Rare Sight

Chapter Twelve

As soon as his mum had pulled up in front of his gran’s garage, Joe confronted her again. He turned towards her.

“If you won’t drive, I’ll take the car myself,” he told her, holding out his hand for the car key.

“Oh no, Mister,” she said. “You are not driving this car again on your own. I forbid it.”

He grabbed her hand and tried to prise it open as she reached for the door handle. She got out quickly, pushing the key deep into her trouser pocket. Joe got out, too, and rounded the car to face her, his hand outstretched. “Give me the key, Mum.”

“You don’t really think they’d still be there, do you?” she asked him. He hesitated. “Honestly, Joe – that was just an abandoned spot that suited Stuart Tansley for a shady rendezvous. After we left they won’t have hung around.”

“But… what about Gideon?” said Joe. His voice was croaky. His mum smiled,

“Your father will be fine.”

“But… I hit him.”

“Joe… did you ever hear of a passe-partout?” He shook his head. “Literally, it means a being who can go anywhere,” she said. “Gideon is a passe-partout. He has certain special benefits that are conferred by the supernatural as a favour to the living.”

“But – what’s that got to do with me knocking him over?” His fists were clenched at his sides and he was having trouble catching his breath.

His mum smiled again. “The spirits come to his aid when he’s in trouble. They can cast a protective charm that shields him from injury. Provided his motives are benign, he will be protected from major harm.”

“I don’t believe you. Why would they do that?”

“According to your father, it’s true, Joe. He told me last night that he has spent his recent years more profitably than his earlier ones. He has helped a lot of spirits to resolve their unfinished business, and move on.”

“So you mean when I ran him over…”

“…he won’t have been hurt. What’s more, if we’re really lucky, his spirit-protectors will have led Tansley to believe him dead.”

“Would they do that?”

“I get the impression the spirits in general hold no affection for our Mr Tansley. He is a spirit-trader. Something else I hadn’t heard about until Gideon explained. Do you know?” Joe shook his head. “Well, Stuart, or Tanner, as he likes to be called, sells the dear departed’s spirits to the highest bidder. Once bought, they are generally confined to one room of a house – or even to a box or case within that room – condemned to re-enact forever their supposed crime. This means they are in an almost literal limbo, seeking resolution and never able to rest. They are also in the thrall of their purchaser, forced to do whatever he or she dictates. It’s an excruciating existence – and Gideon has apparently managed to free hundreds of these spirits.”

“Really?”

His mum nodded. “Really.”

“No wonder Tansley wanted to get hold of him. He must be bad for business.”

“Exactly. Now, shall we go indoors?”

Joe nodded. He wished he knew where Gideon was now – and if he really was all right. What if Tansley was getting his revenge for what Gideon did to him at school?

His mum let them in and they crept into the kitchen, not wanting to wake his gran. But when his mum flicked on the light, they saw that she was there, sitting at the table.