 
The Mystery of the Cracked Wall

Copywrite 2019 Sandra Maggs

Published by Sandra Maggs at Smashwords

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Chapter One

A siren sounded in the distance and for a moment it scared her. As Bess Hooper lay curled up on her bed she held a teddy bear close to her chest. A constant companion from younger years, there was comfort in the softness of the toy. If only she could go back and change things. Life was so much simpler before all this started.

They say bad things happen in threes and it all began about a month before, just after she received a message. A brief trip to the future and a glimpse into what her world would be like, Bess had met herself and the warning disturbed her. It's about to get dark. What? She had no idea what it meant, but that's when her life erupted into chaos and everything changed for the worse.

First of all there was a huge fight between two of her friends at school. Sitting with Eloise Wescott in the school canteen, they were interrupted by Mia Mason who stormed in and stomped up to their usual table. It was the moment Bess had been dreading.

"What do you think you're up to?" Standing there, Mia glared at Eloise. Clearly she had found out who her brother Dylan had been getting about with and she didn't seem to like it. With her hands on her hips and anger on her face, Mia waited for an answer.

"I'm not sure I know what you're talking about." Eloise remained calm and continued eating her salad. She poked at the lettuce with her fork purposely ignoring Mia.

"My brother, stay away from him, he's far too good for you."

Bess looked at Eloise and then back at Mia. Feeling as though she should step in and try to keep the situation from erupting, she waited for a moment to see what the reply from her best friend would be.

"I don't have to. Dylan and I are in love," Eloise announced smugly.

"Bitch."

The next few moments were just a blur as Mia picked up the plate of salad and hurled it across the room. She grabbed Eloise by the hair and yanked her to her feet. Swinging hard, she punched her in the face. Jumping to her feet, Bess had tried to separate the two girls as Mia clenched her fists and prepared to take another swing. Eloise put her hands up over her face to catch the blood that was now dripping from her nose. Taking a paper napkin from a nearby dispenser, Bess handed it to her bleeding friend.

"I hate you," Eloise spat as she glared at Mia. Throwing the bloody napkin down, she lurched forward and grabbed the front of Mia's uniform. Tripping they fell to the floor as a crowd began to gather and chant the usual, fight, fight, fight. Wondering what to do, Bess didn't have to bother as two teachers approached and grabbed the girls pulling them to their feet and broke up the fight. Eloise and Mia glared angrily at each other as the teachers tried to calm them down. Both knew the instant they were set free it would be on again.

That was the last time Bess saw Eloise. She went missing that afternoon and although there had been a widespread media campaign, the girl couldn't be found. The Wescotts were frantic with worry and Bess, who had never been without her best friend for more than two weeks, was miserable. What's more she now resented Mia so her circle of friends was almost non-existent.

Then there was the girl who had come to visit. At first glance, Bess knew the face, but she couldn't remember where from. Being too polite to ask, she carried on the conversation. Sitting in the kitchen, she tried to place the face of her chatty visitor.

"When Gran passed away, she left you something very special."

Realising immediately that her visitor was Maisy, she smiled. "You've lost a lot of weight," Bess said sipping her tea feeling pleased that she finally recognised the girl. "I'm sorry about your gran. She was a very kind lady."

"Yeah, I cut out cake and biscuits. But Gran, she really liked you a lot and she left you the cottage in the woods. You know, the run down place we passed on the way to the waterfall."

Bess remembered alright. The waterfall and the swimming hole and the moonlight kiss. It was all there, archived in her mind. She recalled the times she had visited the twins in the cottage and now Grace had left it to her. Sighing, she choked back the tears. That was the second event that added to her misery, losing Grace and knowing she would never see her again.

"Don't cry Bess, Gran didn't leave it to you to upset you. I think she wanted you to keep it and fix it up when you're older. You know, so you can live in it. There's a letter for you too," Maisy explained. Producing an envelope from her bag, she smiled. "Gran really took a shine to you."

Everything about the cottage would remind her of Patrick and although she had good memories, there were also the sad ones as well. As she touched the envelope, Bess remembered the night of the thunderstorm. That was night he had gone to look for the missing necklace and slipped at the waterfall.

"Your gran was really nice and it's very kind of her to leave me the cottage. Perhaps it's because I found the necklace," Bess said. At that very moment she noticed the triskele which hung from a strip of pink leather around Maisy's neck and she recalled its significance and everything it stood for. She wanted to blurt out her story and tell her all about how she had travelled back in time and met her gran as a teenager, but Bess wasn't sure she could trust her. There was no doubt Maisy would believe it, but whether or not she would keep it a secret, that was another matter.

"So, what are you going to do with the cottage?" Maisy sipped her tea and waited for an answer.

"I don't really know. It's totally unexpected so I would have to think carefully about it. I think if it were fixed up it might look really nice. You know, like the type you see as a jigsaw puzzle," Bess explained. She remembered what the place had looked like when she first stumbled upon it. Picture perfect, the tiny house in the woods had been both warm and welcoming. It was a shame it was now in such a dishevelled state.

The girls spent the rest of the afternoon chatting until Maisy's parents turned up to collect her. After she left, Bess went back to her room to check her mobile phone. She wished desperately for Eloise to contact her. It was totally out of character for her best friend to go so long without so much as a message. But if she didn't want to be found then she definitely wouldn't be sending out messages to everybody. Even her social media accounts had become inactive and although Bess scouted them regularly, there was nothing.

Opening the letter from Grace, the handwriting was shaky, but Bess could read it regardless.

Dear Bess

I suppose this is unexpected but I wanted to give you something special. The last few happy days I spent at the cottage in Kissing Gate Woods were with you and my brother Patrick. You were always associated with the good memories of that summer before I lost him.

You'll find the cottage has everything you need, even in its dilapidated state. Enjoy it Bess and when you're there, I'll be there with you.

Think of me sometimes.

Grace.

Folding the paper, she returned it to the envelope and sat deep in thought about the time she had spent in the cottage with her friends who had now passed away. Smiling to herself, she remembered the card readings and the chocolate cake. Putting the letter away, she slipped back into her grey mood remembering her current situation.

Bess wished for a trip back in time or to the future or a dream of some sort that might give her an indication Eloise was okay. She took out the tarot cards Grace had used and shuffled them. Cutting the deck, she took the top three cards representing her past, present, and future, and turned them over. The same three cards that had been revealed the very first time she met Grace stared up at her. The Tower, the Nine of Wands and The Empress. It was bizarre that those cards continued to show up in her readings. Bess wondered if they would ever change. She wished Grace were still here to help her, or Maisy for that matter. After thinking for a moment, she scooped up the three tarot cards and put them in her bag. Grabbing her coat, she headed downstairs and out into the afternoon. There was someone who might be able to help with everything and she was only a bus ride away.

Chapter Two

The sound of the bell at the shop door tore Calliope away from what she was doing. She smiled at the familiar girl who walked towards her. A strange feeling telling her to approach with caution accompanied the visitor and she recalled the last encounter when, as a customer, the girl had purchased the runes. There was a gift, a strange inheritance which was uncommon, and attached was a bad feeling, something negative. Keeping the smile on her face, she waited for the conversation to begin, already knowing there was a purpose for the visit.

"Hello," Bess said and smiled. "Do you remember me?"

"Yes, you bought some runes from me. How did they work out for you? Did you find what you were searching for?"

"To be honest, I haven't really had a chance to even use them properly. I was just in the area and I wanted to ask you a question." Swallowing hard, Bess wondered if she could trust Calliope. She desperately wanted to know more about her past and maybe even find out where Eloise had gone.

"Please, go on," Calliope urged, as she placed a few books on a shelf before her.

"Is there any chance I could speak to you in private? I have some money."

"Well, I'm closing in an hour. Is that too late for you?"

"I have to catch the last bus back to Endless Hiccup and that's in twenty minutes. Perhaps I should come back another day," Bess said feeling just a little relieved. She didn't really know what to say anyway. Seeing the cards again had caused her to panic and now Bess felt as though she had been a bit hasty.

"I can give you a lift to Endless Hiccup," Calliope offered. "I live on the other side of the village so I'm going that way and there is no need for any payment."

"Okay, um, I'll just go and get a coffee next door and I'll come back in an hour." At least getting a lift home would prevent her from having to make another trip.

Calliope nodded as Bess turned and left the shop. She had opened Spells and the Mystic just over a year ago. Before starting the business, her family had travelled all over Europe, been frowned upon and called several different names that she chose to ignore. Life had been difficult for her. Never having the stability kids need, she had suffered as a segregated non-member of the human race. The taunts from children in towns and villages had been hurtful. Stones had been thrown and on occasion she had been forced to fight or run when a group of kids would gang up on her. Calliope had promised herself if she ever had a family of her own she would give them a stable upbringing in the one place. So when she had met Llewellyn, and he offered her the life she longed for, they married immediately and settled in a small cottage with a few acres of land. Now, they were almost self-sufficient and Calliope had opened the shop to give them a little more income. Selling eggs and honey and the vegetables they grew made ends meet, but with the extra cash from the shop they were now a lot more comfortable and planning a family.

Checking the clock on the wall, she began to pack up for the evening. The girl would return soon and Calliope wanted to have everything finished so she could focus on the problem at hand. Clearly there was something pressing which needed discussing. She had met her troubled customer on two prior occasions and the first time she had been in with a girl who had recently disappeared. Eloise Wescott had been missing for a few weeks or so and although Calliope didn't know the family or the circumstance, she felt in her heart that everything would work out in the end. First though there was the nagging feeling that arrived with the girl who would shortly return. There was something dark, something sinister in her past and Calliope didn't like it. On the last visit, the feeling had been overwhelming. If she was a gambler, she would bet the house the girl in question had no idea that her circumstance was built on deceit.

Removing the money from the cash register, she quickly added the takings for the day. It was steady and considering they hadn't lived in the area their entire lives, the business had been readily accepted. Perhaps the novelty of the store had been the big draw card at first, but now she had regulars and they came to have tarot readings and lessons on how to read the cards themselves. What had been frowned upon years ago when her family were travellers was now very popular.

********

Outside, the afternoon was breezy and although summer was approaching, the evenings were still chilly. Thankful for her coat, Bess headed towards a nearby café to enjoy a hot drink. Sitting by herself, she checked her phone once again, and again, there was no message and no sign whatsoever of her best friend. Hopefully this little session with Calliope would help sort out a few things. There was more than one question in her head at the moment and if she could get help on both fronts, the trip would be well worth it.

********

Wondering about the bad feeling she received from her visitor, Calliope stood deep in thought. The electronic bell by the entrance once again demanded her attention. She was back. Approaching, Calliope turned the open sign hanging in the window to closed and locked the door.

"Thank you for seeing me," Bess said. "I'm Bess Hooper."

"Would you like a cup of tea. I have a kettle and we can sit out the back. You're lucky you came on a day when I don't have anything booked. Perhaps it wasn't just chance that drew you here."

Leading the way, they left the shop area and Calliope flicked off the light. The back room where she hosted her students and visitors was decorated in cosy bohemian gypsy. Colourful fabrics and shawls with tasselled fringes adorned the small area. Filling the kettle, she commenced with making the drinks. Turning to Bess she smiled trying to show a look of comfort instead of the agitation she was feeling. Mixed messages came from the teenager and fought for domination.

"Please, take a seat," Calliope urged gesturing to a two seater sofa. "How do you like your tea?"

"Strong with just a dash of milk please," Bess said.

Placing a tray on the table that was usually reserved for readings, Calliope sat on the sofa by the girl. "Now, Bess, how can I help you?"

Chapter Three

Bess took a sip of the hot drink. It all seemed silly for a moment. Perhaps she was doing the wrong thing, but the tarot reading was repetitive and she wanted to know what it all meant. The cards just kept cropping up and there had to be a reason.

"I have these cards, tarot cards. They were a gift from a friend. You see, I have this ability," Bess said. It was difficult to put it into words without sounding crazy, but the best place for her to start was from the beginning. "This time last year I was just an ordinary teenage girl and then I started having these strange feelings. I heard whispers and had dreams about different times, but they felt almost real, as though I had actually travelled through time. Anyway, we solved a mystery, me and my brother Tom, a crime that had been committed a long time ago. When we were trying to work it all out, I broke my leg, so my parents took us away for a holiday. That's when I met Grace and Patrick, only they were from a different time. I travelled back in time and helped solve another mystery. Grace had some tarot cards and she did a reading for me. These three cards came up as representation of my past, present and future." Taking the cards from her bag, she showed them to Calliope who took the three cards in her hands and closed her eyes.

"Oh, you have the gift of time travel."

"Yes," Bess nodded. She searched the face of the shop owner for a trace of surprise, but her expression stayed the same.

"There is a definite connection here," Calliope said as she held the cards.. "Would you like me to explain the meaning?"

"No, that won't be necessary," Bess shook her head and continued. "Grace explained at the time. But that's not the end of the story. I actually met Grace as an adult. It was such an odd experience and she did another reading and those same three cards came up. I received the cards as a gift for something I helped the family with. I don't know much about any of this, but today when I did my own reading with the cards, that was the result. I thought, because you sell this sort of thing, you might be able to help me with a few things. Like, why they keep cropping up all of the time." Finally she finished talking and took another sip from the teacup.

"I know what these cards mean, but as for anything else that you've experienced, I'm unsure. I don't have much knowledge of time travel. It's very rare. But what I do understand are the feelings I sometimes get when I meet people. There's something not quite right about you Bess. When you came and purchased the runes from the store, I felt uneasy about one of you. I was unsure which of you it was at the time, but now I know it was you," Calliope explained. Instantly the look on the girl's face made her regret her words. She saw fear and confusion on the face of her visitor.

"What do you mean?" Bess asked finishing her tea. She placed the cup on the tray and folded her hands in her lap. Inside she was frantic. So many things were going wrong in her life at the moment, she didn't need any more negativity. All she wanted to know was why those three cards kept appearing in her readings and about a hundred other things.

"I didn't mean to upset you. I can see that you are shocked by this news. I can't quite put my finger on it, but there's something bad about your gift. I don't think you're a bad person and clearly this is something you have inherited, but it isn't right Bess. To me it almost feels as though you weren't the one intended for the time travel," Calliope explained. "As for the cards, this often happens. Some people play at tarot and there's never any seriousness to it. They ask a different question every time, so each time they turn them, the cards will tell them something different. In your case, because you are desperately trying to find the truth about your past, your reading will never change until you discover what you're searching for. These cards are specific to your gift." Handing the cards back to Bess, she searched the girl's face again. She looked a little more at ease, but Calliope knew there would be more questions.

"So you're telling me that even though my ancestors travelled through time and passed the gift along, somehow, I'm not supposed to have it. Does that mean it should have gone to my brother? Because all of the travellers before me were female," Bess explained feeling slightly confused still.

"I'm not sure Bess. All I can tell you is the feeling I get from you. For now though, it's almost midnight and I need to get home to my husband. I will drop you off at your house. I know that it's a lot to take in but I can help you Bess," Calliope told her. "I am interested in your situation. It's quite unique to me."

Rinsing the cups and the teapot, she left them on the sink to drain. Turning off the light, they left the building together and Calliope locked the shop up behind her.

