The psychic twisted round to look back and all she could see through the rain was a thick mass of branches and leaves completely covering the road. She let out a shuddering breath as she turned and rested her forehead on the top of the steering wheel.
Oh God, that was close, she thought. Oh dear God, that was very close. Her whole body was trembling, especially her neck and shoulders which, paradoxically, also felt taut.
She took a few moments to calm herself before starting the car again. Trembling still, she drove onwards to Crickley Hall.
•
There was a vehicle parked in the short bay area, but it wasn't Gabe Caleigh's. Lili knew he drove a Range Rover and this was another make entirely, a Ford of some kind. The rain was beating down so hard and the night was so dark—except when lightning strobed; then everything became a dramatic silvery-grey—she couldn't even tell its colour. The Range Rover was not to be seen and she briefly wondered if the Caleigh family had left the house. But then she saw the dull glow of a lighted window across the river. She parked close behind the Ford and her headlights revealed it to be a Mondeo, dark red in colour. A shallow spray haloed its roof as rain bounced off the metal.
As soon as Lili got out of her car she was drenched, her blonde hair darkened and flattened to her scalp. She wished she had brought an umbrella along—her mind had been too preoccupied when she had dashed from the flat—but then dismissed the idea: it would easily have blown away in this gale. Leaning forward, shoulders hunched almost to her ears and holding her coat closed with one hand, she made her way to the bridge.
Pausing before stepping on to it, Lili looked over at Crickley Hall. There were lights on in most of the windows, she now saw, upstairs and down; she thought she even saw a glow coming from the small attic windows. Holding onto the handrail, the psychic put one tentative ankle-booted foot onto the bridge and stopped. She could feel the wooden structure shaking beneath her.
Dark though the night was, she could see the white spume of the hurtling, swollen river. The wild waters were only inches below the foot planks of the bridge, and spray misted over the boards so that they were dangerously slippery. She gripped the handrail more tightly.
Lightning zigzagged from the sky and in its argent illumination the river looked terrifying, as if about to burst its banks. Broken tree branches, twigs and loose shrubbery cluttered against the rail on the other side, and the rail she held onto quivered in her grip.
With great trepidation, she placed her other foot on the bridge. It seemed even more shaky now that she had both feet on the walkway, even more unstable. Sliding her hand along the soaked rail, Lili warily moved further on, the wind whipping rain against her exposed face, her boots slipping on the bridge's slick surface. Halfway across she felt the whole structure shift, as if the raging water underneath might carry it away. The bridge only moved an inch or so, but nevertheless it was enough to make her panic.
The psychic ran the rest of the way, her feet skidding on the boards, only her hand on the rail saving her from falling. Just before she reached the end, the bridge lurched again as if to break free of its supports, and the movement, slight though it was, sent Lili staggering forwards so that she crashed to her knees onto the pathway.
She hurt her hands taking her weight, and her knees would have been grazed had she not been wearing a coat and skirt that covered them. Picking herself up and grimacing at the sharp sting in both hands, Lili hurried towards the house, crouching against the rain. Something caught her shoulder, a hard knock as if someone had punched her, and she wheeled round, expecting to be attacked. She saw movement in the darkness of the night, something small and rectangular falling away from her. The swing was lit up by another flash of lightning and it was coming back towards her at speed. But this time she was able to step backwards off the path so that it missed her. She sensed its heaviness as the wooden seat reached its highest point a foot or so above her head.
Although the psychic knew its motion was caused by the gale-force wind, she could not help but feel that the swing had hit her deliberately, conspiring somehow with the lightning-felled tree and the unstable bridge to keep her away from Crickley Hall.
Chiding herself for being melodramatic and almost letting her imagination run away with her, Lili continued her difficult journey to the house.
She got to the big front door and pressed hard on the bell button by its side. The storm was too loud for her to hear anything from inside and she pushed the bell once again, then banged on the wood with the heel of her fist.
'Eve!' she called out. 'It's Lili Peel. Please come to the door!'
Certain it wouldn't work but trying it anyway, she turned the old painted-black doorknob and was surprised when the wind blew the door inwards.
•
Her matted hair flat against her head, its ends dripping raindrops onto the floor, Lili entered Crickley Hall. The wind blustered in behind her, bringing rain with it. She quickly pushed the front door shut, fighting the wind to do so.
With the door closed and the noise of the storm muffled, the psychic turned to face the grand hall again. She had half expected to be overwhelmed by invisible presences like the first time she had arrived here, but there was nothing—she sensed no overwrought spirits, nor anything bad oppressing the atmosphere. The vast, stone-flagged room that felt like some self-aggrandizing billionaire's mausoleum was devoid of unearthly energies. But there were puddles of water, some as big as pools, scattered around the floor. Lili regarded them curiously, then movement caught her eye.
'Lili?' she heard a surprised voice say.
Looking up, the psychic saw Eve Caleigh peering down at her from the hall's balcony. She had obviously emerged from a room along the landing. Lili heard Eve draw in a sharp breath when she saw the puddles that lay around the ground floor. Eve quickly went to the stairs and hurried down them, her face showing concern. She avoided the water as she came towards Lili.
'It must be the rain,' Eve said quietly, as if to herself rather than to the psychic.
Lili saw the usual aura of sadness round Eve, but now its greyness was deeper and more lifeless.
'Sony, Lili,' Eve apologized as she drew near. 'I heard the doorbell, but I was settling Cally into her bed. I'm hoping she'll drift off to sleep soon.'
Lili looked at the other woman with pity. 'Eve… your son. I'm so sorry.'
Eve stammered. 'You—you know? You sensed that?'
'He's at rest now. Nothing more can ever harm him.'
She thought that Eve might crumble, might break down in tears, but the bereaved mother was strong and regained her composure. Lili was relieved.
'What brought you here tonight?' Eve asked detachedly. 'The weather…'
'I couldn't let the storm prevent me from coming. It's important that I'm here. I think you'll need me.'
'I don't understand.' Eve gave a small shake of her head.
'I can feel it now. The house felt empty a few moments ago, but now I sense something coming through, as if they've been waiting for me.'
'The children?' Eve stared intently into Lili's green eyes. 'I felt something impending all morning, but I thought it was because of Cam.'
'No. I told you, your little boy is at peace. What's going to happen tonight is nothing to do with him.'