Ghost of a Chance Read online

  ‘Something happened when I was here last time,’ said Ling, glancing at Angus. ‘I haven’t told anyone because I thought we’d never come here again. Mum and Dad always choose different places for our holidays.’

  ‘Lucky you,’ said E.D. ‘We always go to Grandma’s. Not that that’s a bad thing but if Grandma would shift house sometimes, it’d be better.’

  ‘Quiet, E.D.,’ said Angus. ‘Go on, Ling.’

  ‘I was asleep in here by myself.’ Ling stared at a spot in the middle of the room. ‘Mum and Dad were having a late drink in the dining room with Auntie Susie. I’d fallen asleep but something woke me. Someone or something was moving in the room. I sat up, thinking that Mum and Dad had come back in and were going to turn on the light, but the room was empty. When I tried to switch on my light, it wouldn’t work.’

  Gabby gave a quiet gasp. ‘The power had gone off?’

  ‘No. I could see that the corridor light was on from the glow beneath the door. It was just my light that wouldn’t work. And then I saw her.’ Ling stopped.

  ‘Who?’ said Hannah.

  ‘I don’t know who. A girl—about our age—thirteen or fourteen. She was standing there.’ Ling pointed to the middle of the room. ‘She said, “Help”.’

  ‘Help?’ said E.D. ‘Was she in trouble?’

  ‘I don’t know. She looked at me and held out her hand.’

  ‘Then what happened?’ Angus leaned forward in his chair.

  ‘The room was cold and I started shivering, but the girl stood there with her arm out. It was like she was trying to say more but couldn’t get it out. Then she sort of faded away and I wondered whether I’d ever really seen her in the first place.’

  ‘And you never saw her again?’

  Ling shook her head. ‘I’ve dreamed about her, though. I see the same thing over and over. She says “Help” then she holds out her arm.’

  ‘And that’s why you wanted us here?’ Hannah stood up. ‘We’re looking for a girl in trouble.’

  ‘I don’t think it was a girl—not a live one, anyhow.’

  Hannah looked at Ling. ‘What do you mean, not a live one?’

  E.D. rolled onto his stomach. ‘Han, Ling means that the girl was dead. Ghostly dead.’

  ‘A ghost?’ Gabby stood up as well. ‘A real ghost? I knew that you liked haunted stuff, Ling, but you’ve never said anything about a real ghost!’

  ‘Are you sure?’ Hannah wasn’t convinced. ‘Maybe it was another guest or someone.’

  ‘I’m not sure about anything. I didn’t want to tell you before. You will help me, won’t you? Ghost or not, whoever she is, I think she needs us.’

  ‘How are we going to help?’ said Angus. ‘Do you know anything about this place?’

  Ling shook her head. ‘Nothing.’

  E.D. stood up and stretched. ‘Well, goodnight, then.’

  Hannah stared at him incredulously. ‘You’re going to bed? Just like that?’

  ‘Well, Hannah Rannah. We can’t do anything tonight. So we have to do lots tomorrow. I’m getting my beauty sleep first—not that I need it.’ He grinned at her.

  ‘Yeah, right,’ said Hannah.

  ‘E.D.’s right, though.’ Angus stood up to leave. ‘Looks like we’ve got lots to find out tomorrow. No use doing anything now; I’m too tired. Come on, E.D.’

  As the boys left the room, Gabby turned to Ling. ‘I can’t believe you didn’t tell me earlier.’

  ‘Sorry, Gabby. I had to think about what I was going to do.’ Ling smiled at her cousin. ‘I hope that was okay.’

  ‘Yeah, it’s okay.’

  But as the girls went to bed, Gabby couldn’t stop thinking about Ling’s story. Ling had always believed in ghosts and spooky things; Gabby wasn’t sure that she did. Long after Hannah had started snoring and Ling’s breathing had deepened into sleep, Gabby lay awake in bed, trying to imagine what she would’ve done if she’d been visited by a ghost.

  She sat up and leaned against the wall so she could look out of the window. The clouds had scattered, letting some moonlight through, and she could see the beach below the house. Someone was walking on the beach; they were moving slowly and pushing hard against the wind. It looks like someone else can’t sleep, either, thought Gabby as she watched the struggling figure. The clouds swept across the sky again and the beach became dark.

