Second Hand Ghosts - The Final Bet (A Paranormal Mystery) Read online

  I held up my hand. The rings were there again. I was starting to feel frightened.

  Carol gasped, “What on earth is going on?”

  “I think we have a ghost in the shop,” I replied.

  Chapter 8

  “Oh no! I’m not having this! You can deal with any dead people. I don’t want anything to do with it!” Carol announced. She grabbed her bag and coat and almost ran out of the shop.

  I took the rings off my finger and locked them in the safe. Again.

  I was alone in the shop.

  Or so I thought.

  My scalp felt prickly and goose bumps appeared on my arms. I felt like someone, or something, was standing behind me. I was too much of a wuss to turn around.

  “Don’t be scared, lass,” a quiet voice said. “I’m not going to hurt you.”

  I slowly turned around. What if the person behind me had died in a horrible accident and was all messed up?

  I faced the ghost.

  He was an old man in a navy cardigan.

  “Hello,” he smiled at me.

  “You’re not scary at all,” I sighed.

  “I’m as handsome in death as I was in real life. Name’s Frank, by the way.”

  He held his hand out, then laughed and put it away. “You won’t want to be shaking my hand, you don’t know where I’ve been!”

  I took a step closer to Frank. He didn’t look like he was dead. But then I noticed his eyes. Instead of being shiny and twinkly, they looked...well, dead. No life in them.

  “I’m Kate. Do you need my help? I’ve never helped a ghost before.”

  “I’ve never been dead before!” Frank chuckled. “Yes, I do need your help. Please.”

  “Is it something to do with that elderly lady who came in?” I asked.

  Frank nodded. “That was Peggy, my wife. Or widow I suppose now. Those rings she brought in?”

  “The wedding ring and heart shaped one?” I said.

  “Yes, those are her most treasured things. The moment I met her, fifty years ago, I fell in love with her. I knew I wanted to marry her so I put some money by each month so I could buy her the best rings I could find,” Frank said.

  I smiled, “That’s quite romantic.”

  “Aye, I’m romantic and handsome,” Frank winked at me. “But Peggy kept saying no when I asked her out. It took me two years of asking before she said yes, and then another two before she agreed to marry me. I had plenty of money to spend on rings by then. You should have seen her face when I showed her that heart shaped engagement ring. I’d seen her looking at it every time we went past the jeweller’s.”

  I was confused. “Then why has she brought them to us? We’re a second hand shop. Why would she want to sell them?”

  Frank frowned. “That’s what I don’t understand. Does it mean that she never loved me? That she couldn’t wait to get rid of her rings? I can’t bear the thought of Peggy not ever loving me. I thought we were happy together.”

  “What do you want me to do?” I asked.

  “Will you go and see her? Ask her why she’s selling her rings? Ask her if she ever loved me?” Frank pleaded.

  I thought back to seeing Peggy the previous day.

  “She’s got a bit of a temper,” I said to Frank.

  “She has! She’s a right fire cracker. She might shout at you but I don’t think she’ll hit you,” Frank gave a little smile.

  “When do you want me to go and see Peggy,” I asked faintly.

  “Now will be good. I’ll come with you,” Frank said.

  I fetched my bag and coat. It looked like I was helping my first ghost, whether I wanted to or not.

  Chapter 9

  Frank sat next to me in the car and gave me directions to his and Peggy’s home.

  There was no easy way to say what I wanted to so I just blurted out, “How long have you been dead and what did you die of?”

  “I’ve never been asked that before,” Frank smiled. “I’m not sure how long I’ve been dead but I think I had some sort of shock. My heart just stopped for some reason. I bet you’re glad I wasn’t hit by a bus and had my face all squashed!”

  “I never thought such a thing,” I said. “Are we nearly there?”

  Frank directed us to a road full of neat bungalows. We stopped outside number 63. When I walked up the path I noticed the flower beds were well looked after. Frank was right behind me.

  I took a deep breath and knocked on the front door.

