Gamble with Death

  A supernatural novella

  The Haunted Series

  By

  Wendy Cartmell

  © Wendy Cartmell 2019

  Wendy Cartmell has asserted her rights under the Copyright, Design and Patents Act, 1988, to be identified as the author of this work.

  This is a work of fiction. References to real places, real people, events, establishments, organisations, or locations, are intended only to provide a sense of authentication, and are used fictitiously. All other characters, incidents and dialogue are drawn from the author’s imagination and are not to be construed as real.

  This kindle edition published 2019

  For Ben

  Thank you for such an inspiring gift!

  Table of Contents

  Table of Contents

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  25

  26

  27

  28

  EPILOGUE

  The Haunted Series

  By Wendy Cartmell

  1

  The day Audrey found the flamingo dawned cold, crisp and sunny. As she made her way to Arundel from her home village of Storrington, Audrey relished the sunshine after what felt like weeks of grey skies, rain and mild temperatures. The sun flooded into her little car as she drove, forcing her to feel blindly for an old pair of sunglasses she kept on the shelf under the steering wheel. Once they were on, she pushed her blond corkscrew curls off her face, but with little success.

  Ken Bruce was taking a contestant through the mid-morning music quiz on Radio 2 and she listened intently. However, the participant was doing much better than Audrey herself, who clearly hadn’t much recall of bands of the 1980’s. Being in her early 60’s she was more in tune with the disco era music of the 1970s. But that didn’t temper her upbeat mood. For a change the world seemed full of promise and hope. Audrey wasn’t exactly sure why but put it down to the sunshine. After all everyone felt better in the sun, didn’t they? Something or other to do with endorphins. Or Vitamin C. She wasn’t quite sure, but whatever it was, the sunshine had certainly lifted her spirits.

  She soon arrived in Arundel and parked in a half full car park. One of the perks of being retired was that you could go out during the week and that way miss the crowds of the weekend. She walked towards the antique shops wondering if today would turn out to be her lucky day. She was looking for a smallish cabinet that would fit into her front room. She mostly had mango wood furniture and something to blend in with that would be just fine. The joy of this small town was the sheer number of antique and bric-a-brac shops, and so she was sure she’d find something she wanted at a reasonable price.

  The first couple of shops were a bust, but when she entered the third, she felt a small frisson of excitement, although she wasn’t sure why. She thought the feeling a bit strange as the contents of the shop were more ornaments and less furniture. Still, giving in to the feeling, she worked her way through the establishment, nodding hello to the owner sitting by the till at the front of the shop as she passed him.

  The building consisted of several small rooms that had been opened out as much as possible, given the fact that the building was clearly very old. The walls were thick, some painted white, others left au natural, and the narrow rickety stairs made her glad she’d worn jeans and flat shoes as she didn’t want to end up in a heap on the floor with a broken hip. She systematically worked her way around the rooms, until she came to one right at the back of the building. An old latch door stood open, inviting her in.

  There the goods were covered in a layer of dust, as though they hadn’t been moved in a long time. There were broken bits of pottery, a dismembered doll, a watch that had stopped and dull, scratched shelves. The only cabinet in the room had a broken door, which was hanging drunkenly from one hinge. It looked like the final resting place of all things broken, unsellable and unloved. She must have strayed too far into the building and landed in a private room not normally open to the public.

  Audrey started to turn away, disappointed that the morning wasn’t proving to be fruitful, when she spied a flash of gold atop the broken cabinet. Doing an about turn she looked at the object that had caught her eye more closely.

  It was brass, not gold as she’d previously thought and was the only ornament in the room that wasn’t dull, tarnished or broken. It was a figure of a bird of some sort and her hands reached out and held it without her having had a conscious thought. The figure turned out to be a flamingo. She had previously thought it a stork, or heron, but on closer inspection realised it was indeed a flamingo standing on one leg. There was a hook on its back, which she grasped and found that it was a lid, opening up the body of the bird, although she had no idea why that might be. Perhaps it was a receptacle for trinkets? She could see small rings and earrings fitting inside it, but not much else.

  The brass was exquisitely carved or set; she didn’t really understand how these things were made. The carved feathers felt cool under her fingers and the head and bill were remarkably lifelike. She was sure it would look stunning when displayed correctly in her apartment. She up-ended the bird to find the price. Sure enough there was a white sticker declaring the purchase price to be £50.

  That was far too rich for Audrey’s purse and so she reluctantly placed the flamingo carefully back onto the cabinet. She went to put her hands in her pocket, but then felt them reaching out and pushing the flamingo behind some crockery, effectively hiding it from possible future buyers.

  She frowned, wondering why she’d done that as she had no intention of buying it and turned to leave the shop. There was no furniture suitable for her in there. She had to keep focused. But she was becoming tired and feeling more than a little dispirited. Perhaps she’d feel better after a coffee.

