Page 33 of Six Steps to Happiness
She swallowed hard as she stood, dressed head-to-toe in her white paper suit. Staring back at her neighbour and maintaining her gaze, she inhaled and exhaled in an attempt at calming herself down. Making sure to keep every other part of her body perfectly still, Ronnie discreetly repositioned her feet, thanking God she only wore socks and not shoes as well. She told herself to concentrate as she counted down in her head.Three…two…one… Attempting not only her first moonwalk, but her first backwards moonwalk, she glided in her retreat until she was safely out of the room.
* * *
Having been up since dawn, Ronnie yawned, feeling knackered. Sleep had come in fits and starts thanks to the previous day’s excitement with Mrs Wright. When Ronnie did manage to snooze, images of being arrested by PC Jack Shenton in full view of the street only woke her up again, until in the end she’d given up trying to get anywhere near her eight hours.
Standing there with a strong cup of coffee, Ronnie felt like the retreating dead she’d tried to imitate. She sighed, not even sure she’d gotten away with it. She supposed time would tell.
On a positive note, should any fingers point in Ronnie’s direction, she knew there was no physical evidence to prove she was responsible; it would be Mrs Wright’s word against hers. And better still, being up at such an ungodly hour meant Ronnie had arisen in plenty of time to hear number eight’s initial reaction toOperation Poltergeist. Ronnie cocked her head, her attention suddenly diverted. “Speaking of which…”
Excitement swelled in Ronnie’s chest as she caught sight of Gaye’s car pulling up in front of next door’s rear garage. Watching her and Nick disembark, Ronnie pushed her concerns about Mrs Wright to the back of her mind. Observing her neighbour pause to look up at the house, Ronnie delighted in Gaye’s wariness. The woman clearly dreaded going inside. “Serves you right,” Ronnie said.
Nick did his utmost to reassure Gaye, Ronnie noted. A kiss on the forehead here, a reassuring smile there, and a comforting hand at the small of the woman’s back to guide her forward… Actions that Ronnie found both amusing and futile considering what they were about to be met with. She watched them disappear as they headed round to their front entrance, giving Ronnie enough time to open her kitchen window as she waited for the fallout.Any minute now…
Suddenly a loud shriek pierced the silence. Number eight’s back door flew open and a frantic Gaye bolted into the garden. Ronnie almost spat out her coffee; her neighbour’s response was more than she could have hoped for.
“We’re being punished,” Gaye said, her voice loaded with panic. “Paying for what we’ve done.”
Nick appeared in the doorway. “Sweetheart, it’s nothing of the sort.”
Oh yes, it is, Ronnie thought.
“I’m telling you, we’re being haunted,” Gaye continued. “We need to get someone in. An expert. To cleanse the place.”
Good luck with that. Because what you really need to do is move.Ronnie watched her ex-husband step forward to console Gaye, but the woman put her hands up, refusing to have any of it.
“Please don’t try to tell me there’s another simple explanation. Earthquakes, moving houses, whatever excuse you’re about to offer… None of them result in fancy seating arrangements atop of tables, Nick.” The woman was getting hysterical.
“I was going to suggest I ring Willow,” Ronnie’s ex replied. He was clearly trying to remain calm. “To see if she put them there.”
“And why would she?”
“I don’t know.” Nick put a hand to his head, as if it somehow helped him think. “Maybe she spilled something and had to mop the floor?”
Gaye appeared less than impressed. “And if she didn’t? If she’s not responsible?”
She’s not.
“Then will you believe me? Then will you accept there’s a ghost in this house? Because even if Willow does admit she had something to do with this…”
She won’t.
“That doesn’t explain what happened the last time we were away.”
Ronnie clamped her mouth shut to stop herself from laughing. Even she heard Nick’s exasperated sigh.
“Just let me give her a call.”
“Not until we’ve checked the rest of the house,” Gaye said. “I’m telling you, this is the work of something far more sinister than your daughter.”
Ronnie chuckled.You got that right.
She counted backwards again, except this time from ten, telling herself that that should give them enough time to get up to the bedroom. Ronnie smiled as she got to number one, ready for the anticipated scream that rang out from next door. “Try to explain that one away, Nicky boy.”
23
Ronnie stood at her front garden gate awaiting Willow and Bea’s 10am arrival as instructed. She had no idea what the two of them had organised. She simply hoped that step number three in their plan was better than steps one and two. She could have kicked herself for not getting her own vehicle sorted. If she had she could have met them there and would know exactly what she had in store.Oh well, she thought.There’s nothing you can do about it now.
She looked at her watch and as she wondered where they had gotten to, a car pulling up outside next door caught her eye. Ronnie glanced up – Nick’s car.Strange, she thought.Shouldn’t he be at work?
