Spiritwalker (11 page)

“I got the impression that Sylvia knew more than she was telling.”  Anna replied.  “But I didn't want to press her too much in front of Molly.”  Anna explained to Eva about Molly's asthma attack.

“Thank goodness you were there.” Eva said paling a little.

“That's why I brought her here, she was on her own in London; she rang her dad and her sister.  I'm afraid you'll have a full house soon.”  Anna said.

“The two girls are welcome to stay as long as they want.  Ian though, I haven't forgiven him for what he put my sister through all these years.  It wasn't his first affair you know.”  She lowered her voice more.  “But he is the father of my two nieces and I know he loves them to bits so for their sakes I'll put up with him.  You've discovered a lot more in two days than the police did in two weeks.  At last it looks as if they are beginning to take me seriously.”

“I might not have been so quick to come if you had told me about the email when you first came to see me either.”  Anna admonished her.

“Ah you heard about that, I just know Jane didn't send it, so what was the point of mentioning it?”  Eva replied.

“Is there anything else you haven't told me, cause if there is I'd like to know it.  It would make my job easier” The doorbell rang before they could say anything further.

“Who's that?” Eva wondered.

“It must be that Inspector, he was on his way up at the same time we were.  He must have been held up by the reporters or else he was tearing the head off the policeman for not being at his post when we got here.” Anna answered.

            Olana showed the inspector in.  He enquired after Sassy and asked Eva if there was a room he could use to speak to Anna privately in.  Eva showed them into her husband’s office and offered then both some refreshments. 

Inspector Morley accepted and Olana returned with a tray of sandwiches and a pot of coffee with two cups, milk and sugar. 

When she had gone, Morley poured himself a coffee and offered one to Anna.  She refused.

“You'll have to excuse me, I haven't had any lunch or dinner.  This seems to be the only place I get to eat lately.  Never look a gift horse in the mouth that's what my mother used to always say.” And he munched his way through the entire plate of sandwiches.

“I'm glad you're here” Anna said, she was still a little apprehensive but felt it was better to take the bull by the horns than run away.  Molly Turner has some information I think you might be interested in.”

“Oh, what information?” Morley asked finally swallowing the last piece of the sandwich.

“I'd better let her tell you herself. What was it you wanted to ask me about?  I gave my statement last night.”

Yes, so you did.”  Morley said looking through his notes.  “Here it is, you said in your statement to PC Barnes that you were in your room getting ready for bed when you saw Sassy being abducted.  Can you explain that?”

“That's correct.  I was in my room.”

“How could you have seen Sassy being abducted if you were in your room?  It was dark and the place she was attacked isn't visible from this house.”  He looked at her expectantly.

“I might as well tell you.”  Anna sighed, she knew she had to come clean “Eva hired me because I'm known by the few people I've helped to be a... how shall I put it... “
A Seer
”

“What do you mean “
A Seer”
, what the hell is a seer?”  Morley asked impatiently.

“I’m what some people might call a psychic. I’m not psychic and I certainly don't advertise myself as one, but word gets around and most of the people who hire me are looking for missing relatives, and I'm good at finding missing people....like last night.  Anna looked at the inspector.  She could tell by his expression that he hadn't been expecting that.

“Are you taking the piss?”  He said raising his voice.  “You mean to tell me that you're some sort of crack-pot psychic.  What... did you dream that Sassy was going to be kidnapped?” he asked incredulously.

“Sort of.  Yes.”

He stared at her silently for a moment. “You're bloody serious aren't you?  Then why the hell didn't you tell her not to go.  Warn her or her mother about it.  Maybe then I wouldn't have another body to deal with as well.”  He was just short of shouting at her now.

“What do you mean... a body?  Whose body?”

“That bastard that abducted Sassy last night.  It looks like when he couldn’t have her that he killed an old man instead and stole his car....that's what I'm talking about.   So go on, explain why you didn't tell anyone?”  He stood up and was glaring at her.