"I wish there was more I could tell you. I have some diaries though. One was written by my great aunt and I've started my own. I thought it might help future travellers to fill in the blanks. I want to know the reason I received the gift, but now I'm puzzled. If I'm not supposed to have it then why did all of this happen to me?"

"That is something we can work on together. I am opening the shop this Saturday, but only until midday. If you like, I can pick you up on the way back to our farm and we can spend the afternoon together. You can bring your diaries and anything else you think might help. It could shed some light on the matter," Calliope said.

"Okay," Bess agreed.

It was strange for Calliope. Through all the trials she had faced, this one made her feel like no other. An uneasy feeling hung about that night, but as soon as Bess left the car, relief entered and accompanied the gypsy home. As she pulled up at the farmhouse she wondered if she had done the right thing. Perhaps she should have kept her feelings to herself, but the signs couldn't be ignored and everything indicated that Bess Hooper was the bearer of something which, by birthright, belonged to someone else.

Chapter Four

Saturday was normally a lazy day and when it rolled around, Bess was scared. So far she had kept a close guard on her secret. Today she would confide in someone she hardly knew. It wasn't just hers to share, but her ancestors' as well and although there seemed to be some confusion about her having it, for some reason the ability to travel through time had landed right in her lap. The last thing Bess wanted to do was drag her family name, and those of her predecessors, through the mud. Although the gift had been revealed to Calliope, Bess wasn't sure if she should tell her any more than she already had.

Checking the weather on her phone, she pulled on a pair of blue skinny jeans and a pink t-shirt. As Bess stood before the mirror, it was obvious she had lost weight. The jeans were a bit loose now and although ordinarily teenage girls were pleased with the thought of being a bit slimmer, Bess was concerned. She wondered if it was the constant worry over her friend taking effect. Grabbing her rucksack, she put the tarot deck, the family tree chart and the rest of the collection inside. Thinking for a moment, she wondered about the fob watch. Nobody else had seen it. Bess had kept it cloaked and even her gran didn't know about it. Perhaps it would be best just to take what she had with her and leave that for another time. But at the last moment she grabbed the strange time piece and put it into the bag with the rest of the stuff. The more information available, the easier it would be. Pulling on her shoes, an escape plan was prepared. Downstairs Bess took down her jacket which was hanging on a hook near the front door. She hadn't told her mother where she was going and she didn't really want to.

"I'm going out Mum," she called. "I have some studying to do with friends."

That was it, the extent of the explanation. It wasn't exactly a lie, but not really the truth either. She pulled the front door closed behind her feeling just a little guilty, but anxious to get some answers. Bess had asked Calliope to pick her up from the end of the street. There were fewer houses and try as she might, it was almost impossible to think of a plausible reason for hanging out with a psychic or whatever she was. It suddenly dawned on Bess that she didn't really know much about Calliope and probably should have asked a few questions. But what did it matter anyway? All she knew was she needed help at the moment and there was no other place to turn.

Calliope was there waiting at the end of the street for her. Bess climbed into the car and buckled the seat belt. "Thank you for helping me."

"It's my pleasure. We can have some lunch and then I will look into your problem." Smiling, she pulled out from the curb and headed towards the edge of the village.

"You didn't tell me what your gift was," Bess said. "I mean, you must have one because you picked up on mine and Holland's. Are you some sort of psychic?"

"Not really," she hesitated. "Mine is gypsy magic. I owe all of my ability to my family and their practices. It's a blessing."

"Oh, my friend Grace was a gypsy. She's the one who gave me the cards," Bess explained.

The drive out of the village towards the farm that Calliope shared with her husband was refreshing. Bess took in the scenery. The fields, the trees, the animals grazing and the stone wall that ran along the side of the road. Suddenly something pulled at her and she felt the urge to get out of the car. "Stop," Bess cried, overwhelmed by the way she felt.

Calliope pulled over into a driveway that led off the road to a farm. "What's wrong?"

Climbing out, Bess ran back along the road. There was something that had caught her eye. Stopping by a crack that zigzagged through the stonework, she looked down at it. The spot had almost called out to her and she wondered why. Touching the wall, it was cool and rough. The stone had been worn away in places from the battering weather and the crack looked as though it had been there for some time. The edges weren't sharp as if it had just happened. There was something about this particular area that had made her get out of the car and the crack in the wall was the first thing Bess noticed. Behind her, a cracking noise came from across the road as if there was someone walking on brittle twigs. Turning, she looked in the direction the sound came from, but there was nothing out of the ordinary, just a bunch of trees beside the road.

"Is there a problem?" Calliope asked as she approached Bess.

"I'm not sure, all I know is I felt as though I was meant to come here for some reason." Looking at the wall, there was nothing else out of the ordinary and the feeling that pulled her from the car had evaporated with her words. "Maybe it was nothing. Sorry if I frightened you."

"It's alright," Calliope said smiling. She felt nothing out of the ordinary and wondered if Bess was just a little panicky about sharing her secret.

They returned to the car and continued with the short journey to the farmhouse. Feeling foolish for acting in such a rash manner, Bess stayed silent. As they turned off the road, a peaceful sensation overcame her as they travelled the dirt track which led to the cottage. An orchard of assorted fruit trees were blossoming in a field by the quaint farmhouse and in the distance she could see horses grazing. The grass nearer to the homestead was well manicured and there were flower beds someone had diligently worked. The colours of spring greeted her as she opened the car door and instantly Bess forgot about the crack in the wall. Taking it all in she imagined how it would be to live on the property away from the village in the peaceful setting.

By the front door of the cottage, a black and white cat lazed in the sun. Bess could smell something delicious cooking and she hoped it was the lunch they were going to eat. She had been so keen to get out here, breakfast had just been a slice of buttered toast along with a few cups of tea. Now, her mouth watered and a growling sounded from the pit of her stomach. Somewhere, a chainsaw whirred away and Bess figured it must be Calliope's husband. In the distance she could see a man working. Slicing through the fallen tree like a knife through cake, the chainsaw separated each wooden disc which resembled giant biscuits coming out of the end of a packet.

"That's my husband Llewellyn," Calliope told her. "He will come in for lunch so you will have the chance to meet him."

Following her inside, Bess looked around. The layout was similar to Kissing Gate cottage. It was all sort of open with no defined living areas. Once again she saw the same type of gypsy furnishings she had seen in the little room at the shop. The inside was as colourful as the outside. It was almost as if Calliope had tried to create the illusion of being in a garden with the floral fabrics she had used. Fringed throws had been placed strategically to look as though they had been left in a haphazard, hurried way. In the corner a round wicker table displayed pile of books which looked almost like a spiral staircase. Although the small cottage was cluttered, there appeared to be a place for everything.

Photos on the walls showed the heritage of the couple. Bess stopped to take a closer look at the family members. There were some resemblances, but she couldn't really workout who belonged with either family. The people were all very similar to look at, dark hair, dark eyes and the same type of clothing.

Bess wondered if Calliope had some sort of talisman like Grace and Maisy. She remembered the search for the triskele and smiled. It was like it happened yesterday, but it was almost a year ago now. A lot had happened since then.

"Would you like some tea?"

Turning, Bess nodded. "I was just looking at the photographs of your family. My friend Grace who did the reading for me had a triskele pendant which helped her family members with their gift. Do you have anything like that?"

"No, our family never relied on charms. I always wished that we did though. I met so many of our kind on the road who had pendants or just signs on the side of their caravans. It's very interesting," Calliope said as she made the tea. "Our specialty was a psychic connection."

"So you can read minds?"

"Not minds, people. It's difficult to explain, but I get certain feelings. They're good or bad, sometimes a bit of both."

Bess sat down at the table. She traced the pink roses on the tablecloth with her index finger and waited patiently. Slightly disturbed that she was about to share her entire family heritage with a woman she had only met a few times, Bess tried to relax and not think about it. A feeling of betrayal arrived and made itself at home within. It had come down to this, telling the family secret to not just one person, but a whole string of them and she couldn't see an end to it. Unless Calliope came up with some answers, she might have to tell someone else to get the answers, or just forget about it and ignore the signs completely.

"I know that you are tormented by your thoughts at the moment," Calliope said quietly as she sat at the table. "The answers that you seek cannot come from anyone else, they are inside you already. I can help you find them. I will cut some bread and we will have some goulash. Llewellyn will come in from the meadow soon. After we eat together, he will return to his work outside. There is a lot to do on a farm, even a small one like this."

It wasn't long before the three of them were sitting enjoying lunch together. Llewellyn was very charismatic and Bess understood in an instant why Calliope had fallen in love with him. His dark curly hair and deep brown eyes were complimented by his smile. There was a connection between the two of them, like an invisible thread that ran from one heart to the other. A thread that was so difficult to break it would withstand the pressures of the years and remain intact until the very end. She watched them together. The couple smiled and finished each other's sentences as they told Bess the stories of their past and how they met. The places they had been and the people they had met along the way, and the past loves that had never really amounted to anything, were all so insignificant now they had each other. They believed it was all a pathway to their love and everybody has that pathway, all they have to do is follow it until the destination feels right. With emphasis on the chatter, the meal was over before Bess knew it and once again she was alone with Calliope and her thoughts.

"You have some things to show me," Calliope said as she placed a fresh pot of tea on the table after clearing away the dishes.

Bess nodded and watched as her host poured a little milk from a jug into the teacup and topped it up with the clear, brown, steaming, liquid. It was comforting. There was something about tea that made Bess feel as though anything she faced could be conquered. It was like a miracle elixir that gave her superpowers, at least, that's how she felt. Bess decided it was best to tell Calliope everything that had happened since the onset in a more detailed way. So, from the very first moment when she got the strange feeling at the ruined schoolhouse, she held nothing back. Bess relayed how she had worked with Tom on the mystery of the cornerstone and the steps they had taken to solve it. She showed her the family tree and Beth Hartely's diaries along with the booklet with the names of the girls who were sold and those who went missing. Next, she recalled the few weeks she had spent in Smackleton with her family and how she had stumbled across the cottage in the woods. With on a smile, she told Calliope about her first kiss in the woods with Patrick and how they searched for the triskele, but her eyes glistened with tears when she told of his unfortunate death. Bess put the photos that were taken in the cottage and the tarot deck she had been rewarded with on the table and instantly Calliope took the cards in her hands. Continuing with her story, Bess explained how she had received the vision of the crying boy and told of her visit to Stone Arches and how she had tricked her friend Eloise and Jack into solving the mystery of the disappearance of Sebastian Wescott. Removing the purple hair ribbons from the bag she put them on the table revealing how she had time travelled in a dream where she had been given the ribbons by Stanley Vardy and somehow they had still been in her hands when she woke up. Bess took the travel journals that had once belonged to Lois and placed them alongside the small collection that was growing. She told Calliope about her Nan and how she had remembered the beginning of the clocktower story. Taking a sip of her tea, she went on to explain the Christmas she had spent with her cousin and how, with Clancy's help, she had solved the mystery of the girl in the box room who had been poisoned for her poetry. But more importantly, there had been the visits with her aunt Lois and the gift of the fob watch which seemed to be broken. Finishing with her friendship with Holland and the visit to her future self, Bess sat quietly and looked at the small pile in front of them. The crowning glory of course was the silver trinket that was an enigma in itself.

Calliope put down the tarot cards and picked up the fob watch. Puzzled by the time piece she turned it over in her hands and pressed the button which opened the casing. Closing it again, she ran her fingers over the shiny ornamental exterior. Closing her eyes, she held it tightly in her hands and tried to read it.

"Can you help me?" Bess asked after a moment.

"I will do my best, but I'm not getting anything from this watch. It's almost as if it has sealed itself off," Calliope placed it carefully on the table with the rest of the collection and pushed a few stands of her hair away from her face. "I have something that might help us. It was my grandmother's."

Bess waited patiently as Calliope left the room and shortly returned with an object covered with a purple paisley cloth. From its shape it looked like some sort of ball. Removing the cover, she gently placed the spherical crystal on its stand. To Bess it was nothing special, but she had faith in gypsy customs.

"I will try to see something in the crystal. It doesn't always work, but sometimes there's a glimpse that will help at the time. I know you are anxiously searching for the answers from the past, but I need you to clear your mind. I will have a better chance if you are relaxed and with freedom of the mind, the answers are revealed quicker. Can you do that?"

Bess nodded. She closed her eyes and relaxed. Trying not to think of anything in particular, she opened them again and looked directly at Calliope. Focusing on the person before her was the only way she could escape her own questions. She watched as the gypsy breathed deeply and gazed into the crystal ball. It felt as though eternity slipped by in that short space of time and Calliope looked up from the ball and right at Bess.

"Did you see anything?"

Nodding, she picked up the cloth and coved the crystal. "I saw your friend. The one you were with the first time you came to the shop. She purchased a small glass case."

"Eloise, she's missing. Do you know where she is?"

"That was not revealed. But I have faith that she will return safely."

"I don't know why you would see her when we're trying to find the answers to my past," Bess said.

"Sometimes, it's our inner most feelings the crystal picks up on. You are close to this girl and in your subconscious, you're searching for her too. It might be that at this moment your friend is more important to you than you thought," Calliope explained. Removing the crystal ball and its stand from the table, she placed it uncovered by an open window and lit some incense. The smoke seemed to surround the crystal and then disappear outside. "That is how I cleanse it."

"Oh, that makes sense."

"Now Bess, about your problems. I know that you are searching for answers, but sometimes the answers we seek are nowhere else but within us. You are very intuitive and nothing good comes from being rushed. You are frustrated by the disappearance of your friend and the visit to yourself. There has also been a recent loss in your life that has also led you to think that things are continuously going bad for you, but they are not. In every negative, no matter how horrible it seems at the time, there is a positive. For you, the positive will emerge and rise to the surface when you least expect it," Calliope explained. She picked up the tarot cards from the table and removed them from the box. "My mother had cards like these. She was very experienced and could tell you all sorts of things about your future and past." Shuffling the cards, she placed them facedown. "Go ahead, cut them."

Bess reached out and cut the cards. Taking them again, Calliope began to lay them out on the table. Not just three cards, but twenty one. Three lines of seven cards lay before them.

"This is the Romany way," Calliope explained. "The top line is the past, the centre the present and the bottom represents the future."

Bess stared at the spread. Even if she listened to Calliope carefully, she wouldn't be able to remember everything.

"Would you like to write anything?"

"Yes please," Bess answered.

Providing a pen and paper, Calliope commenced with the reading. The first row of three cards on the left were the self-cards. As the reading progressed, Bess realised that it wasn't really much different from the three card spread that Grace had used and the outcome wasn't really much different. But she took notes so she could practice on herself when she got home. By the end of the reading, Bess felt as though her life had been mapped out from birth to death and she looked at what she had written on the paper.

"I get a good feeling from your cards," Calliope said smiling.

"The other day when I came to your shop, you told me that there was something wrong. You said something about me inheriting the ability to time travel by mistake. Can you tell me any more about that?"

"I don't know why I said that. I'm not quite sure what it is that I'm feeling when I'm with you Bess. For some reason there is some sort of negative energy which leads me to believe that you are not the intended recipient."

