Desperately Seeking Heaven (19 page)

He winced and shrugged.

‘Well, I just thought…’

‘She’s pregnant, for goodness sake, Jimmy. I don’t know what you were thinking. Going round there and scaring her witless, anything could have happened.’

‘Oh God,’ said Jimmy, looking contrite, ‘nothing has happened, has it?’

‘No, it hasn’t, but that’s no thanks to you. The poor girl is completely exhausted, unable to sleep at nights and frightened for her life after all your antics. I’m surprised at you, Jimmy, for sinking so low.’

He slunk down in his seat looking suitably guilty.

‘Well, what was I supposed to do? Go to my grave with everyone thinking I was the father of her child? It might seem trivial to you, but it’s my reputation on the line. I couldn’t let it happen. I thought you’d understand that. You and Lexie didn’t make any progress with Donna so I thought I’d have a go.’ He hunched his shoulders, frowning at the floor.

I shifted in my seat, turning my body away and stared out of the window. The little-boy-lost treatment was wasted on me tonight. I couldn’t believe how selfishly he’d behaved.

‘I’m sorry, Alice,’ he said, laying a hand on my arm. ‘I thought a little gentle coercion might make her come to her senses,’ he said quietly.

‘Some gentle coercion? You’ve turned the girl into a gibbering wreck. She thinks she’s upset the local chapter of Ghosts R Us and she sat in my office today me begging me for help.’ I looked across at him as he kicked the heel of his red Converse into the seat like a schoolboy who’d been caught out but hadn’t quite come to terms with his misdemeanour. ‘She seems to think I’ve got special psychic abilities and has enlisted my help to sort you out. Somehow I’ve become responsible for all of this. Oh God, Jimmy, you can be so infuriating at times.’

‘Well, you have got special talents. You can speak to me, can’t you? That’s pretty impressive in anyone’s book. Maybe you could develop this new-found skill into a career. You know, set up as a conciliatory service between the living and the recently departed. I think it could be a niche business.’

‘Do you have to turn everything into a joke?’

‘I’m sorry, Alice, really I am. I didn’t mean any harm by it. I suppose I didn’t really think it through. But I promise,’ he gave me a three fingered salute and smiled, ‘dib dib dib, dob dob dob, I won’t do any more haunting, well not in Donna’s direction anyway.’

‘You’d better not, Jimmy. Or in anyone else’s direction, come to that. I’ve promised her I’ll sort out the night-time visitations. She’s a pregnant young woman who’s got a chance of happiness with a man who loves her. You mustn’t go spoiling it for her.’

‘Oh well, excuse me if I’m not beside myself with joy at Donna’s good news. And when did you suddenly start fighting her corner anyway? I thought you were on my side.’ He slunk back down in his seat again.

The train rattled through station after station, its repetitive chanting motion strangely comforting.

I sighed, shaking my head as I turned to look at him.

‘It’s not that I’m taking sides, Jimmy, it’s just that I’ve got to know Donna and I can see that underneath that harsh exterior, she’s a really sweet girl. And she’s sorry for what she’s done to you. Really sorry. But hopefully she can put that right now.’

Jimmy rolled his eyes and sat forward in his seat.

‘Oh well, that’s okay then. Let’s forget the fact that she’s dragged my name through the mud. We can all pretend this whole thing never happened.’

‘She’s getting married, Jimmy. Isn’t that lovely news?’

‘Terrific,’ he said, with more than a hint of sarcasm.

‘No, it is, Jimmy, if you think about it. For them and for us. Donna and Tony are doing an exclusive with one of the big magazines and they’re going to tell their whole story. And I mean the whole story. Tony’s the father of Donna’s baby and they both want the world to know that. It means your name will be cleared after all.’

‘Are you serious?’

‘Absolutely. It’s brilliant news, isn’t it?’

‘Yes, I guess.’

Just then a burly, bald man with a laptop case, a rucksack and several carrier bags shuffled his way in front of us and plonked his bags on the overhead rail.

‘Excuse me, love, do you mind if I sit here?’

‘No, that’s fine,’ I said, hiding a snigger as I clocked Jimmy’s outraged expression.

‘Humph! Some people are so rude,’ he said, shaking his head, his eyes wide in indignation.

The man edged backwards to park his ample backside beside me and quickly jumped straight back up again, gasping in surprise as he turned to look at the seat accusingly.

‘Are you OK?’ I asked.