  “Just a minute,” a voice called from inside. I could see a shape moving closer through the frosted glass of the door.

  The door opened. Peggy looked up at me. She frowned.

  “Don’t I know you from somewhere?” she said.

  “I work at Second Hand Rose. You came in yesterday,” I said.

  Peggy smiled, “Oh, yes. Have you got a valuation for me already? Have you brought me some money? That was quick.”

  “No, I’m sorry. I’m not dealing with the sale of your rings,” I said. I put my hands in my pockets and looked at the ground.

  “Spit it out. What do you want?” Peggy said, her voice rising.

  “I don’t know how to say this but I’ve seen your husband, Frank. Since he died,” I muttered to the door step. I glanced at Peggy. Her lips were pressed tightly together.

  I carried on, “I didn’t know I could see ghosts but apparently now I can. And your Frank asked me, to ask you, why you want to sell your rings.”

  Peggy folded her arms and said, “That’s my business.”

  “Frank wants to know if you ever loved him,” I said.

  Peggy’s eyes immediately began to water, “Of course I loved him! He was my life. But I don’t think he ever loved me. How could he? After what he did?”

  I looked behind me. Frank had gone.

  “What did he do?” I asked.

  Tears began to roll down Peggy’s cheeks. I handed her a tissue from my pocket. Thankfully, it was a clean tissue.

  Peggy took the tissue and began to cry louder. I’m no good with crying people, I always want to join in with them.

  “How could he do that to me! I thought he loved me!” Peggy wailed.

  I moved forward and put my hand on Peggy’s arm. I quickly wiped a tear from my own eye.

  “Shall we go inside? I’ll make us some tea and you can tell me what Frank has done.”

  Chapter 10

  Inside Peggy’s spotless kitchen I found all I needed to make a pot of tea. Peggy had stopped crying by the time I put the tea cup in front of her. I sat down opposite her at the lace covered kitchen table.

  I listened as she told me about her and Frank, and how they’d first met.

  “I knew I liked him the second I saw him, but I didn’t want to seem keen. He kept pestering me for years to go out with him!” Peggy’s eyes twinkled. “And when I said I’d marry him he gave me that amazing engagement ring. I’d been looking at it for such a long time in the jeweller’s shop window. I thought Frank had pinched it at first!”

  “So why do you want to sell your rings, if they mean so much to you?” I asked.

  Peggy gave such a big sigh of sadness that it sounded as if it was coming from her toes.

  “To pay off gambling debts,” she admitted.

  “Yours?” I was surprised. She didn’t look like a gambler. But there again, what do gamblers look like?

  Peggy shook her head, “Frank’s debts. He’d been secretly gambling for years. I only found out about it after he died. I’ve had horrible letters and nasty phone calls from people saying that I have to pay off his debts. It’s thousands of pounds! I don’t have that sort of money.”

  “So that’s why you’re selling your rings,” I said.

  Peggy sniffed, “I don’t want to but they’re the most valuable things I own. I don’t think they’ll cover all the debts though. Why do you think he gambled? Why didn’t he ask me for help if he had all those debts?”

  “I’ve no idea. If I see him again I’ll be sure to ask him,�
�� I said. I was quite annoyed with Frank for not telling me about the debts.

  “Did you really see him? What did he look like?” Peggy asked.

  “He was wearing a navy cardigan,” I answered. I didn’t mention the dead looking eyes or that he seemed quite cheerful.

  Peggy smiled, “I do love him but I’m still furious with him. The last thing I want to do is sell my lovely rings. But I’ve got to do something, those people who keep phoning are getting even nastier. It makes me feel so ...grubby.”

  I decided that I must do something to help Peggy. I wasn’t sure what yet.

  “Have you got anything else you could sell? We buy and sell all sorts of things at the shop,” I suggested.

  Peggy stood up, “I was just sorting through some things of Frank’s. There might be something in there, might there?”

  She looked so hopeful that I nodded vigorously and said, “I’m sure there will be.”