"This is our family tree and I have met one of the other time travellers. Her name was Lois and she was my nan's sister. There was another, Lottie Carmichael, she is further back on the tree. But both of them are the eldest girls in the family. If I am not supposed to have the gift, then can you help me work out who should, because I don't know," Bess said as she rolled out the chart. "There was another who appeared to Holland, a woman by the name of Alice Brown, but I don't know anything about her and I'm not sure why she wouldn't come to me."

"You say that she visited another friend. Does your friend have any type of gift?"

"Yes, she's the girl who bought the candles from your store. The traveller, Alice, she told Holland a story about a clocktower and that's the story I'm interested in. It's the story of how this time travel thing started," Bess explained.

Calliope looked at the names on the family tree chart. Starting with Bess, she traced them back with her finger and noticed that they were the eldest girls in their respective families. But nowhere did she see the name Alice Brown and she wondered what it all meant. Surely if the stories were the same, all the women would come from the same line. It was peculiar.

"In the story, there was an evil assistant or someone who was trying to steal the gift. Do you think Alice Brown is that person?"

Calliope looked up from the page. "Perhaps, but I don't know why she would present herself to someone that you didn't know. How is it you met the witch?"

"Holland is the cousin of my best friend Eloise. She came to stay with them for a term," Bess explained. "Because we both have abilities that are a little different, she could see things that weren't visible to others and that's how our friendship formed. We both saw a man who had died in the past. Holland picked up straight away that I had seen him and she told me. None of the others knew though. I don't like to tell people about this stuff."

"I understand. So it was only by chance that you met," Calliope said. "But usually, if things are meant to be then they will be. Let me make a fresh pot of tea. There is also some cake, would you like some?"

"Yes please," Bess nodded.

"I know that I have not revealed very much today, but it is a start. Perhaps there is more to your past than you realise."

Bess nodded again. Although the advice didn't help, it seemed familiar somehow, like she had heard the words before. It didn't feel as though they were getting anywhere and this was taking over her life. So far this term she had been late with two assignments and her homework had been rushed. School wasn't the same without Eloise and she was worried sick about her. Plus there was the news about her friend Grace dying. Bess wondered what else would go wrong. She felt as though there was something really bad on the horizon and although she didn't like it, she was ready to face it.

Chapter Five

Stretched above her, the white ceiling took her focus. As Bess lay on her bed, she stared straight up trying to relax thinking of the afternoon she had spent. On her desk by the window was the pile of schoolwork she needed to complete by the end of the term. It nagged silently, begging without sound to be finished, but she had too much on her mind to worry about that now. There were more important things than school at the moment. It was time to get some help from the one person she knew she could always rely on. Getting up, she left her room and walked along the hallway to the door at the end. Knocking quietly, a voice called out for her to enter.

"What's up?"

"Tom, I need your help." Bess said on entering. She wanted to sit down but his room was a mess. There was so much clothing strewn about the place it wasn't clear what was clean and what was dirty. Plus there was a funny smell in the air.

Pushing a few things onto the floor, Tom made a space on the end of the bed and she sat down perched right on the very edge.

Bess told Tom everything. Right from the beginning, which he already knew about, to the afternoon she had spent with Calliope, all of the secrets she had kept hidden away over the past year were revealed to her brother who sat and listened to his sister without interrupting her. When she finished speaking she waited for him to say something.

"So you're saying all of these things have happened to you in since we solve the cornerstone crime and you're only just telling me this now. I get you wanted to keep it a secret, but I helped you with the first mystery Bess," he said. Slightly angry she hadn't confided him before today, he contemplated throwing her out of his room. But blood is thicker and she was his sister after all. For a moment, Tom wondered what he would have done in the same situation.

"I know Tom. I tried to include you at Kissing Gate Woods, but when we got to the cottage it was a wreck, remember? The other times, well I'm sorry about those, but you weren't with us at Stone Arches anyway," she reminded him. "I suppose I could have filled you in, but I wasn't sure if you were interested. I'm here now though and I need your help."

Waiting for an answer, she could see he was torn. There was definitely some interest though because of the first mystery. Tom had been excited about that one. As she looked around the room at the football trophies and sporting medals he had won, and the bits and pieces strewn over his desk, Bess realised she didn't know her brother. He was growing up and there was a divide that widened with every second that passed.

"Okay, I'll help you," he agreed. "But not tonight. I have some homework that has to be finished by Monday and a football game tomorrow."

"Okay, I have homework too. I've been putting it off," she admitted.

"Just a heads up, I heard Mum and Dad talking about the marks you've been getting and they were saying it might be better for you to repeat the year. So if you don't want to do that, you should do your homework."

Shock and dread filled her mind and she left Tom's room without further conversation. Repeating the year was out of the question. Bess closed her bedroom door and sat at her desk. It was time to put everything else out of her head and make a conscious effort to catch up on the neglected schoolwork.

The window was open just a crack and the evening breeze that drifted in was exhilarating. Waking her up, the cool night air spurred Bess on and she powered through her maths and started on a history project which was partially finished. By the time the work was completed, it was almost midnight. She felt as though she had turned a corner and was back on track, well, closer. Now Tom was going to help her with her mystery, comfort entered her life once more.

Changing into her nightclothes, Bess climbed into bed and although she had worked for hours, she wasn't tired yet. Picking up a book from her nightstand, she opened to the marked page and began to read. Engrossed in the words of the author, at first she didn't notice it, but as she continued, something interrupted her peace. At first, Bess though it was the breeze outside, but there was a distinct voice that now crept through the night into her room. Was she imagining things? No, there it was again. Someone was whispering her name.

Chapter Six

Replacing the bookmark, Bess left the book on her bed and went to the window. From the upstairs room she was in, the yard below looked small, as if she was looking into a box. There was nobody to be seen and the voice had momentarily stopped, but she had definitely heard it. Someone, somewhere, had whispered her name and it had floated on the breeze into her room. Sitting for a moment, she didn't know what to do. There was no point going out into the night, it could be coming from anywhere.

Bess.

There it was again, but a little more distinct. The past had taught her valuable lessons. When something like this happened, it was the beginnings of a mystery and it shouldn't be avoided. Dressing quickly, Bess opened the door of her room a crack and peeped out into the hall. The house was in darkness. It looked as though her parents had gone to bed without her realising. Closing the bedroom door behind her, silently, she crept downstairs and took her coat quietly from the hook where it always hung. Stepping out into the night, she pulled the door closed softly. Bess zipped up her coat. It would be summer soon, but the nights were still chilly and she shivered.

An inky cloudless sky stretched above her. Scatterings of pin-prick lights winked at her and the only sound was the breeze that moved the leaves making a slight rustling. Breathing deeply, the scent of the night air reached her, clean, fresh and invigorating. Bess didn't know where she was going, but she felt drawn towards the road that led out of the village towards the farm she had visited earlier in the day.

Bess.

Again, the whisper reached her and Bess knew she was going the right way. Moving along quickly the sound of a car reached her and she slipped into a wooded area by the road. From where she hid, Bess saw the driver of the car. Dylan Mason, the reason her best friend was missing. She vaguely wondered where he was off to at this time of the night. Once the road was again clear, Bess resumed her journey. Beneath her feet, the uneven ground was dotted with stones which made a crunching noise when she walked over them and pushed them into the soil. Outside of the village, there was less light and she relied on the heavens to show her the way. Bess had no idea where the whisper would lead her or who it belonged to. Wondering if she should turn back, she heard it again.

Bess

Stopping, directly across the road was the stone wall with the crack that ran through it, the very same place where Bess had instructed Calliope to stop the car today. There was something about this spot. Carefully she approached the wall where she had stood earlier. For some reason she was drawn here by, not just by her instincts, but now a whisper. Touching the wall, she tried to get some sort of vision, but they never came by force. They came to her when they wanted her to know something and at no other time. Looking around once more, she couldn't see anything or anyone. It was strange, even for Bess. Taking out her phone, she turned on the torch and shone it around. Something wedged in the crack of the wall caught her eye, something shiny. Trying to force her fingers into the small crevice was useless. Whatever it was couldn't be reached. She needed a screwdriver or something long and thin so she could get it out. Turning off the torch, Bess pocketed the phone and headed back towards her house. The place was still in darkness and she slipped her key into the lock of the front door. Trying not to make any noise, Bess hung up her coat on the hook. She was even more wide awake than she had been before. Slipping off her shoes, she headed for the kitchen and filled the kettle. Maybe if she made herself a hot drink, it might just do the trick.

"Bess, what are you doing up?"

Spinning around, she came face to face with her mother. "I was finishing off my homework and I couldn't sleep so I'm having a cup of tea. Would you like one?"

"No thank you."

"Did I disturb you?"

"No, I just thought I heard the front door open," her mother said looking slightly suspicious. "You haven't been out have you?"

"Where would I go? My best friend is missing and I don't really want to hang out with the others. Mia is the last person who spoke to Eloise and it wasn't a very nice conversation," Bess informed her. "I just wish I knew where she was." Taking the focus off herself, she hoped that her mother would forget about the front door.

"I'm sure she's alright. You should just concentrate on you Bess. You're not doing too well at school at the moment and the other night you were out until midnight with no explanation," her mother reminded. "We're just concerned."

"I'm sorry Mum. I know I haven't been myself lately, but I'm hoping after all the work I completed this evening, things will change," Bess told her smiling. "As for the other night, I went to see a psychic to see if I could find Eloise." There is was and she waited for her mother's response.

"A psychic. Was there any news?"

"No," Bess answered truthfully. "But she did have a good feeling about Eloise returning. I just hope she's right."

"Okay, I suppose that's something. Don't forget to turn out the lights when you come upstairs."

Sipping at the hot tea, Bess watched her mother check the front door and head upstairs. Of course, it was locked. Breathing a sigh of relief, she was surprised at her mum's reaction, but it wasn't a lie, Calliope might not be a psychic, but she had insight. Bess flicked off the light and went up to her room. Setting the cup down, she changed and climbed into bed. The book lay waiting for her and she continued to read without interruption.

Chapter Seven

"Bess, Bess."

At first she thought she was dreaming and then she thought the whisper was back. Opening her eyes, her mother stood before her.

"Bess, it's almost eleven o'clock. You have a visitor," she said gently.

"Huh," Bess rubbed her eyes and then remembered why she was struggling to wake up.

"Come on, get yourself dressed and come downstairs."

Bess wondered who it was. Maybe Eloise had returned. On the nightstand by her bed, the forgotten cup of tea was stone cold and the neglected book had fallen to the floor. Quickly she threw back the covers and sat up. Grabbing the clothes from the night before, she dressed and ran her fingers through her hair. Dark circles beneath her eyes were tell-tale that she had been up most of the night reading. Forgetting about the way she looked, Bess headed downstairs. As she entered the kitchen, she could have cried with joy.

"Bess," Holland said as she stood up. She opened her arms and wrapped them around her friend. "I'm staying with my aunt and uncle for a while. My mum is here too, you know, for support."

"Holland," Bess choked back the tears. "It's awful without Eloise. I just wish she would come back. Or at least contact me."

Sitting at the table, Bess poured herself a hot drink from a pot of tea her mother had brewed for them.

"We're going to football, so you girls will have a bit of privacy for your catch up."

"Thanks Mum," Bess said as she dunked a biscuit in her tea. It wasn't the healthiest breakfast but comforting all the same and just what she needed to help wake her up.

"Bess, you look terrible." The first thing Holland had noticed about her was the dark circles under her friend's eyes and the tangle hair which looked as though it could do with a good wash. "You're usually nicely put together, but you just don't look like you."

"Thanks for your honestly. I'm not doing quite as well at anything really. This whole Eloise thing and of course my family history has gotten to me. But you're here now. I don't suppose you've heard from her."

"No," Holland mumbled with a mouth full of biscuit. "Everybody's worried sick. She hasn't even touched her bank account and that's really disturbing."

"Are you going to school here?"

"I wish, I'm back at my old school and I have a mountain of work to get through while I'm here and I even have to facetime teachers. But it could be worse. So how are things with your search. Have you made any progress?"

"Not really, but apparently I'm not supposed to have this time travel gift. According to Calliope, the lady at that shop Spells and the Mystic, I received it by mistake. She's not sure how that works, but yesterday the strangest thing happened. She picked me up and I went out to her place with her. Calliope lives with her husband on a farm just outside the village. Anyway, on the way I got this weird feeling and I had to ask her to stop the car. I got out and walked along the road to where I felt it the most and there was a crack in the stone wall. We couldn't see anything unusual, so we continued on to her farm. Then, last night I was in my room making a conscious effort to catch up on my schoolwork and I heard a voice. At first I didn't realise because of the night breeze, but it happened again."

"What are you talking about, what voice?"

"A whisper and all it said was Bess. So I got dressed and snuck out. I didn't know where I was going so I headed out of the village and my instinct took me to the crack in the stone wall again. I couldn't really see anything in the dark so I used the torch on my phone. There was something shiny in amongst the stone there. I couldn't get it out, so I came home." Bess finished her story and took another biscuit from the packet. Pouring herself and Holland another cup of tea from the pot, she dunked her biscuit and took a bite.

"That's really odd," Holland said thinking for a moment. "So are you going back?"

"I have to. When stuff like this happens, I know it's the beginning of something mysterious. The thing I can't understand is this. If the time travel gift isn't mine, why do I get all of the signals and clues? That's the difficult part. I don't know what to do. If I don't go back to the wall I'll be wondering about that shiny thing stuck in there, but I feel like a fraud investigating these incidents. I confided in Tom yesterday, he knows you're a witch by the way. He won't tell though. He's going to help me and he sort of set me back on track. Apparently he heard Mum and Dad talking about me repeating this year at school, so I finished the outstanding work and caught up on some other stuff. But aside from that, what do you think I should do about the wall?"

"Are you kidding? Let's go. Brush your hair and put your shoes on," Holland insisted. "And maybe some concealer for those dark circles. Actually, forget that, there's not enough time."

Bess didn't need to be told twice. She rushed upstairs and brushed her hair. Checking the mirror once more, she groaned, but there was plenty of time for vanity later. Pulling on her trainers, it felt as though she had a new beginning. Holland had arrived just in time to make a difference. Running back down the stairs she went into the kitchen and finished her tea. Grabbing her house keys, Bess led the way locking the front door behind them.

Summer was almost on the doorstep and the air was beginning to warm. A bird twittering was joined in song by a wood pigeon and although the duet was strange, it brought with it a positive feeling. There was nobody about, just the way it had been in the night, but the sunlight took away any mystery and it felt like a stroll in the countryside instead of an investigation.

"I don't remember coming out this way the last time I was here," Holland said. Looking around as they walked, she took in the fields with their inhabitants and breathed the deep aroma of sun-baked grass. She recalled the vanishing lake and the secret her cousin had been keeping at the time. Now, Holland almost wished she had told her aunt and uncle about Eloise sneaking about in the middle of the night.

"No, you didn't. We spent most of our time at Mia's or out behind their back garden. It wasn't really that long ago either. How are things at home now?" Bess asked. She had been so engrossed in her own problems that she had forgotten Holland had struggles of her own.

