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  BELOVED SON.

  c

  How true. Beloved. He was down there, and he was dead, and whoever was calling her was flesh and blood and alive and ... evil.

  She closed her eyes and bent her head to pray.

  She prayed that Derek would stay dead. Stay out of their lives. She wanted him gone.

  The wind rustled through the trees, almost like a whisper. Like a whisper.

  ‘Maxie ... Maxie ...’

  She held her breath. It was her imagination. It had to be.

  ‘Maxie.’

  She half opened her eyes, peered through her lashes. All she could see was the trees.

  And then, a movement. Was that a face? Half hidden, staring at her? A face she hardly recognised, yet knew so well?

  No! No! It couldn’t be. The voice was like the soft whisper of the trees.

  ‘Come closer, Maxie. Don’t be afraid. Come here. It’s Derek.’

  She wouldn’t believe it. She wouldn’t listen any more. She began to scream at the top of her voice. She screamed and screamed and suddenly ... everything went black.

  c

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  ‘Here, dearie, have some of this.’

  There was a foul smell. Something disgusting was being poured down her throat. Maxine came to, coughing, spluttering, feeling sick.

  ‘I didn’t mean to frighten you, hen.’

  The old man’s hair was matted, his clothes shiny. He had grey stubble on his face and his breath reeked of stale wine. And he was trying to give her a drink from his bottle!

  That realisation made her leap to her feet. What had happened. A bad dream? A nightmare?

  The memory rushed back at her like a hurricane.

  Derek in the trees. Derek’s face. Derek’s voice.

  ‘NO!’

  The old man jumped back at her yell. ‘Now, don’t go tellin’ the police I scared you. I didn’t even know you were there.’ He was jabbing at her shoulder, trying to make her listen. But Maxine’s eyes were searching frantically through the trees for some sign of whom or what she’d seen.

  Nothing. There was nothing, no one there now.

  At last she turned her gaze on the old man. She saw fear in his eyes too. Fear she might get him into trouble for being there.

  ‘Did you see anyone else here?’

  A puzzled frown creased his face. He was trying to understand what she meant.

  ‘Did you see a boy. A young boy. There.’ She gestured to the grave, the trees.

  He put a finger to his lips thoughtfully. He might have been deliberating for Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? ‘No,’ he said finally. ‘Nobody here but me and you.’

  She pulled away from him and began to run. She had to get away from there. She had to think.

  The old man called after her, ‘Now, don’t you go telling the police I scared you.’

  She didn’t even look back. He still shouted after her. But his tone changed. Not frightened any more, but disgusted.

  ‘Oh, don’t say thanks or anything. I wasted good drink on you!’ His voice was getting fainter. ‘See young people the day. No manners. You hear me? No blinkin’ manners!’

  She ran straight for home, not stopping. Too frightened to stop. Too frightened to think.

  Mum was coming out of the kitchen as she raced in the front door. ‘Maxine, you’re home early.’

  ‘So are you.’ She hadn’t expected anyone to be home. Mum should have been at work.

  ‘I’ve taken a leave of absence,’ Mum said with a shrug. And Maxine knew that was a lie. There was something else behind it. ‘Why are you home?’ Mum asked her.

  ‘I don’t feel well.’ And that wasn’t a lie. Maxine felt sick to her stomach.

  Her mother frowned and came towards her. She felt her brow. ‘Why, you’re so hot, dear. You’d better go up and go straight to bed.’ Suddenly, she began to sniff.

  ‘What is that smell?’ What ‘that smell’ was hit her like a ton of bricks. Her eyes went wide with alarm. ‘Maxine! That’s alcohol!’

  That was all she needed, Maxine thought with a groan. Her parents to think she’d taken to drink.

  ‘I know, Mum. I was running home so fast I bumped into an old drunk and he spilled his bottle all over me.’

  It was too ridiculous to be anything else but the truth. Mum believed it anyway.

  ‘Get into bed,’ she said. ‘I’ll bring you up some tea.’

  She began to walk into the kitchen, then she stopped at the door. ‘I’m so glad to be home, Maxine,’ she said dreamily. ‘I feel Derek’s presence here so strongly. He’s here with us now.’

