Teddy Jones wore a loose shirt, rolled up to the sleeves, his grey skin shimmering in the dull light. William watched the apparition draw a cigarette to his mouth, inhaling deeply until smoke left parted lips, carrying skyward. Remnants of soil caked his bare arms, smudged around his clothing like he was just taking a break from gruelling garden work.
“They buried your Teddy in the gardens,” William admitted, unable to remove his eyes from what he was seeing. “That’s how they hid him. They pretended to bury their son but put Teddy there instead, knowing no one would go and dig up the grave of a grieving family…”
Edward didn’t respond, although William heard him move. There was the shuffling of feet, the grunt of laboured breathing. Any moment, Edward would stand beside the window and witness what caught William’s attention.
He would’ve looked away from Teddy Jones’s ghost if he hadn’t lifted his hand in what looked like a salute. Fingers outstretched towards the window, curling inwards as if he was reaching for something.
The box under William’s arm grew heavy, and he knew exactly what Teddy wanted.
Peace. To be reunited with his love, who’d been shut away in a box for years. A love who’d used William himself to dig up that grave with his bare hands – and now he knew why.
He could not bring them back from the dead, but he could at least bring them together.
Regardless of time or the physicality of the corporal world – Teddy and Robert’s love for one another defied natural laws.
And yet, to William, their love was the most natural thing of all.
“I know what I need to do,” William whispered, breath fogging on the glass before him. “I finally know how to free Hanbury of its sins.”
Then he heard it – the click of a lock and the turn of a handle. He spun around, suddenly aware that Edward hadn’t moved towards him butawayfrom him.
Edward stood in the now open doorway, letter-opener in hand, the softest yet saddest smile lifting the corners of his mouth. “You did it. You solved the mystery and helped me even when I didn’t deserve it.”
“Edward.” William took a cautious step towards him. “What are you doing?”
“Making up for past wrongs,” Edward said, his smile faltering, the grip on the letter-opener trembling. “You’ve done this for me, so I am going to do this for you.”
“Stop it,” William snapped, anger, fear, and panic colliding inside him. “Don’t–”
But it was too late. Edward closed the door on William before he could run across the room to stop him. The box of bones cracked against the floor, spilling its contents around him. Not caring for anything but preventing Edward from making a mistake, he thrust his full weight into the door, but it wouldn’t budge. He heard the lock click again, followed by the jingle of keys. That didn’t stop him from fighting.
He slammed his fists into the wood until his flesh and bones ached. He screamed and pleaded until his throat dried and threatened to close. Then, when he knew there was nothing he could do, William leaned his forehead against it and cried.
“This was always going to happen,” Edward’s voice was muffled beyond it. “I owe Archie a debt and vow to see it through. Just like he wanted a future at Hanbury for you, I will ensure it. No matter what.”
Words flooded out of William so loud he didn’t care if the living and dead could both hear them. “But what if I want you in it? Did you think about that even for a second before making sure a stupid… fucking unhinged decision?”
“There are still unanswered questions, ones that Mike may have. It’s worth a try.” Edward went quiet for a moment.
“Can we stop prioritising the dead, hey? Why not focus on us, the living, and not making stupid decisions!”
“When it comes to you, William Thorn, no decision is stupid. Quiet now…” William could almost picture Edward turning towards the sound of pounding feet. Mike was coming back to finish it, drawn like a moth to the flame from of all my shouting. “Cover your ears, and don’t come out until it is over.”
Something gentle tapped against his foot. Looking down William saw the keys being slid beneath the door – a last gift from Edward.
William knew he’d be too late, regardless of how quickly he picked them up and began jamming the keys into the lock. Unlike the movies, a fight never lasted long. Especially when one of the parties was already at death’s door. But that didn’t stop him from trying.
“Well, well, well,” Mike Dean’s deep voice filled Hanbury’s expanse. “Do you know what I’ve just found?”
Edward must’ve said something quietly, but William didn’t catch it.
“We could put this behind us, me and you. My father, and his father, are well practiced in the art of hiding things. And I have a place we could dump it, somewhere no one would ever find it.”
William was either too distressed, or lost to his mind, to even begin to understand what Mike was talking about.
“What do you want from us?” Edward shouted, voice breaking with the force.
“Peace. I want the secrets to stay hidden. Names to not be tarnished. It’s my duty, as it was my father’s duty, to make sure what happened here never sees the light of day.”
