The Write Dream (Storage Ghosts)

by Gillian Larkin

  Grace picked up the pile of notebooks and held them out. “You have to finish it. You’ve got a real talent, you could be a published writer.”

  Andrew ignored the books. “No, thanks, they belong to the past. I’ve got work to do.”

  He headed towards the front door.

  “Wait!” Grace called. “Can you help me with the other items that we found in the storage locker? They might belong to someone you know, someone who wants them back.”

  Grace quickly described some of the items.

  Andrew looked puzzled. “My mum had a necklace like that but all her things were lost during a removal. My Auntie Sharon was furious with the removal people but they said there was nothing they could do.”

  Marie cried out, “What removal people? What’s he talking about?”

  “Perhaps if I showed you the items you could see if they belonged to your mum,” Grace said.

  Andrew gave her a hard look. “I doubt it, Auntie Sharon did the best she could to get mum’s stuff back. What’s going on here? Are you trying to get me to buy something? It seems a bit of a coincidence that you call me round here after finding my old stories.”

  Grace didn’t know what to say, she didn’t want to alienate him any further. She gave him an embarrassed smile and said, “Sorry, I didn’t mean anything by it. I wanted to find out who the items belonged to. Are you sure you don’t want your notebooks?”

  Andrew opened the front door. In a cold voice he said, “Throw them away, I don’t need them anymore.”

  He strode out of the house leaving the door open after him.

  “Don’t let him go!” Marie wailed.

  “I wasn’t going to get any further with him,” Grace said. “Let me have a think, there must be something else I can do. I could show him some of your belongings, then he’ll know I’m telling him the truth.”

  “Talking to yourself again, Grace? You do that a lot,” Frankie said as he walked through the front door. “Was that young man just here? What did you say to him?” Frankie wiggled his eyebrows. “Or should I ask what did you do to him?”

  Grace pulled her brother inside and shut the door. Heat flooded her cheeks, she kept her eyes away from Marie. She said to Frankie, “What are you doing here? Aren’t you supposed to be at the shop?”

  Frankie walked into the front room and flung himself onto the sofa. “I wanted to talk to you but your phone’s not on.”

  “Oh, sorry, I forgot to switch it on,” Grace said. She had been too preoccupied with her meeting with Andrew. “What did you want to talk to me about?”

  Frankie leant forward and picked up the survey sheet that Andrew had left. He read it and smirked. “Better get yourself some new locks. Or is it all a ploy? So you can invite young men into your home. Are you going to enquire about double glazing next?”

  Grace folded her arms. “When you’ve stopped being immature I’d like a reply to my question. What did you want to speak to me about?”

  Frankie dropped the paper and settled back on the sofa. “This isn’t easy for me to admit but you were right.”

  Grace sat down. “About what?”

  “About that storage locker we bought yesterday, the one with the clothes and stuff in.”

  Marie’s locker! A chill shot down Grace’s back. She’d forgotten to bring the boxes home with her, she’d left them at the shop.

  “What’s happened to the items?” Grace asked quietly.

  Frankie gave her a satisfied smile and said, “I’ve sold them!”

  Chapter 8

  “Everything?” Grace asked, her heart sinking like a block of cement.

  Frankie shrugged. “I think so, I can’t remember how many boxes were in that unit. I thought you were going to unpack them.”

  “Sorry, I forgot.” Grace looked over to Marie. She was slumped against a table. It looked like hope had drained from her. Grace knew how she felt.

  Frankie slapped his knees. “Can’t stay here chatting all day, we’ve got a business to run. Are you coming back to help in the shop? You don’t have to, I can manage on my own for a while.”

  Grace noticed the concern in Frankie’s eyes. She suddenly realised he hadn’t come round to tell her about the items he’d sold, he’d come round to check on her. Though he’d deny it if she pointed that out.

  She said, “I do want to help out, I think we’re finally starting to make a profit. Would you mind if I took a few hours off first? I’ve got something to do.”

