A Little More Dead

by Jordaina Sydney Robinson

  Sabrina grinned. “The approval department? I know you know nothing happens that fast unless it’s specifically fast-tracked.”

  “But there’s not a way to prove that, right?” I asked. “So, really, it could just be a reeeeally efficient worker bee.”

  “Unlikely, but possible, until you consider both yours and Tommy’s requests were fast-tracked. Was the tour Anna’s idea? I doubt she has that kind of pull. And if Burt didn’t help then someone else arranged it.”

  I sighed. “So, basically, what you’re saying is someone wanted both Tommy and me there.”

  “Yeah, basically, that’s what I’m saying.” Sabrina nudged my shoulder with hers. “I couldn’t find any info on who but it’s a tiny bit cool, though. You have to admit that.”

  “Yeah, it’s a tiny bit cool that someone wanted me at a mental asylum, ready to find a body.”

  “Okay, let’s look at the reasons why that’s unlikely. One: No one knew the body would be there except the killer and how would they know that you, specifically, would find it? They couldn’t,” Sabrina said before I could respond. “Two: Even if someone did want you there to find the body they would have had to be planning on killing the nurse and be able to fast-track your tour, which means at the very minimum they’d have to be a GB. Whole thing is unlikely. No, I think it’s more probable that someone fast-tracked yours and Tommy’s tour passes so you could investigate Katie’s escape and you finding the body was purely a lucky coincidence.”

  I stared at her. “A lucky coincidence?”

  “Unfortunate.” She frowned at me. “I said unfortunate, didn’t I?”

  I pursed my lips at her. “You have issues.”

  “I wonder why they would specifically want you there, though,” Sabrina said. “Maybe it’s another covert adjustment test. I think you might have to take more care about what you get involved in.”

  I nodded at her. “Oh, yes, I’ll definitely have to take more care about what I get myself involved in.”

  “There you are, hon,” Anna exclaimed as if I were an errant child who had gotten lost in the supermarket. She strode across the hall and stood in front of me, hands on her hips, and stared down at my saucer of biscuits. “Really? Do you think those extra calories are wise, hon?”

  “Says the woman who poured a tub of cream into her soup,” I said.

  “Bridget! What on earth is going on here?” Eleanor snapped as she strode over to us. Whenever Eleanor was annoyed her southern belle accent intensified to the point where I could barely understand it. Eleanor shook her head and gestured to Anna. “You can’t just bring your friends along to a meeting, Bridget. These are private.”

  “Oh, she’s not my friend.” I shook my head so vehemently my ponytail touched each shoulder in turn with the movement. “She’s my adjustment companion. If I could tie her to the railing outside and leave her there until the meeting was done I totally would.” In all honesty, I might not even untie her after the meeting was done.

  Eleanor’s eyes roved over Anna. Anna extended her hand.

  “Hi, I’m Anna Rivers.”

  “It’s lovely to meet you, Anna,” Eleanor responded in what I was pretty sure was the automatic way her mam had taught her and not her genuine feelings on the matter. Funny how Anna brought out everyone’s “polite” voice. “However, you can’t stay here. You may wait for Bridget outside.”

  My eyes stretched so wide I had to remind myself to blink so they wouldn’t fall out of their sockets.

  “No.” Anna laughed lightly. Obviously her fake polite laugh. “I’m her adjustment companion. I’m allowed to be at these meetings. I’m her responsible adult. I can’t just leave her unsupervised.”

  Now, I have no idea whether there was any sort of interdepartmental conflict or competition or whatnot, but I was pretty sure that Anna had implied that Eleanor wasn’t capable to being responsible for me. Let’s sidestep the fact that I felt pretty responsible for myself, and I’d been unsupervised for at least half an hour already and managed just fine, I was pretty sure that was a bit of a slap in Eleanor’s face. And if it came to a cat fight, I was betting on Eleanor. Despite her prim and proper southern belle ways, something about her attitude just told me should could get scrappy if need be.

  “I act in the stead of her parole officer when she is in my care. She is my responsibility,” Eleanor said and I had the briefest notion that both women had forgotten Sabrina and I were there.

  Sabrina leaned in and whispered, “Ten pounds on Eleanor.”