  I followed Peggy to the bedroom where I saw four boxes already piled high with things. My heart sank as I could see that most of it was junk. I took the boxes to my car and put them in the boot. I looked at my watch. It was nearly time to pick Emily up. I wouldn’t have time to take the boxes to the shop.

  I said goodbye to Peggy and told her I would search for treasure in the boxes.

  “I’ll let you know what I find,” I smiled as I got ready to walk away.

  Peggy touched my arm and said, “Thank you, you’ve helped me just by listening to me.”

  I walked quickly to my car and drove away. Within 2 seconds I was crying again. I was turning into a human waterfall.

  I really hoped I would be able to help Peggy.

  Chapter 11

  I picked Emily up from school. She was her usual chatty self. On the drive home I kept looking in my rear view mirror, expecting to see a pair of dead eyes looking at me. But Frank didn’t appear.

  When we got home Emily stopped talking so much. She didn’t say a lot through tea and the rest of the evening. I asked her what was wrong.

  “I don’t know, I feel sad and I don’t know why,” she said.

  When I tucked her into bed she looked up at me and said, “I think I’m sad because that man is sad.”

  “What man?” I asked.

  “That grey looking man downstairs, on the settee. I think he’s a ghost like Rose,” Emily said.

  I hoped the ghost downstairs was Frank. I didn’t want anymore ghosts turning up.

  Emily began to close her eyes, “Can you make him happy, mum? I don’t like him being sad.”

  I told Emily I would talk to the man and then I kissed her goodnight.

  I walked downstairs. I was mad with Frank. Not only had he ‘forgotten’ to tell me about his gambling debts, he was now getting my daughter to feel sorry for him. I had a word or two to say to him!

  But when I saw Frank all my anger went away. He wasn’t just sitting on the settee, he seemed to have collapsed into it. His whole body seemed to have shrunk and his face was hollow. Emily was right about his colour, he looked grey. Even his navy cardigan had turned grey.

  He looked up at me, “Please don’t be angry, Kate. I’ve been such a fool. No one can hate me as much as I hate myself.”

  I sat down next to him and asked him to explain.

  “When I first met you I’d forgotten about the gambling thing but as soon as I saw Peggy then I remembered the whole horrible mess. I only started a few years ago. I got this voucher for a free bet at a casino in Leeds. I was good at it at first and won a lot of money. I thought I could win lots of money and then take Peggy to all the places she’s wanted to go. But then I began to lose money, more money than I had. So I took out loans and credit cards.”

  “I’m surprised you got credit, you know, at your age,” I said as politely as I could.

  Frank gave me a sad smile, “Some people will always lend you money. There were people at the casino who did that. The gambling was like an addiction. I couldn’t stop and I was too ashamed to tell Peggy. And now she’s found out. No wonder she hates me.”

  “She doesn’t hate you, she told me so. I think she’s still in shock,” I said, trying to make Frank feel better. “Lots of people have debts, there are places that can help.”

  Frank shook his head, “Me and Peggy have never been in debt. If we didn’t have the money for something we’d save up or do without. I can’t believe what I’ve done to her.”

  I looked at the boxes of Frank’s things that I’d brought in from the car. I pointed to them and said, “Do you think there’s anything in there worth something?”

  “Nothing but memories in there. If you could sell memories then we’d be rich,” Frank sighed. Then he frowned, “Hang on, I think there might be something.”

  He thought for a few minutes. I waited hopefully. He shook his head.

  “I can’t remember. Probably just wishful thinking,” Frank said. “Do you think you can help Peggy with the debt stuff?”

  “I can try,” I said.

  Frank sighed again and seemed to shrink even more, “I can’t believe I was such an idiot. Do you think Peggy will forgive me one day?”

  “I’m sure she will. I’ll speak to her tomorrow and tell her what you’ve told me,” I promised.

  “Thank you, lass,” Frank said. He disappeared.

  I knew someone who could give me money advice – Carol. But she’d already given me her view on this ghost business and I wasn’t sure she’d help me. I’d have to ask her anyway.