"Better than they were. I think my mum has come to terms with me doing my own thing. There's nothing anybody can do to make you change your life unless you agree. I don't want to be somebody I'm not and she understands now. I just keep my visions and stuff to myself," Holland explained.

"Good idea. I don't know how my mum would react if I told her what I'd been through over the past year. It was hard enough telling Tom about it. As for Eloise, I wish I had now. I just have this terrible feeling I'm never going to see her again."

They walked on in silence both thinking about their lives without Eloise. Outspoken and wilful, so many people had disliked her, but both Bess and Holland knew she had just been misunderstood. If everybody knew Eloise as they did, things wouldn't be the way they are now. She wouldn't be missing at all. Mia might have felt differently about the relationship between Dylan and Eloise and the fight would never have started. Bess wished she could go back to that moment in the school canteen. If only she knew how to the get the watch to work, she might be able to.

"Is that it?" Holland asked pointing across the road.

"Yes." So preoccupied with what she was thinking, Bess hadn't even noticed they were approaching the crack in the wall.

Crossing the road, they both peered into the fissure that ran from the top of the wall to the base. The shiny object was lodged right in the middle of the stones about three inches from the exterior. Trying to reach it was impossible, the crack was too narrow.

"Let's get a stick or something," Holland suggested.

Snapping a twig from a nearby tree, the girls tried unsuccessfully. The item, whatever it was, was lodged in too tightly and the twigs were too weak to pry it loose.

"We need a screwdriver or something like that. I should have remembered," Bess said, angry with herself for forgetting.

"What do you think it is?" Holland asked using the torch on her phone to get a better look.

"I'm not sure. It looked like some sort of chain or something like that. Anyway, we'll have to come back again. That's if you want to of course."

"Are you kidding, I'm not missing out on a Bess Hooper mystery. The last one was really interesting and if I'm here with you now, then I suppose I've turned up just in the nick of time and I need to see it through."

Bess smiled. "Tom will help us too. Come on, standing on the side of the road isn't going to achieve anything."

As the afternoon wore on, the sun became hotter. Taking off her jumper, Bess tied it around her waist. Swishing her hand lazily at an insect that seemed to have attached itself to her intermittently, she wished school was at an end for the year. Once the term had finished and the summer holidays were here, she would be able to focus on finding out more about her past and maybe even finding Eloise. Home before they knew it, Bess turned the key in the lock and ushered Holland into the house.

"When do you want to go back?"

"I don't know. Usually when these things happen, I'm more interested. At the moment I just feel as though I'm stuck in a quagmire and I'm sinking. It's almost as if the more I try, the harder it is to get out."

"Quagmire?"

"Yes," Bess laughed. "That's my word for the day, quagmire."

"I suppose I'd better go, I've stayed longer than I told my mum I would, but message me if you want to go back to the wall and get that thing out, whatever it is," Holland urged. "If I hear anything about Eloise, I'll let you know straight away."

"Okay. Thanks for coming to see me Holland. You don't know how much this means to me."

"I have an idea and you're welcome."

Alone, she felt even more lost. Opening a window, the warm air entered the room and the atmosphere felt close as if it was trying to smother her. Bess sat on the sofa and stared at nothing. The fibres in the carpet intertwined producing a tight grey weave. Each fragment of the blunt pile looped into the backing creating the tufted floor covering that for now, was the focus of her gaze. Searching, she always seemed to be searching for something. Looking amongst the fibre of the grey carpet wasn't going to help. Absently she wondered what time her family would be home from the football match and she yawned. Fatigue from the little sleep she managed throughout the night suddenly hit her. Lying down on the sofa, Bess closed her eyes knowing if she went to sleep now, she wouldn't be able to sleep later. But she dozed off anyway.

Chapter Eight

A plate of warm greasy food sat before her on the grey formica table-top. Although Bess would normally had devoured it, she just didn't feel hungry. For the first time in weeks, she was sitting in the canteen instead of being kept back and questioned about work she hadn't finished. Saturday night had paid off and although she didn't envisage spending all of her weekends working on school projects, at least for now, she had caught up and lunchtime was once again hers.

"Can I sit with you?"

Looking up, Mia Mason stood before her holding a lunch tray. Mia, the sister of the boy Eloise had fallen for. Mia, the girl who had openly attacked her best friend in a canteen filled with students. Mia, the girl who was now standing before her with a request she didn't care to grant. Bess looked at her blankly not daring to say what was on her mind. Mia sat down without waiting for a response.

"I just wanted to say I'm sorry Bess. I didn't mean to chase Eloise away and I want to help you find her."

Ignoring her, Bess picked up a ketchup covered chip and ate it slowly. If Mia thought an apology and offering to help could make up for the painful weeks that had passed, she was mistaken.

"Listen, I know you're angry with me, but I was angry with her. After talking to my brother about the situation, well, I've realised it was none of my business and I shouldn't have confronted her the way I did. Dylan hasn't heard from her either and although she wasn't my favourite person in the world, we were friends. So whether you like it or not, I'm not going away until you talk to me," Mia explained.

Olivia joined them at the table and together with Mia sat looking at Bess who was very close to tears.

"I don't think I can talk about it right now," Bess whispered doing her best to stay in control of her emotions.

"Okay, how about you listen to us while we talk about it," Olivia suggested.

Nodding, Bess continued eating. Around them the buzz of conversations went on and trying not to look at the girls sitting at the table with her, she did her best to block the resentment she felt towards them both.

"Somebody said Holland is back in the village," Olivia said ignoring the tension.

Bess just nodded.

"Did she say anything at all that might help?" Mia asked. "It seems odd that nobody has heard from Eloise and Dylan's really worried too. She hasn't contacted him either."

Bess shook her head. "She hasn't even used her bank account." Not looking up at them, she carried on with her lunch.

"I just don't understand this. Eloise isn't the type of girl to camp out in the woods somewhere. She has to be somewhere and somebody must be helping her or else how could she survive on nothing?"

Bess stared at Olivia, what she said made perfect sense. "Where is she then?"

"I don't know, but if we work together, we might just be able to figure it out. Come on Bess, I hate seeing you so miserable," Olivia said. "You're our friend too."

It was touching, and feeling slightly less resentful towards them, she forced a smile. Having someone to help her get though the lonely lunchtimes would be much better than sitting on her own thinking about her missing friend. Bess knew she would have to keep the search for Eloise separate from the delve into her past. She couldn't bear to have Olivia and Mia know her secret.

"Bess," Mia interrupted her thoughts.

"Okay. I appreciate it, but I don't think there's anything we can do. I have no idea where she would be," Bess told them both. "I keep thinking that she has to be staying with someone, but who and where? Eloise told me everything. I even knew about the thing with Dylan. But if he doesn't know where she is and her bank account hasn't been touched, then where is she?"

"Well, we have an idea, but it's a long shot," Olivia said. "Remember when you went away with Eloise to her cousin's place? When you came back you told us about a mystery you had solved together. There was something about some abandoned cottages on her cousin's property. Like I said, it's a long shot, but she might just be hiding there and he could be helping her without anybody knowing."

"Jack? But surely he would have told someone," Bess said, suddenly a little more interested. "I guess I could call and ask him, but if he is hiding her he's not going to tell us. He would never betray Eloise in that way."

"So, maybe we should just go and visit him. Or bypass him and go straight to the cottages," Mia suggested. "Dylan will drive there and we can hike in from the back of the property and check it out without anybody even knowing. We've mapped it out and everything."

Bess shrugged. "When?"

"This weekend," Mia said. "Holland can come too. Between now and then we can work out the finer details."

Feeling slightly better about things, the afternoon didn't seem to drag as much as it normally would. The idea they had come up with was a good one and she was thankful Olivia and Mia had approached her. She would message Holland after school. There was still the matter of the silver thing in the crack in the wall, but that had nothing to do with the other girls and she didn't want to include them in anything out of the ordinary.

When Bess arrived home that afternoon she found Holland waiting for her. Changing out of her uniform they went off with a screwdriver Holland had taken from her uncle's toolbox. On the way to the wall, Bess filled her in about the plan Olivia and Mia had come up with.

"That sounds okay, I just don't think Eloise would be in a place that was so obvious. Wouldn't they have looked there already?"

"The thing is, there's a tunnel in the rock up there. We found it last year when we were visiting Jack. Eloise could have hidden in there when they were looking in the cottages. To be honest Jack might not even be helping her. She might be staying there and sneaking into the house at night to get food and stuff. Their home is massive and it would be easy to go in and have a wash and a bite to eat without anybody knowing," Bess explained. "I know it sounds a little out of sorts for Eloise, but she's a smart girl and she would have some sort of plan. Look, here we are."

They stopped at the crack in the wall. Whatever was lodged in between the stones was still in there. Using the screwdriver, Holland began to pry it loose. Finally, hooking it on the end of the tool, she manged to drag it from its resting place. Taking it in her hand she brushed away the dirt.

"I've seen that before," Bess said.

"So have I, I have an identical one at home," Holland said.

They looked at each other knowing they were holding a bracelet which belonged to Eloise Wescott.

Chapter Nine

Reeling from the discovery, they returned to Bess's home both deep in thoughts. What did it mean? Upstairs in the privacy of her bedroom the girls looked carefully at the bracelet. A silver heart with a tiny blue stone in the centre hung from the delicate chain which was still intact. However the bracelet got there, it didn't fall off by accident.

"On Saturday night I was getting into bed and I heard a voice whisper my name. I ended up at that crack in the wall where the bracelet was. Does that mean the voice belonged to her? I don't understand Holland."

"I don't know. Did it sound like Eloise?"

"Not really, but it might have. It's difficult to tell when it's just a whisper," Bess explained. "But why and how? Is Eloise dead?"

"I don't think so and if the bracelet was in the crack, it might be that she dropped it climbing over the wall. Perhaps that's the way she went. You and Eloise are close and there might be some sort of connection that led you to the wall and the bracelet," Holland suggested.

"You could be right. But why would she be going that way? It's the opposite direction to where her cousin Jack lives."

"I don't know Bess, but we need to follow through with the plan Mia and Olivia have come up with, but we should keep our find to ourselves. There's no telling where either might led us. Besides, I haven't met many people from the other side of her family and they're stinking rich. It might be nice."

Bess agreed and put the bracelet in her jewellery box. None of it made sense, the whisper and why she was drawn to the crack in the wall. Now something belonging to her best friend had been pulled from the stone. Holland was right though, they had to follow through with the search of the cottages behind the arches.

"Come on, do you want to stay for dinner? I'm sure Mum won't mind. She's just happy I'm not curled up in a ball sobbing," Bess invited as they walked down the stairs.

"I can't tonight, but I'll definitely come with you guys on the weekend."

After Holland left, Bess returned to her room. The evening meal wasn't quite ready and after catching up on her schoolwork, she didn't fancy falling behind again. Besides that, she was feeling more optimistic now she had some help with her problems and it gave her positive jolt. As she sat by the window working, she heard her name called. Heading downstairs, she went to join her family. Surprisingly, Bess found her mother in the kitchen still preparing the food.

"Have you finished your homework?"

"I thought you called me," Bess answered.

"No, maybe it was your brother. Dinner will be another half an hour at least."

"Okay."

Bess left her feeling slightly bewildered. Back upstairs in her room, she heard it again, this time it didn't seem to come from anywhere. Once more her name was called from nowhere, but strangely, everywhere. Looking out of the window, she saw a woman. Clearly from the past, she wore a long grey dress with a white apron over the top. Waving, she smiled up at Bess from the back garden. Raising her hand slowly she smiled back at the stranger. Leaving her room Bess bolted down the stairs and out into the garden, but it was empty. Walking around the yard she looked for traces of the person she had seen, a footprint or just flattened grass, but she knew there wouldn't be any. From where she was, Bess looked up at her bedroom window. This is where the stranger had stood. Someone she had never seen before who clearly knew who she was. Checking the area thoroughly, there was nothing to be found. It was puzzling, but there had to be a reason and the mysterious visitor who appeared to be from the past seemed to know her. She had to fit in somewhere. Perhaps the woman was the owner of the whisper too.

"Bess."

This time it was the sound of her mother pulling her back to reality. Dinner was ready and she left the garden to eat. Quiet throughout the meal, the conversation carried on around her and she smiled and nodded on occasion just to show some interest. Finally, just as they were finishing, she shared the idea that Mia and Olivia had come up with over lunch. It would be difficult to think up a reason for heading off for the day on Saturday with her friends, so Bess told the truth. It seemed to be received well and after they had left the table, she pulled her brother aside.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have a few things to tell you, that's all," she confided. "I have some homework, but I really wanted to catch you up on what's been going on."

Tom agreed to meet in her room in an hour. That gave Bess enough time to knock the homework on the head and put it to rest. Try as she might though, it was difficult to concentrate on history homework when her own history was continuously interrupting her. As the hour came to an end, her brother, as promised, knocked on the door and in the privacy of her room, Bess told him about the woman in the back yard and the whispers on Saturday night. She showed him the bracelet they had found in the crack in the wall and although he was interested, Tom didn't have a clue where to begin to work it all out. It seemed as though there was more than one mystery to solve here.

Chapter Ten

The road trip to Stone Arches was a complete waste of time as far as Bess was concerned. She still felt strange about spending time with Dylan Mason. From where she sat in the backseat of the car he looked like Mia. They had a similar profile and both were blonde. Bess understood why Eloise was keen on him, but the past seemed to get in the way of any sort of friendship that might form. He would always be Mia's creepy stoner brother and no amount of rehab would change that.

It was difficult to know where to park and enter the property from behind because none of them knew the area very well. Finally after hiking almost five miles, they discovered the stone cottages had been demolished. The only tell-tale sign were the foundations which hadn't been cleared away properly.

"What about the tunnel thing you guys found," Mia suggested. "We could look in there."

"It's over there," Bess said pointing. "Feel free to have a look around, but I'm not going in there. I know Eloise and she wouldn't be staying in a damp tunnel in the side of the hill."

"Bess is right."

They turned to find Jack Wescott standing behind them.

"What are you lot doing here?" He eyed them all suspiciously.

"Sorry Jack," Bess apologised. Stepping forward from the group she hugged him awkwardly and stepped back again. "We should have told you we were coming. We sort of had an idea Eloise might be hiding out in one of the cottages, but obviously, there's nowhere to hide."

"Yes, one of them collapsed a few months back so we pulled the whole lot down. How did you get here?" Relaxing, he dropped his guard and listened.

Bess explained how Dylan had driven and parked on a road at the rear of the property and they hiked up to the cottages.

"Would you like some lunch or something?"

Bess looked at the others. They all shrugged and nodded. Following him down to the house, she wondered how they were going to explain this to Jack's father. When they arrived at the mansion, it was apparent there was nobody else home. The entry to the spacious home reminded Bess of when she had visited with Eloise. The crying boy, the scream in the night and the sighting of the light up near the arches. She remembered the dream about Stanley Vardy and the purple hair ribbons he had given her. Although the reason for the visit was distressing, the memories were good ones and the mystery had been solved in the end.

After introducing her friends to Jack properly they all sat down to enjoy a delicious meal which he had requested. As she sat they chatted away about the disappearance of Eloise and where they all thought she might be. Some of the suggestions were ludicrous and they enjoyed a few laughs which eased the tension they were clearly all feeling.

