Souls Apart (Book 1 in the Lost Souls Trilogy)

by Mochira Jackson

  He paused. “That could work, I guess. Then we could be together all the time.”

  I waited while he paced back and to. If he agreed to that then it would be ok. He suddenly stopped and seemed to look right through me.” I can’t leave this village, though. I’d love to but I can’t.”

  “But why can’t you leave? You said yourself there’s nothing for you here and you’re all alone.”

  He shouted. “I can’t leave here, didn’t you hear me! And I’m not going to let you leave either!”

  “I want to go home now, Eddie.” I said,

  “Fine. But we’ll talk about this again tomorrow. It needs to be sorted out.”

  ***

  Mom was still at work when I got home so I went to my bedroom and cried so hard. Why did loving someone have to be so hard? I started to feel better about Mom now. I hated it sometimes when I got home and she was at the diner. She didn’t come in sometimes until the early hours and there were times, like tonight, when I could have really used a hug and someone to talk to. Despite this I found it quite easy to drop off to sleep.

  I was woken from my deep sleep, though, by loud banging on the front door. I pulled back the drapes and I noticed a flashing light. What was it? I looked again and saw it was a police car. I threw on my dressing gown and slowly opened the door. A female officer was standing there. “Charlotte Perry?” she asked.

  A wave of icy cold shivers ran down my spine. “Can we come inside?” she asked. I held open the door while she and her male colleague stepped in the hallway. I invited them into the living room and they sat opposite me. The female officer’s face was ashen. “Is your Mom called Simone Perry?” she asked.

  I nodded. I knew something terrible had happened to Mom. I could feel it. I’d had a horrible feeling that once she told her boss she was leaving there’d be trouble. He was a sleazy little man; a real pervert, I thought. He’d been trying it on with Mom for weeks and I think that was another reason she’d wanted to leave her job so bad. “She’s hurt isn’t she?” I said.

  The female officer nodded. “I’m afraid it’s not good news, Charlotte. We found the body of a woman in a dumpster behind Ray’s Rockin’ Diner. We think it’s your Mom. Is there anyone who can identify the body?”

  “There’s just me.”

  “Are you sure there’s nobody else. You’re very young.”

  “I’ll do it.” I was too numb to cry. Why was this happening? I glanced at my ring. It was cursed. I was starting to wish I’d never met Eddie. Things were just fine before.

  I asked the officers to wait while I changed and then I let out all my emotions in the back seat of the police car while we all drove in silence to the morgue.

  -17-

  I felt bad asking the police to knock at Amber’s house, but when they asked me if there was anyone who could look out for me, she was the one person I could think of. She was distraught when she heard. My mom was like a second mom to Amber; she sometimes saw her more than she did her own mom. Her mom was at home for once, though. She came into the kitchen rubbing her eyes. “What’s going on?” she asked when she saw me; my face red with tears.

  “Charlie’s mom’s been murdered,” Amber said. Hearing her say it in such a matter of fact way started me off again. Her mom came over and cuddled me and for a moment I imagined it was my mom. I let it all out.

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” Amber’s mom said. “Amber, put the kettle on, this girl needs a coffee with plenty of whisky in it.”

  She led me into the living room and I rested my head on her shoulder as she rubbed my hair. “You poor thing. You can move in with us, honey. This is no time for you to be on your own.”

  “Thank you,” I said. “I can’t believe this has happened. Who’d want to murder Mom? She was such a good person…”

  “I know, baby. They say Jesus takes the good ones first and from what I remember of Simone, she sure was one of the good ones.” She reached for a cigarette packet on the coffee table. “Do you mind if I smoke?” she asked.

  “No, it’s fine,” I said. Usually I hated people smoking but she was being so kind and I’d woken her from her sleep so it was the least I could do. Amber came in with the drinks.

  “Charlie’s moving in with us, baby,” she said to Amber.

  “Thanks, Mom,” Amber said passing me my drink.

