Janet hesitated near the church door, gazing across the quiet churchyard to the spot where they had found Mary Sutton’s body. The village was still shocked at the tragedy and whispers were flying from door to door about what she had been doing out there in the dark and cold alone. The rector had rung Roy who was one of the churchwardens about what they had found in the church – the bread and wine on the altar, almost certainly that used in the exorcism at the Hall – and there had been an emergency meeting at the rectory. Roy did not tell her what they had discussed, but it seemed there would be no funeral in the church. Mary had always said that she wished to be cremated and her ashes scattered in the sea.
Letting herself into the shadowy nave Janet groped for the light switches and made her way towards the vestry. The church was looking good; Michaelmas daisies lasted well, and there were huge displays of them in the chancel and in front of the pulpit. She picked up the heavy brass water jug and began to tour each arrangement. In front of the small brass plaque to Katherine she stopped. Someone had left a bunch of white roses on the ground in front of it. She stared down at it thoughtfully. The church was open for visitors during the day. Anyone could have done it – so why did she feel suddenly so wary. She eyed the flowers then slowly she backed away.
Between one moment and the next the church had become uncomfortable; there was a strange feeling of hostility where usually she felt nothing but an all-encompassing peace and security. Hastily, with a glance over her shoulder she retraced her steps to the vestry and set the jug on its shelf. Coming out she pulled the door shut and made her accustomed small bow to the altar before walking quickly back down the aisle towards the door at the rear of the church. Four pews from the end she stopped. There was something between her and the door. She blinked. It was a trick of the light, a patch of sunlight thrown unexpectedly through the south windows out of the gloom of the morning onto the old flag stones. It looked like a mist, a slowly spinning mist. She caught hold of the pew end near her and shook her head, disorientated and slightly dizzy. It was moving almost imperceptibly away from the door across the back of the church towards the font, then as she watched it stopped, seemed to hesitate and then changed direction. It was moving east now, up the centre of the aisle towards her.
She took a step backwards and then another, her legs shaking so much they would barely support her. The church seemed very empty, the lights high on the roof beams directed up into the vaulted ceiling, the chancel still in comparative darkness where she hadn’t switched on the other lights. She glanced over her shoulder towards the altar and then turned and ran, skipping round the front of the pews and into the side aisle. The spinning mist seemed to hesitate then it moved on towards the chancel steps. Janet ran on tiptoe down the small side chapel, dodged round the pillar and reached the door.
Grabbing the ring she tried to open it. For a moment in her panic she thought it was locked, wrestling with it desperately, then at last the latch clicked up and she hauled the heavy door open, throwing herself out into the porch. Slamming the door behind her she ran out into the churchyard, taking deep breaths of the cold air.
There was no sunshine. The sky was heavy with cloud. She glanced over her shoulder, almost expecting to see the door opening, but the porch was still; the door remained closed. Head down, walking as quickly as she could she hurried down the path to her car and climbed in. Slamming down the locks she tried with shaking hand to insert the key in the ignition. After a couple of attempts she managed it and turned it on, revving the engine before shooting the car out onto the road.
Lyn was choosing some cold meats from the delicatessen counter when Janet walked into the shop. She glanced up as the door banged shut and smiled. ‘Tom says he’s hungry enough to eat that horse you gave him.’
‘That hungry, eh?’ Janet ruffled Tom’s hair. Her hand was shaking and she found she was shivering violently. Behind the counter Sally Fairchild glanced up from the meat slicer. ‘You look peaky, Janet. Something wrong?’ She was peeling the ham from the blade onto her polythened palm with a rhythmic hissing sound which had Tom mesmerised.
Janet shook her head. ‘I was up in the church. The door banged. Gave me a fright, that’s all.’
Sally stopped slicing and gave her a long appraising look. ‘Since when did a door banging make you shake like a leaf?’
Janet shrugged. ‘Nerves. Probably too much coffee this morning.’ She gave an unconvincing laugh.
‘You’re getting like Joss.’ Lyn did not make the remark sound like a compliment. ‘You’ll be seeing ghosts round every corner next.’ She turned back to her purchases. ‘That’s plenty, Sal, thanks. And some sausages please. A pound will do.’
‘Where is Joss?’ Janet tried to steady herself with an effort.
‘Still in Paris as far as I know.’
‘Are you up at the house alone?’
The question sounded too urgent.
Lyn frowned. ‘Of course. Why not?’
‘No reason.’ Janet shrugged. ‘I just thought – Lyn, you will be careful, won’t you.’
Lyn turned to face her. ‘Listen. There is nothing wrong with that house now that Joss isn’t there. Do you understand me? Nothing goes wrong. Nothing sinister happens –’ she broke off suddenly, remembering her panic of the night before.
Sally glanced up from the bag into which she was inserting Lyn’s purchases. She caught Janet’s eye.
Janet shrugged. ‘OK. I’m sorry. Just remember I’m there if you need me.’ She turned towards the door.
‘Janet, wait.’ Lyn fumbled in her purse for some money. ‘Look, that was rude of me. But there isn’t anything wrong.’
‘Good.’ Janet stood for a moment, her hands wedged in her pockets looking into Lyn’s eyes. Then she turned to leave. ‘Just remember where I am if you get fed up with your own company.’
Sally was ringing up Lyn’s purchases on the till. She stopped as soon as the door had shut behind Janet. ‘She looked really ragged.’
Lyn nodded. ‘I wonder what happened up there.’
‘Something strange, I’ll be bound. Maybe old Mary is haunting the place already!’ She gave an ostentatious shiver. ‘You are sure you are all right up there, my dear? Nothing would make most of the locals sleep alone in that house, you know, never mind with small children.’