  2

  Audrey settled at a small table at a coffee shop in a cobbled area by the river wall. The thought of going to a coffee chain never entered her mind, as she much preferred to support local businesses. This one was a quaint place, which also offered a wide range of home-made cakes and pastries, one of which Audrey couldn’t resist. She was mindful that she’d have to extend her afternoon walk to burn off the excess calories. She liked to keep trim, but it was getting harder with every passing year. She’d never had a problem with her weight before and had decided it must be something to do with her age. She’d even joined a local gym but was rather lax in her attendance.

  Breaking through her thoughts of weight loss and weight gain was the flamingo. She couldn’t seem to get that ornament out of her mind. But she had to, she told herself sternly. There was no way she was paying £50 for a brass figure. It had no use, no purpose, no value. She couldn’t put anything in it, it didn’t do anything useful and what was the body coming apart all about? No, she couldn’t possibly buy it. Her £50 could be better spent elsewhere. But having said that, she mused, it would look rather nice displayed in her apartment on top of a small cabinet.

  Looking at her watch Audrey was surprised to find that she’d spent more time in the café than she’d intended to. Paying her bill and collecting her handbag and gloves, she stood and walked away from the terrace. She hesitated at the roadside. Turning right would take her back to the car park. Or should she turn left and go back to the antique shop? No, she decided, she was very definitely going back to the car park.

  Audrey wandered along in a daze and was surprised to find herself outside the small shop once more. It was the sound of the bell tinkling as she opened the door that brought her out of her stupor. Well, she thought, maybe she’d just see if the flamingo was still there. It had probably been sold, but it was worth a look.

  This time, as she moved through the shop, she was focused, not stopping to browse as she’d done earlier that morning. She reached the cabinet with the drunken door and stood stock still. She was right. It had been sold. Disappointment flooded through her, the strength of feeling surprising her. After all it was only a brass ornament. She told herself not to be so silly.

  And then she saw it. Glinting at her from behind some broken crockery. She’d forgotten she’d hidden it.

  A smile broke across her face as she reached for the flamingo. Once it was in her hand, she let out a sigh of contentment. It was safe. It was home. She had to have it. It was fate. Meant to be. She laughed at her silliness and practically skipped to the owner and his till near the front of the shop.

  Upon arriving, she remembered the price was £50. It was still rather above her budget. However, being an ardent watcher of the many antique shows on the television, she decided to haggle.

  ‘Hello,’ she smiled. ‘I’m rather interested in this,’ she said and held up the flamingo. ‘But I’m afraid it’s rather above my budget. What would be your best price on it?’

  She went to hand the flamingo over, so the shop owner could check his codes on the price sticker to help him work out a reduced price, but to her surp rise he dropped his hands and put them firmly on his desk, rather than handling the ornament. He had also gone rather pale.

  ‘Um, I could do it for half price. £25?’ he spluttered.

  Audrey was sure he was backing away from her. His behaviour was very strange. Perhaps he wasn’t very well and didn’t want to spread his germs to his unsuspecting customers.

  ‘I would rather it was £20. What do you think?’ and Audrey held out a twenty-pound note as further inducement.

  ‘Very well,’ he replied and snatched the note from her hand. ‘Thank you. Good day to you.’

  As he turned his attention to his computer screen, Audrey realised he was not going to wrap her purchase. Or put it in a box. Or in a bag.

  ‘Um, goodbye,’ she stammered, ‘and thank you.’

  He nodded vaguely in her direction, and she left the shop still wondering at his strange behaviour.

  3

  Out on the street Audrey placed the flamingo carefully in her large leather tote bag that had been a great find in her local charity shop. But then she wondered at her delicate handling of the flamingo. It was made of brass, stupid! She was more liable to break than the robust metal bird.

  She was rather grateful to the shop owner for his price reduction but couldn’t get his strange behaviour out of her mind. Perhaps he was a bit OCD? Maybe he didn’t touch some objects due to the layer of dust on them, having a phobia of dirt? But if that was the case, why was he working in an old, shabby antique shop?

  Pushing away thoughts of the shop owner’s strange behaviour she decided she might have the wrong idea about the man. Perhaps he was just upset about having to sell the ornament and for such a reduced price. Maybe he needed the money. Oh well, Audrey decided the shop owner’s loss was her gain, wasn’t it?

  Having reached her car, she placed her bag carefully on the empty passenger seat and started the car. On the way home, she met very little traffic, all the traffic lights were in her favour and she was home in record time. What a piece of luck. The second of the day. The first bit of luck, of course, had been finding the flamingo and getting it at such a reduced price.

  She parked her car carefully in the small carpark and made sure her resident permit was clearly on display. Passing by the communal lounge on the way to her apartment, the door opened suddenly, causing her to jump as her friend Kath walked out.

  ‘Gracious,’ Audrey said. ‘You made me jump!’

  ‘Sorry love. Been out have you?’

  ‘Yes, I just popped over to Arundel to have a browse.’

  ‘How exciting! Did you find anything?’