  As I sipped it I thought about Eddie. I was alone like he was now. I was starting to understand why he didn’t want me to leave. I couldn’t believe mom was really gone. I’ll never forget looking at her on that slab; stab wounds all over her petite body. Terror etched on her pretty face. I started to cry again and Amber came to comfort me.

  “Everything’s going to be ok, Charls. Tomorrow we’ll call the school and let them know we’re going to spend the day moving you into this house. I don’t suppose you’re up to going to school anyway.”

  “Everyone’s going to be talking about it, aren’t they? Everyone’s going to think Mom was a slut or something.”

  “No they’re not. Why are you saying things like that?”

  “Well, a young woman, out alone at that time of night. They’ll say she was asking for it or something.”

  “Well who cares what they all think anyway. We know the truth and that’s all that matters.”

  Amber’s mom stubbed her cigarette out in the ashtray and stood up. “I’ll go and make up the spare bed. You need to try and get some sleep, baby.”

  I nodded. Amber was trying her best to stifle yawns but I could see she was tired. “You go to bed too, Ambs. I’ll be fine on my own, honest.”

  “Are you sure?”

  “Yeah. I’ll go up when your mom’s done my bed.”

  “Ok.”

  I walked into the hall and heard muffled voices. Amber was speaking. “…he’s bad news. Don’t you think it’s strange how her mom gets killed the same night she told him she was leaving?”

  “I’ve told you to stop obsessing about that boy.”

  “I just know he did it, Mom.”

  “Just go to sleep. I’m sure the police will get who did it. It’s not for us to speculate.”

  I went back into the living room and took some deep breaths. I hadn’t thought about Eddie. What if Eddie had murdered Mom? It made me feel sick. I ran upstairs and threw up in Amber’s bathroom. Amber’s mom came in. “Oh, baby, have you been sick?”

  I started to cry again. “I’m sorry.”

  She came over and gave me another tight squeeze and I buried my head in her chest; wishing she was my mom. I wanted Mom so much and even though I didn’t think Eddie was capable of doing something like that I felt that it wouldn’t have happened if I’d never met him.

  -18-

  I’d spent the day moving my stuff into Amber’s spare room. I took Mom’s stuff too. I didn’t know what I was going to do with it but I couldn’t just leave it there. It was weird being in my house, all alone with none of my familiar things there. I walked to my bedroom window and looked at the view of the house on the hill; something I wouldn’t see in the morning from now on. I noticed a silhouette on the hill. Was that Eddie? It sure looked like him. I saw him go over to the window and look inside. What was he doing?

  Did he know Sally was his great grand-daughter? Did she know who he was? He still looked the same as he did in the photo so surely she would say something if she recognized him. There again the resemblance between Emily and myself was striking and so why didn’t she notice it the other day? Why didn’t she say something to me?

  I watched as he turned and glanced up at my window. I shivered. Had he seen me? What was he doing at the house? I clutched the last of Mom’s things in my arms and tentatively walked down the stairs. I opened the door and half expected him to be outside, but he wasn’t. I locked the door and felt a tinge of sadness as I realized I would never step inside that house again. I made my way to the letting’s agent and handed in the keys and then I took the last of our things to Amber’s. Amber’s mom had gone to join her dad in Duba
i, where he was working on some high level government contract and so it was just Amber and I for a few weeks.

  Amber brought me over a sandwich. “Here, tuck in,” she said. “You still need to eat. You’re skin and bones already; we don’t want you getting any thinner.”

  I reluctantly took it and gave it a tiny bite. I really wasn’t hungry but she was right. I needed energy to deal with all my problems. “You know I’m sorry about what happened to your mom but it’s so good to have you staying here now that mom’s away again.”

  “I’m so glad you had room for me. I don’t know what I’d have done otherwise.”

  Amber put the last of her sandwich into her mouth and mumbled, “Are you going to see Eddie later?”

  “Yes, why wouldn’t I?”