  When Gabby finally slept, her dreams were full of shadows.

  Chapter 3

  Saturday, 18 December, early morning

  Hannah shoved her pillow over her head, trying to block out the noise of the blind banging gently against the window frame, but it was no good.

  ‘Gabby?’ she said softly, sitting up and looking at her watch. It was just after six thirty and the room was lit with a soft, morning light. Neither Ling nor Gabby stirred. Sighing, Hannah hauled herself out of bed and walked over to the window.

  She looked at the shimmering sea; it was calm and still. The sun, just appearing from behind the land to her left, cast a glow so beautiful that it almost took Hannah’s breath away.

  The white lighthouse shone as if the sun’s rays were bringing it alive.

  Suddenly forgetting the warm bed she’d just left, Hannah pulled on a pair of track pants, a jumper and a pair of sneakers and quietly left the room. She paused briefly outside the boys’ door wondering whether to knock, but she couldn’t hear a sound so she let them sleep.

  Hannah left the building through the back door and walked across a grassy lawn towards a small wooden gate. She was surprised that she could feel the warmth of the sun even at this early hour of the morning. And it was hard for her to believe that being by the sea could be so still and quiet, especially after last night’s wind.

  Turning left, Hannah headed for the lighthouse. It was a long climb up rough and sandy steps, and more than once she had to stop to catch her breath. The sea glittered below her and she had a clear view of the little island in the middle of the bay. When she finally made it to the lighthouse, the beach was a long way down.

  The lighthouse was huge, extending up and up into the sky. Hannah felt giddy as she gazed towards its top. Now that she was close to it, she saw that the lighthouse was quite shabby looking. Cracked and peeling paint covered much of its broad base, and the door was firmly locked with a huge, rusty padlock.

  The wind whipped sand into her face and Hannah shivered. She was a long way from the guesthouse and suddenly she didn’t feel like being alone. The lighthouse, tall and silent, was giving her the creeps, so she started back down the steps again, passing a series of poles with brown woven fishing baskets and round plastic buoys hanging limply from ropes, strung about like some intricate clothesline. An old pier, decorated with a roughly written ‘For Hire’ sign next to a group of row boats, jutted out sharply into the water.

  Hannah looked up at the lighthouse again. It stood at the edge of the cliffs, shining white in the early morning sun. Not creepy at all now, thought Hannah; not from this distance. She headed back up through a small rise of sand dunes to the guesthouse.

  By the time she returned the others had got up and were sitting in the dining room.

  ‘Geez, is there anything better than waking to the smell of cooked bacon?’ Angus said, looking up as Hannah entered the dining room.

  ‘Eating it,’ E.D. said, grinning. ‘Hey, Han, I drank your orange juice. Thought you were still asleep.’

  ‘I’ve been up for the last forty minutes walking along the beach and exploring round the lighthouse.’

  ‘Nice,’ said Ling. ‘You should have woken me; I would have come with you. It’s a beautiful morning.’

  A woman came bustling into the room carrying a tray covered with plates of steaming food.

  ‘Ling dear,’ she said, placing the tray down and lifting Ling off her feet.

  ‘Hello, Aunt Susie,’ Ling gasped, her face turning red. Extricating herself from her aunt’s crushing embrace, Ling introduced her friends to her aunt.

  ‘Lovely to meet y
ou all,’ Aunt Susie said, beaming, crashing plates down in front of each of the children. ‘Call me Mrs D. D for Dalrymple. Everyone—except Ling—calls me Mrs D.’ She ruffled Angus’s hair. ‘Don’t count on this weather lasting. The forecast isn’t good, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Oh, I’m vegetarian,’ Gabby lied, leaning away in horror as Mrs Dalrymple placed a plate in front of her piled high with sausages, bacon, egg, toast and tomato. ‘Could I just have a slice of toast?’

  ‘You’re not vegetarian,’ E.D. cried, glaring at Gabby. ‘That’s your twin sister. It’s alright,’ he said, waving away Mrs Dalrymple. ‘It’s still a little early in the morning.’ E.D. rolled his eyes dramatically, gathered up Gabby’s plate and plonked it alongside his own.

  ‘I’ll leave you to sort it out.’ Mrs Dalrymple winked at E.D. and walked back to the kitchen.