“I’m sorry I didn’t know.” She was shocked by this latest news. “My ability doesn't work like that I didn't know until it was actually happening, by then it was too late to warn anybody.”

“Very convenient I'm sure.  I don't want you poking your nose into anything.  This is a police matter.  Do you understand me?”

“Inspector Morley, I have been hired to look into the disappearance of Jane Turner and that's exactly what I'm going to do.”  Anna replied angry that the inspector wasn't inclined to believe her.                                                                                                                      “Send in Molly Turner.  I hope she has something useful to add.  I could do with a break on this case.”  Morley said dismissing Anna.  He wondered if he should include in his report that the private detective the Westhall’s had hired was claiming to be a physic.  He decided against making any written note about her supposed abilities.  His superiors would have a field day with it if he did.  He didn't need the agro.

Anna left the room and went to fetch Molly.  She was relieved that her interview was over.  She saw how his opinion of her had changed.  He hadn't been friendly before, but now he made no attempt to hide his contempt of her.  She was glad she hadn't tried to explain more fully that she was what was commonly known as a “Spirit-walker.” That would have got his blood boiling even more.  He was the kind of person who didn't believe in anything except cold hard evidence.

            Molly came out of the office after meeting with the inspector.  Her face was red and she looked like thunder.

“Eva went to her and hugged her.  “Are you all right darling?” she asked.

Molly nodded.  “That inspector told me off for not telling him before about the crank calls and about the night of the party.  How was I supposed to know it was important?  They're the ones that convinced me she had just gone on holidays.  You're the only one that didn't believe it.”  She said with tears in her eyes.  “You do think she's okay, Don't you?”

“Of course she is darling, don’t worry we'll find her.  I promise.”  Eva hugged her niece tightly and kissed her.

            It wasn't long after that Anna's phone beeped, she took it out and examined the text she had received.  “I just got a text from Sylvia.” She told Eva, who was sitting beside her.  “She says she wants to meet me tomorrow, she has some information on who she thinks Jane is with.”

“But that's great news, ring her and ask straight away who it is.”  Eva said excitedly.

Anna rang Sylvia's number but it rang out, she tried a few more times.  After a few attempts without any answer, she just sent a text to say that she would meet her the following day.

“Probably out partying.”  Eva concluded.  “I suppose it can wait till tomorrow, I'm exhausted”.

Morley who had been passing the door at that moment heard the conversation and decided that he too would pay a visit to Ms Cavendish and find out for himself what this new information was.

Chapter fifteen

                        Early the following morning Inspector Morley was up, sitting in his kitchen drinking coffee.  He intended to drive to London to interview Sylvia Cavendish.  He hadn't slept well the previous night, the Chief Super was threatening to put someone more senior in charge of the case unless he came up something soon.  He had also spent the early hours of the morning mulling over Anna's revelation to him that she was a psychic.  He had been stunned when she had told him.  He still couldn't make sense of it. He had wondered why people like the Westhall's had to go all the way to Ireland to hire a private detective.  Kent, not to mention London was teeming with them.  When he had gone back to the office he had Googled her but the only thing he found was her website advertising her as a private investigator for hire.  He remembered Eva Westhall telling him that she had been highly recommended by a friend.  “I hope you're not wasting your money” He muttered aloud to himself.

“Hope who's not wasting their money?”  His sister asked.  His sister Cara had just come in from her early morning jog.  He had been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he hadn't heard her return.

            Cara was ten years younger and they both shared the house that they had grown up in.  Their parents were both dead.  Their father from a heart attack at the early age of fifty five, their mother had only survived him by three years, she had contracted cancer of the pancreas and by the time doctors had discovered it, it had been too late to save her.  She had made her son promise to look after his younger sister.  Cara was just six months into her undergraduate course at the University of Kent when they got the terrible news that their mother had only months to live.  She had gone off the rails for a while after her mother's death but with her brother's help had gradually come to terms with it and gotten her live back on track.  She now worked as a teacher in the school they had once attended.