  “We don’t have money,” I reminded her very quietly, not to draw their attention our way. “And surely it would be more like a hundred pounds. Let’s make the bet worthwhile.”

  Sabrina frowned at me. “You’d bet against Eleanor?”

  “No, we’d bet someone else,” I whispered back. “But we’d bet big.”

  Sabrina gestured around the hall. “Who would we bet with?”

  I looked around at our GA members. No one here would take that bet because it was likely a maladjusted or illegal thing to do and most of our group were just so disgusting well adjusted. Except for Warren, a teenage goth boy. But I doubted even he’d be dumb enough to bet against Eleanor. “Good point.”

  “I’m allowed to be here,” Anna repeated with a level of patronising I just didn’t think I would use on anyone. Ever. “Do you need me to find the relevant article in the afterlife handbook to enlighten you?”

  “You are absolutely right,” Eleanor said. Anna smiled. Eleanor smiled. Anna’s smile said Anna thought she’d won. Eleanor’s smile said Eleanor knew she’d won. “You are allowed to be here … on my grace. I have the authority to ask you to leave. And I’d like you to leave.”

  After a brief pause Anna shook her head. “No, no, I—”

  “My only concern is the welfare and adjustment of my group. Bridget is struggling. We all know this. But she is also quite obviously feeling overwhelmed by you. Perhaps a break from you in a safe environment will prove helpful to her. Please leave.” Eleanor made a very elegant sweeping gesture in the direction of the doors.

  After several seconds of huffing Anna turned to me. “I’ll wait for you in the sunshine, hon.”

  We all watched her leave. When she had disappeared through the doors Eleanor turned back to us.

  “Bridget, I’m—” Eleanor began but cut herself off when I shoved my tea and biscuits on an empty chair, jumped up from my seat and threw my arms around her, giving her a full body hug. “Oh,” she said, initially taken aback. She patted my back a few times and then gave it a little rub, the way I did to my housemates when they jumped on me.

  I broke out of the hug and held her at arm’s length so I could look directly into her face and she could see my absolute immense genuine gratitude. “Thank you, Eleanor. So much.”

  “Oh, you’re welcome,” she said, a little flustered and pushed up the bottom of her grey bob. “For what it’s worth, I think you’re starting to adjust just fine.” She smiled and walked away.

  “What is wrong with you and all this hugging?” Sabrina asked, watching Eleanor, who I was pretty sure had a little more bounce in her step, walk away. “You’re really freaking me out.”

  “She just got rid of Evil Barbie for a few hours. She’s damn lucky I didn’t kiss her!”

  “Okay, fair point,” Sabrina said with a nod. “You know you’re going to have to be fully active in tonight’s session now, though?”

  “Small price to pay,” I said as Eleanor tapped the podium at the front of the hall and called for everyone’s attention.

  A couple of hours, and an incredible amount of group participation from me, later Eleanor called an end to the meeting. Instead of practising ghosty stuff, it’d been more of a “talking about our feelings” type of meeting. Which Sabrina had found hilarious due to the sheer volume of my contribution. I felt oddly lighter for talking about how difficult it was to keep finding dead ghosts and the group had been enthralled. Warren had asked the odd gory question
, which Eleanor had chastised him for, but ultimately it had gone well.

  Eleanor stopped me by the wooden doors as we were leaving and pulled me slightly to the side, out of the walkway. Sabrina followed.

  “Thank you for sharing so freely tonight, Bridget,” Eleanor said and her voice brimmed with so much appreciation it made my stomach clench. “I know you’ve had a really tough start and I’m so glad you’re beginning to feel secure enough with us, with me, to share your struggles. I know that’s not something that comes easily to you, so I wanted you to know that I’ve noticed and I appreciate it.”

  “Oh,” I said, adjusting my fringe, not really sure what to say. “Okay, thanks, Eleanor.”

  “I hope you know that I’m always available to you should you need to talk,” she said and placed her hand on my arm. Her emotions just leaked all over me and, once again, I reached out and hugged her. This time she wasn’t so surprised and gave me a brief squeeze in return. She turned to walk away without saying anything else but I was pretty sure she wiped a tear from her eye.