  I got off the settee and sat on the floor. I pulled one of Frank’s boxes towards me and tipped the contents carefully onto the floor.

  If there was anything valuable in these boxes I was determined to find it.

  Chapter 12

  I didn’t find anything of value in the boxes. There were a lot of unopened bank statements. I guessed that Frank didn’t want to face the reality of his money situation. I found lots of cards that Peggy had sent to Frank over the years. I looked at a few but it didn’t feel right so I put the bundle in my handbag. Perhaps Peggy would like them back.

  Emily was in a better mood when I dropped her at school.

  “That man isn’t as sad anymore, is he, Mum?” she said.

  “No, he’s a bit better. Did he scare you? When you saw him?” I asked.

  Emily laughed, “No, he wasn’t scary at all. Were you scared? If we see any more ghosts you can hold my hand. Bye, Mum.”

  She skipped towards the school entrance.

  Carol was inside the shop when I arrived.

  “Do you think we should change the name of the shop? ‘Second Hand Rose’ is so old fashioned,” Carol said.

  “We haven’t even buried Rose yet,” I said coldly. “And we don’t even know what’s going to happen to the shop. There’ll probably be a will or something.”

  “If she made a will. You know she wasn’t a paperwork sort of person. Always seemed to be going out somewhere on urgent business,” Carol tutted.

  I wondered if that urgent business was ghost business, and if I’d end up doing the same. I wasn’t even sure I wanted to help ghosts as it was just bringing me problems at the moment.

  Which reminded me.

  “I need your help,” I began.

  “Does it involve ghosts?” she asked.

  “Yes.”

  “Then the answer’s no.”

  “It’s about money too,” I added.

  Carol’s eyebrows moved up a bit. She liked talking about money.

  “You can tell me what you need to, and then I’ll tell you if I can help,” Carol offered. “But I’ll probably say no.”

  I told her all about Frank, Peggy and the debt problem.

  Carol said, “I don’t want to get involved with other people’s debts.”

  “I’m only asking for your advice. I didn’t want to deal with Frank’s ghost but I’m doing it because of Rose. She was good to me and she was good to you too! Can’t you just help!”

  “Okay, no need to shout,” C
arol said. “I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Good,” I said and I put one of Frank’s boxes on the counter. It had documents inside.

  The shop door opened.

  “We’re closed!” Carol shouted.

  I looked over to see who had walked in.

  It was Peggy. And she wasn’t alone. A big man wearing a leather jacket was walking right behind her. Peggy looked scared.

  She walked over to us, the man right behind her.

  “I need my rings back,” she said in a wobbly voice. “This man has come to see me about Frank’s debts and he says he can take the rings as part payment.”

  The man spoke. “And then I’ll see what else you can sell.”

  The man had such a menacing way about him that even Carol looked frightened.

  Peggy put her hand on my arm. She was shaking. “Just give him the rings. Please.”

  Chapter 13

  Carol looked at me and said, “Are the rings in the safe, Kate?”

  “Yes, I put them in there yesterday,” I said. I knew Carol was thinking about when the rings appeared on my finger the previous day.

  Carol bent down to open the safe. A few seconds later she straightened up and looked at me again.

  “Kate?” she asked.

  I didn’t need to look at my hand to know that the rings were there again, I could feel them. Which meant that Frank must be nearby.

  I held up my hand and said to the man, “Are these what you’re looking for?”

  Peggy looked confused, “Why are you wearing them?”

  “I’m keeping them safe. Frank doesn’t want you to sell them,” I explained.

  “Frank isn’t here,” Peggy said quietly.

  Before I could say, “Actually, he is,” the man moved forward and roughly grabbed my hand.

  “Stop messing. I haven’t got time for this. The rings belong to me now. Hand them over,” he snarled.

  He was even more scary close up.

  I snatched my hand back and said, “Okay.”

  I tried to pull the rings off. They wouldn’t move.