Amy set off to Katie’s leaving her Uncle closing his eyes again and drifting back off to sleep. Amy climbed over the wall into the Bench's garden and was greeted by Katie who led her to their garden swing, once sat comfortably they began to chat. They talked of many things as they had a years’ worth of chat to get through.
The conversation then lead to the Tower which could be seen by them both from their vantage point in Katie's garden, they talked of how it is said to be haunted and cursed.
Katie told Amy a chilling story of how a man murdered his wife up there because he had heard that she was having an affair with another man. The worldly wise Katie had to explain to Amy what this meant.
As Amy listened to the story Katie was telling she felt a shudder run through her body and she wasn't quite so sure she wanted to visit the Tall Tower any more.
The girls decided to leave the swing and go and play and they were soon joined by Katie’s brother Davey. Amy liked Davey but she never let it show. Davey was a good year older than Amy and was a real lad’s lad, he was loud and boisterous. He was playing in a tree house climbing up the rope and then swinging off onto the grass.
The Bench family were out in force, Donald and Vesper, Katie and Davey's parents, were sat on their patio drinking lemonade soaking in the summer sunshine.
Donald and Vesper said hello to Amy and Amy replied back with the same pleasantries.
Katie then suggested to Amy that perhaps they should go for a walk.
Amy said she would just run over and tell her Uncle Lawless where she was going but Katie said she would ask her dad to tell him when he woke up. Amy agreed and a few minutes later they were on the pathway at the side of Katie’s house.
They walked up the path which led them through a wood clearing, and then there it was, the Tower on the hill, the Tower which Amy had been forbidden to go near by her Uncle.
CHAPTER THREE
The Tower was on the top of what is known as Tower Hill, it had been christened that by the locals. The Tower was built in the 19th century by a local philanthropist called Amos Badley, he was a wealthy mill owner and had the Tower built to give work to a number of unemployed stone masons and labourers.
It was a striking building which could be seen for miles around and a lasting epitaph to a local hero who had fought with distinction in the Zulu wars in South Africa.
Amy and Katie finally reached the foot of Tower Hill, Amy looked up the hill and caught sight of the imposing Tower above, she was immediately frightened by its menacing and imposing appearance. Tower Hill was surrounded on four sides by steep banks and cliffs and the only way to the tower was via a series of steps, counting one hundred in total.
Katie turned to Amy and said “come on lets go up there.”
Amy stated quite firmly “I am not going up there Katie.”
“Oh come on Amy its fine there's nothing up there.”
“How do you know Katie?” Amy asked pleadingly.
“Because I do!”
“But what about the ghost?” Amy exclaimed.
“There is no ghost, nothing” replied Katie.
“But Uncle Lawless says for me never to go there so I'm going back.”
“Go on then” snapped Katie, “I'll go by myself, I don't want to be seen with a chicken anyway!”
“I am not a chicken” said Amy.
“You are!”
“I am not!”
“Well prove it then” said Katie, “come up there with me.”
Amy was taken aback by being referred to as a chicken, she was no chicken, “ok then” she said “I'll come with you.”
They made their way through the fence which had a large board stating no trespassers allowed and continued up the hill via the steps.
They got to the top and the Tower was even more scary to Amy. Katie who had climbed the hill five times before was secretly scared and quite apprehensive as previously she had only been to the Tower with her brother Davey.
They made their way to the Tower itself.
They walked around it until they got to a flight of steps at the side of the Tower.
Katie looked up at the steps but instead of expecting to the see the large solid wooden door closed as on previous visits. It was wide open. She had never experienced this before, and wondered why this was so.
Katie being a very inquisitive girl decided to investigate and so started walking up the steps.
Amy saw Katie climbing up the steps and whispered Katie “where are you going?”
“I'm going up the steps, der!”
“Why Katie?”
“Because the door is open!”
Amy looked up and saw the open doorway. At this point Amy felt quite spooked by the situation and wanted to go down the hill back to Uncle Lawless house.
But Katie kept going up the steps. She stood on the top step and peered into the darkness of the building.
At this point Amy who had turned her back on the tower to walk back down the hill thinking that Katie had come to her senses and would be right behind her, turned to find her friend stood at the top of the steps.
“Katie” she shouted “come down quick!”
But Katie paid no heed and went inside.
Amy though very frightened was not the sort of girl to abandon a friend so she went up the steps after Katie.
Katie went further into the Tower and as she walked she could see better and noticed some strands of light coming from a window.
The lights shone onto another flight of steps about ten in all and as she walked up these steps the light intensified and as she got to the top of these steps she found herself in a large room.
The light revealed a sparsely furnished room with a fireplace at one side, a large wooden Lambing chair next to the fireplace and a small table in the centre of the room with one solitary chair nestled under it, there was a plate with half-eaten bread and cheese and a tankard beside it.