  “Okay.” Sabrina pulled me to face her. “What’s wrong with you? Are you terminally ill or something? Is this your attempt to get into Heaven the next time you die?”

  “What?” I asked.

  “What’s with the hugging and the nicey-niceness? It’s freaking me out.” Sabrina leaned back to get a better look at me. “Is Oz drugging your tea?”

  “I don’t think I was a very nice person in life.”

  “So you’re trying to make up for it here?”

  I shook my head and checked over my shoulder at Eleanor, who was chatting with other members of our group. “No, I’m just trying to be nicer to those people who are nice to me.”

  Sabrina wore her suspicion all over her face. “Why?”

  I shrugged. “Why not? It costs me nothing.”

  “You still hate Evil Barbie, right?”

  “Look, I think we should start calling her by name,” I said with a small shake of my head. “There’s no real reason for us to be mean to her. She’s only doing her job.”

  Sabrina stared at me, assessing, and then rolled her shoulders back several times as if she were limbering up.

  I gestured to her still jiggling shoulders. “What are you doing?”

  “I think you’re possessed. I’m getting ready to slap the demon out of you.”

  “Yeah. I don’t think exorcisms quite work that way. And you know I was joking about Evil Barbie.”

  Sabrina leaned in and looked into my pupils. “That’s exactly what a demon would say.”

  “Stop making fun of me. I’m trying to be a better person is all. I’ve not lost my mind,” I said as I stepped out into the evening air, Sabrina in tow.

  “A demon would say that too,” Sabrina pointed out.

  Summer was coming to an end and the nights had already started to close in earlier, but even in the dim light I could still see my housemates from across the grounds.

  Petal was cartwheeling in circles while Lucy, not-so-subtly, pointed to other members of my GA group and, I assumed from Pam’s face, made derogatory comments about them. Oz stood next to them, talking to Anna. Even across the distance I could see his attention was more focused on his surroundings than whatever Anna was saying.

  “Wow, look at your escort home,” Sabrina said as her eyes lit on the group.

  “Bridget!” Pam called loudly and waved her arms around to get my attention. Lucy waggled her finger in her ear as if Pam had shouted right down it.

  Petal faltered in her cartwheel when Pam called to me and fell on her bottom. She sprang up to her feet and skipped over. She threw her arms around me in a hug which I briefly, and somewhat awkwardly, returned. It was all still new to me. Sabrina was grinning when Petal released me. And then Petal leapt on Sabrina and hugged her too. In all fairness to Sabrina she took it much better than I would have in her position.

  “Hi, Petal,” Sabrina said while gently stepping back from the hug to find Lucy and Pam hovering in front of her.

  “Hi Sabrina,” Pam said.

  “You got anything good for me?” Lucy asked, her eyes roving over Sabrina’s jumpsuit.

  “How’s the stun gun working out for you?” Sabrina asked pointedly.

  Lucy pouted. “I’ve not had a chance to use it on anyone yet.”

  “That’s a good thing, Lucy,” I said and the look she gave me said she very much disagreed.

  Sabrina laughed. “It’s been a pleasure, ladies. I’ll see you at breakfast,” Sabrina said and disappeared to a chorus of goodbyes from my housemates and a measured look from Oz.

  “How was the meeting?” Oz asked as he approached.

  “It was good. What’s with the group reception?” I asked, gesturing to my housemates and Anna.

  “He didn’t want to leave us home alone,” Pam said, her tone explaining how unhappy she was about that.

  “It’s not because I don’t trust you, I just want to know that you’re all safe. That’s all.” Oz’s tone said they’d had this discussion numerous times already. “Anna, I think we’ll be good from here, so you can get off home. Thanks for today,” Oz said.

  “Don’t you need me to stay?” she asked. “I don’t mind.”

  “I think we’ll be fine. I’ll talk to Bridget about the meeting,” he said.

  “Okay, thanks, hon,” she said and kissed him on the cheek, leaving another red lipstick stain, before tunnelling away.

  Petal reached out for mine and Lucy’s hand. Oz took hold of Lucy’s other hand and one of Pam’s hands.

  “I can tunnel myself home,” I said.

