‘You could ask her what it’s about, if you would.’
‘I would,’ he said, ‘but only if you’re really sure.’
‘Of course I’m sure, I’ve asked you, haven’t I?’ She paused, looked guilty. ‘Alright, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to snap, I guess I’m still angry about what’s happened. But not at you, it’s not your fault. Let me explain.’
‘After we met, I went back home and spoke to Alice, and asked her about the tunnel and Tom. She denied it all, said there wasn’t any Tom, or a tunnel or a horse, that she’d made it all up to amuse herself. Then she said I wasn’t to hear the recording, because that was private, between her and Alison, and also you, because of the reversals. But she said I wasn’t to believe what you say.’ Cressida leaned forward.
‘But, the thing is, Aleph, I do believe that Tom exists, or did exist, even though it’s madness, because I’ve seen him too, and Alice denying it must be significant, don’t you think? But I don’t know what I ought to do next.’
‘And you’d like me to help if I can?’
‘I would,’ she said, ‘because no-one else would believe this story, and you’ve been involved from the very beginning.’ Which is truer than you know, thought Cressida, grimly.
She watched as Aleph got up from the sofa and poured them more wine. He sat back down.
I ought to tell Aleph who I am, especially if Alice saw Daniel’s accident. That would explain an awful lot, why she’s so traumatised and maybe even why she thinks she hears ghosts. But Alice hasn’t mentioned Aleph, or the accident, so perhaps she doesn’t even remember. Or maybe she didn’t see it at all. And I don’t know why she’s angry with me. And if Tom is a ghost, why have I seen him? Oh God, I’m confused.
‘I could always do some more research,’ Aleph was saying. Cressida waited.
‘We’re both assuming Tom existed, possibly quite a long time ago. If we can prove it, show her he’s real and that he’s dead, these facts might chase his ghost away.’
‘So you’re assuming I’m crazy too?’ Aleph looked blank.
‘You said if we proved he was real and dead, Alice could face it, then she’d move on. But I saw Tom as well, remember. So are you saying, I have to move on?’
‘Assuming you’ve something to move on from.’ Cressida didn’t answer.
‘You might have seen a ghost,’ said Aleph, ‘but I’ve heard them crying and so has Alice. And that wasn’t prompted by anything else.’
‘The School Lane ghosts,’ said Cressida, slowly.
‘Exactly,’ said Aleph. ‘I’ve done some research on those already. And then there’s the matter of Mary-Ann Parks.’
‘I’d forgotten about her,’ said Cressida, thinking. ‘How are she and Tom connected?’
‘They might have lived around the same time. But I’d need to check if Tom existed. It shouldn’t be hard to find Haversham Road.’
‘You’re willing to do this for us?’ asked Cressida.
‘I’m also doing it for me,’ said Aleph. ‘I want the ghosts to leave, like you do.’
Cressida bit her lip and said nothing. There were other ghosts she could share with Aleph, but she knew that wasn’t her story to tell. It was Martha’s story but she, unwittingly, had become involved, and now, with hindsight, she wished she hadn’t. And, what if Alice had been there when Daniel was killed? She hadn’t dared ask, but she’d have to soon. They couldn’t live in silence forever.
‘I’ll go to the library first thing tomorrow. Check out the census and the trade directories.’ Aleph was writing some notes on a pad.
‘I’m really glad you’re helping us out.’ Cressida smiled as she got to her feet.
‘I’m always happy to help,’ said Aleph. He moved a bit closer, smiling warmly.
You haven’t a chance in hell, thought Cressida, and slipped past him quickly, into the hall. ‘Ring me, if you learn something new.’ She opened the door and went outside.
But not if it’s bad, she said to herself, as she walked down the steps.
Chapter 63
Then – Thomas
The morning was bright and I felt chirpy, like I used to do in the good old days, before Louise vanished and Miranda looked troubled and snapped all the time. I’d delivered the fruit and veg for Mason and was making my way up the stairs at school when I stopped with a jolt, half-way up.