"Bess."

There is was again, someone had whispered her name. Looking around she tried to be inconspicuous about it.

"Is there something wrong Bess?" Holland knew what was going on and asked the question to make Bess aware of her behaviour.

"No, just a little on edge I suppose," she answered thankful for the intervention. Perhaps the voice was some sort of supernatural stalker, but she had seen the woman in her back garden. It wasn't her imagination and she wasn't sure about ghosts. Bess felt there was some sort of mystery she was supposed to be following up on and although she didn't think it involved Eloise, there were clues that pointed to her. Firstly the bracelet that had been in the crack in the wall, and now the whisper here.

"Bess."

Ignoring it or at least doing the best she could, Bess focussed on the meal and the conversation. Annoyed at not being able to tell all of her friends what was going on, she managed to keep up the pretence and when it was time to go, Jack ordered a car to take them to the place where Dylan had parked.

"Thanks for lunch," Bess said.

"Anytime. I'm sure that Eloise is okay and if she gets in touch with me, I'll let you know," he promised.

The journey home was quiet and although they were thankful for the hospitality Jack showed, they were still all bewildered by the disappearance of Eloise. All leads had been exhausted and they had virtually hit a brick wall. Unless she contacted one of them, there was no other option than to let the police do their work.

"I don't know what else to do," Bess admitted. "I think those cottages were our last hope."

"Don't say that," Holland said. "I'm sure she's okay and we'll find her."

Bess just hoped Holland was right, but deep down, she didn't think any of them would ever see Eloise again.

Chapter Eleven

"You don't know who I am," the woman said. "I'm just like you. You have something that belongs to another and I want it. I'll be back and if you don't give it up, you'll be sorry."

The words echoed as she tried to eat her breakfast the next morning. It had been another dream. At first Bess hadn't been sure, but as she sat on the wall by the crack, the woman had spoken to her. The same woman who had called out to her from the back garden. Now she was chasing her during her sleep. She was right though, Bess didn't know who she was and before she could ask, the night visitor disappeared leaving her alone by the wall. For a moment she had just sat there like Humpty Dumpty but then she noticed something in amongst the stone. It looked as though someone had left a folded piece of paper, sort of like a note. Trying to reach it was futile and whether it was real or not was something Bess would have to investigate later, because at that moment, she woke up.

Jumping out of bed, she had grabbed a pen and paper and began to scribble down the dream before it disappeared from her mind completely. Sketching a picture of the woman, she knew her drawing was rubbish, but at least the clothing might help her find out more about the time the woman was from. Bess wasn't keen on history, but she knew someone who was. So after breakfast, she had called her cousin.

Bess knew she could confide in Clancy and she might be able to help her. School was almost over for the year and the summer holidays were just around the corner. Maybe Clancy could come and stay for a few weeks. Bess was sure their parents wouldn't mind. At least with the sketch of the woman's clothing, they might be able to work out what year she was from.

Spending the day out hunting for Eloise the day before had put her a little behind with her homework and Bess spent the morning working on the last projects that she needed to complete for the year. Trying not to get distracted by her thoughts was difficult and Bess found herself wandering into her dream more than one. "Come on Bess, focus," she told herself. The sooner the task at hand was completed, the sooner she could let Holland know about the dream.

Working away in her room, she didn't notice the time and it wasn't long before the delicious odour of the Sunday roast drifted upstairs. From what she could gather, it was chicken and she hoped her mum had made chicken gravy from the juices and not out of a packet. The sound of the table being set reached her ears and she finished what she was doing and went downstairs. After dinner she would contact Holland and tell her about the dream with the woman and the crack in the wall. There was something else in there waiting for her and Bess wanted it.

No persuasion was needed to convince Holland and it was later in the afternoon that the chance arose to investigate the crack in the wall. Once again they had a tool to pry whatever it was Bess had seen from its resting place. Tom walked along beside them. Since Bess had confided in him, his interest had grown and he was anxious to find out more about this mysterious place which kept demanding his sister's attention. While they walked, Bess told them both about the woman who had turned up in her dreams and threatened her. Neither Tom nor Holland had any idea about the reasoning behind it all, so they just listened.

"So she's coming to get you then," Holland said.

"That's what she said in the dream," Bess replied nodding.

"Ha ha, that's what she said," Tom repeated laughing.

"This is it," Bess said as she stopped in front of the spot and ignored her brother's comment. "Look, there's some sort of paper in there and it wasn't there when we found the bracelet. So someone has been back here and put it in there for me to find."

"I have the screwdriver," Holland announced pulling it out of her jacket pocket. "Let me see what I can do."

It wasn't as straightforward this time around. The bracelet had been easily hooked and retrieved but the paper was a different matter. As the other two waited patiently, finally, Holland managed to manoeuvre it close enough to the top edge of the rocky surface to pluck it out. Handing the prize to Bess she smiled triumphantly.

Sitting on the wall, Bess opened the paper it up. It seemed to be a fragment of a page of lined paper, the sort they used in school.

"What is it?" Tom asked.

"It looks as though it's someone's work. This is Eloise's handwriting. But I don't understand it. There's nothing significant about this paper, it looks as though it's part of an essay," Bess explained.

"Why would that be in this crack?" It was Holland's turn to ask the questions. "And, how on earth did it get here?"

"I don't know," Bess said.

"Maybe she caught the bus here," Tom suggested. "This is a bus stop."

Looking at the sign on the pole, Bess didn't realise they were right in front of a bus stop until Tom had pointed it out.

"So who keeps putting this stuff in the wall?" Holland asked.

"Maybe it's your whispering friend Bess. Perhaps she's connected to Eloise in some way and she's trying to show you the way," Tom said.

Holland and Bess looked at each other. Neither of them had thought of that.

"You could be right Tom," Holland said. "But does that mean she got on the bus? Where does this bus go to anyway?"

"I don't know," Bess said taking her phone from her pocket, "but I'm going to find out." Searching timetables, she looked up the bus route numbers. "There are two buses that go through here. One is a coach to Clayper's Point and there's a service to Smackleton. I'm not sure why Eloise would want to go to either of those places, but we need to get a bit more information. Come on, let's go and get a cup of tea and a biscuit. Should I let Mia and Olivia know about this?"

"No, what would you say anyway? Someone told me to go the bus stop, but I don't know who the person is because I had a vision in a dream. You have to be smart about this Bess. I don't want anyone to think my sister is some sort of freak."

"What he said," Holland chimed in.

Chapter Twelve

As the school year came to an end, Bess was relieved to find that after lengthy negotiations with her parents, she wouldn't be kept back as long as she continued to keep up the regime she had adopted over the past few weeks. With summer well and truly launched, Clancy arrived. The well-timed visit gave Bess hope. With the help of Holland, Tom, and now her cousin, she felt certain she would get a little bit closer to her own mystery as well as finding her friend. Although she wanted to include Mia and Olivia, the thought of two more people knowing her secret was disturbing.

As Clancy unpacked her clothes in the Hooper's guest room, Bess chatted away filling her in on the latest events. When she told about Calliope and how she thought that the time travel was meant for someone else, Clancy stopped her.

"What do you mean?" she interrupted sitting down.

"Exactly that. I received the gift but I wasn't supposed to," Bess explained.

"How would she know?"

"She's a gypsy fortune teller and she reads people," Bess told her cousin.

"Well, that makes her an expert on time travel, doesn't it."

"I get what you're saying Clancy, but I think there's some truth in it. I'm not sure exactly what but for some reason she gets a bad feeling from it and I believe her. The only problem with that theory, is if it wasn't supposed to come to me, where was it supposed to go?"

Clancy thought for a moment. Looking around the room she searched the magnolia walls for an answer as if there might be one written somewhere. The rays from the afternoon sun streamed in warming the air. Getting up, she opened the window to let the breeze in, but there was none. Sitting down on the bed again, she looked at Bess's hopeful face and shrugged.

"Anyway, whether she's right or not, there's this new mystery and I'm not quite sure what it's about, but I had a vision of a woman. She was in our back garden and she called out to me. When I went out to find out what she wanted, she was gone, but I dreamt about her too and she threatened me Clancy. She's coming back to get me. So I drew this picture because I know you shifted your focus to history and I was sort of hoping you'd be able to tell me what era she's from by her clothing. I'm not very good at drawing." Bess handed the sketch to her cousin.

"This looks like it's from the late 1800s." Smiling, she giggled a bit. "You were right about the drawing. It looks like you gave the pencil to a cat. I wonder who she is."

"You and me both. I've never seen her before and she didn't tell me her name," Bess said taking the drawing back. "But it's good to have you here for support. It's been awful without Eloise, and then my friend Grace passed away and left me a cottage of all things."

"A cottage. So are you planning on leaving home?"

"No, it's run down and filled with creepy spiders. I hadn't even given it another thought until now. We've been trying to find Eloise. Her cousin Holland is staying in Endless Hiccup at the moment. She's a witch and she knows about my secret. She helped me once before with something and I'm grateful she turned up when she did. Before I started time travelling, I had no idea how many people there are in this world who have special abilities of their own. But ever since, I've met quite a few."

"When you say Holland is a witch, does she turn people into toads and stuff?"

"Not really, she sees things like I do and senses things. It's difficult to explain but she's a good friend now and just having her around has made a difference."

Clancy finished unpacking as Bess filled her in on the rest of the ordeal she had faced since Eloise ran off.

"It's really odd that nobody's seen or heard from her and now you have a bracelet and random piece of paper from one of her schoolbooks. I hate to ask you this Bess, but do you think she might be dead?"

"I've been thinking that, but something tells me no. I get this odd feeling Eloise is fine wherever she is, and one day she'll just walk in as if nothing was wrong. I just wish she would contact me. I don't think she left those things in the wall for me, there's something else going on and I don't know what it is."

A knock on the door interrupted the conversation and as the door opened, Holland stepped into the room. "I hope you don't mind, your mum said to come up."

"No," Bess said. "Not at all."

After the introductions, Holland made herself comfortable in a nearby chair.

"Any news?" Bess asked.

Shaking her head, she reached over and picked up the drawing from the bed. "What's this?"

"That's the woman who is tormenting me at the moment," Bess explained. "I'm just not very good at drawing."

"Was her dress grey and the apron thing white?"

Bess nodded.

"I think this is the same type of woman who came to see me. Remember, I told you about her. What was her name? Alice, Alice Brown. She was dressed like this," Holland told them both. "Unless I saw her, I couldn't be sure, but same clothing."

"This is getting weirder," Clancy said. "I don't think I can discuss any more without chocolate."

The others laughed and agreed with her. After a snack they all agreed the best thing to do was pay a visit to Calliope with the new information, she might be able to help them now they knew a bit more.

"Before we go though, there's something you need to do Bess," Clancy told her cousin.

"What?"

"Put some makeup on. I suppose this has been hard on you and I don't want to make you feel bad about yourself, but you look terrible. Come on, I'll help," Clancy offered. "We'll have the old Bess back before you know it."

Chapter Thirteen

When the small group turned up at the shop, Calliope wasn't surprised to see Bess, but she wasn't prepared for her entourage. Within the past few weeks it appeared the teenager had gathered followers. But today, she was smiling and not looking as worried as she had the last time she had visited.

Knowing fully well there was a purpose for the visit, she showed them to the backroom and closed up shop. Holland she had met before, so Bess introduced Clancy and Tom to Calliope and then commenced telling her all about the woman who had threatened her.

"You say that this is the same woman who visited you," Calliope said to Holland. She had liked her from the very first meeting. There was something particularly endearing about the witch and she was drawn to her.

"Yes," she nodded. "At least, I think they're both from the same time. I would have to see her to be sure."

"It's very unusual for something like this to happen. I've been reading the cards and the runes to try to find an answer for you Bess. There are many factors, but I have also consulted the talking board and I think that's what we should do today," she told them.

Before them in the small backroom of the shop, the board, complete with the triangle planchette, sat waiting. Gleaming in the dim light, the polished wood looked as though it was inviting them to ask their question.

"Wait," Tom interrupted looking at the board on the table. "Isn't that evil?"

"No, it is simply a way to find answers," Calliope explained.

They sat around the table and Calliope lit a blue candle. "Hopefully the flame will help open the lines of communication and reveal any hidden knowledge."

The board, they observed, had the usual alphabet letters in an arc and a row of numbers along the lower half. In the centre was a pentagram and each of the four corners of the board had its own particular answer. Yes and no at the top, and a sun and moon at the bottom. On each side above the sun and moon the words hello and goodbye represented the greeting and the end of the conversation. All they had to do now was get it to work.

"Place your fingers lightly on the planchette," Calliope instructed.

Each of them did as they were told, Tom with more hesitation than the others, who all appeared very keen to find out how the board worked. Closing her eyes, Calliope seemed to be in some sort of meditative trance. Opening her eyes she began by asking if there were any spirits present. After a tiny wobble, the planchette moved towards the word yes. Gasping Clancy removed her fingers for a moment but then calmed herself and placed them gently back into position.

"Beloved spirit, we seek your guidance," Calliope said. "Can we ask you to reveal yourself or your purpose."

Again the planchette moved slowly on the board and began to spell out a word. E – L – O – I – S -E and then stopped.

"Is that your name?"

Moving slowly, the planchette moved to the word no. Breathing a sigh of relief Bess and Holland looked at each other as if they could read thoughts.

"Do you have a message?"

Once again, the planchette moved and stopped at the word yes. Slowly the letters were touched in the order of the message offered and after that, nothing.

"What does that mean?" Tom asked. He wasn't quite sure that one of them hadn't been pushing the pointer around the board, but he played along all the same.

"Give it back, what's that about?" Clancy asked. "Give what back?"

"I don't know," Calliope admitted. "I thought we might have received some information about your ancestors and your time travel inheritance Bess. I have no idea what give it back means. Now the spirit, whoever it was has delivered mixed messages and left. The first being the name of your missing friend and the second a command to give something back."

It was puzzling and none of them really had a clue as to why it had played out the way it did. It was their first time with this type of experience and it left them almost speechless. Except for the questions about the message, they had nothing to say.

"I will try to get you some more answers," Calliope told the four teenagers as they left. "If there is any more that I learn, I will call you Bess."

Subdued, the small group sat waiting for the bus back to Endless Hiccup. Fading light signified the end of day and depicted their collective mood. Dulled by the outcome of the expedition, each had thoughts of their own they were reluctant to voice. But it was Tom who asked the first question.

"Were any of you pushing that triangle thing about?"

"I know it's difficult to believe in this stuff," Bess said. "Even after the year that I've had, I'm still not sure what to believe and after today, I'm confused. But no, I certainly wasn't pushing it around the board."

"Maybe Eloise wants her bracelet back," Holland said.

They laughed and that one suggestion lightened their spirits as they boarded the bus home.

Chapter Fourteen

Bess had come to the conclusion there was more than one mystery she was caught up in. The matter of her best friend missing seemed to outweigh the other one which was discovering more about her past and how the fob watch worked. Now, she sat in her room with Clancy trying to come to terms that she just might have received something that was never intended for her, but if that was the case, who did it belong to?

