I choked on my milkshake. Will patted me on the back, laughing nervously. “You OK?”
I nodded. “Go on.”
“Well, she looked odd. More than odd. Her mouth was wide open but she didn’t seem to be making a sound. It was twisted, it didn’t look natural, I can’t describe it…”
I could feel a tingling in my stomach, like butterflies but more intense. I waited to see what else Will had to say.
“She was pointing into the woods, obviously trying to tell me something. Then she walked off in that direction, so I turned my music off and got up to follow her. I don’t even really know why I did it. Then she just… vanished. I couldn’t tell where she’d gone, so I just carried on walking in what I thought was the same direction. That’s when I heard the gunshot, right ahead of me…” He trailed off and looked around the group, embarrassed.
“That’s it?” asked Veronica, not sounding impressed at all. “Some weird woman made you turn your music off?”
Will sat back, shaking his head. “You didn’t see her.”
I figured I had nothing to lose now. “I think I did.”
He looked at me suddenly, eyes wide. “What?”
I hesitated. “Was she wearing brown clothes? And had long dark hair?”
Will nodded slowly, obviously a little confused.
I took a deep breath. “I saw her too. When I was in the hole, she appeared at the top and she reached down to me… something glinted in her hand, I thought it was a knife… then Connor came and she disappeared.”
Connor was frowning at me. “There was no one there when I got to the hole; I sure would have mentioned it if there was.”
I nodded solemnly. “That’s what I figured.”
Will looked like he was going to be sick. “But I saw her!”
I tried to sift through my jumbled emotions. I was intensely relieved that someone had seen the woman too - and seemed to understand the disturbing nature of her features and general demeanour - but I was incredibly pissed off that the person who had seen her, and kept it a secret, was Will.
He knew the nightmare I’d been having the past couple of months, thinking I was going crazy, and yet he’d neglected to tell me this very important piece of information. He could have saved me days of agony worrying about my mental health.
After all, if my real mother was a complete lunatic, why couldn’t I be?
“Why didn’t you tell me? You knew I was terrified that…” I looked at the others, remembering that they didn’t quite know everything that had been happening to me recently. “That I was… seeing things, hearing things.” I tried to ignore Rach’s worried look and Max’s bemused expression. I whispered the next line. “You could have told me you were seeing things too!”
Will shifted uncomfortably. “Hey, I didn’t know that I was… I mean, this woman looked wrong, sure, but she was so solid. She didn’t look like a… you know. The things you think you’ve been seeing.”
I thought back to her face; ‘wrong’ didn’t seem to cover it. Then I thought back to Emma. “Emma didn’t look like a ‘you know’ when I saw her outside The Pit either. And I don’t just think I’ve been seeing them, I know.” I was beginning to get angry at him again; he couldn’t not believe me now, surely?
Rach was staring at me worriedly, like a concerned parent.
I ignored her and carried on. “I think I saw the woman again, right before you came and knocked Norman out. I saw a blur of brown, like a figure, and then it disappeared behind the tree, the tree where John…” My voice cracked on John’s name and I looked down at the table. We’d been cheerfully and successfully ignoring the tragedy of John’s death. After all, we’d all had chance to get used to Emma being gone, but learning about John was a new, more deeply-felt pain. Especially for V, who’d been closer to him than any of us.
Veronica closed her eyes briefly before snapping back to her usual self. “So?” I’d told her about the woman but I hadn’t mentioned my secret inkling about the tree, something that had occurred to me a couple of days before.
“The hollow tree, I’d seen it somewhere before.”
“Jeez, B. You’ve been spending far too much time in those woods.”
I shook my head, wondering if I should go on. “Not in the woods… in the library.”
Will’s face was blank. “What?”
“When we were researching Norman. I didn’t really focus on it because it was on the same page as an article about the farming competition, but the headline was something about having no leads on the mystery woman, and there was a photo of the hollow tree! It had police tape wrapped around it.”
He wasn’t getting it, and I was getting more and more exasperated. “What did those kids ask us about at the library?”
He looked very puzzled now. “The ghost dog?”
I shook my head impatiently. “No, before that.”
Will’s eyes widened and I knew he’d got it. “The woman in the tree…”
Veronica broke the tense atmosphere with a laugh. “You guys talking about Elizabeth?”
Connor was now the only one who had no idea what was going on. “I’m sorry, Elizabeth?”
I nodded. “I told you about the body those children found in the tree…”
“I’ll tell it.” Veronica turned to Connor, glad that she was finally getting to tell a story to someone. “In the forties some kids were messing about in the woods and they found the body of this woman stuffed into a tree. The kids totally freaked out, of course… never got over it. The thing was, no one knew who the woman was. The population of the village was much smaller back then and there weren’t any tourists. People became obsessed with trying to find out who she was, but I think it was during the war or something and there were bigger things to worry about. Anyway, residents started referring to her as ‘Elizabeth’, and graffiti started appearing on the tree and around the village - ‘Who put Elizabeth in the tree?’ That kind of thing. It’s one of those stories that gets passed around school here. The killer was never found.”
