Chapter 23

The discussions about spy cameras went on for a week. Rory was all for it. He had been on the internet the next day, looking at what was available and how they worked. Nina had reservations. Putting a camera either inside or just outside of a cloakroom was wrong. Rory had to curb his enthusiasm to acknowledge that.

Nina thought that getting a surveillance system was an overreaction. It was more about Rory having a new toy than a proper investigation of the phenomena. Also, it was recognising that there was a problem rather than dismissing it as an inconvenience. She was quite happy to go with denial unless things escalated.

When a package was delivered, Nina knew she had lost the argument. Addressed to Mr R Jackson, it could be only one thing. It sat on the kitchen island all day, taunting her. When Rory came back from work it was presented to him with a scowl. 

"Ah. Its arrived."

"I don't need to ask what it is, do I?"

"I thought I would get them and then, if things get worse, we are prepared."

"Mm, okay."

Taking the package to the lounge, Rory retrieved the instructions and began to read. Nina knew that they would be deployed before the day was out. It was pointless trying to stop him, but maybe she could restrict him to just having one in the lounge. A cup of coffee was placed in front of him, but nothing could distract from his study. 

"Okay, spymaster, are you ready to catch our ghost."

"I think so. I'll set one up in the lounge, looking at the vases, and we'll see what happens."

"Do we need to leave a light on overnight then?"

"No, I got a night vision one. I've linked it to my phone, so we will be able to watch the recordings on it."

"Is that it?" Nina looked at the small black button.

"You can get them disguised in things like clocks or smoke alarms, but I thought that those would look odd in this room. Your minimalist decoration would make something modern and plastic stand out and that is the opposite of what we want."

"So, it's a sophisticated ghost. A critic of interior décor."

"Come on. We wouldn't have a run of the mill ghost. Not in a lovely house like this. Seriously, I just wanted something small and unobtrusive. I'll put it on this bookshelf facing the vases."

"I admit that I thought this was a ridiculous idea, but it could be quite interesting. A blob of ectoplasm floating across the room and nudging the vase. Put it on social media and it would be a sensation."

"A money spinner. We could do guided tours of the haunted house."

"Guided tours? They would be in and out the door in five minutes. Maybe ten if we made them go up into the attic."

The tiny camera was placed carefully and the view was checked on Rory's phone. Everything was set for whatever happened that night. They lay in bed talking about what they might see in the morning. Clowns, nuns, demons, and Victorian servants were all mentioned. Giggling at their ideas they finally went to sleep.

The following morning the phone showed nothing. The vase had not moved. The light in the cloakroom was on. It was infuriating. 

"We'll leave it there. The vases don't move every night, so maybe something will show up in the next few days."

"It's like it knows about the camera. Only putting the light on is a wind up."

Nina was conscious of the camera being in the living room. Standing in front of it, she pulled some faces. That would make Rory laugh when he looked at the footage. Spending most of her time in the kitchen or the study, it was not a big problem. It wasn't until evening, when Rory was home, that she sat down on a sofa under the gaze of the lens.

Every morning brought the same result. Nothing. The vase stayed in place and nothing was seen in the room. A couple of times the light was on in the downstairs loo and Rory was now talking about putting another camera facing the door.

It took five days before anything happened. The footage was not what either of them had expected. The steady view across the room stopped and then a minute later resumed. Hurrying to the lounge, Nina and Rory stared at the vase on the left. Even Rory could see it this time. It had moved.

The camera, which had been deployed to solve a mystery, had deepened it. The irritation had become worrying. The weird had turned sinister. Rory turned to Nina and saw the fear on her face. She spun around and left the room with him following behind.

"What do we do now?" Nina asked.