  Yes! Maxine almost shouted at her. I’ve just brought him back from the cemetery! If she was being haunted by her brother, it was all her mother’s fault. Her mother and that stupid fortune teller.

  Dad came in at six and she could hear their murmured voices downstairs turn to anger. They’ve found out I wasn’t at school, was her first thought. And she held her breath when he came into the bedroom minutes later. He looked troubled, his face tired and drawn.

  ‘Did Mum tell you she’d lost her job?’ he said at once.

  So that was it? No leave of absence.

  ‘But why? Mum’s been there for ages.’

  He shrugged. ‘Her firm have been really good over the last year or so, very understanding. But maybe having her son’s ghost wandering about with her during working hours was too much for them to take.’

  And too much for you, Dad. Maxine watched him and wondered how long it would be before Dad had had enough and moved out.

  What was happening to her life? To all their lives? And all because of Derek. She hated him!

  ‘So.’ With a tired smile he turned his attention on her. ‘How are you?’

  ‘I just felt sick. I’m all right now.’

  ‘You sure?’ He touched his hand to her brow.

  If only he meant it. If only she could tell him: ‘I saw Derek at the graveside, Dad. I heard his voice.’

  But no. It was impossible. He hadn’t believed a disembodied voice on the phone. He would never believe this. He would accuse her of trying to get attention again.

  ‘You know, about the other day. I’m sorry.’ He tried for a real smile, but failed. ‘I’m finding it hard to cope with your mother at the moment. But if you’re getting phone calls from some sick crank, if they ever phone here again, you be sure to let me know. We’ll let the police deal with it.’

  And she could see then that he had so much to worry him. How could she add to it? What if it hadn’t been Derek in the cemetery? And of course it wasn’t. It couldn’t have been. She couldn’t add to his troubles. Not now.

  When she was alone again, she snuggled down in bed and tried to think. Whom could she tell? Who would understand? She had to tell someone. Father Matthew would listen. She could talk to him any time. But he didn’t believe in ghosts. He would only think she was as dotty as her mother.

  Could she tell Miss Ross? Miss Ross was sensible and down to earth, but this would be too much for even her to swallow.

  That only left Cam. And she had a distinct feeling he didn’t like her. But, and this was more important, he believed her. He didn’t accuse her of making things up, or of hearing things. He took everything she said as the truth. Adults never did. No matter how well-intentioned they were.

  She would tell Cam. He was clever. He would explain what was happening. She needed someone to explain it to her.

  She left her bedside lamp on all night. In the dark she was sure every shadow was Derek, every creak in the house his murmured voice.

  ‘Don’t think about it,’ she kept telling herself. It must have been the old tramp she’d seen peering at her through the trees. It had been his voice she’d
heard rasping at her. She almost convinced herself. It hadn’t been Derek at all.

  But in her dreams it was always Derek, shuffling about the graveyard like an old tramp, swigging wine in a derelict mausoleum.

  Derek ... Derek ... Derek ...

  c

  CHAPTER TWELVE

  Miss Ross was waiting for her next day at the school gates. Her face was grim.

  ‘I covered for you yesterday, but I won’t – I can’t – do it again,’ she said. Then her tone changed. It became softer, more gentle. ‘I thought things would be different now that ...’

  ‘Now that Derek’s dead’ were her unspoken words.

  ‘But Derek’s not dead.’

  The teacher’s pretty face puckered in a frown. ‘Not dead? But of course he is, Maxine.’

  ‘Not according to my mum,’ Maxine said. She felt her eyes fill with tears and hated herself for it. Crying wouldn’t help anything.

  ‘Would you like me to come and have a word with her?’

  Maxine thought about that. ‘Are you going to tell her I wasn’t at school yesterday?’

  The teacher smiled. ‘Not this time. But I would like to talk to her about how all this is affecting you.’

  ‘She’s lost her job!’ Maxine blurted out. ‘And I don’t know how long my dad’s going to put up with all of this. And she just won’t let Derek go, and ...’ Maxine had to force herself not to cry. But she wouldn’t. The day was too sunny. The sky too blue. It was a day to be happy. She wouldn’t let Derek spoil it for her.