The skull was sitting where it always was, perched on a shelf at the top of the landing. Its eyes were hooded, as if it was watching, keeping a beady eye on me. I saw this skull almost every day, except when Carson had used it as a football – a piece of the jaw had been missing since then – but Mister Pike still kept it on a shelf, a higher shelf that we couldn’t reach, not that this stopped us from trying, hard. Mostly we failed.
Carson, I thought. I’d seen him once, I could see him again. I needed to find out why he’d vanished and what he’d been doing talking to Eisen. If only I’d seen him on his own. I glanced across at the landing window, which overlooked the church and the graves, and couldn’t believe it when I saw him. Carson, I thought, don’t you dare move!
I ran downstairs and right through the workshop, not even thinking to check for Eisen. Fortunately for me, the back door was open. I dashed outside and ran past the woodshed and hurried towards the back of the church. The path led out to Scrivener’s Road. There was Carson, slipping through the gate. Yes! I thought. You won’t get away.
‘Carson,’ I yelled and Carson paused, glancing behind him and seeing me there. He ran even faster, as fast as he could. Hell, I thought.
I followed him quickly across the road and then through the alley and onto the street, Convent Court. Carson was slight and quick as a flash and a bit younger, but I had stamina, going out on the bike as I did. Before very long I could hear him gasping, noticed his legs were slowing down, so I stretched out a hand and reached for his sleeve. The damn thing tore.
‘You bastard!’ he said as he ground to a halt and glared at me. ‘My ma’ll go mad when she sees what you’ve done.’
‘You shouldn’t have run away then, should you?’ I stood my ground and the lad stood his.
‘What do you want from me, Thomas Islip?’
‘A number of kids have vanished from school and you’re one of them, and so is Mimson, and then there’s a mate of mine called Louise. Any idea where she’s gone?’
‘No,’ said Carson, rubbing his nose on his jacket sleeve and sniffing, loudly, to show his contempt. ‘I’ve been too busy to notice girls.’
‘Some folk are saying that Eisen’s involved, and maybe that the kids are all dead. And then I saw you talking to him, and you’re not dead, so what’s going on?’
‘Why should I bother talking to you?’
‘Because I’m older and tougher than you, and some of the kids have family who care.’
‘I don’t know nothing about the others, so it’s no good asking.’ He shuffled his feet. ‘Pike’s been sending me out boot blacking, and polishing as well, they come up a treat.’
‘You mean on the streets?’
‘Where else?’ he said. ‘A lot of the toffs are happy to pay. Especially when I say I’m an orphan.’
‘But you’re not,’ I said, amazed at his cheek.
‘I know that stupid, but they don’t know. They think I’m in need, and I am, of cash.’ He reached in his pocket and showed me some notes. Coppers spilled out and fell on the ground.
‘Christ!’ I said, and reached for the wad, but Carson was quicker and whipped it away.
‘Keep your hands off, Islip, you earn it yourself, if you want some of this.’
‘I bet you don’t get to keep it,’ I said.
‘No, I don’t,’ said Carson, ‘more’s the pity, or at least not much. First Pike takes his cut, then my da has some, but I always manage to keep a bit back.’
‘Pike takes a cut?’ I said, with surprise.
‘It was his idea. I’m working the streets, just like I did before I started at the school, but it’s be
tter than begging, because we do a job, and if I mention the school to the punters first, then that makes it right. I get more dosh, then Pike takes his cut.’
‘I’m sure he shouldn’t,’ I told him, slowly.
‘Why not?’ said Carson, ‘it was his idea. And he’s got the contacts, well mostly, anyway.’
‘What else do you do?’ I asked, warily.
‘Sometimes I sweep chimneys, but not very often, I can’t say I like it, it’s filthy work. Pike says I’m good cos I’m not that big, but my ma’s not happy, although Da doesn’t care, not so long as there’s dosh at the end. I get well paid for doing chimneys.’
‘And Pike takes some?’
‘Yes, just the same as he does with the polishing. He knows the people who want it done, so obviously, it’s down to him. It’s easing off now, because of the weather and I can’t say I’m sorry. With any luck I’ll have grown too much to work by the winter.’
‘But you don’t know anything about Louise or Alec Mimson?’