"Show me the watch," Clancy insisted taking it without waiting. Clicking it open, she stared at the face without hands. "That's strange. How does it work?"

"I don't know," Bess shrugged. "Maybe you can figure it out because I can't and it's ruining my life."

"You're such a drama queen. Maybe that's it though, perhaps you weren't supposed to receive the gift and that's why you don't know how to use the watch."

Clancy handed it back to Bess who looked at the casing once again. It was such a nice watch, she felt as though she couldn't part with it no matter what the outcome. As far as she was concerned, the gift had been handed down by her ancestors and it was hers. For a moment though, she wondered if it should have gone to Tom. But that didn't quite add up and there were no other females around their age on her mother's side. Bess was the last.

"Has your friend Calliope seen that watch?"

"Yes, and she couldn't work it out either. Come on, let's go somewhere or do something to take our minds off this."

"Why don't we go away for a few days. I'm sure your parents wouldn't mind," Clancy suggested.

"Where and how?"

"Well, didn't you say that someone left you a cottage?"

"Yes, but Clancy, it's all run down and gross. But there's a place nearby where we could stay and it makes perfect sense because it's near Smackleton and one of the bus routes from the bus stop by the crack goes there. Let's ask Mum about it."

After speaking to her mother who then rang Clancy's parents, it was all arranged. Bess contacted Holland who jumped at the chance to spend a week away with them. Tom on the other hand didn't fancy going off on some sort of crusade with a bunch of girls, but he remembered the pool at the bottom of the waterfall in the woods and figured he could fill his days swimming and lying about in the sun. So the four of them would spend a week in the cottage the Hoopers had stayed in last summer. Although it was last minute, as luck would have it, the place was available. Deciding it would be best for her father to drive them all, Bess agreed knowing it would be easier luggage wise.

"We have to make a list of stuff we need," Clancy advised. "Not just clothes, but food too. I don't fancy living on takeaway pizza for a week. That also means we have to draw up some sort of work rota so everybody pitches in, including you Tom."

"I'll help. I like to cook," he announced.

"Yeah, beans on toast," Bess teased.

"I like beans," Clancy said.

"Mum is going to take us shopping later for everything we need to survive a week stuck in the countryside without transport. There's a small market in Smackleton, but it's about a mile from the bungalow so if we have all the essentials and only have to get a few things, life will be much simpler. I can't believe we're going away without our parents." The thought lightened her mood and even though there were puzzles and problems surrounding her, Bess felt more at ease.

Some careful preparation and a lecture from the adults giving them instructions on what to do and what not to do followed. On the morning they had planned to leave, they promised to behave and above all, look out for one another. With the three girls in the back seat and Tom up front with his father, Bess remembered the long drive last summer when her leg had been in plaster. She hadn't wanted to go then, but for some reason, this time she was keen to get there. Although she knew the cottage in the woods would be run down and abandoned, there was something else drawing her towards the holiday destination and Bess was thankful Clancy had suggested it. Her mind was elsewhere too. Eloise may have caught a bus from the stop by the crack in the wall and if so, there was a chance she had come to Smackleton. Bess didn't think her best friend would come wandering up to them in the woods, but there was always hope.

It had been decided Bess and Clancy would share the double bedroom and Tom and Holland would have a single room each. After unpacking everything, they spent the rest of the day organising a schedule for the rest of the week and sorting out the food so they didn't run out of chocolate biscuits. Tomorrow, they could spend the day exploring. It was fun to sort out the meals for a week and work out who should do what. But none of them wanted to spend too much time cleaning so it was agreed they would all pick up after themselves and just give the place a thorough going over on the evening before they left. So with the week mapped out, they settled in already used to the idea of no parents for an entire week.

"Do you think we should have told Mia and Olivia?" Bess asked over dinner.

Tom and Clancy had cooked some chicken in the oven and prepared a salad. With bread and butter, it was complete and it might have been the situation they were in, but for some reason, the meal tasted better than ever before.

"I don't think so. There are too many things that can't be explained," Holland said. "Besides, where would they have slept. All the rooms are full."

"Mia could have slept in my room. I don't mind sharing," Tom told them smiling.

"I'm not sure any of our parents would have approved Tom," Bess said.

"Who said anything about telling them?"

Cleaning up was shared and it wasn't long before they were all sitting in front of the television with a hot cup of tea sharing a packet of chocolate digestives. It was peaceful and relaxing, and just what Bess needed. Although in the back of her mind her best friend sat waiting patiently for Bess to start obsessing again. A knock at the door brought her out of herself.

"Who could that be?" Holland asked.

"I don't know," Tom said as he got up to open the door. Before him stood an attractive girl whose face was familiar but he wasn't quite sure who she was.

"Hi Tom. Don't you remember me? I'm Maisy, we met last summer."

"Oh, sure, come in," he said, slightly shocked at the transformation. "I didn't, I mean, um, is Scott with you?"

"No," she answered smiling. "It's just me and Mum. We saw you arrive this morning and I thought I would give you time to settle in. We're just organising Gran's belongings and then putting the cottage on the market. Hi Bess."

"Maisy, it's so nice to see you."

After the introductions, Bess felt a little guilty for not sharing her secret. The triskele hung around Maisy's neck as a reminder of the gift of foresight she had inherited and all that their family stood for. Knowing she would understand, Bess filled her in on everything that had happened, including meeting her gran when she had been a teenager living in Kissing Gate Cottage. As she finished the story, Maisy smiled.

"Bess, Gran told me she had met you before. She told me of your gift knowing I would keep it to myself and I have. Scott doesn't even know. If there's anything I can do to help you, let me know. I'm here for a few more days, so if you're planning a swim in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall, count me in. Mum won't mind, she's used to me wandering off."

Catching up with what had happened since the last time they saw Maisy took some time and it was dark when they had finished talking, so Tom offered to walk Maisy back to September Cottage. Even though it was just up the road, and there was nothing threatening out there, he convinced her she would be much safer. Although, Bess thought her brother had ulterior motives and on his return decided against questioning him in front of the others. Turning in for the night, it wasn't long before the house was in darkness and not a sound was heard.

Chapter Fifteen

Bess opened her eyes and checked the time on her phone. It was a quarter past three in the morning and she wondered who had woken her. Looking at Clancy in the dark, it was clear she still asleep. The only sound at that moment was the deep breathing of her cousin but Bess had thought someone had called her name.

"Bess."

There is was, the whisper had returned and straining her eyes, she looked out of the window into the darkness. Bess could just make out the little bridge at the bottom of the garden. There was no other sound like there had been last year, no sign of life in the woods and she wondered what it meant. Surely that woman in the grey dress wasn't stalking her. She thought about going out to investigate but knowing the only thing waiting in the woods for her was the run-down cottage, which looked slightly creepy, deterred her. Bess lay down and closed her eyes doing the best she could to block out the thoughts which wouldn't let her mind switch off. It felt as though she was awake for hours and finally, just before the sun lit the beginning of the day, she drifted off.

"Bess."

Opening her eyes, she stared at the face of Holland.

"Come on, we have to make breakfast."

The bed beside her was empty. Clancy had snuck out without disturbing her. Dragging herself out from under the covers, she followed Holland out to the kitchen yawning. Tom and Clancy sat waiting patiently for their breakfast. The bacon was already sizzling away in the pan and they had decided the evening before that the eggs would be scrambled. For the first time in ages, Bess wished for coffee instead of tea. But making do with what they had, she commenced to make them all a hot drink.

"Do you want to make the scrambled eggs while I get the plates and stuff out?"

Bess nodded. Cracking the eggs into a bowl, she added a dash of milk, salt and pepper, and whisked until the ingredients were combined. Placing a pan on the stove, she turned on the gas and a blue circle of heat danced beneath the bottom of the pot. Adding some butter, she watched as it melted and then poured in the mixture. Juggling cooking the eggs and the tea making was a little more difficult than she had expected. It made her appreciate her mum. Tired from the lack of sleep, Bess wished she could go back to bed, but the whisper bothered her.

"Why are you so tired?" Tom asked as he shovelled the food into his mouth.

"Because someone woke me up and I couldn't get back to sleep," Bess explained. Sipping at her tea gave her comfort.

"Sorry," Clancy apologised, "sometimes I snore."

"I wish it had been you snoring Clancy, but I heard that whisper again. You know, it was just my name. I got up and looked out of the window, but there was nobody outside and I just couldn't get back to sleep until this morning. It was coming light when I finally nodded off."

"I'll help Holland if you want to go back to sleep for a while," Clancy offered.

"It's really kind of you, but I think I should just fight the urge and carry on. I'm here to have a good time and that doesn't include me sleeping all day while you lot go off frolicking in the woods and swimming in the pool at the bottom of the waterfall."

"Frolicking?"

"Yes Tom, frolicking," she answered.

"I think we should make a flow chart," Tom suggested. "But not right now. It's a nice day and the sun is shining so maybe we could get Maisy and go for a swim. It seems right to include her since she knows about the mystery and all."

Bess couldn't believe her ears. The last time they were here, Tom did all he could to avoid Maisy and now he wanted to take her swimming. Instead of taking advantage of the opportunity to give him a ribbing, Bess let it go and finished her breakfast. It wouldn't do to get her brother offside and cause friction amongst the group.

"I'd like to go for a swim. We could even take a picnic lunch with us," Clancy suggested. "I saw a basket we can use in one of the cupboards."

As soon as they had finished eating and the evidence of the meal had been cleared away, Bess went to get ready for the day while Clancy and Holland made the lunch. Tom had already raced off to find Maisy. As Bess put on the red bikini she bought the summer before, she was pleased it still fit nicely and wished Patrick was there to see her in it. Pulling on a pair of denim shorts and a top, she tied up her hair and grabbed her trainers.

With the picnic basket in tow, they crossed the bridge at the bottom of the garden and chose to enter the field through the kissing gate instead of using the stile. Although it was still quite early, the sun was bright and burning. Stepping into the woods was a welcome relief. Beneath the shade of the ancient trees they took the pathway that was all too familiar to Bess. Nothing had changed and the small group soon came across the cottage where she had spent many hours the year before. All the charm she remembered was now hidden by the dishevelled exterior.

"So this is your dream home," Holland said. "It's a real fixer-upper."

Bess smiled. She could see past the gloom and into the future when it would be just as quaint as it had been in the past. Having the image of the cottage she had first stumbled upon helped and she longed for the day when it would look that way again.

"There's loads of spiders in there," Tom told them. "They live in a guitar."

"Ew, I hate spiders," Maisy said. "Let's keep going."

Leaving the cottage, they walked along the primrose path past the tree where Patrick and Bess had shared their moment and she smiled remembering. The dappled light on the path created a mystical effect. Around them the natural serenade provided by the birds danced through the trees. The essence of the earth mother engulfed them as she whispered her secrets in a floral tongue. An intoxicating aroma of indigenous vegetation perfumed the summer air, and it was there, cradled in the arms of the forest, that Bess heard the whisper once more. Just one word reached her ears, Bess. Looking around, she tried to be inconspicuous, but the others knew something had happened by the look on her face. They stopped walking.

"What is it Bess?"

"I heard the whisper again Tom. Maisy, you're probably the most connected to the area because of your ancestry, can you sense anything at all?"

Maisy tried, she even closed her eyes, but there was nothing. "All I feel is the welcoming arms of the forest and the blessing of the season."

"Come on," Clancy urged thinking Maisy might be a bit mad. "We need some fun in the sun."

At the base of the cascade, the water shimmered invitingly as one by one they took the plunge. Invigorated by the freshness of the pool, all of the problems washed away and Bess splashed about in the water with the others until her fingers were all wrinkled. Climbing out, she sunned herself on the large flat rock and was soon joined by her family and friends. Basking, they soaked up the rich rays of the climbing sun enjoying every minute while it lasted.

"Let's eat," Tom suggested as he opened up the picnic basket. The sandwiches were handed out and as the day wore on, they slipped into the familiar holiday rut of swimming laughing and lazing about.

"I wonder who keeps whispering to you," Maisy said as they were passing the cottage on the way back to the bungalow.

Stopping, Bess stood staring. Although the things that were found in the crack in the wall had belonged to her friend, perhaps Eloise had nothing to do with this. It might be coincidental that there was a bus stop there. She might never have got on a bus at all. It was puzzling, as if all of the questions she had in her head had twisted into one long rope which stretched so far ahead, she couldn't see an end.

"Wait, I've had an epiphany. You're searching and you have been for a while. Holland had a visit from someone from the past who was a time traveller. That person wasn't on your family tree chart. Since then Calliope told you that the gift fell into your lap by accident and now you're getting signals that point to Eloise. There was also the message from the talking board."

"What are you getting at Clancy?" Bess asked.

"What if the woman Alice Brown is one of your ancestors Holland. Then perhaps, and this is just a thought, the person who should have received the gift is Eloise."

"I get what you're saying Clancy," Holland said, "but Eloise? It doesn't make sense that someone who doesn't believe in anything out of the ordinary would receive something like the ability to travel through time."

"I didn't believe it until I began to have those dreams and hear things. It's something to think about though," Bess admitted. "Come on, let's go. I could do with a cup of tea and I need the loo."

They walked the rest of the way in silence. All five were contemplating the same thing. What they couldn't work out was how something so extraordinary could be doled out to the wrong person.

Chapter Sixteen

After a good night's sleep with no unusual events, Bess awoke to the delicious smell of bacon cooking. Remembering the conversation from the previous afternoon and the quietness amongst the group last night, she once again churned the thoughts over in her mind. There were so many unanswered questions and there were a lot of things that didn't make sense. But lying in bed wouldn't accomplish anything, and breakfast beckoned.

"Morning," Clancy called to her and smiled as she flipped the bacon frying in the pan. "There's tea in the pot."

Sitting at the table, Bess poured herself a hot drink. It was very obvious that her housemates were unsure of what to say to her. The mood was bleak and they appeared on edge, all except for Clancy who was trying to keep things upbeat. So much so that she began to sing quietly to herself, but loud enough to be audible.

Placing the plates with the bacon and eggs in front of Bess, Holland and Tom, Clancy sat down and commenced eating.

"I'm not quite sure how to feel about anything," Bess said in between bites. "But I don't think you're right Clancy. There are too many things that have happened regarding my family in the past year. I can't imagine Eloise would have received the same visions. Plus there's the time travel dreams where I was somebody else, and one of those people was one of my ancestors. Beth Hartely had nothing to do with Eloise."

"Perhaps Tom's right about the flow chart," Clancy suggested. "Sometimes when you see things written down, they're easier to understand. Maybe we can make a start after breakfast."

Bess didn't answer. She sat eating and thinking. All of her life she had been ordinary and suddenly something had happened to make her a little bit special. Now it seemed the unusual gift she had received was meant for someone else and she resented the thought. But, the others were right and they should try to make sense of it. Taking her dishes to the sink, she began to rinse them off.

"Are you alright?" Holland asked joining her in the clear up.

"Yes," she nodded. "There's just so much that I don't understand. I even visited myself in the future. But the advice I received wasn't really positive. Maybe that's what it's about."

"What did you say to yourself again? You know, in the future."

"It's about to get dark. Well, that's what the other me said."

