Ghosts of Perigord

by Marc Lindsay

  ‘I take it this is the reason,’ The DJ said.

  ‘Partly. Beetle, I’d like you to meet Jason and please be nice,’ Selene said. Jason stepped forward and shook his hand, they both gave a firm no nonsense grip.

  ‘Why don’t you both take a seat and Jason can tell me why he thinks he’s good enough for my girl here,’ Beetle said frankly. Selene rolled her eyes and sat down on one of the leather chairs provided.

  ‘Well for starters, she’s not your girl, she’s no ones for that matter,’ Jason said defiantly, taking a seat as well. Selene had a brief moment where she thought Beetle might blow up at Jason but instead a deep rumble of a laugh escaped him instead, the sound was like a spluttering chainsaw.

  ‘Ha, you’ll do in a pinch, the fact that Selene looks so damn happy is good enough for me, besides I know she doesn’t suffer fools gladly,’

  ‘I’ll do in a pinch,’ Jason muttered.

  ‘So, what’s your story, and keep it brief?’ Beetle asked.

  ‘Moved here recently with my mum, she’s the new vet, got part time work at the library, made some enemies and a friend,’ Jason indicated Selene. ‘And now we’re more.’

  ‘Short but interesting, now let’s elaborate,’ Beetle said replacing the song on the player with another Seventies classic about the seedy side of success. ‘Who are your enemies?’

  ‘The Sheriff and his psycho son,’ Jason scowled.

  ‘Actually their both psycho’s, but I’m just splitting hairs, how did you end up here.’

  ‘My mum inherited her uncle’s estate, Plato Wyngard.’ Beetle let this information sink in.

  ‘I didn’t know him that well, but despite his high bearing in the community he didn’t treat others as if they were beneath him, that’s rare, plus he was a music lover, he donated some vinyl to the station a few years back when we had a music drive, some pretty decent albums. I was sorry to hear he had passed away,’ Beetle said.

  ‘And as I mentioned before my mum’s the new town vet.’

  ‘I met your mum last week, I had to take my dog Rebel in, sadly he didn’t make it,’ Beetle said, Selene looked truly upset.

  ‘Rebel’s dead, why didn’t you tell me,’ Selene said tearing up, Jason put an arm around her and thought great here it comes.

  ‘Relax, Jason it wasn’t your mums fault she tried her best, but Rebel was old and it was just his time, Helen was very sympathetic, a real class act. And as for why I didn’t tell you, I didn’t want you getting all upset like you are now,’ Beetle said handing her a tissue, Selene dabbed at her eyes then blew her nose. ‘Finally how did you two meet?’

  ‘We met during detention,’ Jason sighed. Beetle let out a bark of a laugh, and after a moment Jason and Selene joined in. ‘If I didn’t know any better I’d say you two were made for each other.’

  ‘Selene had meant to bring me here sooner, but our jobs at the library have been keeping us busy,’ Jason said.

  ‘Ah working for Ulysses,’ Beetle said cryptically.

  ‘Do you know him?’ Jason asked.

  ‘We’ve both lived in this town for a spell,’ Beetle answered but didn’t elaborate further. ‘What music are you into.’

  ‘I’m not into any one type of music, I think there’s some merit in all varieties, I like to explore and experiment with different kinds, I think you have to be patient is all.’

  ‘Wow, that’s pretty deep, I would have had you pegged as a pop or hip hop aficionado,’ Beetle said.

  ‘Ouch, that’s pretty harsh, having said that, there’s plenty to like in both spectrums,’ Jason said. Beetle appeared impressed by his thoughts on music as they continued their discussion for the next hour and a half, during which Beetle played their requests and gave them as well as the on air audience interesting facts and trivia about each song. It was getting late and Selene reluctantly told Beetle that they would have to call it a night. Beetle invited them both back any time, then they left him to continue on with his show.

  The following morning Helen was waiting patiently for his arrival at breakfast, Jason thought her quiet demeanour signified an unpleasant discussion.

  ‘As I told you earlier, I was going to speak to Ms Stonewall in regards to your plagiarism allegation and I think we can lay the matter to rest,’ Helen said.

