‘Where does the woman find the time?’ he shook his head taking another bite.
‘Never underestimate the ingenuity of a woman suffering from a severe case of empty nest.’
‘Empty nest?’ Theo’s gaze locked on hers questioningly, ‘I don’t understand this reference.’
‘All her children have grown up and left home,’ Olivia replied taking a sip of her tea. ‘I believe her husband Alistair Mayberry owns and runs the local newspaper and puts in long hours and with her children gone she’s lonely and bored.’
‘I see,’ he answered as his hand disappeared under the table with part of his toast and she heard the distinct sound of a wagging tail thumping enthusiastically against the floor.
‘Theo’ she sighed, ‘stop feeding him from the table. You’re giving him bad habits, no wonder he follows you around like a shadow.’
‘It won’t hurt him,’ he grinned.
‘Stop smiling at me like that,’ she shook her head, ‘it’s not good for him to have sugary foods. She stood up and leaned down to drop a kiss on his lips, ‘he’ll end up with a sweet tooth like yours.’
He watched her with a smile as she turned to fill Beau’s bowl with some of his own food. Hearing his food bag being opened Beau scrambled to his feet and headed for Olivia.
‘Good boy,’ she bent down and stroked him lovingly as he clumsily stuck his face deep into the bowl, causing the food to spill up and over the sides like a small tsunami.
‘So what are we going to do about the visitor we had last night?’ Theo asked.
‘I’m not sure yet,’ Olivia shrugged turning to pour herself a fresh cup of tea. ‘I don’t have much experience with spirits. Apart from that time in college when a couple of my friends decided to get drunk and have a séance I’ve never given the idea of spirits much thought. Last night was definitely the first time I’ve seen one up close and personal.’
‘I wonder who she was.’
‘I have no idea,’ Olivia sat back down with her fresh tea cradled in her hands.
‘It’s a pity there is no one we can ask.’
‘Someone we can ask,’ Olivia murmured thoughtfully as her eyes fell on the newspaper, ‘I wonder?’
‘What?’
Setting down her tea Olivia picked up the paper and opened it. Flipping through it to the page she wanted she scanned down the list of ads.
‘There,’ she replied pointing to a name.
‘Fiona Caldwell, medium and spiritualist,’ Theo read out loud. ‘A medium?’
‘Someone who speaks with spirits’ she clarified.
‘Speaks with spirits,’ Theo replied skeptically, ‘we had those where I come from, but they were either charlatans or in league with the devil.’
‘Careful sweetheart,’ she smiled, ‘your Puritan is showing again.’
‘Regardless,’ he replied dryly, ‘this person is probably a fraud; it’s a waste of time.’
‘Well it’s my time to waste,’ she shrugged. ‘It's either Fiona Caldwell or…’ she squinted slightly as she read the ad underneath, ‘the mysterious Madame Magini, purveyor of mystical and fantastic communications from the other world.’
‘Fine,’ he conceded after a moment, ‘Ms Caldwell it is.’
Olivia rose from her chair and walked over to Theo, climbing into his lap with her legs astride his. She wrapped her arms around him and brushed her lips against his.
‘You know,’ she replied slowly, ‘as we’re going to be out anyway we could always swing by the coffee shop afterwards, I think they’re still doing the caramel bruleé latte.’
‘You’re a devious woman,’ he chuckled lightly as his hands slid around her pulling her in closer.
‘I don’t know what you mean,’ she smiled against his lips.
His hand slid up under her hair and cupped the back of her neck. He took her lips softly as if he had all the time in the world and in that one moment everything faded away and he was every breath she took.
An hour later they pulled up to the address listed and climbed warily out of the car. Stepping onto the sidewalk Olivia looked up curiously at the two storey house in front of her. It was like a rainbow had exploded all over it, the boards were painted a bright happy yellow with poppy red shutters. The front door was an eye catching cerulean blue, and hanging everywhere were brightly colored glass jars, wind chimes, sun dials and weather vanes. Opening the gate which was painted grass green she picked her way up the snow covered path, closely followed by a bemused Theo. Small bundles were placed at random intervals throughout the front yard, each covered with a fine dusting of snow, showing splashes of color here and there. They reached the porch and she realized the small heaps were actually garden gnomes, dozens of them clustered together in corners.
