Ghost Detectives Bk. 01: Discovery

On his way home, he called into the supermarket and bought a load of lottery tickets. He knew the first three numbers and the other three numbers he changed according to what James had said and duplicated that sequence from one to twelve with the bonus number. In all he had spent almost three hundred pounds.

He knew through his studies in astrophysics that everything in the universe is made up from molecules arranged in different sequences and are continually in motion and for some reason James' molecules at the micro level were arranged in a sequence that allowed him to move into the future. Why, he had no idea, and then had a light bulb moment and rushed home to research what permeated in the forefront of his mind.

What he did know was that molecules were always in motion, in solids and in liquids and are packed tightly together. In a solid, the motion of the molecules can be likened to a machine humming in constant vibration mode. In a liquid, the molecules can move freely among each other like water, in a sort of slithering fashion. In a gas, the density of molecules is generally less than in a liquid or solid of the same chemical compound, and can move even more freely than in a liquid. For a specific compound in each state the speed of molecular motion increases as the absolute temperature increases but he didn't notice any rise in temperature when James disappeared which seemed strange.

He was aware, from his work with astrophysics, about parallel and alternate reality universes, but until now had looked upon them as little more than a hypothetical concept. He had seen calculations that when attacked from the view point using mathematical formula, for our universe to exist, somewhere there must be a second corresponding reality mirroring our own world but co-existing within the same space but in an alternate universe. In other words, dimensions within dimensions, bubbles flowing as if in water. An alternate mirror realm that exists parallel to our own but in a different dimension and shielded from us by bubbles.

He had attended numerous discussion groups and conferences regarding the status of a single universe which claims that many different universes coexist and directly affect each other in a form of gravity pull and influence one another through quantum mechanics, a branch of mechanics that deals with the mathematical description of motion and interaction of subatomic particles, incorporating concepts of quantisation of energy, wave particle duality, and the correspondent principle that universes coexist within each other in bubbles connected by black hole pathways.

He still had trouble reconciling in his own mind, still, even if he accepted the parallel universe concept how could James step into his future, for there was nothing that he read that could quantify that happening. Granted, he could accept it is possible to move forward in time by travelling at or near the speed of light thereby slowing down the normal timeline, but that still failed to answer the question of how James walked into his future and was able to return unscathed into his own present timeline.

Something else troubled him, and this he felt it impossible to rationalise. James had moved from one dimension into another, but that dimension was in his future and from what John was able to understand, a replica of the dimension they were living in. A duality separated only be a time difference; two bubbles moving together in a binary existence and cloaked to mirror each move to what was happening in the other reality around a month or so later. That being the case, there must be another identical James in that dimension following the same or nearly the same life as James in this dimension and married to the exact same Carolyn, both with distinct personalities, similar in demeanour, thought, looks and age. He, everyone, the more he thought about it the more preposterous it seemed. He couldn't get his head around the fact or believe it was even possible. What happened in the other dimension came to pass in this dimension weeks, even months later, but from the limited information he held, the normal period seems to be around a month. This brought free will into the mix. How can free will exist if what is to be has already been decided?

Carolyn returned from her parents to find John staying at their house huddled together with James talking about a concept she partially understood and smiled to herself as she brought them tea and sandwiches.

"You two - not thinking of starting a secret society are you?" she lovingly grinned.

"Could be love, want to join," her husband bantered.

"With you two, I'd rather wash dishes."

Both smiled at her as if to say, well go on then. "John, when you have a moment, no great rush, I need to talk to you about dad, he's not himself of late and I think he should go and get himself checked out but he'll not hear of it from me or mum but he'll listen to you."

"I'll phone him later, need to finish up with James first and then I must go to keep a dental appointment."

"You not staying for dinner?"

"No, I have work to do from home and will not be back until tomorrow.

"I'm off out and will phone you later tonight about dad and you can let me know what he says."

"Before you go love, is it alright with you if I go out for a few beers with the boys tonight?"

"Why ask, you know I never have a problem with you spending the odd night at the pub. The last time you were out must be a good six weeks ago," looking lovingly into her husband's face thinking how much she loved him and left to go to the shops.

A few days later, James and John were speaking on the phone. "The rape is tonight and I'll be over your house at eight o clock to give us plenty of time to prepare."

"It might be easier to just phone the police and leave it at that."

"Come on James, they'll want to know how we know about it and if we inform them anonymously, they'll just write it off as a crank call."

Ten thirty that evening saw them cloaked in shadow near the Peacher's pub wearing balaclavas, gloves, old clothes and shoes intending to dispose of them later, both carrying short scaffolding tubes from a nearby building site. They were just to the right of the pub at the end of the car park in darkness, crouched low to the ground. People were leaving, shouting goodnight to each other, some walking while others drove away. The last thing they wanted was to spook the rapist but for all their serendipity they were unable to see anyone hiding waiting to pounce. The time had just turned eleven and they noticed movement at the far end of the car park. A man had stopped and sat on a bench just off the main road as if taking a rest.

"Do you think that's him?" whispered James.