‘I’ve never even heard them mentioned. But I’ll keep my ear to the ground, if you like, so long as you keep all this to yourself. It’s meant to be private, unofficial, or so Pike said.’
‘I’ll bet he did,’ I said, bitterly. As long as us kids were at the school, Pike got a bonus for every one. I remembered my ma once telling me that. He was claiming the bonus for all of us kids and putting a few of them out to work. The cheeky sod. ‘That’s wily behaviour,’ I told Carson.
‘You’d better not tell,’ said Carson sharply. ‘I mean it, Islip, keep your trap shut. Or, it might be you who goes missing next.’
‘As if you could,’ I said, laughing.
‘No,’ said Carson, ‘I reckon I couldn’t. But I do know folk who can make it happen, and I’m not joking.’ He ran his finger across his throat. Then he grinned. ‘There’s one thing you should be pleased about.’
‘What’s that?’ I asked, curious.
‘That I’m not dead, otherwise you wouldn’t know what happened.’
Chapter 64
Now – Cressida
Cressida was walking home from work, feeling the warmth of the sun on her back and seeing it shine on Ebbenheart Green. The actual Green, it still existed. Maybe that means it will all work out, she thought, wistfully, thinking about her daughter, Alice. She knew she needed to talk to her. She wasn’t looking forward to the evening at all. She turned the key and went into the house. ‘Alice?’ she called. Alice didn’t answer. Cressida felt at once relieved and then ashamed.
In the thick silence, she could hear Ron Mappen, her next door neighbour, mowing his lawn, the first of the season. She wondered if Alice was off with her friends or down in Curdizan Low with Tom. She shivered suddenly.
Damn Aleph Jones, for stirring things up. She’d rather not have known about that tunnel. Assuming it still existed, that is. It probably did. The telephone rang.
‘Cressida, it’s me, I’ve found Thomas! He’s there in the census.’ Aleph paused.
‘Right,’ said Cressida, pulling up a chair and sinking into it. God, she was tired.
‘He lived on Haversham Road, with his parents, his father is down as a mill worker. I bet it’s the one that backed onto the street, the enormous one that went down to the Blue.’ Cressida sighed.
Aleph was really pleased, she could tell, but it pleased her less, knowing Tom was real and Alice had lied. ‘I don’t suppose there are photos?’ she said.
‘I only searched the census,’ said Aleph, ‘but there might be some in the local paper. I could try that next, although the chances of Tom being in it are slight.’ He paused for a moment.
‘I could try looking for the man called Ben, the one with the horse called Norah, remember? It doesn’t seem much to go on, frankly, but I know he was based at the old coaching inn. I’ll give it a try.’
‘Have you tried looking for Mary-Ann?’
‘The one who was murdered? No, not properly. Only in the papers, not elsewhere.’
‘You told me she was a vicar’s daughter. You know where the church was, it shouldn’t be hard.’
‘But we already know Mary-Ann existed.’
‘You might find some people connected to her, in the streets near the church, and also in your house, the Old Schoolhouse.’
‘Like Wetherby Eisen? He won’t have lived there.’
‘No,’ she said, ‘but he might have lived in a street nearby. There might be other material too, apart from the census.’ Cressida heard the door opening. ‘Alice is here, I’ll have to go, now. Keep me informed on what you find out.’ She followed her daughter into the kitchen.
Alice had eaten, and finished her homework and Cressida still hadn’t broached the subject. Tom and the tunnel, and all the rest. She kept on thinking, I’ll do it now, and then she backed off.
‘Go on, just say it,’ Alice typed quickly.
‘What?’ said Cressida, twisting her ring around her finger.
‘Whatever it is you want to say. I don’t want to wait all night to hear it.’
‘Tom exists,’ Cressida said, choosing the lesser of two evils.
‘And did I ever say he didn’t?’
‘You told me you’d made him up, for fun. You also said you’d made up the horse and the tunnel, but I’ve since discovered Tom existed, and I’m assuming the tunnel did too. Maybe still does. You lied to me, Alice.’
‘I bet it was Aleph who learnt all that, not you at all.’ She typed furiously.