‘Um, yes, I think so.’ He stroked the upholstery of the seat gingerly with his hand. ‘Just got an electric shock from the seat.’

‘Ouch,’ I said in understanding, ‘I hate it when that happens.’

‘Yeah, me too.’ The man settled back down into his seat and flapped his newspaper noisily in the air.

‘Well, what does he expect if he goes around pinching other people’s seats? There’s only one thing for it,’ Jimmy said, landing in my lap and dangling his legs over the side of the seat, ‘I’ll have to come and sit with you.’

‘Ooh-er,’ I squealed, shifting myself along the cushion to make room for him.

‘Not you too?’ The man asked, raising his eyebrows.

‘Must be something in the air,’ I gasped, secretly grateful to the man. Now I could spend the rest of the journey snuggled in Jimmy’s embrace, my head resting on his chest, my mind entertaining all sorts of heavenly possibilities.

Chapter Twenty

Later that night, against my better judgement, I was sitting in the Plume of Feathers on the High Street, one part of a four-man team competing in the weekly quiz.

I hated spending any time away from Jimmy, knowing it was precious time that we would never get back again, but Lexie had begged me to come along and as Jimmy was off visiting his parents again he came down firmly on my sister’s side, insisting that a night out doing something ordinary would do be no end of good.

We were first timers, but all the other tables were crammed with, what looked like, very serious quizzer types.

“The group JLS were runners up in X-Factor. What do the initials JLS stand for?” called the Quizmaster over the low rumble of the participants.

I looked across at Damon who gazed vacantly at Phil who shrugged at Lexie who looked back at me and then we all groaned in unison.

‘Oh God, this is hopeless,’ sighed Damon. ‘I was banking on you lot knowing the popular culture questions. Come on, guys, you must know this one.’

‘Well, maybe we can work it out,’ Phil said, picking up his pencil and scribbling the letters down. ‘Maybe it’s the group member’s names, like Jake, Luke, Simon that kind of thing.’

I rolled my eyes. It clearly wasn’t my fault that I’d teamed up with a group of numpties.

‘Duh!’ said Lexie, helpfully, putting into words my thoughts, ‘there’s four of them in the group and I know one’s called Aston and one’s called something like Marvin so it can’t be that.’

Phil threw his pencil onto the table.

‘Well, at least I’m trying to come up with some answers. You lot have been spectacular failures. I’m going to the bar.’ Lexie and I exchanged a look and I bit on my lip to stop myself from giggling. ‘Who wants another drink?’

‘Good idea,’ said Damon, looking only too eager to join him.

‘So, I’ve been dying to ask. How’s it all going? How’s life with the most eligible ghost on the block? Lexie leant over the table, looking at me expectantly. ‘Any progress on that front?’

‘Well actually, yes.’ I leant forward to meet her, looking over my shoulder just to make sure no one was listening in on our conversation. ‘You’ll never guess who turned up at work?’

‘Who?’ Lexie asked, her eyes wide.

‘Donna Diamond, that’s who! Can you believe it?’

‘Really? Oh my God! The cheek of the woman. What did she want? She didn’t have her lawyers in tow, did she?’

‘No, nothing like that. I think our little visit that night might have done the trick. She’s decided to come clean about the baby. She’s doing an exclusive with one of the big celebrity magazines. Donna and her future husband Tony.’

Lexie clapped her hands together delightedly.

‘You’re kidding me! I don’t believe it.’ Lexie tidied her hair, which after its recent psychedelic stage, she’d allowed to revert to its natural golden colour, making her look much softer, more feminine. ‘I didn’t like to say anything at the time, but I felt certain she wouldn’t change her story. She seemed like a really tough cookie. I wonder what made her change her mind?’

I finished off the wine in my glass and lowered my voice.

‘Well, I think sharing her house with a ghost these last couple of weeks may have had something to do with it.’

‘Not Jimmy?’ Lexie sniggered, looking over my head through the throng of people. ‘He didn’t! No wonder she caved in. I know what it’s like to be on the end of his schoolboy pranks and it’s no laughing matter. Still, I bet he’s relieved. He must be over the moon that she’s decided to see sense at last.’

‘Yeah, he’s delighted.’ I paused looking around the room. ‘I’m just glad we got it all sorted out in the end. I couldn’t have done it without you, Lexie.’

‘What are sisters for?’ she asked with that impish smile. She took hold of my hand from across the table and gave it a squeeze. ‘So I reckon it won’t be long now then?’

