The Lost Baby: A Ghost Mystery Story (Second Hand Ghosts Book 2) (3 page)

Chapter 10

I
said goodbye to Julia and put the phone down. I could feel Sylvia behind me.

I
turned around.

Sylvia
said, “Your little girl is lovely, and Emily is such a lovely name. I can’t
remember the name I was going to give my baby. I don’t even know what she’s
called now. When you find her you can tell me, can’t you?”

I
asked Sylvia to sit down. I told her as gently as I could what Julia had told
me.

“No!
That’s not true!” Sylvia flew up into the air and began to shoot around my
room, her  gown flowing out behind her. “They’re lying! I saw my baby. I held
her. I heard her cry as they took her away!”

Sylvia
began to wail as she flew around. It took me a few minutes of talking quietly
to get her to calm down. She sat next to me again.

When
she did I asked her to explain herself more clearly.

“When
I found out I was pregnant I was sent to a special home, where unmarried
mothers went. Oh! My family were so ashamed of me! But I didn’t care, I’d
always wanted a child. When I had my little girl I was so happy. She had the
fattest cheeks I’d ever seen on a baby!” Sylvia smiled at the memory.

Then
she stopped smiling. She put her hands on the side of her face. She looked
horrified as she remembered something.

“They
stole my baby! The doctors, and the nurses. They said she had died, but I heard
her crying in the next room. I knew it was my baby. I could feel it in my
heart. You do believe me, don’t you? Please say you do. I need to find my baby.
I think she needs my  help.”

I
looked at Sylvia’s face. I did believe her. There was one thing I needed to
clarify.

“Julia
said that you lived in a mental institution for most of your life. Why is
that?” I asked.

Sylvia
gave me such a sad smile that my heart felt heavier. She said, “It’s because I
kept looking for my baby. Everyone told me she was dead but I just knew she
wasn’t. They thought I’d gone crazy. If my baby was dead, why didn’t they show
me her body?”

I
didn’t have an answer to that. “Can you remember the name of the mothers’s home
you were sent to?”

Sylvia
shook her head, “It was a long time ago. Oh! Just a minute. I can remember the
date that my little girl was born. 9th July 1975. Does that help?”

It
was a start. I didn’t know where to begin looking but I was determined to find
Sylvia’s daughter.

Chapter 11

The
next day at work I spent some time on the computer trying to find out
information about  unmarried mothers’ homes. There wasn’t much to go on. It
seemed like any information had been hidden away from the internet.  I didn’t
think unmarried mothers still had a stigma attached to them as late as the
1970s. It’s something that I thought used to go on in 50s and before.

I
was tapping away at the computer when Carol walked over to me.

“If
you feel like doing any work today, that would be great. You know, clean up,
deal with customers, that sort of thing,” Carol said sarcastically.

I
sighed, “I will. I’ve got a problem and I promised someone I’d help them. But
I’m not sure I can yet.”

Carol
wrinkled her nose, “Is it to do with a ghost? You know I said I don’t want
anything to do with them. Rose never bothered me when she dealt with them, and
I don’t expect you to either.”

I
blurted out, “It’s a mother who’s lost her baby.”

Carol’s
face fell. “What?” she whispered.

I
quickly told her the whole story. She sat down next to me and stared at the
computer screen while I talked.

Finally
she said, “I’ve heard of this happening before. One of my mother’s friends went
into one of those homes. They told her that her baby son died the night after
she had him. Do you know what my mother’s friend did, Kate? She was so
devastated that she killed herself. Sometime later we found out that the baby
hadn’t died, the girl’s father had arranged for the little boy to be adopted by
a couple in Scotland.”

“Oh,
Carol, I’m so sorry,” I put my hand on Carol’s arm.

She
shrugged it off and said briskly, “Well, it happened a long time ago. Would you
like me to help you find that home? I think I can remember the name of it.”

“If
you don’t mind, thank you,” I said.

“Just
don’t expect me to talk to any of your dead people. And you can make yourself
useful and put the kettle on,” Carol ordered. She shoved me out of the way and
began to tap at the computer keys.

When
I came back with two cups of tea Carol had some news for me.

“I
found the home alright. But it burnt down in 1977,” Carol said.

I
sighed, “What can we do now?”

Carol
gave me a withering look, “There’s more than one way to skin a cat. Sup your
tea. We’ve got somewhere to go.”

Chapter 12

When
we’d finished our tea Carol closed the shop and marched down to the town hall.
I ran after her.

