved along and let me squeeze in. ‘Carson’s gone missing,’ he told me, softly. ‘I reckon that’s three, and that’s just the ones I’ve been told about.’

  ‘Three?’ I said. I only knew about Alec Mimson.

  ‘And your Louise,’ said Ned, slyly.

  ‘She’s not my Louise,’ I told him, sharply. ‘But I did find her things, well some of them, anyway.’ I suddenly felt glum.

  ‘Like what?’ said Ned, perking up at the gossip.

  ‘A dress and a cardigan, in her room. The lad who was there said a bloke took the rest, but I don’t know who or why he took them. It could have been the rag and bone man. I’m afraid she’s gone for good.’

  ‘Along with Mimson and Carson, then. All of them vanished, just like the wind. Don’t you think it’s odd, Tom?’

  ‘Yes,’ I said, ‘and ‘I won’t stop looking, but I don’t know where I’m supposed to look. And Louise always said, oh, it doesn’t matter.’

  ‘Go on then, tell me. What did she say?’

  ‘She said she might have to up sticks and go, if the money ran out and she couldn’t get more. But she said if she did, she’d leave me something, some sort of keepsake.’

  Ned smirked and I wished I hadn’t opened my mouth.

  ‘You’re sure it’s not a cardy?’ he said.

  After school finished, I made my way round to the pub, quickly, eager to be on time for once. Miranda looked up as I walked in. ‘You’re very early, what’s the matter?’ Then she gave me a stick of rock.

  ‘What’s this rock for, bribery? Want me to scrub the floor, or something?’

  ‘Spoils from work, it’s crushed at the end so we can’t sell it. I expect it’ll taste just the same, Thomas. Can’t stand rock myself, anymore. Seen too much of it, every day.’ She shuddered and sighed an
d turned away.

  ‘I’ve got some news on the shoes,’ I said.

  ‘Shh!’ Miranda said, looking around. ‘The way you’re talking anyone could hear.’

  ‘There’s no-one in here but us,’ I said. ‘Ben’s said he’ll help move the trunks.’

  ‘And how, exactly?’ Miranda asked. ‘I’ve already said we can’t use the cart.’

  ‘We’re going to use a tunnel to move them. It goes from his place to Curdizan Church. You know the church, it’s next to my school.’

  ‘Of course,’ she said. ‘I was up there, recently, serving soup to the needy poor. The vicar’s daughter’s a friend of mine.’

  ‘Is she?’ I said, grinning at Miranda. ‘Friends with connections, aren’t you the one?’ Miranda scowled and went on talking.

  ‘Ben says the tunnel runs right to the school. We can hide the shoes in there. As you know, it’s not far from the shop.’

  ‘So where are we going to hide them exactly? Once they’re finally in the school?’

  ‘We can store them in the old kitchen, the one underneath the joinery workshop. There are loads of empty cupboards in there.’

  ‘Oh no, we can’t,’ Miranda told me. ‘That’s where the soup’s handed out on Sundays.’

  ‘Hell,’ I said, ‘I didn’t know that. Well, maybe we can store them in the tunnel. They’re only shoes and not very heavy. It’s not going to be for long, anyway.’

  ‘No,’ said Miranda, ‘damn right it isn’t.’ She stood there frowning, she always seemed to be grumpy lately. I couldn’t see why she was so bad-tempered, I didn’t think Tanya Curtis was a threat. So I told Miranda about Louise. Then you’ll know who’s badly off.

  ‘And now he says a few kids have vanished, don’t you think that’s odd, Miranda?’

  ‘But who says, Thomas? From what I hear, it’s only your mate, and as far as you know he could be wrong.’

  ‘Ned’s never wrong,’ I said stoutly. ‘He keeps his ear to the ground, does Ned. And Louise did say she’d leave me something, if she went away.’

  ‘Like what exactly?’ Miranda sounded sceptical.

  ‘Her necklace,’ I said, feeling embarrassed. ‘And yes, I know, it doesn’t sound likely.’

  ‘It doesn’t sound likely at all, Thomas. But as you’ve mentioned it, go on, tell me.’

  ‘She used to wear it for school some days, it’s a long, thin string of bright blue beads. The girls weren’t meant to wear jewellery at school, so she used to wear it under her blouse, so Pike wouldn’t see.’ I stopped prattling. ‘What’s the matter?’

  ‘Bright blue beads on a string you said?’

  ‘Yes, why, have you seen it?’ My heart started thumping.

  ‘Yes,’ said Miranda, ‘I saw it on Sunday. Hanging round somebody else’s neck.’

  Chapter 41

  Now – Aleph

  The following day Ginny came back, bringing the sound file. While she was there, I listened to it quickly, playing it forwards, the normal way. All I could hear was a child crying. It was very depressing.

  ‘I’m very grateful, Aleph,’ said Ginny, ‘and so is my cousin, Marianne Parks.’ I couldn’t help disbelieving that statement.

  ‘You’re not going to go to print with this?’ I could see the headline right away.

  Deluded child killer talks to the dead.

  ‘No, I’ve told you, this is nothing to do with the paper at all. My cousin, Marianne has always been troubled by her family history. And that of the house, your house, I mean.’ She paused, waiting.

  ‘Alright,’ I said. ‘I’ll have your results by tomorrow, Ginny. But there won’t be any transcript with this and nothing I say will be recorded, by you, that is. Do I make myself clear?’

  ‘You do,’ said Guinevere, getting to her feet. She smiled at me as she walked down the steps. Why did I have this ominous feeling?