I almost jumped when Max spoke. I usually forgot he was there; he hardly ever joined in the conversation. “All of it’s true.” He was staring at his phone, brow furrowed. “I found the article from the Little Forest Gazette. It’s pretty much what Veronica said. ‘The unknown woman was estimated to be in her mid-thirties, with long black hair and a small birthmark on her neck. She was wearing a full-length, dark grey skirt and cream blouse. When found, her garments were entirely covered in mud, suggesting an extensive struggle on the forest floor.’”
I sneaked a glance at Will. He seemed to be listening intently and his mouth was open slightly. Max carried on.
“‘She was carrying no identification and the only other distinguishing feature was a gold ring, worn on her wedding finger.’”
I thought back to the hole and realised it was her left hand she had extended down towards me. I thought she’d been holding a knife, but could it just have been a ring glinting in the moonlight?
“‘It is thought the woman was travelling through the north-east area of the Great Specton Woods when she was attacked and subsequently strangled. She was placed in the tree soon after death, before rigor mortis could set in.’”
The north-east woods… that sounded about right considering the direction I’d first run from the castle.
“‘The four young boys, who can’t be identified for legal reasons, were alerted to the tree when they heard a baby crying. A child of approximately five months of age was found near the tree and has now been taken into care.’”
I gasped. I’d never heard the part about the baby before.
Max had stopped talking and Veronica gestured to his phone. “Anything else?”
Max looked uncertain about whether or not he should continue. “Well, yeah. It looks like the Little Forest Gazette wasn’t too bothered about printing photos of the dead in those days.”
I felt my heart beating quickly. “There’s a photo of her? Let me see.”
>
“I don’t know, it’s pretty sick…”
I grabbed the phone off him. “Oh, please Max, like I haven’t been through worse these past few…”
I stopped.
I completely forgot to breathe.
The grainy black and white photograph showed the face of the woman, and she had the same long, dark hair I’d seen in the woods. Her mouth was twisted into an unearthly silent scream of the dead.
I nodded to myself, almost in defeat. If I’d managed to convince myself at all that I wasn’t seeing dead people, this was evidence to the contrary. Actual evidence. I thought to myself in resignation that it may well be time to unlock the back part of my mind and finally let out the years of memories I’d tried to hide away. I thought I’d probably known all along that I’d never totally forget them. I needed them.
I handed the phone to Will in silence.
Will took one look at the photo and dropped Max’s phone on the table.
Veronica looked delighted. “No frigging way!”
I suddenly felt incredibly light headed as I asked Will, “do you believe me now?”
He looked up at me, eyes wide, biting his lip. “Beth…” He shook his head and looked back at the phone.
The photograph had scared me badly, but what I felt most was an overwhelming sense of relief. If this was confirmation that I’d been seeing ghosts, or spirits, or whatever they were called, and if Norman had seen them - or at least one of them in the form of Doris - and Will had too, then I wasn’t alone. And I wasn’t mad.
Connor took the phone off Will and stared at it for a few seconds before looking at me. “You nodded when I asked if Norman was makin’ any sense to you, when he kept speakin’ to his wife like she was there…”
“I think she was there. I mean, I couldn’t see her or hear her, but I knew she was there. It was her at Hill Top, you must have guessed that, and I think I saw a silhouette of someone standing next to Norman, just for a second.”
Connor sat back in his seat, hands still clasped around the phone. He’d gone more pale than usual and I was worried he might be about to faint. The Couple were looking at each other warily, as if trying to figure out if the other was buying all this or not.
Will was still staring at me as if I were a ghost. “Beth, I’m so sorry… I honestly thought…”
Veronica interrupted, being as casual about everything as always. I supposed it wasn’t that strange, though; unlike my own attempts at ignoring anything vaguely supernatural, V had always been a big believer in the afterlife. We’d often had drunken arguments about it. “This is awesome, I knew all those ghost stories had to start somewhere! I bet they’re all true.” She shook her head, smiling. “They’re all true!”
I poked her in her side. “Don’t get carried away, V.” I was starting to feel very sick, and was definitely regretting the chocolate milkshake.
She gave me one of her looks. “You’ve just admitted to seeing the dead and you’re telling me not to get carried away? This village is built on those stories; they can’t have all been made up. Some of them clearly weren’t.”
Rach looked physically sick at the mention of ‘the dead’. I’d once tried to talk to her about ghosts and she’d immediately told me to shut up; apparently ghosts scared her more than clowns did.
V babbled on. “You know what’s cool? This whole Norman thing will probably turn into one of the village legends too. It’ll be passed down, generation to generation…
She paused, probably for dramatic effect, knowing V. “It’ll become just another ghost story.”
Rach was looking really uncomfortable now. “Veronica…”
“Sorry, Rach, but it’s gonna happen.” V carried on rambling, talking about setting up some kind of ghost investigation blog on the net, and I stopped listening after a few minutes, thinking about Elizabeth. Thinking about Norman. Thinking about something Veronica had said.
Without warning, Connor suddenly stood up, almost knocking his drink over in the process. “I’m sorry, but am I the only sane person around here?”