  Frankie grinned at her and jerked his thumb towards the security survey. “Have you got someone else coming round? Say no more, I’ll get out of your way.”

  Grace sighed and looked towards the ceiling. Let him think what he wanted to, she had other things on her mind.

  Frankie stood up. He looked down at her. “Switch your phone on. See you later.”

  Grace saw him out and then returned to the living room. Marie was now sitting on the sofa, her eyes on the paper that Andrew had written on.

  Marie said, “What are we going to do now? I was hoping that once he saw my belongings he’d know you were telling the truth. Then he would be more open to talking to you.”

  Grace sat down. She switched her phone on. She had 3 messages, all from Frankie. His tone was casual but Grace could hear the worry in his voice as he asked where she was. He was a pain most of the time but it was nice to have someone care about her.

  She turned her attention back to Marie. “Can you tell me more about Brian and Sharon? Did they know about Andrew and his writing plans?”

  Marie nodded. “Ever since he was little he wrote stories, he used to read them out to anyone who would listen. Brian and Sharon loved listening to him. He once wrote a story about them having super powers, they kept that one.”

  “Do you think that he grew out of his writing?” Grace asked. “When I lost my parents I was working at a school teaching history. After the accident I went back but I didn’t feel the same about my job.”

  Grace didn’t mention the public breakdown that she’d had in front of everyone at school. Frankie had said that she’d gone back to work too soon after their parents died. Grace agreed but she’d also felt depressed by the thought of spending years in a classroom teaching the same things every year.

  Marie put her hand over her heart and said, “I can feel it. I know he wants to be a writer. I didn’t think ... dead people were supposed to feel anything but I can feel his sadness about his present life. Writing brings him alive but this security job feels like it it’s a living death for him. He’s my son, I want him to have the life he deserves. Do you understand what I mean?”

  “I do, my dad always said that he wanted me to be happy, no matter where I ended up. We need to find out why Andrew changed his mind. Was it money? Maybe he didn’t have enough for university. I know people get loans to help them but a lot of students need financial help from home too.”

  “Money wasn’t an issue. My husband left a generous amount to us in his will. I’d also taken out a life policy when we first got married. And I had my wage coming in so I was able to put a small amount away in savings for Andrew’s future.”

  “You said Andrew was 14 when you died, where did your money go? Did he have a bank account?” Grace asked.

  Marie shifted on the sofa and waited a moment as if gathering her thoughts. “When I found out about the cancer, and that there was nothing I could do, I had to make quick plans for Andrew’s future. I had a long talk with Sharon and Brian. They insisted on taking Andrew in. I told them about the money. Sharon suggested that Andrew could receive the money when he was 18, in time for him to go to university. I wanted to give them money to look after Andrew but they both said no. I arranged it anyway. I made my will out in Brian’s name. I didn’t want him and Sharon to struggle financially. Bringing up a teenager is expensive! They grow every two minutes and eat enough for a family.”

  Grace felt uncomfortable asking the next question. “Did you trust Sharon and Brian to give the money to And
rew when he was 18?”

  Marie looked shocked. “Of course I trusted them! I wanted Brian to have the money because I knew they were struggling financially. Sharon was good for Brian, she encouraged him to move forward in his career. Sharon was like a sister to me, we liked the same things. Sometimes I’d buy a top and the week after Sharon bought the same top! We were very close.”

  Grace had an uneasy feeling about Sharon. She said, “I think we need to speak to Sharon and Brian, find out why Andrew changed his mind about becoming a writer.”

  Marie smiled. “That’s a good idea, Sharon will know. It’ll be good to see her again, you’ll like her.”

  Grace gave Marie a concerned look. “If we find out that Andrew truly doesn’t want to be a writer, will you be able to deal with that?”

  Marie laughed. “That’s not going to happen! I know my son.”

  Chapter 9

  Grace stood in front of Thompson’s Security shop.

  “Wow! They’ve done well for themselves,” Marie said. “Very professional.”

  Grace had an unkind thought of wondering where the money had come from to build up such a business. She pushed the thought aside. She needed to have an open mind before she met Sharon.