  I did the work in the early evening and It wasn’t pleasant work hearing the sound of a child crying. Over and over and over again. Of course, I’d heard such crying before. But somehow the recording made it real.

  Difficult themes would often come up as a part of my work, but I had the chance to assist the client, help them through, or sometimes, anyway. Lately, though, I’d been feeling drained. Since the accident, that’s what I meant.

  Lyle, my supervisor, would probably have said I was giving too much, not keeping to the boundaries as I was meant to, and I knew the man was probably right. I also knew that now, afterwards, I probably wasn’t cut out for this work anymore. But I still had to eat.

  I played the first half of the sound file first. It was mostly blank, with a few low sobs and not a lot else, sad and grieving, rather than desperate. It didn’t sound much like a ghost to me. But neither did the sounds in the street at night, I’d thought they were tourists. Then I tried that section in reverse.

  I want to see you. It’s been so long.

  I wanted to say hello again.

  But now you’re gone. I’m gone too, silent and lost.

  Part of me has gone forever. But what can I do?

  The simple words moved me so much, I really felt the pain of the child. But could it really be a ghost? It didn’t seem likely. Perhaps I ought to record one myself, rather than trusting Guinevere James. I played the rest of the file to the end. This was much more difficult to hear.

  It was all his fault. He took you away.

  Then I was scared. Now I’m lost too.

  I want you back. And I want me back. And I want…

  This awful time to be over.

  But it can’t be over. And I can’t go back.

  Because you’re dead.

  The recording came to an end with a whine. I clicked to press pause.

  So who exactly was dead? I thought.

  Chapter 42

  Then – Miranda

  She asked her ma about Mary-Ann, if Mary-Ann Parks might have an admirer.

  ‘She’s going to marry Wetherby Eisen.’

  ‘The man who runs the joinery workshop at Thomas’s school? You got to be joking.’

  ‘I’m not,’ her mother said, and smiled.

  ‘But, she’s the vicar’s daughter,’ said Miranda. ‘It wouldn’t be right, her marrying him.’ Her mother laughed.

  ‘What do you know about right and wrong? The vicar and Eisen are thick as thieves. He helped the man get a start with his workshop. And haven’t you got any eyes in your head? He’s not bad looking, is Wetherby Eisen, for all he’s not the landed gentry.’

  ‘His hair’s almost black, you call that good looking? I prefer my lads with fairer hair and a little more charm.’

  ‘Like Benjamin Tencell, I suppose.’

  ‘Oh, give it a rest, Mother, please. I suppose you’ve been talking to Thomas again? Never mind Ben, what about Eisen? Has he been going with Mary-Ann long? She’s never said.’

  ‘About three months, or so Carol told me.’

  ‘She wouldn’t be in the family way?’

  ‘And how would I know if she was, Miranda?’

  ‘I’m sure you know all there is to know, Ma. Seeing as how you’re thick with Carol.’ Except about our plans for the shoes. She frowned, considering what she should do.

  There’ll be time enough to tell her later. When they’ve finally left the building.

  ‘I can’t see us getting away with this,’ Miranda insisted, opening the door to her partners in crime. Tom charged in, followed by Ben.

  ‘Keep your voice down,’ Ben retorted. ‘Your mother’s in bed and asleep, I presume?’

  ‘She should be yes, on the brandy I gave her. She didn’t even notice me do it. She’ll have a bad head when she wakes in the morning.’ She frowned, guilty.

  ‘I gave her an extra tipple in her cocoa.’

  ‘So they’ve all gone home, apart from your ma, and you’ve dragged all the trunks to the door of the attic? Ready for us to bring downstairs?’

  ‘I’m still not sure we should be doing this.’

  ‘But you d
on’t have a better idea, do you? Ow, that hurt.’ Tom rubbed his ear.

  ‘It’ll hurt even more if you don’t shut up.’ They had finally reached the top of the stairs.

  The journey downstairs from the attic was a nightmare. Taking three trunks meant three separate journeys, with Ben always taking the worst of the weight. Miranda gripped the other handle, while Tom stood back and acted as lookout. We’d have been better off leaving him at home, thought Miranda, but she knew how much he wanted to help.

  And he would have helped, Miranda knew, if they managed to get the trunks to the tunnel, and then to the school, or anywhere suitable far from the pub. They went outside and across the road and staggered down to Blackberry Close leaving the other trunks right by the door. If anyone goes to the pub’s back door, then the whole game’s up, Miranda thought.

  But the night was dark and there wasn’t a moon, and at the beginning things went fairly smoothly. Until Ben tripped and a lid flew open. Shoes spilled out all over the road.

  ‘Ah,’ said Ben and grinned at the others. ‘So that’s what’s inside the trunks, I see. I wondered, because Tom had said they’d be light.’

  ‘I thought I told you to fasten them down.’ Miranda hissed and glared at Thomas.

  ‘I did,’ said Tom, ‘I swear on my life. It must be the ghost who came and undid it.’

  Miranda sighed as Tom laughed and watched as he scrabbled around for the shoes, stuffing them back in the trunk, quickly. Then they moved on. Forty minutes later, including a tricky descent to the tunnel, that part was done.

  ‘Isn’t it time for a little rest?’ Tom whinged.

  ‘No, it isn’t,’ Ben insisted. ‘We have to move on as fast as we can. We can’t leave the shoes in the tunnel overnight.’

  ‘So where are they going ?’ Miranda enquired. She recalled her previous chat with Tom.

  ‘I thought there were going in the school basement?’

  ‘As I told Thomas, it’s used on Sundays for the soup kitchen and anyone could find them if we left them there. Tom said we could leave them in the tunnel. Didn’t you Tom?’