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Contents ( 89)
  1. The Secret of Cold Hill
  2. Table of Contents
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. 82
  85. 83
  86. 84
  87. Acknowledgments
  88. About the Author
  89. The Cold Hill Ghost Stories

‘Ah,’ he said, his hopes rising. ‘You see, I didn’t have an appointment. Are you not the lady I saw? Does he have another assistant?’

‘No, he does not,’ she said, very firmly. ‘What exactly was the nature of the conversation you claim to have had, Mr Danes?’

‘Well, we’ve just moved into a new house, and we’ve been having some very strange things happening – some odd phenomena – which have been deeply disturbing to my wife and myself. I asked the Bishop if he could help us in any way.’

‘Mr Danes, that’s really not possible,’ she replied, her politeness starting to fray around the edges. ‘I have his diary in front of me. Last Wednesday, December nineteenth, the Bishop was away on a retreat in the township of Soweto, in South Africa. He only returned to England on December twenty-second, to be here in time to carry out his Christmas duties.’

Jason heard this, feeling deeply puzzled. ‘I’m sorry, you must think me mad, but I definitely met with him on December nineteenth. He arranged for the Reverend Gordon Orlebar and the Reverend Jim Skeet to come to my house – and they did come, that afternoon.’

‘Can you repeat those names?’ she asked, distinctly testily now.

‘The Reverend Orlebar and the Reverend Skeet.’

‘You are saying they came to your house? On Wednesday December nineteenth?’

‘Yes. They carried out a communion service, to help a spirit pass over to the other side, if I’m understanding correctly.’

‘Mr Danes, I’m finding what you are telling me very difficult to comprehend. Please don’t think I’m being unhelpful, but what you are saying is simply not possible.’

‘Why do you say that?’

‘Well – both Gordon Orlebar and Jim Skeet did work for the Church in exactly the capacity you mention. Very tragically they drowned in a boating accident off the coast of Senegal, while on a break during a mission for the Bishop’s charity there, five years ago – in fact, almost exactly five years ago this week.’

73

Thursday 27 December

Jason ended the call in total shock.

He sat at his desk, staring into space.

How much, since they had moved here, was real?

Maybe Emily was right, and he should go to see Dr Dixon again.

Caroline Patricia Harcourt. The woman he had sketched. Had he sketched a ghost?

Reverend Fortinbrass?

Orlebar and Skeet, who had come to their house just over a week ago – but who had been dead for five years?

I am very definitely insane.

I am very definitely not insane.

He returned to a new blank gesso board, and studied the photographs of the now-dead construction worker, The Skiver, on the easel at the base of the board, trying to focus, to return to some semblance of normality. Often, he could think most clearly when he was immersed in a piece of work.

He started to work on the sketch of the man leaning against a pile of rubble, who had been nonchalantly rolling a cigarette.