Ghost Frequencies (NewCon Press Novellas Set 4 Book 1) by Gary Gibson

Author:Gary Gibson [Gibson, Gary]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781910935804
Publisher: NewCon Press
Published: 2018-06-19T22:00:00+00:00

When she arrived at Ashford Hall, she found Pat manning the reception desk. ‘I met your friend on the night shift last night,’ she said.

‘Dan? He quit.’

She looked at him in surprise. ‘But didn’t he just start?’

‘He did, a week ago. Or was it two?’ He shrugged. ‘Anyway, he handed in his notice this morning. Agency says there’ll be someone new by tonight.’

Susan nodded, unsettled. She started to move towards the stairs then paused and looked back at him. ‘If you don’t mind me asking, how are you finding the job?’

‘Well...’ His eyes darted away from her and he flashed her a tight smile. ‘Hardly started myself, really. Seems good enough.’

‘No bumps in the night?’ she asked. ‘I heard some stories about the place.’

He grinned, but she still caught the flash of fear in his eyes. ‘Well, the agency did a great job of keeping quiet on all that when they offered me the job, but no. I’m day-shift only.’

‘So did Dan say why he quit?’

His grin faded entirely and he shivered. ‘He told me –’ He stopped abruptly and darted her a wary look. ‘Never mind. It’s all loony nonsense.’

‘What did he mention?’ she persisted. ‘Voices, maybe, or someone whistling?’

His eyes widened. ‘So you –’ he caught himself before he could say anything more.

‘Have you heard something?’ she asked on a sudden hunch.

‘Just at the end of my shifts,’ he admitted, his neck flushing red. ‘I told that ghost-botherer all about it.’

‘Bernard? You spoke to him?’ She supposed he would have.

He nodded upwards. ‘They played me all these noises and hisses and things. Creeped the hell out of me almost as much as the real thing.’ He sighed and shook his head. ‘Might as well tell you. I’ve decided to quit as well.’

‘Really? It’s that bad?’

‘No, just... Sometimes I hear a crash or something, or what might be someone talking, and I have to go check it out and there’s never anyone there. Or sometimes I’m sitting here and I could swear there’s someone right behind me, or I can feel someone’s breath on my shoulder. It’s just...’ He shuddered, then gave her an apologetic grin. ‘I’d like to say I’m made of sterner stuff, but if I’m going to be scared I’d rather it’s because I watched a box set of Exorcist movies.’

She nodded. ‘Thanks for telling me.’

She made her way up the grand staircase and stood for a moment at the corridor leading to the South Wing. It was utterly silent. The sun came through paned windows at the far end, painting the varnished floorboards with light. Maxim Bernard’s microphones still stood here and there along the corridor, as if waiting for a performance – which, in a sense, they were.

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