"Perhaps that message is about this." Holland suggested. "You've had loads of bad news lately. Come on, this lot's done. We can start working out this puzzle."

"I'll get dressed," Bess said heading back into the room she was sharing with her cousin. Sitting down, she contemplated the information they had received to date. It didn't seem fair and all she wanted to do was get on a bus and go home. Chatter from outside of the room reached her and it was obvious that Maisy had arrived and was flirting with her brother. Bess smiled, at least he was enjoying the holiday. Pulling herself out of despair, she joined the others.

"Where do we start Bess?" It was Clancy who asked the question.

"The beginning. The only problem is, I'm not sure when the beginning was. I don't know who this started with and I don't have the family tree here to help us."

"Between us all, we sort of know everything, so we can work it out," Tom reassured her. He didn't like seeing his sister this way. For the past few weeks she hadn't teased him about anything and it just wasn't natural.

Starting at the beginning is difficult when you're not sure of the entire story. Outside the weather had turned and they were thankful they had gone swimming yesterday. Gloomy black clouds were represent of the mood in the bungalow. Each of them took a pen and a piece of paper and wrote down everything they knew about the time travel gift and what had happened over the past year. While that was happening, Bess took another piece of paper and wrote down the questions she couldn't seem to find an answer to. A pounding began in her head and added to the misery. Looking up she wondered if they brought any headache tablets with them.

"What is it Bess?" Tom asked.

"Headache," she replied. "Is there any paracetamol?"

"I have some in my bag," Holland told her. Leaving the table, she went to get the tablets for Bess.

Suddenly Bess felt as though she was floating as she too left the group to boil some water for tea. Slowly, the room began to spin gaining momentum by the second, and around her, things were slowly changing. When everything came to a standstill, she was in a completely different place.

"What are you doing here?"

Before her, was the same woman who had been calling her from the back garden. The one who had threatened her in the dream. Bess didn't know what the hell had happened and where she was.

"Get out," the woman screeched. "I'll kill you."

"I, I, don't know how I got here," Bess stammered.

"Don't lie to me. Get out," she screamed. Walking towards Bess, she picked up a knife from a nearby workbench.

Panicked, she looked around. The room was small and square and Bess couldn't see a door anywhere. There was an area covered with tools and cogs. In the centre a small staircase led downwards and Bess made for the opening. The woman glared at her with a hateful face that was frightening. At the top of the staircase, she stumbled and fell.

"Bess, Bess."

Opening her eyes, she looked up at Holland who was bent over her. "What happened? Why am I on the floor?"

"You collapsed. You just stopped for a moment and then you collapsed. It was like you were in some sort of trance and you blacked out," Holland explained helping Bess into a sitting position. "Here."

Bess held out her hand and took the two tablets that Holland was offering. Clancy gave her a glass of water and she washed the pills down. Helping her up they stood back and gave her a bit of space.

"I went somewhere else," Bess explained feeling a bit shaky from the ordeal. "That woman was there. You know, the one we think is Alice Brown. She shouted at me and told me to get out. She picked up a knife and was going to stab me with it."

"That doesn't make sense," Tom said, why would she wave at you nicely from the back garden one day and then try to kill you a few days later? I think this Alice bitch is nuts and she has you confused with someone else."

"Unless you weren't you," Clancy said. "Remember when you were solving the first mystery about that ruined building. Didn't you say you dreamt you were someone else?"

Bess nodded. Although feverish at the time, the dream returned vividly. She had definitely appeared to the family to be one of them. It wasn't the only time she had dreamt she was another person. But they were dreams, this time she had been awake. The spinning room had thrown her for a loop and Bess was unsure of why it had happened. Sitting down, she rested her elbows on the table and her head in her hands.

"So, tell us exactly what happened," Maisy urged.

"Well, I got up from the table to make tea and the room started spinning. When it stopped I was in a sort of workroom. There was a workbench with tools and stuff and that woman, Alice Brown, if that's who she is. She just started shouting at me telling me to get out. Then, she picked up the knife and threatened to kill me. Remember the wall dream? She told me I'd be sorry."

"That's weird," Tom said. "But you're okay Bess. You're with us now."

"Wait, what was that thing in the story," Holland interrupted. "Something about spinning in and out of time. Maybe that's what you did."

"But the room was spinning, not me and when she told me to get out, I fell down some stairs, only I didn't, I must have just fallen on the floor here." Bess lowered her eyes and twiddled the pen which she had picked up. If she wrote it down, she wouldn't forget anything.

"We need to find out who this Alice Brown character is," Maisy said. "I'll make the tea Bess. Then, between the phenomenal gifts we have between us, I believe we can summon the dead."

Tom's eyes widened and he looked at his sister. A séance was freaky and he wasn't sure he was ready for one. After the talking board in the spell shop, all of this supernatural stuff was too much for him to take, but he didn't want them to think he was scared.

"What's the matter Tom?"

"I'm not sure I want to be part of a séance. I don't think I'm a believer in all of this."

Bess remembered when they were investigating the ruined school near their home. Tom had wanted to have a séance then. Neither of them had realised what was really going on, but now things were real and bad stuff was happening that couldn't be explained. Clearly her brother wasn't as brave as he made out.

"My gran once told me that if you hold a séance and there are people who don't believe, it won't work," Maisy explained as she waited for the kettle to boil. "If you don't want to be a part of it then that's fine. To get the best results, it needs to be between 11.30 and 12.30 at night. That's the time of the day when there isn't likely to be any interruptions."

"Then that's what we'll do," Holland said. "Will you be able to stay that long or come back at that time Maisy?"

"I'll have to go back to September Cottage for dinner, but I should be able to come back. If I tell Mum we're holding a séance, she'll let me. She knows how important these things can be and the customs of our ancestors aren't taken lightly in our house," Maisy explained. "I think there are some candles we can use at the cottage. Gran had all sorts of wicked stuff."

"Well, it's settled then," Clancy said as she helped with the tea. "We'll have the séance tonight at 11.30 and if you don't want to join in Tom, you can just go to bed."

Chapter Seventeen

It was 10.30 when the four girls began to prepare to try to get the answers they were searching for. Tom had gone off to his room but had offered to walk Maisy home afterwards if they woke him up. The whole situation was too creepy for him and although he didn't like to admit it, all of the horror movies he had watched with his mates had gotten to him and he didn't want to end up possessed.

On the floor of the loungeroom, they had spread out a tablecloth and Maisy had brought some candles to burn. Holland found it the most interesting and she knew there was a lot she could learn that would help her craft. Bess and Clancy were both excited but a little sceptical all the same. None of them knew what the night had to offer, but as the hour drew closer, they settled cross-legged on the floor and lit the candles.

"So these candles have different meanings," Clancy said looking the three burning flames.

"Yes, blue is to help communicate, lavender for paranormal, and yellow, clairvoyance," Holland explained.

"You're right. I think these three will be the best for what we have planned. My gran always said you need a quiet dimly lit space to speak to spirits," Maisy explained. "We have to join hands. Oh and make sure your mobile phones are switched off. The last thing we need are interruptions."

As soon as the girls were finally seated, they joined hands and Maisy recited a quick protection prayer to ensure they wouldn't be invaded by anything evil. They were all thinking of the episode Bess had experienced earlier in the day and none of them fancied a visit from a knife wielding ghost. Hopefully if they did get in touch with the spirit, it would be a positive conversation.

"Alice Brown, we gather here tonight in hope that we will receive the answers to the questions we wish to ask. Please feel welcome in our circle," Maisy invited.

Waiting patiently the girls sat barely able to breath in fear they would somehow deter the spirit from entering their circle. Once again Maisy voiced the invitation for the spirit of Alice Brown to join them. After another five minutes or so, they felt the disappointment begin to rise as they realised that perhaps their efforts had been in vain. As they prepared to break their circle a cold presence was felt and the lavender candle flickered as the flame slowly died.

"Wait," whispered Clancy. "Did you all see that?"

The other three nodded.

"If the spirit of Alice Brown is present, please give us a sign," Maisy said clearly.

Once again nothing happened. They waited for a further few minutes and then the candle which had extinguished earlier wobbled and fell over. All four girls jumped.

"She's here," Bess said quietly feeling the panic begin to rise. "What do we do?"

"Alice Brown, we would like to ask you if you are an ancestor of anybody in the room. Please give us a sign."

Maisy's question hung in the air with the dim light as they waited for just a tiny sign. Once again a candle flickered. The tiny waver was enough to keep them from breaking their circle.

"Do you have a message for us?" It was Holland who asked the question this time. She didn't need any prompting from anybody. The whole thing intrigued her and she was just as keen as Bess to find the answers.

As the room lost its chill, it was apparent there was no message from Alice Brown or whoever had visited that night and after waiting for a good ten minutes, they broke the circle and blew out the candles. Turning on the light, Clancy stretched and yawned.

"What do you think happened?" Holland asked them. "Was it because I asked the question?"

Maisy shrugged. "I don't know. I wish I knew more about it but even my gran didn't have a great deal of knowledge about seances. I don't think that would have anything to do with the spirit leaving."

"Do you think it was Alice Brown?" Bess asked as she switched on her mobile phone.

"Well, that was who we were trying to contact and we did receive a sign, but I thought there might have been more to it than just a candle flicker. I thought that you might have had one of your visions Bess. I should go. Mum will be wondering what's happened."

"Let's all walk her to the cottage instead of waking Tom," Clancy suggested. "I'll just get the keys to get back in here."

The four girls left the bungalow together all wondering about the events they had witnessed. Considering it had been a cooler day, there wasn't a hint of a breeze and the night air wasn't chilly at all. All of the clouds had cleared and the sky was a deep blue speckled with the brilliance of the star system. Not a sound was heard except for their footsteps on the unsealed road. After the recent visit from a spirit, they were all slightly nervous and looked around in the dark anxiously.

"Thanks for tonight Maisy," Bess said as they arrived at the cottage.

"It was fun. It's nice to be able to talk to people about this sort of stuff. I'll see you all tomorrow. It's our last day here and we're leaving tomorrow afternoon."

"Come for lunch then," Clancy invited. We'll make something nice."

After the plans were set, Maisy went into the cottage and the others headed back to the bungalow. The evening had been strange, but interesting. Now wasn't the time for more questions though. It was time to relax, recover, and try to get some sleep.

Chapter Eighteen

Nobody wanted Maisy to leave. As they went through the motions of the morning preparing the lunch to say goodbye, there was silence amongst the four teenagers. Tom had been filled in on the events of the séance and was relieved to find that none of them were possessed. They prepared the food and set the table knowing Maisy would probably feel the same as they did, but when she arrived, she was quite excited by a discovery she had made.

"What's happened?" Bess asked.

"I have a message. I didn't turn on my mobile until about ten minutes ago. You know what the reception is like in the area. Anyway there's a message."

"Show me," Clancy insisted taking the phone from the excited girl.

There on the screen as clear as day was a message. They crowded around to look at it.

"Give it back. Isn't that the same message we got from that talking board?" Tom asked feeling a bit creeped out by the whole thing.

"Yes," Bess nodded.

"Do ghosts have mobiles?"

"No Tom," Maisy said. "But they do communicate any way they can."

"This is odd, there's no number. It doesn't even say unknown number," Holland announced as she investigated further. "I'm checking my phone. I haven't even turned it on yet. Like you said, the reception here is rubbish."

They all followed Holland's lead. Bess had turned hers on the night before, but there was no reception where she was so she wandered around trying to find a sweet spot. Heading into the room she stayed in the previous summer, she sat down on the floor. Waiting patiently the indicator in the top left hand corner of the screen came to life, but there was no message and as she flicked through the social media and private messaging apps, a pang of disappointment followed. Standing, Bess left the room and almost laughed at the site of others waving their phones about trying to pick up anything at all.

"I think I have something," Holland said excitedly.

"Is it from the ghost?" Tom asked.

"No," she said shaking her head. "It's from Eloise."

"What? Show me," Bess pleaded feeling the tears rush to her eyes.

"Just hang on," Holland said as she read the message silently. Handing the phone to Bess, she smiled.

After reading the words on the screen, she handed it to Holland.

"What does it say?"

Bess looked at Clancy. "She's home."

"Wait what?"

"Yep," Holland said. "She came home yesterday afternoon and she can't wait to see us. Eloise knows we're all here together and she's getting the bus down this afternoon."

"I don't believe that," Tom interrupted. "I can't imagine her parents would let her get on a bus when she's been missing for weeks. I think it's a hoax and you should call the Wescotts to find out for sure."

"Okay, I'll try," Holland agreed. "But the reception is rubbish."

"Go into the bedroom Tom is using and sit on the floor. There's a good spot there. We'll start dishing up the lunch," Bess instructed. She was anxious to know whether or not the message on Holland's phone was true. Like Tom, Bess was sceptical. She couldn't imagine Eloise would be allowed to go anywhere. There would be an enormous amount of questions and probably some sort of medical examination ordered by her parents to make sure she was physically okay.

When Holland returned it was plain by the look on her face the message had been a hoax.

"What did they say?" Bess asked.

"Nobody's heard from her," Holland explained. "Who would do something so horrible?"

"Let's call the number the text came from," Tom said taking the phone from Holland and looking at the message. He pressed a button to call the number and turned the speaker on so that they could all hear. Finally someone answered.

"Hello," said the voice.

"Eloise, it's me Bess."

Instantly the person at the other end disconnected the call.

"That didn't really sound like her," Holland said frowning. She tried the number again, but there was no answer. "Come on, let's eat."

The meal was picked at in silence. Clancy and Maisy, who didn't know Eloise, were conscious of the feeling around the table. Even Tom seemed down. It was difficult and after receiving the prank message, they wondered why anyone would want to play such a cruel trick.

"It has to be someone who knows Holland," Clancy said. "How else would they get your number."

"I thought that, but I don't know anybody mean enough to send a message like that. Especially when we're all so worried about her."

"The reason we went to that crack in the wall was because of you Bess. The stuff you found there belonged to Eloise," Tom reminded them. "There was a bus stop sign and one of the buses came to this area. What if someone saw you and decided to play a trick. I know it's a horrible thing to do, but how do you know it's not one of your school friends doing this?"

"But how would someone get Holland's number and how would people know where we are?"

"Are you kidding? Everybody knows everything that's going on in Endless Hiccup," Tom said. "It would be easy to get that information."

"The unanswered questions and the messages just add more confusion. But we're forgetting something," Clancy reminded them. "The message on Maisy's phone. The one that said, give it back. We should focus on that."

They all agreed. Bess needed to get back to the purpose of her quest and that was to learn more about her time travel heritage and find out the truth. If the gift wasn't meant for her then it was meant for someone else and that was the mystery at hand, not who sent a prank message from an unknown number.

"I wish I could stay here longer and help you with this Bess. I feel as though I've hardly done anything at all," Maisy said as she helped to clear the dishes from the table.

"Are you kidding? You've been a great help. We couldn't have held the séance without you Maisy. I wish you could stay longer too. We have a sofa you could sleep on," Bess suggested. "You know, if you wanted to."

Maisy looked around at them all and the others nodded in agreement. "I suppose I could ask Mum."