His deep Irish accent rose above the noise of the room and a few people glanced over, curious. I glared at Connor until he sat down and then he said more quietly, “This just doesn’t make any sense. I mean, listen to yourselves, Jesus. Dead women, ghost wives… do you honestly believe that…”
I cut him off. “I saw your dad.”
Everyone stared at me. I remembered I hadn’t told this part to anyone, not even Will.
Connor said nothing.
“Long, black coat, massive black umbrella, dark hair, golf scar below his eye. It was definitely him.”
Connor laughed, shaking his head. “I told you all that.”
I nodded. “Yes, after I’d seen him. Why did you think I was asking what he looked like?”
He just shrugged.
“Do you remember when I saw you outside the bookshop? I’d just hurt my arm.”
A nod.
“And you were wondering what I kept looking at? Over your shoulder?”
Connor was eyeing me uncertainly.
“Well, I was looking at your dad. He was standing right next to you… he looked sad, like he wanted you to be able to see him. You nearly walked into him at one point. Well, not, into, but, you know…” I trailed off, unsure of how to proceed.
“You actually saw a man next to me?”
I nodded. “I’m sure it was your dad. He was in the pub when we went to Renfield as well. And he was in my garden, too.” I looked at Will. “He was the Garden Man.”
Will’s eyes widened and Connor shook his head. “What?”
“I think he was trying to warn you, about Norman. Or warn me. I think he knew I could see him.”
“This isn’t somethin’ you should be bleedin’ jokin’ about.”
I glared at him again. “Do you honestly think I would? I’m just trying to tell you, to explain…” I looked around at the group, varying levels of disbelief and fear showing on every single one of their faces. Well, apart from V, who just looked excited. “Guys, it’s all true.”
“She’s right.”
I turned round at the sound of the old, raspy voice. It was the woman from Renfield: the woman from the pub.
“Beth?”
I stood up, not knowing what to do or say. “Yes, hi… erm, how did you find me? I only gave you my mobile number…”
Everyone looked at me oddly and I knew exactly what they’d be thinking: what was I doing giving my phone number out to old women? Only Connor was wearing a vague expression of recognition on his face.
“We need to talk.” She looked over to Veronica and back to me. “This wouldn’t be Veronica Summers, by any chance?”
V shot me a wide-eyed look and turned back to the old woman. “Yes it would. And who are you?”
The woman glanced at the others and then came and sat next to us on the end of the table. “I’m your grandmother. Your real grandmother.”
***
She sat there, not saying a word, letting her announcement sink in. At least a minute seemed to pass before I broke the silence. “I’m sorry, how is that possible?”
The old woman looked at the others again and then back at me. She also glanced over at mine and V’s ‘parents’, giving them a little nod. “I’m Mary Donovan. My daughter is Samantha Donovan, I believe you’ve both just found out that she’s your birth mother.”
Will grunted from next to me. “Some of us a little later than others.”
He still hadn’t quite forgiven Veronica for ignoring us for all that time. Well, he understood why she’d been ignoring me, but he didn’t understand why she had to ignore him, too. I supposed if I hadn’t got so close with him she would have told him everything, and made him stay away from me as well.
I’d shuddered when that thought had first occurred to me; If I hadn’t had Will to lean on for all those weeks, I don’t know what I would have done.
V was glaring at him for his comment and he turned she
epish under her angry gaze. “Shut it, Will.”
I looked back at Mary, who seemed unsure of herself and not at all like the creepy woman who’d been spying on me at the pub.
Veronica asked the next question. “Do you know who our real father is?”
Mary hesitated. “To tell you the truth, I’m not sure. Samantha didn’t really know many men and she never confided in me about that.”
V looked crestfallen. “And our grandfather? Is he still…?”
Mary shook her head. “I’m afraid he didn’t stick around very long when I got pregnant with Samantha.”
I changed the subject quickly. “So how did you find me?”
“I knew I recognised you that day at the Doctor’s Surgery. You look so much like your mother,” she looked at Veronica, “you both do. When I went to the pub earlier, I received your note from Jeremy Pincer. He explained you’d been looking for me. I was lucky to catch him while… well, while he was there.”
I heard Will laugh. “Since when have you been looking for her?”
I glanced at him, forgetting he didn’t know. “Before the street festival and… everything, I went to Renfield to try and find her.”
Will stared at me in disbelief. “Why?”
I looked back at Mary, who seemed to be thinking the same question. “I wanted to know what you meant, you know, about seeing ‘them’, or that I would soon.”
Mary nodded, a small smile playing across her lips. “I thought it might be something like that; I knew it was only a matter of time.”
V shot me another wide-eyed glance - it didn’t look like she’d even blinked since Mary had entered the room.
Mary continued, either not noticing Veronica’s looks or ignoring them. “When I saw your name on the piece of paper I realised who you were and I just had to come and find you. Of course, my daughter kept in touch with your adoptive parents so I knew where you worked. You weren’t at the cinema, so I came here.”
At the mention of her ‘daughter’ Veronica became very defensive. “So how come we’re allowed to see you, but not our own mother?” She almost spat out the question.
Mary sighed. “Samantha had been extremely clear in her wishes once she’d found out she was pregnant, and I’m afraid they haven’t changed at all over the years, despite my attempts at convincing her otherwise.”