“What are you doing up so early anyway?” She asked as she completed her warm down exercises.

“Have to go to London to interview a witness.” he replied

“On your day off? You are supposed to be off today, aren't you? No wonder you haven't got a social life or had a girlfriend in ages, you never take any time off.  What case is so important?”

“Where do you want me to start?” he replied glumly.  “All hell broke loose this weekend, I've a missing woman, an attempted abduction of a child and a murder and they all seem to be perpetrated by the same person.  And to top it all off the family have hired a psychic detective.”

“Really?” Cara said suddenly interested.  What's he or she like... an old crone in flowing black clothing? Or a wizened old man with a white beard” she asked teasing him.

“No, not at all.  It's a she and she's only in her mid- twenties and very attractive.  And she's Irish.

“You fancy her don't you?” Cara said looking at her brother's serious expression. Imagine I could have two siblings married to Irish people.  Is she nice?”

“I don't fancy her.” he said reddening at his sisters taunts. “Why do you always get carried away when I mention any sort of female I've met.” He had in fact thought she was very attractive...that was before.  Now he didn't know what he thought of her.

“You should ask her out?”

“What and have everyone laughing at me down the station.  No thank you.  Besides I don't believe in that sort of thing.  It’s just a way of getting gullible people to part with their hard earned money.”

You might not believe in it, but a lot of people do.  It gives them comfort to think that there's more to life than this.”

“Have you turned into a philosopher all of a sudden; when did that happen?” he asked mocking her.

“And what if I have.  I think there's more out there than just this life.  Remember I told you I saw Mum the night after she died, she was sitting on my bed smiling at me.  I remember feeling so peaceful and happy.  How do you explain that?”  She was beginning to feel cross with him.

“All right, all right, don't get excited.  In the unlikely event of my ever asking Anna out I'll be sure to let you know.”

“It's Anna, is it?  A psychic in the family would be nice.”

“Get lost.” He said throwing a tea-towel at her.  “You know I can't date witnesses in a case.  It wouldn't be ethical.”

“So you had thought about it then.” she laughed at him. 

“I'm obviously not going to get any sensible conversation out of you this morning.”  He said getting up off his seat.  “I'll see you this evening.”  He took his keys off the peg and put his phone and wallet into his jacket and headed out the door.

            He sat into his grey, ten year old Ford Escort, remembering as he settled himself that he had forgotten to book it in for a service and the NCT was due soon.  Maybe Cara would take it for him he mused, as he set the route into the sat-Nav and drove away.  He hated driving to London.  The traffic on the M25 was always bumper to bumper, he hoped that it being early that traffic would be a bit lighter.  He had tried ringing Sylvia to make an appointment with her, but her phone went straight to voice mail.  He knew she would be there, He had overheard Anna Telling Mrs Westhall about the text message.  He had a couple of hours to pass before he went to interview her.  He had arranged to meet up with an old colleague who he had worked with some years previous.  They usually met up at least twice a year but since his friend had married two years ago, he hadn't had time.  They had twins, who were over a year old now, and his friend had told him that when he wasn't working he was either changing nappies or sleeping.  Morley made sympathetic noises when his friend complained about his lack of a social life but he was secretly envious of him.  Here he was in his mid-thirties and hadn't had a serious relationship since his twenties.  His mind drifted to Anna and what his sister had said to him.  He was attracted to her and he loved her soft southern Irish accent but dammit he thought, the woman was crazy, had to be.  He didn't believe in that rubbish and was suspicious of anyone who claimed to be psychic. 

            Traffic on the M25 was worse than he had expected.  A road traffic accident had slowed everything down to a crawl.  Two lanes of the motorway had been closed.  As he passed the site of the accident, he saw the mangled remains of two cars.  Both so badly crushed he couldn't tell what make either of them had been.  The ambulances that had flown past him over an hour ago had long gone.  He hoped that no one had been badly injured or killed, but judging by the state of the vehicles he wasn't too confident.