Faye's Spirit (19 page)

Garth hovered by the door to his living space, unsure.

Jai waved at him again.

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

124

Mercifully Garth moved, but by the time he’d got there, she’d walked on and out of view. “Too late,” Jai whispered. “She knows we’re up here though.”

“What the fuck?” Garth glared at him.

“Chill. She expected it.”

Garth clicked into gear, accepting that, and joined Jai in peering over the railing.

Her voice echoed up the stairs, barely discernible, but distinctly her all the same.

Garth visibly relaxed. “It’s so good to hear her voice in the house again.”

Jai nodded.

Garth turned his way. “I’m falling in love with her, you do know that?”

Jai took a deep breath before he replied. “Yup, I know that.”

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

125

Chapter Sixteen

When they arrived at the house Faye had already been a mess of emotions. Tremulous hope that this would bring some closure for Maud was at the forefront of her mind, closely followed by managing the situation for Harry in the best way possible. To some extent she was going to have to wing it and see how things panned out. The most important thing was to try and draw Maud out as soon as possible.

Then, as she walked up the steps it reminded her of the day she’d arrived there, only a week before, and everything that had happened in the relationship with Jai and Garth came flooding back.

Once she had dealt with the first issue then came her own problematic love life. Why was it easier to focus on the first issue? She had been trying to keep it all in perspective, when she instinctively looked up and saw Jai.

It left her shaky, because just seeing him made her realise how much she’d missed him. She had to stop herself running up the stairs and throwing herself into his arms while telling him off for being there.

“This is an impressive building.”

Harry’s voice brought her back to the moment and the first job on her list.

“It is, take a look at the reception area.” She gestured then followed him into the reception.

“Crikey,” he exclaimed when he saw the glass wall and the inner workings of the architect workshop. His reaction made her smile.

Stepping close to the glass division he peered through it, taking an obvious interest in how it all worked. “I’ll keep these guys in mind if I ever need an architect.”

Faye noticed that the reception area hadn’t altered since she’d first arrived here. The cushions were still wrapped in cellophane and boxed computer equipment went unopened.

The brass plaque still sat in its packaging. Surely they should have been working on that for their grand opening the following week?

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

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126

“Yes, they seem to be good at what they do,” she responded, vaguely, and tried to concentrate on Maud, sending out a psychic call. It would be hard. For a start she’d never seen Maud surface this early in the day, and she hadn’t been back to keep Maud in the picture.
Please, please, Maud. I haven’t abandoned you, I have found your son and he is with me
.

“Hard to imagine it as it would have been in the sixties.” Harry had turned to look at her.

Faye snapped into action and nodded. “Apparently it was quite a sumptuous building. Let me take you to the kitchen where your birth mother used to work doing the catering. There’ve been fewer changes there but you can still imagine what it would have looked like back then.”

She led the way back out into the hall, and into the kitchen. “It’s a bit more relaxed in here.”

She stood close to the sink and looked out into the yard as Maud had done so many times on repeat. “This is where your mother and father met. He did deliveries and pulled his van into this yard outside.”

Harry stood in the middle of the kitchen for a moment fixed to the spot, as if trying to take it in. Then he stepped closer and looked out of the window.

Faye went to the back door and unlocked it. She opened it and went out onto the steps that led down to the yard area. “The place is fenced in now, whereas in previous years it was open onto the lane that runs along the back of the houses here, for deliveries.”

Harry joined her, and she noticed he had his hands in his pockets and looked slightly awkward. Did he sense something, or was it just the unusual nature of the situation? After a moment he stepped into the yard, pacing across it to look back up at the house.

Faye took the chance to go back into the kitchen. “Maud Radisson, please come, please show yourself to me! Maud, please!” She couldn’t bear thinking about how awful it would be if Harry left before Maud arrived.

She went to the sink and clutched the edge of it with both hands, observing as Harry moved around the yard. Then she felt it, a rush of psychic energy that was so strong it shook her innards.

Maud was at her side. “Where’ve you been? The men have been in such a state without you. I thought you’d gone forever, so did they and they’ve been worried sick.”

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

127

Faye saw the genuine concern in Maud’s expression. It touched her deeply, and once again she wished that she could hug her, hold her, and interact with her properly. “Don’t worry, they’ll stop fighting soon. I’ve come back to right that wrong.”

“It’s not wrong. They don’t think it was wrong. They’ve missed you so much.”

Maud had been listening in on their discussions. Faye longed to know what had been said, but it would only make things harder for her if she knew. She lifted her hands and spread her fingers apart. Maud stared at them then cautiously lifted her own. The psychic energy between them gave Faye a jolt, like a small electric shock.

“Thank you for caring.”

“But Faye, it’s you they want.”

Faye jolted again, and this time it was more powerful. Maud had pushed that notion out there with enormous effort, and it assaulted Faye’s senses. Maud wanted her to know, to feel what she had discovered.

It wedged in Faye’s chest, an ache, a sense of longing for completeness. She’d grown to care about them, and Maud was trying to tell her how they cared too, but Faye didn’t have the time to think about it. Any second now Harry would walk back into the room, and she had to warn Maud and prepare her for that moment. Her own issues would wait until this was done.

“Hush, please, I have something important to tell you and I must be quick.” She locked eyes with Maud, pleading with her to stay calm. “I’ve brought a visitor to see the house.” She nodded her head at the window. “I found him. That’s your son, Harry.”

Maud stared at the window, her head bobbing as she leaned right over the sink to get a better look. When she caught sight of him she pulled back and her hands covered her face.

Her eyes glistened, the psychic energy coming off her quickly making Faye feel quite dizzy.

Faye felt the shock, the disbelief, then the growing intrigue.