  ‘That’s great, isn’t it,’ Jason replied,’ What exactly was the outcome.’

  ‘Well when I spoke to her, she informed me that the allegation was just that, nothing more, no proof has been forthcoming so Mr Rosenthal had to retract his action against you, however….’

  ‘However what,’ Jason interjected.

  ‘Ms Stonewall told me that Mr Rosenthal wasn’t impressed with the schools lack of support in the matter and that he wasn’t going to let it rest, he said from now on he was going to watch you like a hawk, as he feels you’ll cheat again and when you do he’ll have the evidence to see it through properly. Whatever is his problem with you?’ Helen asked.

  ‘I wish I knew, he started out friendly, then his attitude turned all hostile. No reason at all, trust me, I’ve been nothing but my charming self,’ Jason said.

  ‘Sure. I know as far as the school is concerned this is over, but please promise me that you’ll watch yourself in his classes, don’t give him an excuse, but if you feel that he’s blatantly bullying you, tell me, ok,’ Helen said and Jason nodded.

  ‘Oh yeah, by the way, I ran into a customer of yours last night,’ Jason said.

  ‘And who would that be?’ Helen asked.

  ‘The DJ from the local radio station,’ Jason said. Helen gave him a blank look. ‘Big gruff looking man, dressed like a cowboy, brought in his sick dog but it died,’ Jason said.

  ‘I know who you’re talking about now, big and scary, but a teddy bear on the inside, the dog’s name was Rebel,’ Helen said.

  ‘I don’t know about the teddy bear thing; I’ll have to take your word on that. Maybe he was turning on the charm for you, chicks love all that emotional stuff,’ Jason said matter of fact.

  ‘Ah, you’ve got yourself a girlfriend, and suddenly you’re an expert on women,’ Helen said shaking her head.

  ‘I’m just kidding mum, he seems like a decent guy, just try to control yourself around him, okay?’ Jason laughed.

  ‘Well since we’ve exhausted all forms of intelligent conversation, I’ll head off to work,’ Helen said, giving her son a kiss on the cheek she then slipped out the door.

  Chapter 11

  Dianne Fields arrived at work bright and early at the Golden Leaf retirement home, she liked to get in early and relieve the night shift staff, knowing full well how exhausted you felt by early morning. After having a quick coffee and receiving a brief from the off coming staff she commenced her rounds. Dianne was a very proficient nurse and despite being employed in that role for the past eleven years, she still loved her job.

  The first round conducted in the morning was to count heads and check that the residents were okay. In a nutshell it was really done to ensure that no one had died or wandered off since the last round. For those who have never worked in the field of medicine the concept of the rounds might seem rather morbid, but Dianne never dwelt on the negative aspects of her job. The elderly tended to sleep less than their younger counterparts, something to do with their metabolism and the fact that they were now less active in their later years.

  So as she made her rounds a large percentage of the residents were awake on her arrival, she had a natural bubbly personality and always engaged them in light, positive discussion. There were a few cantankerous clients at the home but most responded well to her questions, probably sensing her genuine interest in their lives. About halfway through Dianne stopped at the room of Annabel Saunders, a resident in her late seventies who despite her age was fit and active and always took great pains in keeping her appearance looking immaculate. She was always awake and dressed when Dianne came around first thing in the morning, asking about her love life and talking about her grandkids.

/>   This morning however she was still in bed the covers pulled high, normally Dianne wouldn’t be too concerned however because of who it was she found it odd.

  ‘Mrs Saunders, are you awake dear?’ Dianne said. There was no answer. Dianne felt an icy trickle of fear run through her. ‘Annabel, hello,’ Dianne said. Still no answer, she moved towards the bed and shook her gently. The figure in the bed rolled slightly to one side and Dianne was able to see Annabel’s face, which was deathly pale and frozen in a grimace of pain, her eyes had rolled up in her head displaying only the whites. Dianne hit the emergency button on the wall near the bed then felt for a pulse, which was so weak that it was almost non-existent, she then checked her breathing which had stopped. Dianne started CPR immediately and was into her second set of compressions when the emergency team arrived with a medical gurney.