  ‘E.D., you can’t eat all that,’ Gabby said, getting up and walking over to a huge silver toaster on a trolley beneath the window.

  ‘You’re right, Gab, not without toast! Whack a couple of pieces in for me as well,’ he grinned, tucking a napkin into his collar and reaching for his cutlery.

  Ling said goodbye to her parents, watched them drive off towards the city, and joined the others.

  ‘You’ve all got sunscreen on?’ Mrs Dalrymple called from an upstairs window as the children walked outside.

  ‘Yes, Aunt Susie,’ Ling replied, waving. ‘We’re just going to walk into town.’

  Town turned out to be surprisingly quiet. What had once been a thriving and bustling community was now only a shadow of its former self. The school had closed and weeds had taken over the asphalt playground, and the children passed a number of houses and shops that looked run down and neglected.

  A few neat little houses lined the main street, along with a fish and chip shop, a milk bar that appeared permanently closed, a broken telephone booth, two other stores with boarded-up windows and what looked like a small town hall.

  ‘There won’t be much nightlife happening here,’ Gabby said, gazing down the empty street.

  ‘I’m more worried about the lack of day life,’ E.D. said, banging on the fish and chip shop door. The children looked up suddenly as a small window upstairs opened with a screech and they were blasted by a tirade of garbled Italian.

  ‘Signora spiacente—non ho significato svegliarlo,’ E.D. said, immediately.

  The lady paused, staring at E.D. Her lined face softened briefly.

  ‘Attendere un momento,’ she replied, a broad smile lighting up her face.

  ‘What did you say, E.D?’ Ling laughed.

  ‘Just said I was sorry to have woken her. She’s coming down. Maybe we’ll get a free feed. It’s been a long time since breakfast.’

  A moment later they heard a key rattle in the lock, and a largish Italian lady with a tired-looking face stepped out onto the pavement.

  ‘Well, well, you kids hungry?’ she beamed. ‘I’ve just turned the cookers on. Got some groups coming through later this morning.’ She winked at E.D. Gabby groaned as the others followed E.D. into the shop.

  ‘You can’t be serious,’ she whispered, shaking her head slowly and glaring at E.D.’s back.

  ‘Welcome to Intrepid Point,’ the woman said, ushering them all to seats by the counter. A man appeared at the doorway. ‘Angelo, can you check that I turned all the cookers on?’ she called. ‘It’s so nice to have visitors.’

  ‘Will do, Mira,’ he said, grinning and tying on an apron. He turned back to the kitchen.

  ‘You don’t often get tourists?’ Hannah asked.

  ‘Oh, we used to get a lot more of them, but the summer season is just starting. You’re the first we’ve seen for a while.’

  ‘It is a bit of an out of the way spot,’ Angus said, looking at the faded notices on the window.

  Mira sighed and sat down. Covering her mouth with a handkerchief, she started coughing. The children watched, amazed, as her face change from red to blue. She waved a hand in the air as if to say not to worry. Just as Hannah was about to venture through the open doorway to find Mira’s husband, Mira’s coughing fit finally stopped.

  ‘Spiacente, sorry,’ she finally gasped, her eyes streaked with tears. ‘I’m not a very well person.’

  Angelo appeared at the doorway. ‘So what have you discovered about Intrepid Point so far?’ he asked.

  Mira started coughing again, leaning forward and gasping for breath. It took a few moments for the fit to pass.

  Finally Hannah spoke. ‘Well, I went down to the lighthouse this morning. And I also saw some small boats that might take us over to the island. It doesn’t look that far away.’ The room fell silent. Mira wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and sighed.

  ‘No, no,’ she said, finally. ‘You don’t want to be bothering yourself with those places.’ She shook her head. ‘Nothing good will come of it, nothing at all.’ She started rocking gently in her chair. Gabby frowned, suddenly feeling uncomfortable, and started to stand up.

  ‘Let’s get going,’ Ling said, also standing. ‘I didn’t tell Aunt Susie when we’d be returning.’

  ‘Yes,’ Mira said, struggling to her feet. Suddenly she looked even more tired. Her brief delight at hearing E.D. speak Italian had quickly vanished. Now she stood there, pale and stooped, leaning on the chair in front of her. ‘You all come back another time, okay? We’ll cook you up something yummy, yes?’ She held out a small fridge magnet to E.D.

