Bannerman's Ghosts

by John R. Maxim

  She reached for his hand. She said, “Tell me as we walk.”

  He said, “You never came to me. You didn’t know where I was. But I came to you. I knew where you would be. You would be working in your garden. Sometimes you were cooking. Sometimes you were sitting with your glass of wine, reading. I would watch you for a while. I wouldn’t disturb you. But sometimes I would feel that you were thinking of me and remembering more good things than bad.”

  Elizabeth said nothing. But her eyes took on a shine.

  Susan had tugged at Bannerman’s sleeve. She reached to touch Aisha’s shoulder. She whispered, “Let’s go.” She cocked her head toward the kitchen. She eased them both from the room.

  Kessler gave no sign that he had noticed their departure. Nor did Elizabeth. She was frozen in place.

  “And then I would lean very close to your ear and I would whisper, “I love you, Elizabeth Stride.’ And sometimes, not always, I would see your lips move. You would not return the sentiment, not in so many words. You would say, ‘Damn you, Martin,’ but it meant the same thing. I would know this because I’d see the pain in your eyes.”

  From the kitchen, Aisha saw that Elizabeth seemed in shock. Her legs seemed unable to support her. She began to wilt. Kessler took her in his arms. They held each other tightly, not speaking.

  “She knows he was there,” Aisha whispered to Susan. “She knows that he did come to her all those times because she knows that she did say, ‘Damn you, Martin.’”

  They watched as Kessler turned her toward Bannerman’s front door. She did not resist him. She almost seemed to melt into him.

  Susan said to Aisha, “You’ll be sleeping here tonight.”

  Aisha answered with a smile. She said, “Thank you.”

  Susan said, “The baby powder would have been a nice touch.”

  “I don’t think they’re going to miss it,” said Bannerman.

  End

  Note: Stride, Kessler, Aisha and Harry Whistler (Whistler’s Angel) are back in The Aisha Prophecy.

  Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  ONE

  TWO

  THREE

  FOUR

  FIVE

  SIX

  SEVEN

  EIGHT

  NINE

  TEN

  ELEVEN

  TWELVE

  THIRTEEN

  FOURTEEN

  FIFTEEN

  SIXTEEN

  SEVENTEEN

  EIGHTEEN

  NINETEEN

  TWENTY

  TWENTY ONE

  TWENTY TWO

  TWENTY THREE

  TWENTY FOUR

  TWENTY FIVE

  TWENTY SIX

  TWENTY SEVEN

  TWENTY EIGHT

  TWENTY NINE

  THIRTY

  THIRTY ONE

  THIRTY TWO

  THIRTY THREE

  THIRTY FOUR

  THIRTY FIVE

  THIRTY SIX

  THIRTY SEVEN

  THIRTY EIGHT

  THIRTY NINE

  FORTY

  FORTY ONE

  FORTY TWO

  FORTY THREE

  FORTY FOUR

  FORTY FIVE

  EPILOGUE