  It was strange, but while she had been conducting CPR on Annabel her eyes had drifted unconsciously to the bedside table containing a vase of vibrantly coloured flowers, they almost seemed to pulse with life. From the moment Dianne had discovered Annabel, to the moment she was raced into the emergency ward of Perigord general hospital was roughly thirteen minutes. Annabel managed to cling to life for a further five minutes before her body shuddered and gasped her last breath. Cause of death was attributed to a massive heart attack due to old age. The staff and residents were saddened but not surprised by Annabel’s death, as this was seen as the end of the road for all residing there and a way of life for staff.

  Later Dianne elected to pack up Annabel’s property for her relative’s collection, it was during this time that she noticed the flowers on the bedside table, withered, dry and dead. She could have sworn that they had been in full bloom earlier, she shook her head, it must have been a trick of the mind brought on from the heat of the moment. She remembered the new rule concerning the flowers in the rooms, so Dianne removed them from the vase, the dead plant’s bulb appearing swollen and oversized, she wrapped it in paper. Once finished she cast one last look around the room then left closing the door behind.

  Chapter 12

  It was during lunch that Jason and Selene received a visit from a young girl, Wendy Rothchild. Wendy was a student in some of their classes, only two years younger in age, having skipped ahead due to her high IQ. An inquisitive nature compelled her to ask questions and strive for knowledge, these attributes made her an excellent student but to her fellow classmates and teachers she was an annoying pain who showed up their intellectual weaknesses. As well as being a genius Wendy was a self-confessed geek, her passion was science fiction and in particular fantasy, books, games, art and music, she ate it up. Her deepest desire was to discover that magic and mystery really did exist in her world. Now standing before Jason and Selene with a large manila folder gripped firmly in her hands she believed that her greatest wish was about to come true.

  ‘May I have a word with you two?’ Wendy asked in a quiet and prim tone. Jason and Selene stopped eating their lunch and gave the young girl dressed conservatively in a plain neat dress and sensible shoes their undivided attention.

  ‘Sure, what can I do you for?’ Jason said, he noticed the girl fidget uncomfortably with the folder as he struggled to remember her name, then it came to him. ‘Wendy isn’t it, are you okay?’ The young girl brightened at the fact Jason had remembered her, she then took a deep breath.

  ‘First up, let me assure you both that I’m not here to cause you any trouble,’ Wendy said.

  ‘Well if you didn’t have our attention before, you have it now,’ Selene said. ‘You’re probably wondering what I’m doing here with this folder.’

  Jason and Selene nodded.

  ‘Within this folder is evidence,’ Wendy said with a determined satisfied expression. Jason and Selene stared in silence as Wendy opened the folder a removed a stack of black and white photos within, pausing for dramatic effect she peeled off the top photo and handed it to Jason. Jason stared at the image and an icy trickle ran down his back, the picture was taken in the forest clear and precise, but immediately his eyes were drawn to the right hand corner, a dark image vaguely human was running through the thicket, however due to its speed the camera was only able to catch it as a blur but nothing really recognisable. Jason knew exactly what it was, or more precisely he knew what form he was in when the picture was taken.

  ‘And what is this supposed to be?’ Jason asked trying to sound nonchalant as he handed the picture to Selene, her face lost all colour as her eyes narrowed.

  ‘It’s you of course,’ Wendy said cheerfully, Jason forced a laugh, this was followed nervously by Selene. Wendy took another photo from the stack.

  ‘That was the first picture I took when I began this investigation.’ Wendy handed the second photo to Selene, this one showed the top of the tree line shot from ground level, another blurred figure, this one clearly having four limbs and wings in mid-flight. There was no laughter.

  ‘I take it that blur is supposed to be me as well?’ Jason asked with a sigh. ‘You know it is,’ Wendy replied, without waiting for a response she began to pull out picture after picture and handed them over. Each one was set in Perigord forest and displayed various types of strange albeit blurred creatures.

  ‘Ever since I overheard you two talking by the statue of the stone goblin at the Black River Brewery during our school excursion, my interest was piqued. I started my investigation, passively at first, keeping my distance but watching closely where you went and who you’re associated with. Then I got lucky, one day I followed you into the woods and witnessed Jason transform….’