"Let's just wait. Nothing suspicious there, he's not even trying to conceal himself."

Five minutes later he stood up and walked passed the pub. Ten minutes later nearing eleven thirty a lone girl come out of the pub which had closed their door fifteen minutes before and assumed the girl worked there and was on her way home. She walked around the back of the pub towards her car, opened the boot, placed her bag inside and closed it. Out of nowhere the same man appeared and grabbed the girl dragging her away from the car into the nearby wood out of sight towards the river. Their trigger for action pulling down caps over their faces wearing glasses.

They ran past the car toward the two people. The man had his hand over the girl's mouth speaking something into her ear. James, without hesitation, struck him across the back near his shoulders with his tube followed by another strike catching his left shoulder as John hit him across the legs. The girl collapsed hysterically to the floor as if paralysed. John bent down and reassured her that everything would be alright and helped her back to her feet as she gave a few well aimed kicks at the man's groin. John tied his arms and legs with cord, dragged the man back towards the girl's car and phoned the police, and when they heard the sirens, moved away into the trees and waited until the two police cars turned into the car park and then they quickly disappeared back into the night.

The following day, radio and television and internet were filled with the attempted rape story, the girl describing what had happened and how she wished she could thank the two mysterious good Samaritans that saved her after she finished work. It turned out she was a student studying for her masters in philosophy and worked part time at the pub to supplement her income. That evening the man was charged with unlawful abduction, attempted rape, and three other rapes. The police made an appeal for the two vigilantes to come forward, but that was the last thing they intended to do, for them that was the end of the matter.

Chapter Four

Nothing out of the ordinary happened over the next few weeks. John was still troubled by the parallel universe concept and the ramifications pertaining to time travel and read all the recent articles on mirror, multi and bubble theory universes. It all came down to the fact that even though James had stepped into another universe that was almost identical, the time differential meant that they were able to time travel, for what happened in that world happened later in his. This knowledge was a powerful tool and the potential was frightening. This power, in the wrong hands, could prove to be catastrophic.

He knew that no matter what they or anyone did to change the future, the timeline of history would always reassert itself, and he was half expecting the girl to be raped sometime in the future. The following day he called into the pub and talked to the girl who was more that eager to tell him of her ordeal making her a minor celebrity. Another few weeks elapsed and nothing happened to the girl and he surmised that the rape, whether it happened or didn't happen, would not have changed the chronological timeline of history, therefore, there was nothing to reassert. Still, he needed to think how he, and society generally, were to handle this new knowledge.

He didn't think James worried about it. His attitude, if history always reasserted itself everything would stay the same and so would the future. From his understanding, but again it was only supposition, only James had been into the other dimension, but he suspected, if James could do it, there must be others in the same position, unless of course, the only pathway resided through the window at James' house which seemed unlikely. After a lot of soul searching, his only sensible conclusion was it was far too dangerous to open this knowledge into society. The next time he met with James he asked if he had been back into the other dimension and his answer surprised him.

He gave John a guarded smile. "Yes, it is the same world as ours from what I have seen so far. I have overridden my subconscious mind and I am able to enter awake."

"Your house, who lives there?"

"As in this world, but I haven't met them. Everything is doubled, twin to people here, but I don't know them and they don't know me."

"What if they think you are the other you?"

A few said hello and I was asked to tell Caroline her books are overdue when at the library."

"Similar name."

"Yes."

He chuckled, "My other sister. I don't suppose you met me, did you?"

"No such luck," he smirked, but his countenance quickly turned melancholic wondering if he'd tell John. He had carried a great burden since yesterday.

"I can't get my head around this. I have another sister."

"No, a person who looks like your sister, but very much a different person."

"My parents, how are they doing?"

"Can we change the subject," he bit sharply. How could he answer that question when he knew would happen in ten days. Did he spill and say, or keep the secret until then? Eventually, they would know. Was it better to keep them in ignorance until then, give them a little more time, and if they did know what could they do but only worry for the next several days; no matter what they did the future was carved in stone. He wished he had never gone into the other dimension; he would be blissfully ignorant of the catastrophe that was about to engulf them as a family.

John quickly picked up on his nuances. "Something troubling you?"

He could see John's face, he was clever, very clever, and James needed time to think and process what he knew. Last night he had not slept, even his wife had picked up on his mood. "I just need a little more time to sort out a few problems. Please John, ask me no more questions until I am able to think a few things through."

John gave him a mischievous grin. "I will wipe that sadness out of you into gladness," and handed him a cheque for five and a half million pounds.

James stared at John without speaking, and looked at the cheque with incredulity.

"Well, say something?"

"Made out to me, where from, why? I can't accept it."

"Yes, you can, and you will. Remember when I asked you about the lottery numbers? I went and bought the winning ticket."

"How? I wasn't sure of all the numbers. I couldn't remember the last few."

"I know so I used all the combinations you gave me and bingo, we won eleven million. Now what do you say, where's the happy face?"

James looked at the cheque and back at John and smiled but would gladly give it back if only the knowledge he held proved false, or if he could give the money to someone to make it not so. He smiled.

