Page 23 of Murder Most Haunted
Gloria:Sheis, as in, she is still alive?
Rona:Yes. Lives in Barking.
Rendell:Well, obviously, it can’t be her. Do you have a message for us, Beth?
Harold:‘M. U...’ Blimey, the glass is moving so quick, I can’t keep up.
Gloria:‘R. D...’
[Another pause as the glass comes to a halt]
Rona:‘MURDER’.
[Collective gasp from the group]
[Music swells and fades out]
Chapter12
‘You’ve ruined my concentration,’ said Rendell, crossly, lifting his finger from the glass, which had stopped moving.
Gloria drew in a shaky breath as she sat back in her seat. ‘That is amazing. To be so close to the spirits. I... I could feel something with us.’
‘Rubbish!’ Dr Mortimer slapped the table, making her jump. ‘Absolute hoo-ha. As I said, someone was clearly pushing that glass around and having a fine old time at our expense.’
An owl hooted outside the window, causing Gloria to jump.
Rendell raised an eyebrow as he faced them. ‘Shall we see if the ghost has any other messages?’
The others nodded.
Rendell cleared his throat. ‘Are you still with us?’ There was the smallest of jerks and then the glass started to move again. Gloria grasped Midge’s forearm, tightly.
They all watched the glass as it went straight to ‘YES’.
‘Do you have a message for someone in the room?’ asked Rendell, looking around the table.
The glass stayed where it was.
‘Who for?’ he asked.
The glass moved.
‘M. W.’
‘Mmm... Oh! Midge, it’s you! It’s Midge!’ shouted Rona, nearly taking her finger off the glass in her excitement. ‘What do you want to tell Midge?’
‘F. I. N. D. H. I. M,’ read out Harold, slowly.
‘Find who?’ asked Gloria, staring at Midge.
The glass suddenly toppled over, causing Rendell to slump forward dramatically. ‘She’s gone,’ he said.
Midge felt her insides run cold. Any hunger she had been feeling dissipated in an instant as the room shifted around her. Coming after the message in the mirror, this seemed more than a coincidence.
‘Who are you meant to find?’ asked Rona. Midge could feel all six pairs of eyes on her. ‘Does that mean anything to you?’
‘No.’ She removed her hand and leaned back into her chair. ‘No, of course not.’ She shrugged. ‘It’s wrong.’ This was the second lie that Midge had ever told her in life, and all within the space of twenty-four hours.