‘You’re right, he did, he found him in the census. And before you deny it, it is Tom, if he’s the one on Haversham Road.’
‘Did Alison say it was Haversham Road?’
‘It’s Mrs Clipper, and no she didn’t. I got that from the sound recording.’
‘The recording was mine and meant to be private, between me and her.’
‘You once told me that Aleph could hear it.’
‘Yes, but not you. You never let me have any secrets.’
Cressida studied her daughter carefully. Alice acts like she hates me sometimes. What have I done? She paused, thinking.
‘Now we know that Tom existed, if you saw him, perhaps he’s a ghost, and that’s alright, but maybe we could talk about that?’ She nodded at the iPad. Alice got up.
‘I already knew that Tom existed, I didn’t need you and Aleph to prove it. I don’t want to talk about anything with you, even with that.’ She glanced at the iPad. ‘So what does it matter, if I lied? Have you never lied? I bet you’re lying to Aleph right now.’ She glared at her mother. Cressida felt shaken.
‘Alice, wait. I haven’t finished. There’re still some things I need to say, about Daniel’s death.’ Cressida looked at her daughter intently. Alice stopped walking.
‘What about Danny?’ she typed slowly.
‘You saw him, didn’t you, on the street? Maybe you even saw what happened? Is that why you won’t talk to me?’
‘No, you’re wrong! I didn’t see him, I never saw him after I left. Why won’t you leave me alone for once?’ Alice stopped typing and shoved the iPad onto the table, hurrying down the hall to the door. She opened the door and slammed it after her. Alice had gone.
‘Alice, wait!’
Cressida peered out of the door. Alice had vanished from sight completely. Right in front of the house was the Green, and in front of the Green were a few stray cars, circling the island, not very fast. There were shops to the left and enormous trees which lined her street and the edge of the green. It looked surreal in the artificial light. Alice could be anywhere.
Cressida went back inside the house and slumped on the stairs, pulling her boots on and lacing them up. Yes, it was true, she’d lied to Aleph. Or rather, she’d lied to him by omission. But Alice was lying as well, she thought. She’d seen something when Daniel died, maybe even the accident, and that was why she’d never been the same. And now, Alice had vanished again.
Cressida grabbed her coat and bag and hurried out into the street after Alice. It was get
ting late and Alice was alone, without any money, or even her iPad.
Which just went to show how upset she was.
Chapter 65
Then – Miranda
Ben looked up as Miranda came in, squeezing through the gap in the door. He nodded briefly.
The room looked much as it had the last time, dark and chilly and uninviting, with assorted coffin lids dangling from the walls. Miranda shivered.
‘I don’t like it much in here,’ she said.
‘Well, don’t come again, if that’s how you feel.’ Ben smiled and seemed amused, but he didn’t stop working because she was there. ‘Were you just passing, or did you have something you wanted to say?’
‘Yes,’ said Miranda, ‘but I haven’t got long. I’ve got to be back at the pub by six.’
‘Better spit it out then,’ he told her, briskly, putting down his hammer and staring at Miranda. She looked at the floor.
‘This thieving you’re doing, it’s got to stop.’
‘And who’s saying that?’ said Ben, coolly, pulling out a stool and perching on it. He stretched out his legs, taking up space. Miranda stepped back and blushed, unseen.
‘I know you’re in this with Wetherby Eisen, that it’s not just you, but it still isn’t right. Thieving, then storing the goods in a church. The crypt of a church.’
‘And how the hell do you know where we store them?’ Ben sounded grim.
‘I discovered the goods the other evening. I was looking for somewhere to store the shoes, until we could move them up to the shop.’
‘And you ended up in the crypt of the church?’
‘Well, yes, more or less, but I didn’t expect to see your – stock.’
‘I’ll bet you didn’t,’ said Ben softly.
‘But what if the vicar found them there?’
At that Ben laughed, a rollicking laugh, that seemed to echo up to the rooftops. Miranda glanced out through the gap at the street, worried that someone would hear them and come. Ben leant across and nudged the door shut.
Shadows of the Lost Child Page 19
