Page 42 of Grave Expectations
I found myself in the service rooms of a modest sized house. Across the corridor was the kitchen. To left and right were closed doors. Was Gus behind one? I couldn't leave without him and the house was large enough that it would take several minutes to search every room. There was no sign of Mrs. Drinkwater, however, but Mr. Drinkwater's plodding footsteps echoed on the cellar stairs. He was coming up. I had only seconds.
"Go back to your afterl—"
"Stop!" Mrs. Drinkwater stood in the kitchen doorway, the pistol aimed at me. "How did you get out?" Her gaze darted past my shoulder. "Reggie! You're back."
My stomach plunged.Don't tell him. Please don't tell him.
"What are you doing, Merry?" Drinkwater asked. "I let her go."
"Charlie! Charlie, is that you?" Gus's shout came from behind a closed door to my left. Thank God he was alive.
"Gus! Yes, it's me."
"Are you all right?"
"I'm quite safe." I eyed Mrs. Drinkwater, and she lowered the pistol.
"It's done then?" she asked her husband. "Your murderer is dead?"
Drinkwater came to stand beside me. "It's done. I'll be in my workshop if you need me. Goodbye, miss. Do not forget your promise."
Mrs. Drinkwater frowned. "Your workshop? Reggie…you want to stay?"
"Of course. I have much to do. The commission may have fallen through, but that is of no consequence."
Commission?
"Then…" She glanced at me. "Then why did you release her? I interrupted her casting the spell to send you back. She won't allow you to remain, you know."
Those blank, dead eyes turned to me. "You gave me your word." His grinding tone froze my blood.
I swallowed. "Mrs. Drinkwater is mistaken. I was simply…talking to myself."
She stiffened. "I'm no fool. I overheard you." To her husband, she said, "Now that you have your revenge, you ought to go back anyway. You don't want to anger anyone up there." She eyed the ceiling.
"No one will be angry, particularly when they see what I can achieve after a few more months here. My dear, I'm close to a breakthrough. I know I am."
She winced. "You weren't all that close before your death."
"I beg your pardon! How wouldyouknow?"
She swallowed. "Reggie, I do think you ought to go. Besides, we can't keep Miss Holloway and Gus shut up in the cellar for weeks, or months, or however long it takes for you to succeed. For one thing, the first time I remove the gag to feed her, she'll say the words to send you back. Unless she's complicit, it's hopeless, and I can assure you, she will not be complicit."
He shrugged. "Then shoot her."
I gasped and stumbled away from him, but he caught my elbow and pushed me roughly forward. "Go on. Shoot."
His wife's jaw dropped. Her eyes bulged. "I can't do that! That's murder."
"You were going to kill her friend earlier."
"I only told them that to frighten her into summoning you. I wasn't really going to go through with it."
He clicked his tongue. "Weak."
"Reggie, please. Don't ask that of me. They'll hang me for it. I missed on purpose before. I'm really quite a good shot with this thing," she said with an apologetic smile.
Well then, if she wasn't going to shoot anyone… "Return to your afterlife, Mr—"