  “Humour me,” Oz said and before I could say anything else we were in the back garden of our house. Right at the end of it, which I thought was weird. Until I realised that the only thing behind us was the fence so we could see the whole garden the moment we appeared. That just did not seem like a happy error. The others didn’t notice and headed toward the house. Lucy picking her way carefully as if she were trying not to dirty her shoes, Petal cartwheeling back and forth and Pam picking daisies as she went. Oz placed a hand on my forearm to hold me back.

  “You can’t exclude Anna from your GA meeting,” Oz said quietly. “It’s her job to help you.”

  “She’s not helping. Ask Eleanor.” I moved to walk away but his hand encircled my wrist gently to prevent me from walking away.

  “Bridget, help me out here. I thought you were going to try to fly below the radar.” Oz stepped closer and looked into my eyes. His thumb stroked over the inside of my wrist and my stomach flip-flopped all over the place like it was a fish out of water.

  “Not taking Anna into my GA meeting is hardly shooting up a flare,” I said and pulled my hand out of his hold, rubbing my wrist to try to erase the feeling of his touch. It did nothing to ease my jittery stomach fish, though. “And anyway, Eleanor asked her to leave. I didn’t even know it was an option.”

  “How did you end up at Mendall today?” Oz asked.

  I hesitated. “I think Anna arranged it.”

  “Tell me whatever it is you don’t want to tell me,” he said, his voice low, not demanding. More gently imploring.

  I hesitated again. I had no idea why I was even considering telling him my super-secret information. “Promise you won’t question how I know it?”

  It was Oz’s turn to hesitate. “I promise.”

  “I was fast-tracked onto the tour.”

  Oz nodded, lips pressed together. “Do you know who authorised that?”

  “I’m assuming that it was Officer Leonard. When he spoke to Anna while we were at Mendall he sent me to a different room to tunnel from. The directions he gave me sent me past Katie’s room.” The truth just poured out of my mouth before I could even think about stopping. Maybe Sabrina was right and I was possessed.

  “Did you search it?” he asked.

  I threw my hands up. “Oh, come on, now. He sent me that way. He could’ve let me tunnel from that cupboard before he spoke to Anna but
he didn’t.”

  “Which should be all the more reason not to search it,” Oz said, staring at me like I was an idiot. One hand was on his hip, the other rubbing the back of his neck. “Did you find anything?” he asked with a sigh.

  “Sort of. Someone had gouged ‘remember Lily’ into the wall behind the wardrobe and bookcase. Like, a lot.” Oz closed his eyes and bowed his head. “Does that mean something to you?” I asked.

  “Yeah.” He nodded slowly and then lifted his head so he could look into my eyes. “Lily was a girl in Katie’s GA group. They were friends. She died.”

  “Died or was murdered?” I asked.

  “Murdered.”

  “Wait, is this the girl she was meant to have killed?”

  Oz hesitated again. “Yes.”

  “Are you sure Katie killed her because, to my mind, you don’t gouge the name of one of your victims into a wall over and over again. Especially if you killed more than one person, which she supposedly did, right? You’d do, like, a tally or something. That type of wall gouging? That’s someone-else-killed-her-then-blamed-it-on-me-and-I’m-going-to-avenge-her-type stuff.”

  “Katie’s GA leader witnessed several arguments between them leading up to Lily’s death. Katie had a temper. And after the altercation with Petal …” Oz didn’t say anything else but I very much got the vibe that he wasn’t wholly convinced on the official version of what happened.

  “You don’t think Katie did it?” I asked.

  “I don’t want to think that she was capable of it … but I had to pull her off Petal. She wouldn’t let go. I had to prise her hands from Petal’s neck. Petal nearly died.” Oz was looking along the garden but his attention was focused inwards as he relived the memory. “She’d argued with the two other members of her GA group who were murdered. One she’d actually had a physical fight with. Her GA leader had kept that information from me, from everyone, because meetings are confidential and he thought he could help her.”

  The pain on Oz’s face made my stomach churn. He blamed himself for the murders but there was something else there too.

  “Are you—?” I dipped my head to catch his gaze so I could read the expression in his eyes. “You’re not sure she did it, are you?”