Page 18 of A Curious Ending

‘Anytime, dear,’ Mrs M replied. ‘It’s good to have some company rather than rattling around this big old house on my own.’ As Lara was opening the door to leave, Mrs M added, ‘Although sometimes I could swear I can hear someone else moving around. Pipes I expect.’ Mrs M shrugged. ‘Or maybe Lady Porter has come back to haunt us all. I wouldn’t put it past her.’ The door closed on Mrs M’s final words.

Chapter 11

‘Please don’t tell me you met Lady Porter’s ghost,’ Lara begged, as soon as they were clear of the house.

‘No, there was no sign of your friend. I am sure that particular spirit has departed and will not be returning,’ Abby reassured her.

‘Did you find anything?’ Lara asked a little nervously.

‘It is difficult to say as I could only explore a small section of the house.’ Abby looked thoughtful and tapped her riding crop against her skirt. ‘I believe we will have to find an excuse to return for a more thorough search.’

‘Yes,’ Lara interrupted, ‘and I forgot to ask Mrs M about Jason Honeybourne.’ She would be interested to hear what Mrs M thought of him. ‘Sorry, you were saying?’

Abby resumed, ‘While I was there I did see one or two things of interest. I think I can say with confidence though, that they were all of this world. There was absolutely no indication that a Haunter was in residence.’

Lara looked relieved, but reading the look on Abby’s face asked, ‘You thought there might be something, didn’t you?’

‘As I may have mentioned…’ Abby said with a touch of pride.

Lara finished the sentence for her, ‘Yes, I know, you have a knack.’

‘How right you are,’ Abby agreed with a twinkle in her eye. ‘And it is telling me at this precise moment that I should keep my wits about me.’

Lara wasn’t quite sure what Abby meant by this but turned instead to getting to the bottom of what Abby had seen. Before she could ask, Abby cut in, ‘I do thoroughly approve of your Mrs M,’ she declared. ‘I have experience in these matters and I have often thought that many ills of the world would have been avoided if only we allowed good domestic servants to use their judgement rather than making them run around after their often deficient masters and mistresses. Mrs M is I believe an astute and capable woman.’

‘Who really doesn’t like Richard Porter, who she suspects was after his mother’s money,’ Lara said thoughtfully, ‘but who does like Dr Patil.’ Lara felt pretty sure that the next time they met Mrs M they would be able to add Jason Honeybourne to the list of people Mrs M disapproved of.

‘Yes,’ Abby agreed. ‘Plus, Mrs M clearly holds Sarah from the delicatessen in high regard.’ She watched Lara’s expression carefully.

‘If you say so,’ was Lara’s rather grumpy response.

‘Goodness me. Why does the mention of that estimable young woman’s name cause you to look like the fish has gone off?’ Abby demanded.

‘It doesn’t,’ Lara shot back at her.

‘Pollocks!’ Abby responded. ‘Yes, a couple of pollock, at least two weeks old.’ Abby turned to gaze about her. ‘Where are we by the way?’ Abby had been following Lara and now realised that rather than returning to the square via the park, they had skirted the side of the house and were walking through Lady Porter’s garden. The garden had a southerly aspect and ran downhill from the house for some distance before meeting a tall wall. Against the wall were a number of old stone and glass buildings that looked like they were used as greenhouses and potting sheds. To the right of these was a wooden door set into the wall. Lara appeared to be leading them to this door via a series of paths that skirted the lawn.

Lara was happy to change the subject. She wasn’t sure why the mention of Sarah made her so uncomfortable. Perhaps it reminded her of the community she had hoped to join, but now felt she had no chance of becoming part of. ‘This is the quickest way to the lanes behind the square where my van’s parked. We need to take some flowers up to the pub before we finish for the day,’ Lara explained.

Abby loitered on the path, slowly surveying the garden. Distracted from her questioning Lara followed her gaze, but could see nothing out of the ordinary. She was reminded of Abby’s earlier comment about keeping her wits about her. Lara felt her pulse quicken and looked cautiously around. All was silent. The garden stretched out before them in the last of the afternoon light. Above the treetops the sky was tinged orange and cerise, and the dipping sun created long slanting shadows across the lawn. At intervals dark flowerbeds dissected the lawn. These looked neat and ordered, as if they had been clipped and tidied for the winter.

Then Lara smelt it. Faint, but unmistakable. The aromatic scent of pipe smoke. She looked sharply at Abby who appeared more than normally self-satisfied, a slow smile spreading across her face.

‘Look,’ she whispered to Lara.

Lara turned around, drawn to the sound of wood grating against stone, as an old wooden door was pushed open. With a final rasping screech a doorway was revealed.

‘Hi, Lara. What are you doing here?’ Joe asked, as he emerged from the potting shed, his jacket slung over his arm.

Lara was so surprised that all she could think to say as she hurried forward was, ‘I didn’t know you smoked.’

Joe laughed. ‘Lara, what are you on about? I don’t smoke.’

‘Oh, but he does,’ said Abby softly, looking at the gnarled, bent figure of a man who was standing just behind Joe. But she knew as soon as she said it that Lara couldn’t see the old man, any more than Joe could see her. It seemed that while Gillmore House did not have a ghost, the garden most assuredly did.

The door was slowly swinging closed and Abby knew she needed to act quickly. She gave Lara swift instructions, trusting that Lara was as quick on the uptake as she believed her to be. ‘Lara, you need to do exactly as I tell you. Go over to Joe and keep him talking. You must stay in the garden and you need to make sure the door to the potting shed is kept open. I have found a Haunter and he has just disappeared into the shed. I have to see if I can persuade the gentleman to talk to me.’

Lara flicked a glance in Abby’s direction but with barely a pause edged closer to the potting shed. ‘I’m sorry. I’m going mad Joe. I’m not seeing things but I’m smelling them. I thought I smelt smoke,’ she said with a fair attempt at nonchalance.