  “Because your mom died last night.”

  “So?”

  “So, don’t you think it’s a little strange?”

  “What?”

  “That your mom gets murdered the night you tell Eddie she’s making you leave. He’ll do anything to stop you going, you know that.”

  “I know but he wouldn’t murder Mom. He’s never even met her!”

  “We both know he murdered Emily.”

  “No. Eddie didn’t murder Emily. Edward Gray did.”

  Amber sighed. “Why are you defending him, Charls? I think it was him and if the police come here asking questions, that’s what I’m gonna tell them.”

  I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. “You wouldn’t!”

  “Don’t you want justice for your Mom? What’s the point of you doing a criminal justice degree if you won’t even see the truth?”

  She stood up, picked up the plates and walked into the kitchen. I followed her, still reeling from her accusations. “I love Eddie, Ambs. I know him and I know that no matter what he’s done in a past life, he’s changed now. He wouldn’t hurt Mom.”

  Amber was scrubbing the dishes and so she didn’t turn round to face me. I saw her shrug her shoulders but she remained silent.

  ***

  Eddie was waiting for me at the top of the hill. When he was in front of me I broke down in tears. He pulled me close to him and hugged me tight. It felt so good to be wrapped in his embrace. It was as though nothing could hurt me anymore.

  “Charlie, what’s up?” he said.

  “It’s Mom…”

  I saw his eyes widen in confusion. “What is it? Has she gone to Maine and left you?”

  “She’s dead.”

  The color drained from his face and he looked as though he was going to faint. “What happened? Are you ok? Oh my god…”

  “Somebody murdered her, Eddie.”

  He pulled me towards him again and held me tight. “Why would anyone want to murder your mom?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe it was just a random thing. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time or something.”

  He nodded. “I’m sorry, Charls. If there’s anything I can do just let me know. Do you want me to come and stay with you? It must be awful being in that house all by yourself.”

  “I’ve moved in with Amber. I didn’t want to be in that house any more.”

  “Why did you go to Amber and not me?”

  “You know I can’t remember the way to your place and you gotta admit it’s too small for the both of us.”

  He ran his hands through my hair. “I guess.”

  “Can we go to your place now, though? I need to be with you, Eddie.”

  He smiled. “Ok.”

  We walked, mostly in silence, to his hut. When we got to the cemetery I heard a cat wailing in the bushes again. It shot out right in front of us and started to hiss at Eddie and then it jumped onto his legs, its fur standing on end. It was digging its claws into Eddie’s leg. Eddie screamed and started to shake his leg, determined to shake it off but it carried on wailing and scratching his leg as though it was a scratching post. “Get it off me, Charls!” he yelled. I tried to grab the cat but it bit me and then started to scratch my hand. “Oww!” I cried. “Eddie what’s happening?”

  And then I saw it. Even in the dark I could see Eddie’s eyes turn red. I saw the evil in them as he bent down, grabbed hold of the cat and squeezed it so tight I could see its eyes were about to pop out. “No!” I screamed. “Eddie, Stop!” He dropped the cat and the frightened animal darted into the bushes.

  “Eddie, what just happened?”

  His eyes had returned to their normal color. “I don’t know. I just lost it I guess. That thing was really hurting me!”

  “You scared me.”

  “It’s ok. It’s gone now.”

  As he took my hand I felt even more scared than usual. He led me into the hut and I twirled the cursed ring around my finger while he poured out some wine.

  “I don’t know what’s going to happen with us now,” I said. “I’m still going to college but I’ve nowhere to go to at weekends. I can’t stay with Amber for much longer.”

  He smiled. “Well maybe you shouldn’t go to college this fall. Maybe you should have a gap year and we can get married and try and get our own place.”

  I knew he was trying to control me and I wasn’t going to let that happen. “I’m not putting it off, Eddie. I tried hard to get into that college and they might not let me come next year if I put it off now.”

  “I thought you loved me.”

