Terry Thomas - The Drowned Woman

‘Get that child out of my sight,’ Will Sr said.

Daphne rose and went to Toby.

‘Sarah sees her, too. Rachel told me so,’ Toby said. His voice quivered. My heart broke for him.

‘Come on, love. Grandpa’s having one of his spells. I’ll bring you some food to your room.’

‘Do I still get my cake and ice cream?’

‘Of course, extra scoops,’ Daphne said.

‘That’s fine then. Grandpa will be fine tomorrow, right?’ Toby said, as he and Daphne walked hand in hand out of the room.

‘Did you really have to speak to my son that way?’ Simon didn’t bother to hide his disgust.

‘I wouldn’t have to if you would manage your family like a man,’ Will Sr said. He stood and filled his glass from the decanter on the sideboard. He sipped his drink and surveyed us. ‘You’re a sorry lot. I’ve had enough of this nonsense.’

He tottered out of the room, leaving us all in silence.

‘Is this a common occurrence?’ Zeke asked.

‘What do you care?’ Simon didn’t bother to hide the sarcasm from his voice. ‘You don’t have to deal with him day in and day out. He’s an irascible fool—’

‘He’s getting worse,’ Granna said. She faced Zeke and met his eyes with her shrewd gaze. ‘Something’s got to be done about him before he drives the mill and this family into the ground.’

‘Zeke will fix everything,’ Simon said, as he pushed away from the table. ‘The prodigal son has come home to save the day. I’m going to bed.’

I was no longer hungry. The bit of roast beef I had taken had turned to sawdust in my mouth. I forced it down with a generous gulp of red wine.

Granna finished her wine and refilled her glass, and then topped off mine.

‘Welcome home, Zeke. You’ve stepped right back into the hornet’s nest, haven’t you?’ Granna held her glass up before she took a big swig.

‘Don’t you think you should go easy, Granna?’ Zeke said.

‘I need to drink. It’s the only way I can cope.’ She winked at Zeke.

We all stood up and filed out of the dining room toward the staircase. ‘Would you mind going up alone? I really just want to take a walk,’ Zeke said.

‘Of course,’ I said.

He kissed the back of my neck, a subtle promise that never failed to send shivers up my spine, and left me with Granna.

‘Come, dear. I’ll walk up with you.’

We walked side by side up the stairs, Granna taking each step slowly.

‘Horrible arthritis in my hips,’ she was saying. ‘I walk three or four miles each day, but the stairs challenge me. Simon offered me one of the cottages on the property, but I can’t bear the thought of not being close to Toby.’

‘He is a bright child,’ I said.

‘He’s a hellion and I love him to the moon,’ Granna said with a twinkle in her eyes. When we reached my room, I found the door locked.

‘Oh, no. I don’t have a key,’ I said.

Granna rapped on the door next to my room. ‘Helen? It’s Sarah and Granna. Open the door, please.’

We heard footsteps. Helen opened the door. She held a book in one hand. We explained our predicament.

‘Just a minute.’ She stepped into her room and rejoined us carrying a ring of keys.

‘There’s dessert for you downstairs, dear,’ Granna said. ‘Sarah and I need to talk.’

‘Yes, ma’am,’ she said.

When we were alone, Granna locked her gaze on me.

‘Is it true? You’ve seen Rachel?’

I froze, not sure what to say.

I let my breath out and wondered if I should just confide in Granna right now. Tell her everything.

‘You’re smart not to trust me yet,’ Granna said. ‘Best wait until you discover for yourself who your allies are. Do you mind if I come in and sit for a minute?’

She came into the room and took one of the two chairs that faced the sofa. I sat in the other one, awkward and unsure where I stood with this strong woman.

‘I’ve always kept an eye on Zeke and Wade. Those two were trouble since they were children, each of them wanting to save the world and trying to outdo each other in the process. Zeke wrote when he took the job for Jack Bennett. He told me that he had met the girl he was going to marry.’ She studied my face. ‘You love him. That makes me glad.’

‘About Rachel—’

‘I am well acquainted with Dr Geisler and his work. It’s not every day a prominent psychiatrist walks away from a lucrative practice to study the paranormal. I know what you can do, Sarah.’ Her expression was frank and without judgment. ‘Rachel came to you with some sort of a task.’ She held up her hand. ‘No. Please. Let me finish. I know in my heart that Rachel’s death wasn’t suicide. That poor girl was murdered. She came to you. Did she ask you to find her murderer?’

My breath caught. I nodded, unable to find my voice.

‘That’s a dangerous undertaking, my dear.’

Granna took a silver flask from the pocket of her skirt and unscrewed the bottle. She offered it to me.

‘No thanks,’ I said.

‘One of the emeralds has turned up. Now Simon is flush with money.’ She took a generous swallow from it and tucked it back in her skirt, out of sight.

‘How do you know this?’

‘I know everything that goes on in this town,’ Granna said. ‘Does Zeke know that you’ve seen Rachel’s ghost?’

I nodded.

‘What an unusual relationship you have. Zeke was always a fair-minded, forward-thinking child. I’m glad to know that he carried that quality into his marriage.’ She stood and straightened her skirt. ‘Be careful, Sarah. You are treading into dark waters.’

‘I know.’ My voice came out a whisper.

‘You’ve a friend in me. If I can help, just ask. Good night, my dear. Sleep well.’

Soon Helen came to help me hang my clothes. She offered to brush my hair, but I declined. Instead I crawled into bed, aware of the space next to me where Zeke should have been. The curtain rustled in the breeze as the crickets and frogs made their night noises.

I was sound asleep when I heard footsteps outside my door. I opened my eyes and reached for Zeke, but the space next to me was empty. I got up and padded to the door, flung it open, and stepped out into the corridor. The house had a stillness to it, as if it too had gone to sleep for the night. In the distance a door shut, but other than that, the house was silent. Where was Zeke?

The curtain hanging over the open window at the end of the corridor billowed in the evening breeze. As if on cue, everything went silent. Even the frogs and the crickets ceased their song. I stood in the corridor until one lone frog called and was soon accompanied by the others. An owl hooted, and the nocturnal sounds resumed. I searched for a light switch but couldn’t find one. With the moonlight showing me the way, I headed toward the staircase, certain that I would find Zeke in his father’s study, poring over papers, or sitting in a chair with a book in his lap.

Goose bumps broke out on my arms. After a second my eyes adjusted to the darkness. Someone was behind me, a presence. ‘Who’s there?’ I turned, but not quick enough. A strong hand connected between my shoulder blades. The hand pushed. I tumbled.

Doors opened and shut. Voices whispered in the corridor above me, which flooded with light. Footsteps pounded down the stairs.

‘Sarah?’ Zeke squatted down next to me, wincing as he bent his injured leg.

‘Don’t move her,’ Daphne said.

I convulsed with shivers.

‘She’s in shock,’ Simon said. ‘Daphne, brandy and a blanket, please.’

Soon Daphne returned with the blanket. Simon tucked it in around me, his hands gentle and sure, while Zeke cradled my head in his lap. Daphne poured a dollop of brandy into a snifter and handed it to Zeke. He helped me sit up and held the snifter to my lips. I sipped. The brandy went down smooth and hot. Soon the shivering stopped.