Tick Tock (Storage Ghosts) by Gillian Larkin

Author:Gillian Larkin [Larkin, Gillian]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2014-05-28T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 10

The first thing Grace thought when she stepped into Clare’s home was, ‘She’s a mad crazy stalker’.

Grace looked over her shoulder but Clare had already closed and bolted the door behind them. The Clare that Grace remembered didn’t bare any resemblance to this unkempt woman in front of her.

Clare was only a few years older than Grace but now looked about twenty years older. Her once shiny hair hung in dirty curtains around an angry looking face. There wasn’t a scrap of make up on Clare’s face. Grace tried not to inhale too deeply, it was obvious that personal hygiene was not a priority with Clare.

Clare peered at Grace as if scrutinising her. “Did anyone see you? Were you followed?” she barked.

“I don’t think so,” Grace began. “Thanks for seeing me.”

“I knew someone would be in touch, someone like you. It’s happened to you too, hasn’t it? I recognise your face. Follow me,” Clare instructed.

Grace looked at the walls as she followed Clare down a narrow hallway. Scraps of newspaper clippings were stuck everywhere. There were various pen markings and circles on the newspaper entries. The whole scene reminded Grace of thrillers that she’d seen on the TV. The part when the police suspected someone and broke into their homes. The police were often met with a scene like this, and they knew instantly that they had the right person.

What had Grace got herself into? She gingerly made her way forward, remembering her vow to help Tom and Lynne.

Did they know that Clare was like this now? Is that why Lynne didn’t want to see her daughter?

If Grace thought the hall way was bad she soon changed her mind when she saw the living room. There were no visible signs of any wallpaper or painted areas. Every spare part of the living room walls had been covered with newspaper clippings. Grace stopped in her tracks when she saw a familiar headline. She’d seen it many times. It was about her parents’ death. The newspaper reported that David Abrahams had killed himself and his wife, their daughter had narrowly escaped death. The newspaper further reported that David had drunk heavily before driving.

Clare noticed where she was looking. She said, “It’s all lies, all of it. No truth in any of these disgusting articles.”

“My dad wasn’t drunk, I know the medical reports said otherwise but he just wouldn’t have had that much to drink before driving,” Grace said.

“I believe you,” Clare said.

Grace looked at Clare, expecting to see the sympathetic look that people gave her whenever she said that about her dad. Clare didn’t have that look, she really did look as if she believed Grace.

Clare said, “The same thing happened to my mum and dad. They died and the medical reports showed the same findings. I thought it was the doctors at first, I thought they were being paid off to submit false records. I thought he’d paid them off. It happens, I know it happens.”

Even though Clare was rambling, Grace believed what she was saying.

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