  Audrey was about to tell her friend about her flamingo, when her throat closed, and she became unable to speak. She immediately realised that, at least for now, she didn’t want anyone to know about her lucky find. She wanted to keep it to herself. Keep it all to herself.

  That thought was alien to Audrey, as she’d never been one to keep things all to herself. She always shared whatever she had with those who had nothing and needed her help. Shaking her head, but unable to dislodge the selfish thought, she said, ‘No, nothing I’m afraid.’

  ‘Not to worry,’ her friend said. ‘Better luck next time,’ and Kath walked off in the direction of her own apartment.

  Audrey didn’t have time to wonder why she’d lied to Kath, as she rushed to her own front door and with a shaking hand, finally managed to get her key in the lock.

  4

  But, of course, Audrey couldn’t keep her lucky find quiet for long. It was the very next day that she began to talk about it to her friends. She’d placed the flamingo on a dark wood sideboard in her lounge, which really set off the glowing brass. The cabinet was opposite where Audrey normally sat, so whenever she raised her eyes from her book, or newspaper, she saw it. Which was good, as it made her smile. With the flamingo in the room with her, somehow she was less lonely than she had been in a long time. Or at least since her husband Bob had died a couple of years ago. She greatly missed the companionship of another human being. Friends had suggested she get a small dog, or a cat, but so far she’d dismissed the idea as impractical. But in the long lonely hours of the night she had often been tempted, yet so far resisted. Still, Audrey figured, those were problems and decisions for another day.

  For now, Audrey was happy with the flamingo and she shared the news with her friends over their regular coffee morning in the lounge. She was particularly proud of her haggling skills, she told them.

  ‘Just like being on Bargain Hunt,’ said Kath. ‘Ha, well done you!’

  ‘I bet the shop owner wasn’t very pleased. You probably took most of his profit,’ said Suzanna.

  Audrey remembered his strange reaction to the flamingo and began to feel a sense of unease. ‘I expect you’re right,’ she agreed with Suzanna. ‘Still his loss is my gain, as they say.’

  ‘You should have brought it with you, so we could see it,’ said Kath. ‘And by the way, why didn’t you show me it when I met you yesterday?’

  ‘Sorry, Kath,’ Audrey said. ‘It was just that it was all dusty and a bit tarnished, so I wanted to give it a good clean before I showed it to anyone.’

  That, of course, was a blatant lie as the brass object didn’t need cleaning at all. In fact it had been the cleanest thing in the whole of that shabby shop.

  ‘Why don’t you pop home with me when we’ve finished coffee,’ Audrey continued.

  ‘Oh, well, if you want me to I could, just for a few minutes.’ Kath sniffed but Audrey knew her friend well enough to know that was the end of the matter. Kath didn’t bear grudges and they’d soon smooth the choppy waters of their friendship.

  As Kath finished her coffee, she put her mug down decisively on the coffee table and said, ‘Right then, off we go!’

  Audrey smiled and followed her friend out of the communal part of the development and into the apartments. Putting her key in the lock, she experienced a frisson of fear. What if Kath hated the flamingo? Word would soon spread, and she’d be the subject of many hours of gossip and speculation about her bad taste. The last thing Audrey wanted was to be derided by her friends and neighbours.

  But she needn’t have worried. As soon as Kath spied the flamingo, sitting alone in all its splendour, illuminated by a spotlight set into the ceiling, she said, ‘Heavens above, Audrey, it’s beautiful!’

  ‘Do you really think so?’ Audrey could hear the plaintiff tone in her voice but couldn’t help it. She suddenly felt anxious, seeking validation of her love of the brass ornament.

  ‘It’s actually exquisite,’ Kath said and went to pick it up.

  ‘No!’ shrieked Audrey.

  Kath grabbed her hands back from where they were hovering above the flamingo as if her fingers had been singed. ‘Sorry.’

  Abashed, Audrey said, ‘No, I’m sorry for shouting. It’s just that I’ve spent ages polishing it…’ she tailed off, rather weakly, hoping Kath would understand.

  ‘Ha, it took lots of elbow grease did it? Not to worry, I wouldn’t want sticky fingers all over it if it was mine, either. We have just been eating sugary doughnuts,’ and she wiggled her fingers. ‘Anyway, what a lucky find you had. I’m quite envious, it’s stunning. And now I really must go, I need some shopping. You coming?’ Kath said as she moved towards the door.

  ‘No, no, I’m alright thanks,’ said Audrey and sank onto the settee. She was quite exhausted by the whole thing. She had no idea why she didn’t want Kath to touch the flamingo. It was very much a defensive thing. She realised she wanted to keep it all to herself, which wasn’t what she was normally like at all. She’d never coveted anything in the past. Really, really wanted something. But now she did. She really, really wanted to keep hold of the flamingo and not share it with anyone else.

  She reached out and plucked it from the cabinet. As she held it to her breast her breathing slowed and she started to relax. Within a few short minutes she was fast asleep, still holding the flamingo.

 

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