The blog I’d read earlier mentioned it was normal for ghosts to have trouble remembering things. Apparently, it was due to the fact they were supposed to move on and not remain attached to their former lives. I just hoped Sarah would remember where she lived.
I had looked around the body and hadn’t seen any sign of her phone. The police mentioned they couldn’t find one either.
“This is it,” Sarah said as we approached a small, one-story brick house with an overgrown front garden.
“Oh crap. How can we get in? Does anyone else live here?” I hadn’t thought about how we’d get in there. I was so focused on just finding the place.
“I have a roommate but she’s never here. She’s always at her boyfriend’s place. There should be a spare key under that.” She motioned to an empty flowerpot.
Bending down, I shoved the pot aside and picked up a silver key.
Unlocking the front door, I braced myself for her roommate to appear and demand to know why I was there. No one came out to greet me.
“Come on, let’s go. Told you no one would be here.”
It felt odd to be wandering around the house. I felt like an intruder. The living room didn’t have much. Just a worn-out leather sofa and a flatscreen TV. Along with discarded packets of takeaway food. The kitchen was a mess with dirty plates and bowls everywhere. It smelt pretty bad too.
“Is any of this familiar?” I asked.
Sarah shrugged. “I guess.”
“Think. Where did you go last night? Were you here?”
She bit her lip. “I’m not sure.”
The blog I read mentioned ghosts sometimes had trouble remembering how they died, especially if they had a traumatic death. It really depended on the person. Some ghosts were said to relive their deaths over and over again, whilst others couldn’t remember them at all.
Argh, I’d never help her move on if she couldn’t remember what happened to her. There had to be a way to get her to remember.
“Come on, you need to remember or I can’t help you.” I exited the kitchen, unable to stand the stench of rotting food anymore.
“I told you, it’s all blurry,” Sarah grumbled. “I can’t remember what happened. All I remember is waking up and standing over my body.”
I headed up the stairs and Sarah trailed behind me.
“Which one is your room?”
“That one.” She pointed to a door on the left that stood partially open.
I pushed the door open wider and almost tripped over discarded clothes that littered the floor.
Wow, it reminded me of my sister’s room back when we had lived with our parents. She had never been very clean and dumped her clothes everywhere.
Pictures of Sarah and another woman around her age were stuck to the vanity mirror.
“Hey, who’s this?” I motioned to the photo. When I turned around Sarah had vanished.
Curses, I needed her here. I knew she must have run out of energy again.
How was I going to help her if she couldn’t answer my questions?
I took out my phone and took a few pics of her photos so I could ask about them later.
Looking around to see what else I could find, I noticed a piece of paper with the headline All-Night Rave. The dates were last night and tonight.
I slipped the flyer into my bag. Then wondered if I should put it back. The police would probably search this place too. I put it back and took a picture of it. It was a good thing I had thought to put gloves on before I’d come in. Even if I did feel ridiculous wearing long black gloves.
I went through some bills and other paperwork just to see what I could find. It felt wrong to be intruding on someone else’s life like this. What choice did I have? Sarah wouldn’t leave until she got my help. So I had to find out everything I could about her.
I rummaged through her bedside table. All I found were condoms, birth control pills and receipts. Nothing else that might tell me about where she’d gone or who she’d been with last night. Still no sign of her phone either.
Maybe the killer had taken it. Although they hadn’t hidden her body very well. Not given how easily I found her.
Had they wanted her to be found?
Part of me still wanted to wake up from this nightmare. The longer it went on the more real it became. Nothing. I couldn’t find much else in Sarah’s room. Not even an address book of potential friends.
Maybe that was just as well. I had no idea what I’d even say to them.
The sound of movement downstairs made me freeze.
Oh crap, someone was here.
I went to the bedroom window. Outside was a police car, along with the DCI I met this morning. Curses, I couldn’t let them see me or they’d arrest me and make me their prime suspect.
Why hadn’t I been more careful? I should have got out of there earlier instead of snooping around so much.
Sarah’s room would be one of the first places they’d search. I went out onto the landing as a loud knock echoed down the hall.
Wait, no one else was home. That meant the police couldn’t just barge in. I breathed a sigh of relief, then a key turned in the front door a few moments later.
“Would you mind telling me what this is all about?” a female voice asked as the door opened.
Oh Goddess, I need to get out of here .
That woman had to be the roommate or someone who knew Sarah.
Curses, why hadn’t I had the sense to put the spare key down again? I stupidly brought it in and put it in my pocket.
Taking the key out, I wiped it off just to be on the safe side. Where could I go? There were no doors to get outside. Guess I’d have to jump out of the window.
I was really useless at crime solving if I got myself arrested.
Heading to the bathroom, I opened the window since that seemed larger than the bedroom ones. The sounds of voices grew louder downstairs. The bathroom window creaked as I yanked it open.
What if they heard me? I half expected the police to come running upstairs and barge in.
I glanced down. The window opened onto the back garden but there was a rooftop part way down. Hopefully that would be enough to ease my fall.
I hesitated. I wasn’t sure if I should put the spare key back. But decided to do it anyway.
What if the neighbours saw me? I really hadn’t thought this through very well. I scrambled onto the windowsill then jumped.