  ‘She’s got me thinking I’m seeing him too.’

  Big mistake! Maxine knew it at once. Her teacher’s face froze. ‘Don’t even think that’s possible, Maxine.’

  Never tell an adult! Why had she forgotten that simple rule? They never understand. Never believe. ‘It was my imagination,’ she went on quickly. ‘I was just so upset about the way Mum’s been. It turned out to be an old drunk.’

  Miss Ross looked worried. ‘I think it’s imperative I come and speak to your mum, Maxine. We can’t have any more of this.’

  ‘Please don’t tell her I thought I saw him. Please.’ Mum would be more likely to believe it than to think Maxine was going slightly potty too.

  ‘Don’t worry, Maxine,’ Miss Ross said with a smile. ‘You can trust me.’

  Maxine didn’t see Cam until lunchtime. He was standing at the tuck shop outside the school gates with Loui, the only other Chinese boy in the school. A boy who smiled almost as much as Cam didn’t.

  She was just about to go over to him when she saw Sweeney and his crowd sauntering over. Cam didn’t even look up, his back was turned to them.

  She wanted to call out, ‘Look behind you!’ But before she could say a word, Sweeney had begun to taunt Cam.

  ‘Hey, slanty eyes, have you been chatting up my bird?’

  Sweeney’s ‘bird’ was Gale, a gum-chewing blonde, not exactly Cam’s type.

  Still Cam ignored him. Sweeney stepped closer. His cronies closed in around Cam and Loui. Loui looked nervous. By this time he had stopped smiling.

  Maxine looked around. There were very few pupils there. Most were still in the canteen having lunch or back in their common rooms. Only a couple of the boys hovered round watching intently. They wouldn’t interfere, she knew that. They would only watch, glad that Sweeney’s wrath wasn’t turned against them. There were four boys with Sweeney. Cam and Loui didn’t stand a chance.

  ‘Don’t you ignore me, you Chinese turd!’

  Still Cam kept his back turned.

  Why didn’t he just apologise? Maxine thought. For anything. Promise he would never do it again. There were only the two of them, and Loui was small and thin. Sweeney was built like a bulldog.

  But Cam continued to ignore him. Kept his back turned as if Sweeney wasn’t there. Loui wasn’t quite so calm. Maxine watched him pull at his collar nervously. Sweeney noticed it too.

  ‘You stay here with him and you’re going to get the same.’

  But Loui, despite his small size, held his ground beside Cam.

  Sweeney cracked his knuckles. His gang were beginning to smile. This was going to be easy. So easy. Two slight Chinese boys against five of the biggest and toughest in the school.

  Cam whispered something in Chinese to Loui, and Loui nodded and answered him. That really riled Sweeney. ‘Hey, enough o’ that stupid language. Can you not talk English?’

  Only now did Cam turn his head to look at him. ‘Better than you,’ he said precisely.

  Maxine gasped. What a thing to say to Sweeney! Was Cam crazy?

  ‘Better than me!’ Now Sweeney was really mad. Maxine felt like running in between them, trying to stop it. But her feet were like lead, and how could she help anyway? But she knew she would if it came down to it. She would run in there and do something.

  ‘You’ve had it, China boy. You’re for it.’ And Sweeney moved threateningly closer.

  ‘Five against two,’ Cam said. ‘Just the odds I like.’

  Cam was potty, Maxine decided in that moment. What did he think he was playing at? He was only making things worse for himself. Sweeney turned to his gang. ‘D’ye hear him! This guy deserves everything we’re going to give him.’

  He turned back to Cam. This was it. ‘Get ready to die, China boy,’ he threatened grimly.

  And that was when it happened. Cam and Loui took a step back. They stood tall, their backs straight. They positioned their hands in an elegant, yet threatening gesture. A gesture she recognised, everyone did. Karate. They were going to use karate on Sweeney!

  In a split second, Cam’s leg shot out high in front of him. Loui did the same. Cam yelled a cry of vengeance.

  The whole thing took Sweeney and his gang by surprise. They’d expected to punch lumps out of Cam. Five against two. They hadn’t expected to be confronted by a couple of Bruce Lees. Sweeney’s cronies stepped back.