Maud reached for Faye as if by instinct, her ghostly fingertips leaving a maddening trail of static electricity down Faye’s arm. “He’s coming into the kitchen.”

“I don’t know if he will see you or not, but I’ll keep him here talking for a while so that you can see him.”

“He looks like Paolo,” Maud whispered.

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

128

“I wondered if that was the case.” Faye nodded at her reassuringly and as soon as she heard Harry entering the kitchen, she turned his way.

Harry looked only at her.

Faye’s heart sank. There’d only been a small chance that he might have been able to see Maud. No one else had. Not properly, like she did. But still Faye hoped that they might have been able to have a proper exchange.

“Do you feel anything?” she asked tentatively. “Any connection to the place?”

“To be honest, no.” He gave her a brief courteous smile, as if he secretly thought she was bonkers. “But I’m glad I came.”

“He really does look like Paolo,” Maud said and smiled.

She looked so pleased, so happy and relieved, that Faye thanked her lucky stars and whoever else had been involved in helping to make this work. There had been so many elements of it left to chance. Harry could have emigrated to Australia. He might have been on holiday this week. But no, because he was meant to come here, she was never more sure of anything in that moment.

She noticed that Harry looked thoughtful. “Are you all right?”

“Yes. It’s just so weird. The information that was missing all my life is now there, but it’s still hard for me to take it on board.”

“I’m sure it’ll be easier once you’ve had time to process it all.” She kept an eye on Maud as she spoke.

Harry nodded. “So you say they met here, that he delivered here?” He stared back at the door where the steps went down to the yard.

“Yes. They would have chatted right here, where we’re standing.”

Maud had once again covered her mouth with one hand and crept across the room, staring at her son with tear filled eyes.

She didn’t seem to expect him to see her, but she’d existed many years in spirit form and it was only Faye who had. There was some comfort in that for Faye, but still she wished he could see Maud’s spirit, or feel her. Maybe it was better that he didn’t, though.

It was the oddest situation that Faye had ever been in, since she first communicated with ghosts all those years ago as a child. None of the investigative work she’d done over the www.total-e-bound.com

FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

129

last year had turned out like this, like some sort of long lost family reunion that only one half of the family was aware of.

The massive swirl of emotion that she got from Maud was making it hard for her to remember her planned moves, and she forced herself to focus. “I think what your mother needed to know most of all was that she had put you on a good path. She never knew.

Perhaps if she had lived longer she could have gone to the adoption agency and enquired after you. I believe that might have been her intention.”

Harry frowned. “Will she know now?”

“Yes, I’m sure she will.”

“I’ve never thought about how she felt or what happened to her. As a teenager, when my parents told me, it was all about the fact that someone didn’t care enough to keep me.

Then I just blanked it out. Now that it’s falling into place I feel differently. I know that if it was my own kids I’d want to know how they were doing in life.”

“I think she’d be proud of you Harry, you’ve had a good life and that’s all she wanted for you.”

“Yes, I have.”

Maud glanced at Faye and Maud nodded quickly, tears spilling down her cheeks as she did so.

“I was unsure about this, about coming here,” Harry added. “I’m glad that I did.

Thank you.”

Faye felt her throat tighten. The time had come for him to leave and she didn’t know how Maud would take it. “You’ll be on your way now,” she said, forcing Maud to acknowledge it.

Maud reacted. Reaching out, she moved her hand as if to touch her son then drew back. Harry shifted his shoulders and glanced over to the place where Maud stood.

Faye’s breath caught. He put out his hand to Faye.

She forced herself to act, took his hand and shook it. “I have to speak with the owners of the property. I’ll be sure they know your name, and if you want to come and visit the place again they’ll instruct their receptionist to show you around during working hours.”

“I don’t think that will be necessary, but I appreciate it.”

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

130

Faye showed him out and gave a deep sigh of relief after she’d waved him off and shut the front door behind him.

She looked down the hallway.

Maud had stayed in the kitchen, and the psychic energy that came from that direction was like a floating cloud of pulsating emotion. She glanced at the staircase. The distant sound of a mumbled conversation drew her closer to the bottom of the stairs.

She looked up and saw them both there. Grasping the polished banister she lifted her eyebrows and looked at them accusingly.

“Should we come down?” Garth asked.

She could hardly tell him off about being in his own house, but she wasn’t ready to speak to them yet. She shook her head. “I’ll come up when I’m ready. I’m still on Maud time at the moment.”

Somehow, taking control and putting them on hold made her feel a bit more together.

They both nodded but didn’t move, continuing to lean over the railing and stare down at her expectantly.

“Boy, this is going to be a long day,” she murmured to herself as she headed back to kitchen.

“Why didn’t you go to them?” Maud asked as Faye dropped onto a chair.

“They can wait. We’ve got unfinished business. I want to tell you everything I learned about your son.”

Maud’s eyes widened.

Her pleasure lifted Faye’s mood. Part of it was procrastination, because she was dreading going up there and saying her goodbyes. It had to be done, but right now she was all about doing her job and doing it well.

“Congratulations Maud, you’re a grandmother.”

“Grandchildren?” Maud’s jaw dropped.

“Four times over, apparently.”

Faye went through everything, describing Harry’s office and his business, what she knew of his adopted parents and his own wife and family.

“Thank you, a million times thank you,” Maud said, as Faye finally came to the end of her mental notes.

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FAYE’S SPIRIT

Saskia Walker

131

Maud’s aura seemed to glow and yet she also seemed diminished. Her spirit presence was already fading. “You’ve given me the one thing I have wished for all these years.”

Faye had one more question. “It wasn’t Paolo who broke your heart.”

Maud shook her head. “I told you it wasn’t what you’d think.”

“You didn’t want give up the baby.”