She raised her hand to knock but before she could the door swung open and Olivia’s mouth fell open at the short well-built woman regarding them both suspiciously. She wore cat’s eye glasses attached to a gold chain and sported a wild grey beehive which would not have looked out of place on a 1950’s school mistress. She had two curls either side of her face by her ears, but rather than falling in sweet little ringlets they stuck straight out from her head like mad grey corkscrews. She wore a bright blue hand knitted jumper with a reindeer on the chest and a tweed skirt which fell to just below her knees. Her green argyle socks were pulled up to mid calves and on her feet she wore bright red Birkenstocks.
‘Uh…Ms Caldwell,’ Olivia stepped closer offering her hand, ‘I’m…’
‘The West girl,’ she nodded, ‘I know. I used to play bridge with your aunt Evelyn every Thursday.’
She took her hand and shook it brusquely before turning to look at Theo. She pushed her black rimmed glasses up her nose and squinted as she scrutinized him thoroughly.
‘This is…’ Olivia began.
‘Not from our time line are you?’ she interrupted pursing her lips thoughtfully and then releasing them with a smacking sound. ‘Fascinating.’
She stepped back from the door and waved them inside.
‘Come in come in, don’t loiter,’ she closed the door behind them, ‘jolly cold out.’
‘Um, okay,’ Olivia stepped into the foyer. The house looked even bigger inside; the walls were decorated with huge flowers and a dark wooden banister wound alongside a curved staircase.
‘What the hell is that?’ Theo whispered with wide eyes.
Olivia followed his gaze to the cat sitting upright on the curved end of the banister.
‘It's a Sphinx cat,’ she replied.
‘That’s a cat?’ His brows rose in alarm, ‘what’s wrong with it?’
‘It’s supposed to look like that.’
Theo stared at the strange wrinkled hairless cat.
‘Oh don’t worry,’ Fiona interrupted brusquely, ‘that’s just Penelope.’
Another cat identical to the first appeared and wound itself around Fiona’s legs.
‘And this is Pandora,’ she chuckled as she bent down and scooped her up, nuzzling her wrinkled face.
Another cat shot out of a nearby doorway and taking one look at the new guests, bolted down the hallway and disappeared.
‘That’s Priscilla,’ Fiona told them as she set off down the hallway, ‘she’s a little shy of strangers.’
‘I think we might’ve been better off with the mysterious Madam Magini,’ he muttered under his breath.
Fiona huffed.
‘Madam Magini my foot,’ she snorted. ‘Her name’s Delores Lebinski and she’s about as mysterious as a can of baked beans,’ she stopped abruptly and looked Theo up and down. ‘She’d have eaten you alive boy. If she ever offers to read your tea leaves, my advice is decline, politely.’
‘I’ll bear that in mind,’ Theo murmured as she ushered them through a doorway.
His eyes fell on another two of the strange hairless felines sitting regally on the arm and the back of a deeply cushioned couch of bright sunshine yello
w. A mewling came from across the room and he spotted another three cats sprawled idly along the deep window ledge.
‘This is Primavera and Primrose,’ she nodded towards the two on the couch, ‘don’t mind them they’re quite friendly.’
‘Is she aware of the other twenty five letters in the alphabet?’ Theo whispered to Olivia.
‘Over there is Pomona and Poppy,’ the small woman continued, ‘then we have Prudence and… Colin.’
‘Apparently she is,’ Olivia replied dryly.
‘Sit, sit, sit,’ she bustled them towards the couch as she dropped Pandora to the ground. We don’t stand on ceremony here, take a seat. I’ve just put a pot of tea on, I’ll be back in a jiffy.’
The strange little woman hurried from the room muttering to herself. Olivia watched Theo in amusement for a moment as he and Primrose eyed each other with mutual distrust, before turning her attention to the room itself. The walls were painted bright blue, several large art canvases covered one wall, each a riot of bright primary colours. The effect was hectic and slightly nauseating. Everywhere she turned she could see loud jewel colours and nothing seemed to match. The final effect was almost psychedelic.