Amy followed Katie into the room and stood behind her
Just then there was a loud thud like the sound of a door shutting, the girls froze on the spot and they both drew a deep frightened breath as they heard footsteps coming down the steps at the other side of the room, both were too scared to run out of the room and down the steps they had walked up. Instead they both stood transfixed staring at the steps.
As they did so a figure appeared. It was a male figure clothed in what appeared to be a long cloak, scruffy trousers and old boots. The figure had long hair and the face was thin with a chiselled jaw and a long scraggy neck. The eyes were piercing and staring straight at them. Amy and Katie thought it was the ghost. It had to be, no one could appear so pale and lifeless without being dead.
The figure moved to the lambing chair next to the fire place and sat down.
Then he spoke.
“Hello ladies!”
His voice was very strong and powerful with a hint of a strange accent.
Katie plucked up the courage to reply but she did not reply with pleasantries she replied with a question.
“Are you a ghost?”
He replied saying “do you think I am?”
“I think so sir” replied Katie!
“Well if you think I am, then I must be! But what does your friend think?” He asked pointing to Amy.
Amy was still petrified but answered “I don't know Sir but you look like one you are very pale and thin!”
“I am ain’t I.”
Katie asked him his name and he replied using Katie’s tactics by asking what her name was.
“Katie sir” she duly offered, and then added “Katie Bench sir!”
“Nice to meet you Katie Bench and what is your friend’s name?”
“Amy, Amy Pleb sir!”
“Well nice to meet you Amy Pleb. Given that you have been so kind as to introduce yourselves then I will tell you my name.”
He rose from his chair and took a step forward, took a gracious bow and said “please allow me to introduce myself I am Shandles
Wispianski!”
“What?” Katie and Amy replied in unison.
He laughed and replied “but my friends always had trouble using my name so they gave me a nick name which was Shambles Whiskey!”
Katie replied “that sounds better to me!”
“Yes me too” Amy joined in.
“Well now that we have been formally introduced why don't you both sit down?”
“Where, Sir?” Katie asked.
“You can sit on the chair and Amy can sit on the stool,” which he pointed to in the corner of the room.
Both girls sat down and Katie said “we have never sat down with a ghost before!”
“Well I will let you into a secret girls, I am not a ghost!”
“I didn't think you were” Amy said.
“Why's that then Amy?”
“Because you seem so very nice!”
“Thank you, but I will tell you this. Ghosts can be nice too girls never forget that!”
Katie asked,” if you're not a ghost then how come you live here?”
“Because I chose to.”
“But it’s a dark draughty old place” Amy said.
“Yes it is Amy but this is where I choose to live and this is how I like it.”
Then Katie asked “how long have you been living here?”
He replied by saying “many years. Now girls no more questions I will make some tea and then you best go home!”
Shambles made some tea for them on the fire which he sweetened with wild honey.
The girls were not really used to drinking tea with honey in it but they must have been thirsty because they drank their mugs to the bottom.
After this, passing some more words and pleasantries they said farewell to Shambles but not until agreeing that they would visit again tomorrow.
The girls left the Tower closing the large door behind them as instructed by Shambles.
When Katie and Amy returned to Katie’s garden it was late in the afternoon about five thirty and almost time for tea. They said goodbye to each other but both agreeing that they would meet each other tomorrow and would go back to visit Shambles.
Amy went into her Uncles garden and Uncle Lawless was no longer in the hammock, she went into the house and found him in the kitchen preparing their tea.
“Hi Amy” Lawless said “have you had a nice time?”
“Yes” she replied.
“What have you been up to?”
“Nothing really, just playing in Katie’s garden.”
“I had a word with Davey and he said you had gone for a walk.”
“Yes we did.” She said.
“Did you go anywhere special?”
Amy looked a little sheepish replying “no not really.”
But Lawless knew where she had been, he could tell she was harbouring a secret and he knew she had been to the Tower, he sensed it.
Not only was Lawless a talented artist, he was gifted with a sixth sense, but being the type of person he was he did not let on, nor rebuke Amy for going to the Tower against his wishes.
CHAPTER FOUR
The rest of the week was spent with Amy getting up early in the morning to accompany her Uncle Lawless on his jaunts around the countryside painting, sketching or visiting places of interest.
But in time they would come back and Amy would visit her friend Katie and they would head off up to the Tall Tower and spend time with Shambles, they even took to taking him food and treats like roast chicken, bread and biscuits or whatever they could lay their hands on.
Shambles spoke to them about his life and how he was the son of a Polish Count but he had been forced to leave his home land in the Second World War. He spoke to them of religion, philosophy, art, literature, anything that took their interest. And by the Thursday when they were due to leave the girls and the old man realised that they were now great friends and would remain so for the rest of their lives.
But in turn Amy became aware that in two days’ time she would be home and would no longer be able to see her friends every day, as she was due to go home on Saturday.
So bearing this in mind she decided to make the most of the time she had with her friends.
So on Friday she was going to spend the whole day with Katie and Shambles. Lawless was fine about this when Amy told him, although she omitted Shambles name from the conversation.