She
curtly waved to the security guard as we walked in. He didn’t stop her. By the
scared look on his face I think he’d had dealings with Carol before.

“What
are we doing here?” I asked.

“We’re
going to talk to someone who deals with births and legal stuff. Well, I am. You
can stay here and keep quiet,” Carol told me.

“Don’t
you need an appointment?” I said.

Carol
was looking at a board with names and office numbers listed on it. “I don’t
need an appointment.  I used to work here years ago. I left because I couldn’t
stand all the miserable people that came in asking for help.”

“The
public?” I said.

“Aye,
the public. Anyway, I know who I need to talk to. They’re on the second floor.
I won’t be long,” Carol said and she walked briskly up the stairs.

I
wouldn’t want to get on the wrong side of Carol.

I
walked down a tiled corridor and found a wooden bench to sit on. I looked at
the portraits hung on the walls. Pictures of past mayors and mill owners. All
men, and all stern looking. Most of them had bushy beards and even bushier
eyebrows.

“What
are you doing in here?” a loud voice made me jump.

I
looked up to see a stern looking, hairy man glaring at me.

“I’m
waiting for my friend,” I said indignantly.

Another
hairy man joined the first. He pointed at me and yelled, “We don’t allow women
in here! Especially not women of the street who are showing their ankles. You
harlot!”

It
took me a few seconds to realise I was being verbally abused by ghosts. Women
hating ghosts at that.

Some
more hairy men joined the first two. They sneered at me.

“Stumpet!”

“Painted
whore!”

“Leave
our town hall at once!”

I
was thoroughly annoyed at the way they were speaking to me but there were too
many hairy men for me to deal with.

I
proudly got to me feet, secretly feeling pleased that I was slightly taller
than all of them. I looked down at them and scathingly said, “I’m leaving
because I want to. May I suggest that you all go and shave your furry faces!”

I
walked out of the town hall as quickly as I could. I wouldn’t be going back in
there anytime soon.

I
walked across to the bakery and bought myself a hot sausage roll. By the time I
had finished eating it Carol had joined me.

She
handed me a piece of paper and said, “Don’t ask me how I got this information.
I’ve found out that Sylvia’s daughter didn’t die. She was adopted by a couple
from Manchester.”

“Do
we know where she lives now?” I asked.

Carol
nodded. “She lives about ten minutes away. I’ve got her full name, address, telephone
number and email address.”

I
was beginning to think Carol was a secret spy.

I
opened the paper. Sylvia’s daughter was called Debra Brown.

“Thank
you, I don’t think I’d have found this out on my own,” I said.

Carol
looked over at the bakery, “A cream doughnut will be thanks enough.”

I
walked over to the bakery.

All
I had to do now was speak to Debra and casually tell her that she was adopted
and that her dead mother was looking for her.

Chapter 13

Being
a coward, I decided to email Debra first. I wrote that I worked in a second
hand shop and that I thought we’d found something that belonged to her or her
family. I put the shop’s telephone number and my own.

It
was nearly time to pick Emily up from school so I headed into the kitchen for
my bag. I could hear my phone ringing. I didn’t recognise the caller’s number
as I answered.

“Is
that Kate? Are you the one who emailed me? Is it about my mum? Have you found
her?” a woman’s hurried voice gushed out.

“Yes,
it’s Kate. Is that Debra?” I asked.

The
woman laughed, “Sorry, yes but call me Debbie, everyone does. Sorry about all
the questions but I feel like I’ve been waiting for information about my family
for years.”

“You
mentioned your mother?” I prompted Debbie.

“Yes.
I found out ages ago that I’m adopted and I’ve been looking for my real mum.
All I found out was that she lives in Leeds. Oh, hang on, my little boy needs
the toilet. Can I phone you back in a bit?” Debbie asked.

I
looked at my watch. I had to set off for school.

“Could
I come round to your house later on tonight?” I asked.

“That
would be great! Thanks so much. I’ll give you my address,” Debbie offered.

I
listened as she recited her address. I didn’t want to tell her that I already
had it. I said goodbye and put my phone back in my bag.

I
went through to the front of the shop.

Carol
was writing in the accounts book.

“That
was Debra Brown,” I said. “I’m going to see her tonight. I’ll be able to tell
her about Sylvia.”

Carol
didn’t look up from the book, “Right. You don’t have to tell me what’s going
on. I told you I don’t want to be involved in this ghost business of yours.”

I
fastened my coat up and said, “So you won’t want to know what happens next
then.”