Fiona shuffled back into the room carrying a large tray and set it down on the coffee table with a loud clatter.
‘Coffee for you Theodore, black and sweet,’ she handed him a steaming mug.
‘How did you know?’ He took the mug, staring into it with frown, and then at their hostess with suspicion.
‘You’ll find I know a great many things young man.’
She sat down and began to pour out a cup of tea from a chipped red teapot. ‘Tea for you Olivia dear,’ she handed her a cup and saucer.
‘Thank you Ms. Caldwell.’
‘Fiona,’ she took her own cup, ‘and don’t slouch girl, knew a girl like that once. Perpetua Lancastry, went to school with her. Spine like a question mark, always slouching. Ran off with a second trombone from the Bromley brass band, ended up with a dose of the clap before he left her high and dry in a B&B in Scotland. Dreadful business that.’
‘You’re English?’ Theo asked curiously.
‘That’s right,’ she nodded.
‘How did you end up in Mercy?’
‘How do most people end up in Mercy.’ Fiona pulled out a small slightly tarnished silver cigarette case from the deep pocket of her skirt, ‘you’ll find people with a preternatural gift naturally gravitate towards this town. It’s a place of power and it’s old, very old. I’m not talking about the town itself; back in England we have buildings older than this town. No, I’m talking about the land itself. It runs just beneath the surface, magic, far older than anything you can possibly imagine. It calls to those with abilities, draws them close. You must’ve felt it yourself,’ she looked directly at Olivia as she pulled a cigarette from the case and closed it with a snap. ‘Mind you, with that demon calling you back to Mercy, I expect his voice drowned out everything else.’
‘You know about Nathaniel?’ Olivia’s eyes widened.
‘Of course I do,’ she pulled a box of matches from her pocket and flicked it open. ‘Of course I do, pay attention girl, your Aunt Evelyn and I didn’t sit around discussing the weather during our bridge nights.’
‘Do you mind?’ she indicated the cigarette before shrugging and lighting it anyway. ‘Of course you don’t mind, I know about your proclivity for fire.’
‘You seem to know an awful lot,’ Theo frowned.
‘The advertisement may say medium and spiritualist,’ Fiona took a long drag and breathed out a cloud of smoke, ‘that pays the bills. Most of my clients just want the comfort of knowing their loved ones are still watching over them. But make no mistake my talents run far deeper than that.’
She rummaged around in her pocket once again and this time came up with a tartan covered hip flask.
‘Hot toddy anyone?’ she offered, pouring the deep amber coloured liquid into her teacup.
‘Sure,’ Olivia held out her own cup, charmed by the eccentric middle aged woman.
‘That’s a good girl,’ Fiona chuckled in approval, ‘so let’s cut to the chase as you Americans say. Why don’t you tell me what it is you want from me?’
Olivia took a sip from her teacup and sucked in a sharp breath.
‘Are you alright?’ Theo frowned at Olivia, ‘your eyes are watering.’
‘I’m fine,’ her voice came out as a husky rasp.
Fiona slipped the flask back inside her pocket and took another drag of her cigarette.
‘You like it?’ she beamed, ‘I brew it myself, not unlike your moonshine I think.’
‘I can tell,’ Olivia coughed weakly.
‘So?’ Fiona indicated for Olivia to continue.
‘Last night,’ she began, setting the cup down on the table, ‘I heard a grandfather clock chiming. I don’t own a clock like that, so I got up to see what was going on. I went downstairs and the temperature had dropped to below freezing. When I reached the kitchen the back door was open and there were wet footprints leading into the room.’
‘You saw a spirit?’ Fiona leaned forward intently.
‘Yes,’ Olivia nodded, ‘a girl. I’d probably put her at about eighteen, nineteen years old. About my height, long dark hair, she was wearing a white muslin shift, torn and dirty. She opened her mouth to speak but water poured out of it.’
‘What was the water like?’ The question appeared somewhat random.
‘Why does that matter?’ Theo asked.
‘Because it does,’ she answered irritably, ‘stop interrupting.’