  “I do.”

  “Then stay. Move back into your old house. You can get help now you’re there alone. I can move in with you. It will be our place. Why don’t we get married in the holidays and then it’ll all be official before you go to Husson.”

  “I can’t go back to my old house, Eddie. There’s too many memories.”

  He came over and grabbed hold of my hand. He pointed to the ring. “Do you see that? That means you’re mine now. We make decisions together and we compromise. If you won’t move back into the house then you won’t be going to college either, it’s as simple as that. If you stay here then Amber will have to let you stay with her. She can’t just throw you out onto the streets.”

  “But I can’t stay here. I want more than this, Eddie. You have to understand; I want a better future for us and our children.”

  He withdrew his arms. “Children?”

  “You do want children, don’t you?”

  “I haven’t thought about it. I guess.”

  “Well, we can’t bring them up in a hut, can we?”

  “I’ll try harder to find a job. If I can get a job then you won’t have to leave at all.”

  Why wouldn’t he understand that I needed to leave? I didn’t want to be like Mom, working menial jobs just to scrape by. I had the chance to make something of myself and as much as I loved Eddie I wasn’t going to let him stop me. In a few years he could start cheating on me and I’d be left with nothing. If he really loved me he’d let me do this and he would still be there for me when I’d qualified.

  “If you want to find a job then do it for you, not for me.” I said.

  I felt my pocket vibrating. I was getting a phone call. It was Amber. “Hello,” I said.

  “Charlie, are you with Eddie?”

  “Yes,”

  “Charlie, you need to come home. The police are here. They’ve found a witness. I think Eddie did it, Charls. Please, come home. You’re not safe.”

  “What makes you think that? What did the witness say?”

  “Just come home – and soon.”

  I ended the call and looked up to see Eddie looking at me with a weird expression on his face. “That was Amber. I need to go home; the police want to ask me some questions.”

  “Ok,” he said, picking up his jacket.

  As we walked through the cemetery he was being strangely silent and then he pulled me towards a headstone. “Read that,” he said.

  I looked. It was Emily Gray’s resting place. “Why are you showing me this?” I asked.

  “Don’t you get any feelings from this at all?” he asked.

  “Should I?”
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  “That was you, Charls. You were Emily. You drowned. I tried to save you but I couldn’t. You were kicking so much and you were so desperate to get away from me that you fought against me so hard. I tried to pull you out but I couldn’t stop you. Don’t you see? You wanted to get away from me that much you’d rather kill yourself than stay with me.” His eyes filled with tears.

  “That’s terrible. How do you know all this?”

  “I just know. I thought you did too.” I didn’t want to tell him I’d been snooping so I shook my head.

  “Why are you showing me this now? You know I’m upset about Mom.”

  “I’m just showing you what happens when you try to leave me that’s all.” His eyes were all dark again and I started to think that Amber was right about him killing mom. He left me at the bottom of the hill and I ran all the way to Amber’s. I saw the police car waiting outside. Amber was waiting at the window. She threw open the door. “Charls, the police want to tell you what the witness saw. Come in.”

  I sat down while Amber went to make me some strong tea. I rarely drank tea but Amber said it was good for shock so I agreed to have some.

  “Charlotte. How are you feeling?” the police officer said. It was the same woman from the other night.

  “I’m ok,” I lied. I’d spent the last few nights crying myself to sleep and dreaming about Mom and how she hadn’t deserved to die and how unfair it all was.

  “Listen, we’ve been questioning a few people who were in the diner the other night and we have a report which we’ve decided to follow up. We think it’s very significant.”

  “What report?” I asked, taking the tea from Amber who sat herself down next to me.

  “It seems a homeless man saw something. He said he saw a person wearing a dark hooded cloak stabbing a bundle with a knife. He said he didn’t know what was in the bundle because he was standing too far away but the man looked so frenzied he ran to get help, but when he got back with his friends the hooded person and the bundle had gone.”