After sorting out the finer details, it was agreed Maisy could stay at the bungalow with them for two nights. They had plenty of food to go around and there were a few more packets of biscuits and crisps added to the pantry by Maisy's mum. She also left them another dozen eggs and a few vegetables that were left over.

"Any ideas what you might do with the cottage Bess?"

She hadn't thought of it. "No Maisy, but I probably have a few years to think about that."

"It's a shame it's so run down, it has everything you need," Maisy said absently.

"Hmm," Bess replied sitting on the sofa and pointing the remote at the television. Joined by the others, they settled down to watch some television before making the evening meal. Sitting up straight, Bess looked at Maisy. "What did you just say?"

"Nothing," Maisy replied looking slightly bewildered. "It was the television."

"No, about the cottage."

"It's a shame it's so run down, it has everything you need."

"That's it. When you came to visit me you gave me a letter and in the letter, Grace, your gran, told me that I would find the cottage has everything I need. What if that's why we're here? Maybe there's something in the cottage that can help us."

"But there are spiders in the cottage," Clancy reminded her.

"Don't forget that mouse I spotted last summer too Bess," Tom reminded her.

"I'm just going to have to be brave. I can't let a bunch of spiders and a rodent keep me from finding whatever it is I need to sort this out. I have a good feeling about it and I haven't felt like this for a while."

"So you're saying you want to go over to that creepy cottage and look for something when you really don't know you're looking for," Holland said.

"Yes," Bess nodded. "Come on, there's hours of daylight left."

Following her, they all left the bungalow by the back door and headed down the garden to the small bridge that would lead them hopefully towards some answers. The harsh sunlight made them blink. None of them realised it was so warm outside as the morning had been quite cool and now they were all thinking about the rock pool at the bottom of the falls.

"We should go swimming instead," Clancy suggested. She didn't fancy hunting through a rundown house filled with spiders and creepy pests and tried to entice Bess with a dip in the water.

"After," Bess said. "If I can't find what it is I'm supposed to, we can come back here, get changed and go swimming."

"I'm not sure you're going to find anything in there," Maisy said hesitantly. She could see Bess was on some sort of mission and didn't want to discourage her, but she couldn't quite grasp how anything in the cottage would help. They weren't related so it wasn't as though her gran would have left anything for Bess to find. It was odd and Maisy couldn't help feeling Bess was just setting herself up for a fall.

They stood before it and stared. Pain emanated from the tiny house in the woods, as if it had been injured and left to die. Reaching out with desperation, the cottage begged for attention. Stepping forward, Bess took a deep breath. If she didn't do this now, she never would. Gingerly she picked her way through the overgrown front garden towards the cottage door. Prickly blackberries wove in and out of the long grass and more than once, she caught herself on the sharp thorns. Finally, she turned and looked back at the others who were just standing there watching from the safety of the pathway. A quick glance through the window, told Bess the mess that awaited inside was nothing like the comforting home she remembered. Shrugging, she managed to open the door expecting the house to cave in on itself. Stepping inside, a surprise met her. It was exactly the way she remembered. There was nothing out of place and sitting at the neatly set table was her teenage friend Grace. Closing the door behind her, she smiled.

"I was wondering when you would return Bess."

"But, I don't understand. How is this possible?"

"I don't quite understand time travel, but all things are possible. I've been calling to you, didn't you hear me?"

"Wait, the whispers, that was you?"

"Yes. Who else would it be? Now, would you like a cup of tea and some chocolate cake? Patrick should be back soon, he's missed you Bess."

At that moment, she felt her heart jump. Patrick, but it wasn't possible, was it?

"Sit down," Grace instructed. "Now, you've got a problem. Your best friend is missing and you've been told your time travel gift belongs to someone else so you're now searching for answers. I've been watching and I'm here to help you."

Bess sat nodding her head as she watched Grace cut a large slice of chocolate cake and put it carefully on a plate. Handing it over, she took it and plunged the cake fork into the offering. It tasted just as good as ever. Sipping the tea she couldn't quite believe what was happening.

"Your friend is alright Bess. She'll come home, she just needs time," Grace said. "Have faith."

"But if it's you who's had been calling to me, what's going on with Alice Brown and how is it that you're a teenager.?"

"I don't know anything about Alice Brown. My concern is you Bess. You're not coping and you're questioning yourself. That's why I reached out to you. I'm a teenager here because this is who I was here. My essence can take the form of me at any time in my life."

"So you put the things in the crack in the wall."

"No, that wasn't me either. I just led you to the bus stop so you would come and visit me. If you've finished your tea, I'll read your leaves for you," Grace offered taking the teacup from Bess. She swirled it a little and then upturned it on the saucer. Lifting the cup the gypsy looked carefully at the shape that had formed. "Just as I thought. A downward spiral."

"What does that mean?"

"See how the leaves are shaped in a spiral formation that gets tighter towards the bottom of the cup. Bess you're heading for a fall and it's not going to be easy for you to recover, but you will. You're strong. Remember the card reading you had here in the cottage? Your future is bright Bess. But right now, you have a question lurking and I have the answer. You're wondering about the dreams you've had and the mysteries you've solved. They're all related to you and your gift and you don't understand how it can't belong to you. Let me tell you right now, if you couldn't travel through time, you wouldn't have experienced any of it. But that doesn't necessarily mean the gift was meant for you. So somewhere in amongst all of the mysteries that you solved there's a factor which links them. You just need to find it," Grace explained.

At that moment the door opened. Turning Bess expected to see Patrick but around her the room had transformed to the dishevelled mess she had seen through the window.

"Is everything alright?"

"Tom, what? What are you doing in here?"

"What do you mean. I followed you in to make sure you stayed out of danger. What are you doing? You're not having a tea party by yourself are you?"

It was no good for Bess to explain it to Tom and then have to repeat it over again to the others so she stood and hustled him out into the fresh air. Waiting patiently the others stood at the edge of the garden.

"Sorry I took so long," Bess apologised.

"What are you talking about, you were in there for less than a minute," Maisy told her.

"But I had tea and cake with your gran," Bess said feeling slightly bewildered. "Come on, let's go and get changed for our swim and I'll tell you all what happened."

After relaying the strange visit to the others, they finished their afternoon with a dip in the pool. As they headed back to the bungalow, Bess stopped outside the cottage and took a last look. She wondered if she would ever return and restore it to the state it had been in all those years ago.

Sitting together for the evening meal, they ate in silence. Each one questioning the events of the afternoon.

"Do you have the things that are relevant to all of the mysteries that you've solved with you?" Maisy was hopeful, but the answer was disappointing.

"No, it's all at home," Bess told her.

"Then when we get back to Endless Hiccup, we have to go through the entire works, word by word," Holland said. "If there's something in there that links it all together, we'll find it Bess."

Chapter Nineteen

There were no more messages or bumps in the night and as the week away came to a close, the teenagers were keen to get home.

Now they knew there was something they were missing and where to find it, they were slightly optimistic about solving the puzzle. More importantly, especially for Bess, Grace had said that Eloise was fine and would return home when she was ready. A little more cheerful about the situation, she smiled knowing it was just a matter of waiting patiently. It was time to focus on the mystery and find out exactly who the time travel should have gone to. There was a lot of work to do, but Bess wasn't alone. Clancy had arranged to stay for another week and Holland wouldn't be returning to Cornwall until they had news of Eloise, plus there was Tom. Maisy had gone home but had promised to stay in touch with the group and Bess promised to keep her up to date with the goings on.

"What I don't understand is why that Alice Brown woman was out here calling your name and waving at you," Holland said as they sat in the Hooper's back garden. "Then later when she saw you in the episode thing you had she started yelling at you and tried to cut you up with a knife. Plus there was that wall dream thing when you saw the paper in the crack. I don't get it."

"I thought we went over that, Bess isn't always herself," Clancy pointed out. "Still, it's odd. I'm starting to think we're never going to work this out."

Tom lay nearby staring up into the sky. The clouds were beginning to darken and the constant talk about who was supposed to time travel was starting to grate on him. Girls were annoying, at least these ones. He missed his mates and couldn't wait to get away and kick the football around for a while.

"You're quiet Tom," Bess said. "You don't have to hang out with us all of the time. If we work anything else out, I'll let you know."

"Okay," he said jumping up, Tom didn't waste any more time and ran off to find his friends.

"How did you know?" Holland asked.

"I just know my brother. It can't be much fun for him spending all of his time with us when his mates are off doing boy things." Picking up one of Beth Hartely's diaries, she flicked through the pages absently. "I wonder what the names of the other girls were. I know there was some stuff on the internet about the girls who went missing at the time, but I didn't really pay much attention because I was concentrating on Beth. Maybe that might give us some sort of clue."

"Let's find out," Clancy said. Armed as always with her tablet, they began the search for the names of the girls who went missing around the same time as Beth and Bess flicked through the book of names she had found in the tin beneath the old school.

"I think I've found something," Bess told them both. "There's a girl by the name of Harriet Brown listed. But she doesn't have any numbers or a line through her name."

"She could be a relative," Holland agreed. "Is there anything else in there that might help us?"

Shaking her head, Bess continued to look but none of the other names were helpful. It was a longshot really but they had to continue their search.

"You know, if this was meant for someone else to solve, one of the missing girls must be involved. That's what the mystery was all about right. So if we work on tracing their families back we might just find the girl connected to Alice Brown," Clancy said.

"That sounds like it's going to be a very difficult task," Holland moaned.

"I agree, that's why we should take this stuff inside before it starts raining and get some snacks," Bess told them. "Come on."

Packing up, the three girls moved indoors. After an extensive search of the cupboards, they agreed on cake and made tea. Spreading everything out over the dining table, they worked in silence trying to make some sense of the mystery that they now faced.

"Stop everything," Clancy sad suddenly. "We're stupid."

"Speak for yourself," Holland argued.

"Bess, you solved a mystery at Stone Arches."

"Go on," Bess said almost knowing what Clancy was going to say.

"It's obvious, it has to be Eloise. She has to have something to do with it. It could be that she should have received the gift, or maybe even Holland."

Bess looked at them both. None of them had even considered Holland. It made sense though. She was a witch by nature and had been visited by Alice Brown. She had even known of the clocktower story. Now, here she was perhaps trying to solve a mystery about herself.

"When I spoke to Alice, she told me I was a messenger. So when I met you Bess, I just naturally thought that the message was meant for you and it still might be. Plus the relatives at Stone Arches, that's the other side of the family. I'm not related to those Wescotts."

"Why do you say that?" Bess felt slightly confused by the conversation but was keen to hear her friend's thoughts on the matter. "I mean the messenger part. I get the stuff about Eloise's family."

"Well, she's trying to communicate with you now on some level and the messages you're getting are asking you to give it back. Maybe she just wants you to know that. Perhaps there's something else were overlooking. The Stone Arches might never have come about at all, that could be linked to you personally because of your connection to Eloise. I don't think we're on the right track. There's something we're overlooking and I have a feeling that when we realise, we'll kick ourselves."

"Maybe I should just keep it," Bess suggested. "Everything happens for a reason you know."

"You're right about that, but do you think that's the right thing to do?"

Thinking carefully about Holland's question, Bess shook her head and returned to the task at hand.

Chapter Twenty

"There might be a day when everything goes in my favour," Bess mumbled to herself as she sat on her bed staring out of the window.

Rain trickled down the other side of the glass. The streams of water gathered on the windowsill and formed tiny waterfalls. Falling from the sill the drops bounced from the leaves of the plants below and landed on the thirsty earth. She watched as the heavens continued with the offering feeling just a little forlorn at the sight of the bad weather.

Holland lounged on the bed reading a diary written by Beth Hartely and Clancy sat cross legged on the floor staring at the screen of her tablet. The girls had been searching for almost two weeks now and they hadn't discovered anything new. Clancy would be going home in a few days and it didn't look as though they would ever find an answer.

There was still no sign of Eloise and still depressed by the death of Grace, Bess waited, expecting something else to go wrong. Perhaps hitting a dead end was the third and final blow. Maybe this was just one of those puzzles that they weren't supposed to solve. Sighing, she picked up the flow chart they had put together and looked at it absently.

"Bess," Tom interrupted, bursting in, he closed the door behind himself. "I've worked it out. At least some of it."

The three girls put down their tools and gave him their full attention.

"You've been looking at this all wrong. Every single time you've travelled back in time, there's been a purpose to it."

"Go on," Bess insisted.

"The only times you went back with this mystery was at the old cottage the episode that you had in the bungalow. The crack in the wall is something completely different and I think it's a hoax. Grace was whispering to you and it was the bus stop sign that was the clue so you would visit the cottage and she would be there to speak to you. The common denominator is the time travel itself."

"But what about the dream I had when I found the paper in the wall?"

"You didn't time travel, that was the present," Tom reminded her.

"What does that mean? I don't get it," Holland said.

"We're thinking the gift was received by accident and should have gone to someone else. But don't you remember the story? There was someone trying to steal it. What if they did Bess? What if Alice Brown is the inventor and the gift was stolen and passed along by the thief?"

"I get what Tom's saying. The gift was stolen from Alice Brown and that's why she's asking for it back," Clancy said.

"But those things in the wall and the talking board messages have to come into this somehow," Bess said.

"No they don't," Holland said. "The crack in the wall might have been a hoax. Someone might have seen you get out of Calliope's car and go there. It might even have been Eloise herself. Nobody knows where she is, who's to say she left Endless Hiccup at all. Look the point is, there are so many confusing factors involved that it can't all be connected. The talking board might have picked up on you inner most concern and at the time it could have been Eloise. Nobody really knows haw that stuff works, there are no rules."

"But if someone stole the gift, it must have been one of our ancestors for me to receive it," Bess said. It suddenly hit her. The reason why Alice Brown had threatened her and why she wanted it back. She knew the reason why.

"I know what you're thinking, and you're right. That's why Alice Brown told you to get out when you had that flashback thing. That's why she's coming to get you. Don't you understand Bess," Tom urged. "The gift was stolen by one of our ancestors and by default, you're the bad guy."

Both Clancy and Holland stood silently waiting for Bess to say something. The tension in the room revealed what they were all thinking and no words were required.

"So that means," Bess hesitated before speaking again, "she's still coming for me."

The others just nodded.

About the Author

Born in a library, I was raised on literature and fed off the great and masterful writers of classic fiction. Now it's my turn.

After several attempts to have my work published, I'm doing it myself. Residing in the UK, I spend most of my waking hours researching and writing. This is my life and the characters I create are the imaginary world that hooks me in for hours at a time.

I hope you enjoyed my book as much as I enjoyed writing it, and it would only take a moment of your precious time to leave a rating and a comment on the website you found the book on.

Meanwhile, keep on reading!

Sandra Maggs

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Other books by the same author

The Gryffon Archives

The Landowner's Secret

The Musician's Betrayal

Jacqueline & Other Stories

Hettie Hackwood's Magical Miracle Potion

The Bee Line

Scavenger

Ravenous

Other books in this series

The Mystery of the Cornerstone

The Mystery of Kissing Gate Woods

The Mystery of the Stone Arches

The Mystery of Wicklow Hall

The Mystery of the Vanishing Lake

The Mystery of the Clock Tower – Release date 5th December 2019