  ‘Come on, then,’ Cam said, and his leg shot out again. Sweeney stumbled back. He almost fell. ‘Come on, then,’ Cam said again.

  The rest of the gang hesitated for only a moment, then one by one they deserted Sweeney. He looked around for them but they were gone. Now it was his turn to pull at his collar. Cam advanced towards him in one fluid movement. ‘Just me and you, Sweeney,’ he said.

  ‘You’d like that, eh ...’ Sweeney was moving back, step by frightened step. ‘I don’t know any karate.’ He moved further back. ‘You could kill me with one blow.’

  Cam almost smiled. He nodded, and with a flick of his wrist his hand shot out towards Sweeney.

  Sweeney was scared. And Sweeney didn’t like being scared. He wouldn’t forget this, nor Cam. There was real viciousness in his voice. ‘I’ll get you again, Cam. You’re no’ getting away with this, just remember that. I’ll get you when you don’t expect it. And I’ll make you sorry.’

  And then he was gone, off and running after his mates.

  Maxine leapt in the air. She couldn’t help it. ‘YES!’ she yelled. Cam looked up at her. She went running and leaping towards him.

  ‘Cam! That was brilliant. I didn’t know you knew karate.’

  Cam looked at Loui. Now the two of them laughed.

  ‘We don’t, Maxine. We just hoped it was a good way to frighten that lot off.’

  That was even better. Maxine laughed so much she couldn’t stop.

  ‘He won’t forget, you know,’ Maxine warned him after Loui had left. ‘You better watch, because he will get you.’

  Cam looked as if he couldn’t care less. That only annoyed her. He had an awful habit of annoying her. ‘Anyway,’ she said, ‘you shouldn’t be trying to steal his girlfriend. No wonder he was mad.’

  Cam lifted an eyebrow. ‘You can’t think I’m interested in Gale. She’s dumb. And talking of dumb fema
les, what are you doing here?’

  ‘You really are the most obnoxious ... I’ve got a good mind not to tell you why I came.’

  He lifted an eyebrow. He knew she’d tell him. She was desperate to tell him.

  Now that the moment had come to explain, she didn’t know where to start. It all sounded so absurd. A phone call from the cemetery, a whispered voice by the graveside, a blurred face in the trees. But he listened, intently, and didn’t look at her as if she was crazy. Didn’t interrupt her with a disbelieving laugh.

  ‘I did see him, Cam,’ she insisted when she’d told him everything. ‘I did hear his voice.’

  He was silent for a long time. ‘I do believe you, Maxine,’ he said at last. And she was so relieved, as if she’d shared a burden. Someone else understood. ‘We have three possibilities here.’ He thought a moment longer. ‘One. You saw a ghost. You are being haunted by your dead brother.’

  That seemed the most logical to Maxine. She suddenly shouted, ‘Brought back from the dead by that stupid fortune teller! I’m going to see her, Cam. I’m going to give her a piece of my mind!’

  Cam ignored her. ‘Two,’ he went on, ‘someone is deliberately trying to frighten you.’

  That sounded even more logical. ‘Someone cruel and vindictive. Do you think it could be Sweeney?’

  But Sweeney didn’t look a bit like Derek, and the face she’d seen in the trees had borne a resemblance to her brother. She was getting even more mixed up.

  ‘What’s the third possibility?’

  ‘You’re not going to like it,’ he said.

  She tutted. ‘It couldn’t be any worse than the other two. Go on, tell me. What’s the third possibility?’

  Cam’s dark eyes never left hers. ‘Has it ever occurred to you that Derek might not be dead at all? And that he really has come back?’

  c

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  ‘But that’s impossible! Stupid and impossible! Dad identified the body, remember? Of course it was Derek.’

  Cam shrugged. ‘Don’t like to bring it up, but he had been dead a while. What was there to identify?’

  ‘His clothes for a start!’ she said angrily. ‘The very clothes he went missing in. I won’t listen to this.’ She put her hands over her ears to shut out his voice. ‘I’d rather it was a ghost. I’d rather it was a ghost!’