‘It was dirty, like lake water,’ Olivia replied.
Fiona nodded and indicated for her to continue.
‘Theo walked into the kitchen and she just…’ Olivia held her hands up looking for the right word to describe what she’d seen, ‘dissolved.’
‘Disappeared?’
‘Not exactly,’ she shook her head, ‘it was more like she became the water and just…’
‘Dissolved,’ they both said in unison.
Fiona nodded and sat back thoughtfully, sucking on her cigarette so hard it almost burned straight down to the butt.
‘I’ll need to take a trip out to your house and see what we’re dealing with,’ she replied after a moment. ‘Did you feel threatened by her?’
‘She scared the absolute crap out of me.’
‘I’m not talking about the initial jolt of seeing her; I mean did she try to hurt you in any way?’
‘No,’ Olivia shook her head, ‘it felt more like she was trying to say something to me.’
‘Interesting,’ Fiona stubbed out her cigarette in a cow shaped ashtray, ‘well there’s no time like the present.’
‘For what?’ Theo asked as Fiona stood abruptly.
‘To visit the scene of the crime as it were,’ she replied. ‘I can get a better reading if I’m standing where the manifestation took place.’
‘You want to come to my house?’ Olivia stood.
‘Isn’t that what I just said?’ She strode out into her hallway and kicked off her Birkenstocks, replacing them with bright orange snow boots. ‘Come on, come on, my time is not limitless you know.’
She ushered them out briskly as she zipped up a thick red jacket and yanked on a purple striped woolen hat, grabbing her keys on the way out as she followed them onto the porch.
‘You head back I’ll follow you,’ she told them as she headed towards an old green mini cooper.
‘I guess we’d better do as she says,’ Olivia grinned and shrugged as she glanced at Theo.
‘You’re enjoying this aren’t you?’ his eyes narrowed suspiciously.
‘Of course I am; that woman is exactly my brand of crazy.’
‘Well you’re right about the crazy part,’ he murmured turning to follow Olivia to the car.
They drove back in silence for the most part, followed by the strange little green car which seemed
as quirky as its owner and as Olivia parked up in front of the house, it swung in behind her. She watched as Fiona unfolded herself from the pint sized car and stared out towards the woods. She pursed her lips thoughtfully as her eyes narrowed. After a moment her gaze wandered from the woods, tracking slowly across the panoramic view from the land in front of Olivia’s house, past the road they’d just come down and then across to the lake with its small lonely wooden jetty.
‘Is everything alright Fiona?’ Olivia asked as she approached the distracted woman.
‘Yes, yes,’ she answered absently although her eyes seemed firmly fixed on the waters of the lake.
‘What is it?’
Fiona turned to Olivia and stuck her hands in her pocket jingling her keys restlessly.
‘Nothing,’ she replied, ‘shall we have a look in the kitchen then?’
‘Sure.’
Olivia turned back towards the house and followed Theo up the steps to the porch. She could hear a scrambling of claws on wood followed by an enthusiastic bark and as Theo opened the front door Beau shot out past them heading straight for Fiona.
‘Well hello young man,’ she laughed delightedly and hunkered down to his level while he jumped up at her and tried to lick her face. ‘You’re a handsome chap aren’t you.’
‘His name is Beau,’ Olivia told her.
‘It certainly suits him,’ she laughed standing and heading up the steps with the puppy following her happily.
Fiona stepped across the threshold and stood in the hallway. She removed her purple hat and several hairpins dropped harmlessly to the floor. Her crazy iron grey beehive, streaked with the odd stripe of pure white, stood out in all directions making her look like a banshee.
‘Shall I take your coat for you?’ Theo asked politely.
‘No,’ she shook her head, ‘no need I won’t be staying, I don’t like to leave the cats for too long.’
‘Well the kitchen’s through this way,’ Olivia indicated.
‘I remember well enough,’ Fiona replied jovially and sauntered off in the direction of the kitchen. ‘Is this the only place she has manifested?’
The Guardians Complete Series 1 Box Set: Contains Mercy, The Ferryman, Crossroads, Witchfinder, Infernum Page 48