Carol
shrugged and looked over, “You can tell me if you want. I’m not bothered.”

I
smiled as I walked out of the shop. She was just as nosey as me.

I
drove to Emily’s school. I felt sure that once Sylvia found her baby again all
would be well in her world.

I
was wrong.

Chapter 14

As
soon as I picked Emily up she said, “Have you found Sylvia’s baby?”

I
said, “Yes, but she’s not a baby anymore. I’m going to see her tonight.”

“I’ll
come with you,” Emily decided. She held my hand as we walked to the car.

“No,
you can stay with your dad for a few hours,” I said.

Emily
looked up at me, “Please Mummy, I want to see Sylvia’s baby.”
I thought about it for a few seconds. I couldn’t see the harm in it. “Okay, but
you have to be on your best behaviour.”
Emily climbed into the back seat and said solemnly, “I’m always on my best
behaviour.”

After
tea we made the short drive over to Debbie’s house. It was a small mid terrace
house.

We
walked up to the front door, and even before I knocked, I could hear a small
child crying inside.

A
tired looking woman answered the door. I knew immediately it was Debbie, she
looked like Sylvia.

“Kate?
Do come in. Sorry about the mess. And the noise. And probably the smell!”
Debbie laughed.

I
introduced Emily and then we followed Debbie inside.

Her
house was messy with all the things that young children bring to a home.

Debbie
waved towards the settee, “Find a seat if you can. Make sure you don’t sit on a
child! I’ve got three little boys under the age of 5 and they move like
lightning.”

I
could see two boys playing on the rug in front of the settee. I heard sobbing coming
from behind the settee. I peeped around and saw a crying boy. I picked him up
and automatically began to rock him. He stopped crying.

Debbie
collapsed onto the settee. I sat beside her.

“Thanks
for that,” she leaned over and smoothed the little boy’s hair down. “It’s just
one of those days. And I’ve got a thumping headache.”

“I’ve
got some aspirins in my bag,” I offered.

“I’ve
just taken some, thanks. Anyway, never mind about me. Tell me all about my
mother!” Debbie grinned.

Emily
sat down on the rug with the two little boys and was soon playing car games
with them. The small boy in my arms started to fall asleep. Debbie offered to
take him but I said I was enjoying holding a little child again. Debbie looked
as if she wanted to fall asleep too.

I
told her all about Sylvia. Debbie just nodded when I said I could see ghosts,
as if it was a normal thing for a person to do.

When
I’d finished talking, Debbie smiled. “I’m sad that she died before I could meet
her, but I feel comforted knowing that she didn’t want to give me up.”

I
suddenly remembered about Julia Stephenson.

“You’ve
got a cousin! She’s called Julia and she lives nearby,” I told her.

Debbie
brightened, “Really! A proper family member. I’ve never had that before, apart
from my sons, of course! My mum and dad, the ones who adopted me, didn’t have
any family. And they couldn’t have their own children. Do you think my cousin
would want to meet me?”

“I’ll
ask her. Debbie, when did you find out you were adopted?” I asked.

“After
my mum and dad died. They died within months of each other. They’d left a
letter with their solicitor that explained everything. I was mad at them for
months. And now that I know  I was taken away from my real mother without her
consent...well, I don’t know what to think.”

Debbie
rubbed her forehead.

“Has
your headache gone?” I asked.

“Not
yet. I haven’t made you a cup of tea! How rude of me.” Debbie laughed again.

I
passed the sleeping child to Debbie. “I’ll make it. What time is your husband,
or partner home?”

Debbie
smiled sadly and said, “I’ve no idea. He’s shacked up with another woman. As
soon as baby number 3 came along he was off. He doesn’t want anything to do
with them. He’s not a natural father. Oh! Listen to me! I sound a right
misery.”

I
made cups of tea for Debbie and me. Emily came into the kitchen and insisted on
making jam sandwiches for Debbie and the children.

When
it was time to leave, Debbie gave me a big hug and said thank you for letting
her know about her mum.

“The
baby shawl! The one that belonged to your mum. I forgot to bring it round,” I
said.

“Then
you’ll have to come back again. I’ll look forward to that.” Debbie gave me a
big smile.

I
really liked Debbie, she smiled a lot.

On
the journey back I said to Emily, “I can’t wait to tell Sylvia about Debbie.”

Emily
didn’t say anything. I looked at her through the rear view mirror.

“What’s
wrong?” I asked her.

“I
don’t know,” Emily said. “I just feel really sad.”