There was a rush of groans mixed with pre-celebration cheers from the other tables as the end of the contest was announced.

‘What won’t?’ I asked Lexie, momentarily distracted.

‘Before Jimmy moves on.’ She held my gaze. ‘I suppose he had an incentive to stay all the time he was unfairly portrayed in the press, but now that’s been sorted there’s nothing really to keep him here. Is there? I mean, he’s found you and even if you’re not prepared to admit it, he must now realise the reason why you two were thrown together. I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before he goes on to his rightful place.’

‘Oh Lexie, how do we know? It’s all pointless speculation. I had no idea Jimmy was going to turn up in my life or the reason why and I have no idea when he’ll be leaving. To be honest, I haven’t given it any thought.’

‘Bollocks!’ Lexie said rather too loudly, eliciting a disapproving glance from the team of ‘Bright Sparks’ on the next table. ‘He’s all you talk about, Alice. I’m only saying this because I’m worried about you. You’re investing far too much time and emotional energy in Jimmy. And for what? He’s a ghost for… for heaven’s sake!’ She laughed half-heartedly at her own joke. ‘You’re putting your life on hold for someone who’s… who’s… not even real.’

‘I don’t mind,’ I said weakly. ‘And besides, Jimmy is real to me.’

‘I know you don’t mind! But what happens when it all ends? Which it will. And soon, I don’t doubt. You’ll come crashing down to earth with a bang and you’ll be left with what? Nothing. That’s what.’

‘Oh thanks,’ I said, sitting back in my chair, folding my arms crossly. Just because she was acting out love’s young dream with Phil, it didn’t give her the right to tell me what I should be doing in my life and who I should be doing it with. I let out a heavy sigh. ‘Thanks a lot, Lexie. I was having a nice evening till you started having a go at me.’

She reached over again and grabbed my wrists.

‘I’m not having a go, but you must realise there’s no future for you and Jimmy. You have to see that. You’re in love with a dead man, a spook. And where can that possibly lead? Marriage, babies, a future? None of that’s going to happen, Alice, and you’re only building up a whole lot of hurt for yourself.’

My throat constricted and tears welled in my eyes as I furiously blinked them away, picking up my empty glass and swirling the dregs around the bottom. In love with Jimmy? I thought I’d done a pretty good job at hiding that from Lexie, and from Jimmy, but however hard I tried there was no way I could deceive myself any longer. I’d known it almost from the very first day I met him. I didn’t care about the future. I was happy where I was. In the here and now. With Jimmy at my side. For however long it might last.

‘All the time you’re holed up in that flat with your ghostly best friend, you’re never going to meet anyone here in the real world. Someone like Damon for instance. Why don’t you give him a chance instead? He clearly thinks the world of you and yet you treat him like… like he’s nothing.’

‘So did we win then?’

As if on cue, Damon returned, placing two glasses of wine down on the table, his deep brown eyes observing me thoughtfully.

I knew what Lexie was saying, but the truth was I didn’t want anything or anyone in my life other than Jimmy.

‘Thanks,’ I said, smiling back at him. ‘We came a close last, I think,’ I added.

‘Aw well, there’s always next month, I suppose. I’ll do some heavy-duty swotting up before then, see if we can climb our way up the league tables.’

I laughed, but hurt bled through my veins. Next month? Would Jimmy even still be here then, I wondered sadly.

Chapter Twenty-One

The following day I left work early, jumped into the car and pulled back the roof. We were in the midst of a long glorious dry spell with basking warm sunshine and blue cloudless skies. As I drove out of the car park I decided, on a whim, not to turn left at the roundabout onto the bypass that led to home, but instead I took the right-hand turn and headed out of town along the Amerway Road. As I hummed away to the soothing tones of Michael Bublé, I was reminded of that first day when I met Jimmy. There was a similar stillness in the air, an intangible quality to the atmosphere, but instead of the wariness and trepidation that slowly crept over me then, this afternoon I felt only a sense of peace and contentment and something deep inside telling me that, in the end, everything would work out OK.

A couple of hours later when I walked through the lych gate at the entrance to the church yard, the same feeling engulfed me, wrapping itself around me like a big, fluffy comfort blanket.

‘You’ll be wanting to see James McArthur’s grave, I wouldn’t doubt.’

‘Oh hello.’ I turned to see an old gentleman pushing a wheelbarrow overflowing with earth and wilting flowers. ‘Yes, that’s right. I was a friend of his. Do you have many visitors here then?’