"There, happy smile, see! Carolyn will be over the moon." He needed to keep this up, but kept having paroxysms of guilt every time he looked at John. The same outbursts he'd had since he had known, a burden no person should have to carry alone. He decided he would not tell them that their father would die of heart failure in nine days and could only wish he had made the correct decision by keeping them in the dark.

"From your escapades, anything I should know about?"

"Been back twice over the last few weeks, last time yesterday. An earthquake in Iceland next week disrupting air travel. Two murders, a report from the House of Lords on changes to the Income Bill - rejecting it and sending it back to the Commons for amendments, a few other things but nothing major."

"Anything nearer home?"

There it was, the direct question placing him firmly on the spot. A lie that could not but be uncovered over the next several days. He felt physically sick, thinking was omission the same as a lie. He was battling with semantics. He felt adrift, alone, drowning in falsehood wishing someone, anyone, would throw him a lifeline to take him away from his turmoil.

"Are you feeling ill?

"I need to lie down," using a lie to cover a lie, each lie building upon the other until eventually they all came crashing down into duplicity.

John picked up on James' conundrum. He knew something major was weighing heavily upon his mind, and by simple deduction, it could only have been something that James had witnessed when in the other dimension but for him to push now was not the right time. He was astute enough to know that whatever it was would unfold over the next few weeks.

James went to bed, more to be alone than with tiredness. Carolyn would shortly be home from work and he had to face her and pretend everything was all right. When he told her about the winnings, she would immediately want to share their good joy with her parents, and knowing how she thought, would go about booking a world cruise and organising a meal for all of them at the weekend. A world cruise was something her parents had talked about for years. Knowing her father was not in the best of health she knew it could only be a positive for him. She'd be on the phone to John before the day was out and he would show the same level of positivity and even insist in sharing the cost.

For the first time, he realised that this secret he held could have serious repercussions in his marriage and his friendship with his brother in law and totally sour his mother in law against him. John would surely realise that he had known and done nothing about trying to save his father. He could not reverse death; perhaps he could delay it for it a short time but remembered what had happened with the terrorist attack. Their intervention had resulted in more death. What would be the outcome if he tried to do the same again with his father in law. He could make sure he'd be in hospital. That was about the only thing he could ensure, but he suspected it would make no difference. This was all so complicated and he regretted the day he had ever walked into the other dimension, but recognised what he knew could not be unknown as much as he railed against himself. This burden was his alone to carry, and must be carried until the knowledge he knew became the knowledge of his nearest and dearest and that was where his terror lay.

That night he informed his wife they had won the lottery shared between them and John and what he predicted soon came to pass. She phoned her parents giving them the happy news. She first thought that they may already know from John but he had let her break the news instead. The next day was Saturday and she booked the best restaurant in town for a fabulous dinner.

They met in the cocktail bar and ordered a bottle of Dom Perignon and sat together smiling and joking, all that is except James. He tried to look happy, hiding his melancholy from them. He looked at Ken, his father in law, knowing he would be dead by this time next week. The following Friday night at 10am he would have his fatal heart attack and a tear formed in the corner of his eye; he excused himself to go to the rest room, closed himself into one of the cubicles and let the tears fall; a trickle soon turned into a flood. He had never experienced this level of hurt before and felt he had betrayed them.

He could stay in the restroom no longer or questions would be asked. When he returned, Carolyn had a few travel booklets on the table and they were all talking about the cruise. She wanted them all to go on a ten-week cruise and was looking to book it on Monday. The amount of money they now had, none of them needed to work again. James needed to say something to at least delay the booking, but didn't wish to dampen the enthusiasm of such a happy occasion.

"John, you up for it?"

"Up and ready for it, he replied to his sister.

"I think we should wait a few weeks."

"Don't be a spoilsport Ken," Janice his wife replied.

James felt now was his chance. "I think Ken is right, let's wait for a few weeks before we book; we could stop off at a few places and combine a cruise with a holiday on land as well. What do you say, John?"

He picked up something in James' voice and hesitated before replying. "Can't do any harm to wait a few weeks."

Carolyn was having none of it. "Come on, we can book an hotel any time after the cruise if we wish."

James needed them all to be together over the next week not running around looking, planning, busying themselves with exuberant excitement making copious plans, but to be together, relaxing, sharing, and simply enjoying each other as a family. "Can I suggest a little compromise? Starting tomorrow we spend the next five days at a top London hotel. I'll book a large suite so we can all be together, and we can leave tomorrow after lunch. Nice meals, champagne, waiter service in the room, pampering to our every whim, relaxing and simply just enjoying each other's company, no pressure, and then we can think about booking a cruise."

"I'll run with that."

"I'm with you on that Ken."

"If dad and mam are for it, count me in, and you sis?"

"The same."

"I'll get right on it and book it either when I get back tonight or first thing tomorrow morning. I'll drive, you just leave everything to me, and now we can enjoy the rest of the evening in celebration of our good luck." Carolyn leaned over and kissed him. John furnished him with a suspicious smile saying not a word.