rigor mortis. The flesh can't even be squeezed. It's like a statue. It's unnatural, sir.'
'You're telling me,' agreed the chief superintendent. He scratched the morning stubble under his jaw; it had already been a long day and it wasn't noon yet. 'The pathologist might be able to throw some light on it. And there's no sign of this man, this Gordon Pyke?'
'The safety lines the divers were attached to limited their search a bit, but they had a good look around the area close to the well bottom. The body of the boy and what was left of the woman were all they found.'
Gabe was thinking of Stefan Rosenbaum: had the young Jewish boy, still alive when he had been dropped into the well, managed to drag himself from the river into a cavity in the rockface, to die there alone and in utter darkness? It was too gruesome to contemplate.
The two police divers emerged from the house at that point, the tops of their rubber suits peeled down to the waist, diving equipment in their muscled arms. Both men looked pale, their expressions grim, as they made their way to their vehicle. Behind them came the paramedics carrying a body-bag on a stretcher gurney. Because of the plastic bag's size and shape, Gabe knew it contained the remains of Nancy Linnet.
•
Inside Crickley Hall, Eve quietly wept, while Lili Peel avoided looking at the bodybag that contained the small preserved body of Stefan Rosenbaum. They had witnessed the condition of both bodies when the paramedics brought them up from the cellar to be bagged and put on stretchers. Nancy Linnet was no more than a skeleton dressed in faded rags, but the boy was in an almost perfect state, although his skin and hair were bleached pure white.
To Eve, he had looked beautiful, the hair that fell over his forehead still full, although colourless, his features reposed as if in sleep. Instantly, she knew it was Stefan's presence she had felt last Sunday when she had dozed in the sitting room. It hadn't been Cameron who had come to her and soothed her brow, calmed her fears, but this little boy, Stefan. Or, that is, his ghost.
She wept not just because of sadness, but also because she now knew for certain that death wasn't the end. Lili had told her that most spirits passed over as easily as walking through an unlocked door; it was only the troubled spirits who lingered in this world, those spirits who needed some resolve to their past life, whether by revenge, atonement or conclusion. Eve desperately wanted to believe her. So she did.
The paramedics returned to collect the second bodybag and, as they gently placed it on the stretcher, Eve wondered if the boy's soul could now rest in peace or would forever be lost in Crickley Hall. There seemed to be no way of knowing for sure.
•
Chief Superintendent Pargeter had departed and PC Kenrick was trudging across the metal bridge to his patrol car parked in the lane. He stepped to one side to let the police divers' van pass, then went on his way.
Gabe was about to go back into the house when a sound made him stop and look towards the bridge. The girls had also stopped dead in their tracks and they looked in the same direction as their father. The sound that had caught their attention was a dog's excited bark, one that was so familiar to them all.
Percy Judd had left Crickley Hall earlier that morning after an uncomfortable and cold night on the landing with the others, checking on the water level in the hall every few minutes or so until they were sure it wasn't going to come anywhere near the top of the stairs, none of them, apart from Loren and Cally, catching a minute's sleep. By late morning the next day, the temporary bridge having been put in place, he was looking all of his eighty-one years and Gabe, when the danger had passed, had tried to persuade him to take a nap in his and Eve's empty bed, but Percy had declined, saying he'd 'gotta bit of business to tend to at home'. Now he was back and restraining a dog that was desperate to cross the bridge and get to the girls.
Both Loren and Cally had screeched the name together. Chester finally broke loose from Percy's grip and, trailing the leash behind, raced towards them as they raced towards him. They met at the end of the bridge, Chester throwing himself at them, knocking Cally over (although she didn't seem to mind, she was giggling at the pet's antics so much). His tail wagging furiously, Chester slobbered all over the sisters, barking happily between licks.
Gabe whistled and Chester was off like a shot, tearing across the grass to reach his master, his barks becoming short gasps of joy. So eager and so intoxicated with delight was Chester that he almost bowled Gabe over too. The engineer could not help but chuckle as he tried to calm the dog down and avoid Chester's slavering tongue at the same time. When Gabe finally declared, 'Enough, enough,' and stood, the dog ran back to the girls to be fussed over again. Meanwhile, Percy was crossing the lawn towards him.
'What's the story, Perce?' Gabe called out, frowning his bewilderment but happy to have Chester returned.
'Sorry, Mr Caleigh,' apologized the old gardener when he was still a few steps away. 'I couldn't tell yer afore 'cause yer'da wanted him back.'
The engineer shook his head, still puzzled. 'I don't get it.'
Chester was rolling in the grass now, wheezing in pleasure at the fuss being made by the girls.
Slightly out of breath, Percy stood before the engineer, his face flushed a little more red than usual. 'All the pets run away from Crickley Hall. Any new tenant who brings a dog or cat with 'em to the house soon loses 'em. None of 'em settle here. I found your dog, ol' Chester there, wandering up the road the day he ran away. Looked like a drowned rat, he did, all soaked an' sorry fer hisself, so I took him home with me. Intended to keep him with me until you folks decided to move out. I knew it wouldn't be long; never is. I did it because it were best fer the animal, hope yer'll understand that, Mr Caleigh.'
Gabe grinned. 'Sure I understand, Percy. You did the right thing. Chester was miserable here.'
'No, he were scared, that's the truth of it. Some animals sense things that most people can't. It were the dog's howling and whining that made me come to the Hall las' night. I knew it were because something were wrong here. Oh, I sensed things was not right days ago, but it were Chester that decided me.'
'We'd have been in real trouble if you hadn't shown up.' Gabe stuck out a hand and Percy shook it.
'That's all right then,' the old gardener said, his face creasing into a smile. He took on a look of concern. 'How's the missus now? She all right?'
'You mean her head? The paramedics treated the whack she took—it wasn't too serious, they said. Still wanted her to have it checked out at the hospital, though, but Eve, well, she plain refused to go. Gotta nasty bump though, right where Pyke hit her with his walking stick. Some bruises on her legs too, but yeah, she
Gabe glanced towards the house, its front door open wide. 'Come with me and see for yourself,' he invited Percy.
Percy looked at Crickley Hall with some trepidation and Gabe thought he was going to decline on his offer. But then the mood passed and the old man's face relaxed.
'I'll do that, Mr Caleigh. I'll come inside with yer. The badness is gone, I jus' know it.'
Together, they walked to the front door.
81: ENDING
Gabe saw that his wife had been weeping when he and Percy entered the house. She and the psychic were standing a few yards from the front door and Lili had her hand on Eve's shoulder, as if offering comfort. He splashed towards Eve through the thin remaining puddles and took her in his arms; she leaned into him and he held onto her.
'You saw the bodies?' he asked in a gentle voice.
Eve nodded against his shoulder. 'The boy,' she murmured. 'He was so beautiful.'
Lili spoke. 'He was the reason the others were held here. They couldn't—or