  ‘I don’t know what you think you saw but….’

  ‘Please don’t insult my intelligence or maturity,’ Wendy said sharply.

  ‘Do you know how ridiculous you sound,’ Selene said.

  ‘I understand your reaction; you don’t want to be discovered. I wouldn’t either…’

  ‘These pictures you’ve taken are definitely unusual, but they could have been easily tampered with. Not to mention there’s nothing here that would support your absurd allegations, which you still haven’t clarified,’ Selene said.

  ‘Oh, Jason’s not human, I’m not sure about you though,’ Wendy said indicating Selene. ‘And what’s the go with the library….’

  ‘You don’t know what you’re talking about,’ Jason replied uncomfortably. Wendy smiled and produced her last photo. Selene snatched it from her, the picture was in his back yard and showed Jason mid transformation from Black Panther to human, his face eerily clear.

  ‘Please explain this then?’ Wendy said. Jason’s mouth hung open for a few seconds before responding. Selene was the first to react, with one hand she grasped the folder from Wendy and with the other she pulled Jason to his feet and stared coldly back. Selene now had all the documents and photos in her possession but despite this Wendy simply smiled back.

  ‘Go ahead, they’re your copies anyway,’ she said. Jason and Selene seemed to deflate.

  ‘You’re mistaken,’ He said with no real conviction. Before leaving with Selene.

  ‘What should we do,’ Selene said, as they walked back to class.

  ‘Nothing till this afternoon, then we tell Ulysses and Ursula. And I’m not looking forward to that discussion,’ Jason miserably.

  ‘Hey, it’s not our fault.’

  ‘Isn’t it?’ Jason shot back, which made Selene pause and think.

  ‘Regardless, what’s done is done, now we have to find a solution,’ she said.

  ‘You’re right. We better get to class; we can talk later.’

  ‘What have you got now?’

  ‘English with Mr Rosenthal,’ Jason said gloomily, Selene winced on his behalf.

  ‘Yeah, you definitely don’t want to be late for that,’ Selene advised giving him a quick kiss before departing for class.

  English was far less confronting than he expected, in fact the complete opposite, Mr Rosenthal declined to acknowledge his presence within his class, even if he asked for an an
swer to a question and Jason’s hand was the only one in the air he would simply look past him and choose another student at random.

  ‘Well that’s his problem Jason thought and for the rest of the lesson kept his head down and mouth shut.

  After school they decided to split up and tell Ulysses and Ursula respectively of their encounter with the young Wendy Rothchild.

  After Jason reluctantly retold the events to Ulysses, who looked grim at first but then sighed and shrugged his massive shoulders.

  ‘I’m really surprised how well you’re taking this considering the evidence she has collected on me,’ Jason said as he showed the photos and documents to Ulysses, who glanced at them briefly then tossed them onto the nearby table. After a moment of quiet contemplation said.

  ‘There’s really not much we can do except treat the incident as if it’s an inconvenience,’ Ulysses said.

  ‘Surely you can’t expect her to simply not believe what she saw,’ Jason said.

  ‘Of course not, but if we try to convince her otherwise, I think she’ll just keep trying harder. You only have to see what measures she’s tried so far. Our best bet is to do nothing and just be patient.’

  Jason was definitely unimpressed with this tactic but he nodded to Ulysses’ greater wisdom.

  ‘Well the exhibition started today, how has it been?’ Jason asked. This seemed to brighten both their moods.

  ‘Great, we’ve been surprisingly busy, I’d hazard a guess that we’ve had nearly three hundred people through, intrigued at first then genuinely fascinated with the pieces, particularly the helmet of Rostam. Kava has been present for most of it, answering questions and generally being a terrible flirt,’ Ulysses laughed.

  ‘You really enjoy having him here don’t you?’ Jason queried. Ulysses looked surprised by the question.

  ‘I do, when you’ve been around as long as me, the list of old friends starts to dwindle. Not only is Kava an old friend, he’s a close friend,’ Ulysses confided.