He would be working in his studio most of the day as he had a commission painting to complete and frame.
The next day Amy got up quite early and had her breakfast, her uncle was already in his studio. Amy went round to call for Katie laden with some treats for Shambles.
As soon as Katie came out of her home carrying a bag of sandwiches they were on their way up to Tower hill.
When they arrived at the steps of the hill they noticed that part of fence was missing and the No Trespassers sign had been pulled down and thrown on the ground along with the missing part of the fence.
Amy and Katie looked at each other both thinking something was wrong, despite their concerns they climbed the steps leading to the Tower, neither spoke a word they just climbed the hill which took a while because it was such a warm day.
They climbed to the top of the hill and made their way up the steps.
As they reached the top they noticed that the door was open with just a one inch gap, normally Shambles left it wide open for them.
Katie pushed the door open and as it slid backwards its hinges creaked, they both stepped inside but from within the room where Shambles normally met them they could hear raised voices, as they went up the stairs it got louder.
“Where have you hidden it” the first voice yelled in a menacing and harsh tone.
“Come on give it to us” the second voice shouted in a large and booming voice.
Katie and Amy peered into the room and could not believe their eyes, there were two men and they were holding Shambles face down over the table.
One of the men the older, taller one had Shambles right arm behind his back and the younger smaller one was repeatedly banging Shambles head on the table saying “cough up, cough up.”
The girls were so taken aback by this that Katie screamed.
Amy shouted “stop it, stop it,” dropping the food that she was carrying.
Both men turned round, their eyes transfixed on the girls.
“What do you want?” their gruff voices echoed.
Katie seemed to recognise the men, they lived in the town but she did not know their names.
The younger one let go of Shambles head and headed towards them both, he was so quick he grabbed Katie by her right arm before she knew what had hit her.
Shambles shouted “leave her alone it's me you want, she's just a girl.”
The man made a grab for Amy but Shambles shouted “run Amy run.”
Amy turned and ran back down the steps, through the door and down the other steps making her way down the hill.
She could hear the man who had grabbed Katie shouting at her.
“You tell anyone and they're both for it.”
Amy didn't know what to do, she didn't want to leave her two friends with those terrible men but she also knew that the three of them were no match for those thugs. Just one name came into her head, Uncle Lawless.
The older man threw Shambles to the floor and held Katie by her wrists, he said to his associate “she'll tell the police, we've got to get going, but before we do Shambles tell me where the money is.”
Shambles raised his head off the table and said “I have no money, I have nothing of any value to you, but I beg you please do not hurt Katie.”
The younger one picked up Shambles from the table and pushed him into his chair, “sit down Whiskey he commanded.” The older man said he would let go of Katie if she promised not to run, she promised and he let go of her wrists and told her to sit at Shambles feet.
Katie did as she was told and sat by Shambles putting her right arm on his knees as if to comfort him.
; “Are you alright?” Shambles asked.
“Yes” said Katie, “I'm fine.”
“Shut up” the older man shouted, followed by “hey don't I know you lass do they call you Bench?”
“Yes Katie Bench.”
“I know ya dad, Don int it.”
“Yes” Katie replied.
“Don't like the man,” the younger one chirped in, “don't like him either.”
“He's ten times better than you” Katie shouted.
Shambles put his left hand on Katie’s head to calm her saying “they're only trying to upset you Katie.”
“Do you know who we are girl?” The older one butted in. “I've seen you both before but no not really.”
Shambles said “no doubt you will have seen them before Katie, but you will definitely have heard of their names, allow me to introduce you to Bill Crack (the older one) and Spencer Weavel.”
Katie remembered her dad mentioning the two names before but not in a pleasant way.
“Yeah your dad never has a good word to say about me” Bill said as if he was reading Katie’s mind.
“That's because you are all bad said Shambles.”
“Shut up Shambles or I'll twist your arm again.”
By now Amy had managed to get to the outskirts of Fogan, she got to her Uncles home and went straight to Lawless studio where he was at work.
“Uncle Lawless” Amy exclaimed. “What Amy I'm busy.” “They've got Katie and Shambles, they're holding them in the Tower.”
Lawless stopped what he was doing and turned to Amy.
“What was that Amy?”
“They've got Katie and Shambles.”
“Who has?”
“Some really nasty men, one is about your age, tall and thin with a big scar on his face, and the other is younger, smaller.”
Lawless knew instantly who they were, Bill Crack and Spencer Weavel, he spoke their names out loud, Lawless knew them well and their reputations. He then turned to Amy.
“I knew you'd been up to the Tower Amy, you've met Shambles then?”
“Yes” she replied “he's lovely, but there's no time to explain, we've got to get help.”
“Right” said Uncle Lawless nearly knocking his painting from the easel, “you go next door and get Donald and I'll call the police.”
Amy ran to get Mr Bench and Lawless rang the police. He spoke with PC Fleck, who took the details and then spoke to his superior, sergeant Strogle.
Within minutes they were in their police car along with PC Wand heading for the Tower.