  She opened the door to the shop and stepped through. Her mind immediately closed. Sharon looked at her from across the counter and gave her a professional smile.

  Grace could tell immediately that it was false, it didn’t reach her eyes.

  Marie said, “Oh! She’s wearing the same perfume that I used to wear. I told you we were similar.”

  Sharon quickly gave Grace a look over. Grace did the same to Sharon. Everything about the perfectly turned out woman in front of her said ‘false’ and ‘brittle’ to Grace. She couldn’t say exactly what it was, but there was something about her that was making her stomach feel peculiar.

  “Good afternoon, can I help you?” Sharon asked.

  Grace moved closer. She took in Sharon’s perfect hair and make up. Her designer clothes completed the image of perfection. Grace knew that this kind of perfection cost money. Grace flicked a sideways glance at Marie. She was smiling at Sharon as if greeting an old much loved friend.

  Grace spoke. “I had a security survey this morning. The young man was very helpful. I would like to go ahead with the security plan that he wrote down.”

  Sharon nodded, her smile still in place. “Yes, that would be Andrew. He’s not very knowledgeable, he’s still learning the business but he’s very eager to learn. Can I take your details?”

  Grace noticed that Marie’s smile slipped slightly when Sharon spoke about Andrew.

  Grace gave her details and watched as Sharon tapped in her details on a computer. Her perfect nails moved quickly across the keyboard. Grace was reminded of talons. She gave a small shake of her head, she really must get rid of these unkind thoughts. She didn’t know Sharon.

  Sharon read something online. She looked up at Grace. Her smile dropped and a concerned look came onto her face. It also looked false, as if Sharon had studied pictures of facial emotions and now tried to copy ‘concern’.

  Sharon said, “Your security is very poor, one of the worst I’ve ever seen. Have you ever been broken into?”

  Grace shook her head.

  Sharon said, “Well, you’ve been lucky. These locks are terrible, low quality. I suppose some people can only afford lower quality things. It’s a good job you contacted us, your luck would have run out one day and you would have definitely experienced a break in, perhaps even an assault if you were in at the time.”

  Grace frowned. She didn’t like Sharon’s sales talk, she sounded like she was trying to scare her.

  Sharon put her head to one side as if sympathy. “You’ll need our deluxe service. It is costly but you can’t put a price on peace of mind. I’m sure you wouldn’t want to wake up one night and find a potential rapist standing over your bed. Or a possible murderer waiting for you as you came home at night. Let me tell the prices. We take all major credit cards.”

  Marie was looking at Sharon with a puzzled expression, as if she couldn’t believe what Sharon was saying.

  Sharon passed a glossy brochure to Grace. Grace felt her eyes popping as she read the prices. Peace of mind certainly didn’t come cheap.

  The door opened. Marie called out, “It’s Brian! Look at his head, poor thing, he never wanted to go bald! Put on a bit of weight too, bless him.”

  Grace looked at the man. He had a kind face and the same eyes as Marie and Andrew. He gave her a friendly nod and walked around the counter to Sharon.

  He held out a cardboard coffee cup to Sharon and said, “I’ve got you a latte, my love.”

  Sharon arched an eyebrow at him.

  Brian smiled at her. “It’s a skinny latte of course. I know how you take your coffee after all these years.”

  Sharon didn’t smile. “Put it down, I’m not in the mood for coffee. You should have phoned me first.”

  Brian’s smile faded. He placed the cup down.

  “Did you get through those two surveys?” Sharon asked abruptly.

  “I did.” Brian said, he tried a smile again. It wasn’t returned by Sharon.

  “And where’s the other one? Laurel doesn’t go anywhere without Hardy,” Sharon said.

  “He’s parking the van. We thought we’d have a quick cuppa before we set off on our next job,” Brian said. Grace didn’t miss the hopeful tone in his voice. He almost sounded like a small child asking permission from a grown up.

