For a few minutes Claire sat still. The ghost of Harry Stone was suddenly implanted right inside Arrow Hall, just where she never wanted to see him again. She was going to get out of this cramped cabin and back to London. As she was closing her laptop, James noisily bustled back to the small space and interrupted her. He stared at Claire as she quickly placed the diamond back in the velvet pouch.
‘What have you got there?’
‘I’m not sure what it is. But a present from somebody I knew way back,’ Claire said.
There was a pause as James hovered, uncertain. He stared through the dusty window to the site.
‘Looks like a diamond. Do you know him?’
‘Why do you ask?’
‘Just curious.’
‘It’s Harry Stone – don’t you remember you called him a bit of a cowboy? But when he owned Arrow Hall, I worked for him for a few years,’ Claire said.
‘Lucky you.’ There was dismissive sharpness in James’s voice and his arm was shaking as he flicked over a plan lying on the table.
‘What’s the matter, James? Are you alright?’ Claire asked.
‘Yeah, I’m fine.’
‘You look flustered. Unusual for you.’
‘Does your mate Harry Stone often give away diamonds?’ James answered, avoiding Claire’s gaze.
‘Don’t be inquisitive – you don’t need to know any more about him.’
Claire put the diamond pouch in her pocket and placed her laptop in her bag. James stared at her as if he was expecting her to say more about this sudden visitor. But Claire stood – she wanted to get out of this place. The site was empty – it had been for a couple of hours – and Arrow Hall, in its half-built state, Claire was finding spooky, something sinister in the gaunt outline shielded by scaffold. She had felt it before.
James looked at his watch and stood for a moment in front of her, blocking her exit.
‘Move away.’
Claire shouted at him and pushed him aside. James did not resist, but what was he trying to do? The drive back to her new flat was slow, tedious, and as she let herself in through the front door, the sparseness of the small space made her unsettled. In the tiny kitchen she sat for a minute, poured a glass of wine. There was something about Harry Stone calling in at Arrow Hall that did not quite add up. She handled the small diamond he had given her, and her future suddenly stared her in the face. That man was intruding into her life again.
What was it about Harry Stone that would not let his gaunt image fade away?