  ‘Quello sarebbe piacevole, grazie,’ E.D. said, nodding. Gabby stared at him in wonder. She had no idea that he could speak Italian so well.

  An elderly man who was standing outside the small town hall on the other side of the road, gave the children a friendly wave. He had just set up a board on the sidewalk. ‘Intrepid Point Historical Society’ it read.

  ‘Let’s have a look,’ Ling said, turning left and heading across the road. ‘You never know what we’ll find.’

  ‘You girls can do that,’ E.D. said, gazing out onto the beach. A group of older kids appeared to be arguing with someone down near the boats. ‘Come on, Angus. Let’s go check out what’s going on down there.’ Gabby watched as the boys walked away and crossed through a vacant block.

  ‘I’ll go with them,’ she said. ‘Hey, Angus! Wait up.’

  ‘We’ll meet you back at Spray Cottage for lunch,’ Ling called. She hooked her arm in Hannah’s and walked over to the old building.

  ‘Nice to see some young’uns in the centre,’ the kindly old man said, as the two girls quietly entered the stale-smelling museum. The small space was filled with tables and bookshelves covered with old notes and artefacts. Ling smiled at him. ‘I imagine you’ll want to read about shipwrecks and buried treasure,’ the man said, his eyes sparkling. ‘Lots of stories in here to read.’ He waved his hand towards a glass-topped cabinet. ‘Lots of things to look at.’

  Hannah and Ling gazed at a collection of seashells before making their way to the cabinet. Inside was a yellowing newspaper article.

  The gruesome discovery of the decomposed body of a young boy was made early yesterday morning on the shore of the Isle of Many, a remote island just off the coast of Intrepid Point.

  Locals believe he was one of the victims of the tragic accident that occurred on the night of 22 December 1974, when two children drowned in wild seas returning from the island.

  The man responsible for three children being out in such a terrible storm, described by some locals as the worst they’d ever known, was Ronald William Jamison, the owner of Care ‘n’ Comfort Cottage. He and the three children were purportedly returning from the island where he often made day trips with the youngsters from the orphanage.

  He is currently in custody undergoing questions about the tragedy.

  A local person, who did not want to be named, has suggested that the boy’s body will be buried on the island, where there are a number of other graves of shipwreck victims.

  Local legend has it that a stash of gold was hidden on the island b
y an unknown bushranger during the gold rush period of the early 1850s. A number of fatalities have occurred in the area over the years, laying the foundations for the repeated claims that treasure is buried somewhere in the vicinity of the island, though the tragedies have also given rise to the legends linking bad luck to fortune hunters seeking the gold’s whereabouts.

  ‘Wow,’ Hannah breathed. ‘You don’t think…’

  She looked up quickly, suddenly realising that Ling was no longer standing next to her. ‘Ling?’ she called, and nodded briefly at the old man before heading out into the sunlight. Ling was standing alone, a few metres down the path, staring out at the water. ‘Ling, what is it?’ Hannah asked, putting a hand on her shoulder.

  ‘That poor boy,’ Ling said, shuddering.

  ‘Come on,’ Hannah said, trying to sound cheerful. ‘Let’s go see what the others are up to.’ Ling stared a moment longer out beyond the lighthouse and slowly shook her head.

  ‘No,’ she said, finally. ‘And I know what you’re going to ask, but the ghost I saw was definitely a girl.’

  Hannah stopped dead. Ling was so certain that the girl she had seen was a ghost. Hannah felt a chill travel along her back. In the time they had been at Intrepid Point, they’d discovered one ghost girl and one dead boy. What sort of holiday was this going to turn out to be?

  Chapter 4

  Saturday, 18 December, evening

  The rain came teeming down again during dinner. Gabby stared out the window at the dark sky. ‘Well, I guess there go our plans for a night hike.’

  Hannah nodded. ‘Too wet to do anything out there.’

  Angus looked at E.D. ‘We’ve got raincoats.’

  ‘No thanks,’ said Gabby firmly.

  ‘For someone who swims in state championships and trains a lot in the wet water, you sure don’t like rain.’ E.D. took the last bread roll from a basket in the middle of the table and chewed it noisily.

  Gabby looked at him then stood up. ‘We’ll see you later. After you get back. Are you coming, Ling?’