  Sharon frowned at him. She tapped her designer watch with a pointy nail. “Time is money, Brian, how many times have I told you? What’s your next job, something big I hope.”

  Brian nodded eagerly. “It’s a CCTV job, at a shop down the road.”

  Sharon tutted. “That’s not much, make sure you mention that crime rates are rising, mention security shutters and alarms.”

  Brian frowned, “Are crime rates rising?”

  Sharon gave him a withering look. “They’re always rising in our business, the customers don’t need proof, our word is enough.”

  Sharon gave a sudden start as if she’d suddenly remembered that Grace was standing in front of her. Her sickly sweet smile reappeared and she said, “Of course, not all our customers are as aware of risks as you are, Ms Abrahams. I can see that you’re going to make a sensible decision following your survey. I’ll print a contract out for the deluxe service. We could probably book you in for next week.”

  Grace was just on the verge of telling her where to shove her contract when the door opened again.

  “Andrew!” Marie said, her voice rising with happiness.

  Grace stiffened. He was the last person she wanted to see here.

  It looked like Andrew felt the same. He marched over to Grace and pointed at her. “What are you doing here? Spreading more lies about my mum?” He turned to Sharon and said, “Just wait til you hear what she’s been saying.”

  Chapter 10

  Grace didn’t know where to look as Andrew told Sharon about the notebooks. She glanced at Marie but couldn’t read her expression, it was as if Marie couldn’t decide what to think.

  Andrew said, “But the other things in the storage locker couldn’t have belonged to mum, could they? You told me that everything had been lost.”

  Grace shot a look at Sharon expecting to see daggers of hate heading her away.

  Sharon’s calm composure was shaken, she fiddled nervously with her necklace. She turned to Grace and said, “Tell me exactly where this storage locker was.”

  Grace did so.

  Was it her imagination or did Sharon quickly gulp?

  Sharon let go of her necklace and suddenly clicked her fingers. “It must be those removal men! They must have put the boxes in there. I knew they were a shifty bunch and they smelled funny. That’s exactly what must have happened! I should sue them.”

  Sharon looked brightly around at everyone to see if they were taking in her words. She pointed at Br
ian, “Didn’t I say they were shifty? Didn’t I?”

  Brian frowned slightly. “I don’t quite remember that, my love, but you know best. Although I don’t know why you hired removal men, I could have moved everything from Marie’s house to ours.”

  Sharon gave him a dismissive look. She turned her attention to Andrew. “I’m sorry you had to find out about your mum’s things like this, it broke my heart when I heard about them going missing.”

  She clicked her fingers at Grace and said, “Give the items back, they don’t belong to you. Go and get them now, it’s the least you can do.”

  Heat flushed through Grace. In a cold voice she said, “Please don’t click your fingers at me. Legally, the items do belong to me. Although I could find out who was paying for the storage unit, if you’re in the mood for suing someone.”

  Sharon waved her hand angrily. “What’s the point now? Can’t you just give the things to Andrew? You can see how upset he is. I think you’re being extremely selfish.”

  Grace narrowed her eyes at Sharon. There was something going on here, Sharon wasn’t telling them the truth.

  Marie said to Grace. “Ask her if there was anything left of mine, perhaps some small items of jewellery that she didn’t trust the removal men with.”

  Grace repeated the question.

  Andrew looked hopefully at his aunt. “Do you think you forgot about something? You spent a lot of time in Mum’s bedroom after she died.”

  Sharon exploded. “Are you accusing me of stealing? Of keeping your mum’s precious things from you?”

  Andrew moved forward, a pained look on his face. “No! Of course not, I’m sorry I asked.”

  Brian put his arm around Sharon and said, “Come on, love, don’t get upset. Why don’t you close up for the day, I’ll take Andrew to the CCTV job, it’ll be good training.”

  Sharon’s lip wobbled, she tried to give Brian a brave smile.

  Grace almost felt like clapping her performance. Why couldn’t Andrew and Brian see through her?

  Sharon sniffed and said, “I can manage, there’s only a few hours left. You two go.”