brought you and Dan to me so that I can help you.’
Tess looked into Susan’s eyes and then nodded, though she said nothing.
‘You see I may be the one person who can help you because I have personally experienced what you and your young man are experiencing, this miracle, this gift.’
Tess gave a ruthful laugh, ‘Is it a gift? Sometimes I think it’s a curse.’
‘It’s what we make it, my dear.’
Tess nodded slowly.
‘Tell me about your…gift,’ she said.
Susan smiled broadly. Tess could see that she was remembering, and that the memories were pleasant ones.
‘Oh mine was definitely a gift, a wonderful bonus that God granted me. I’m not saying that your experience will be like mine but I will say one thing above all: make the most of it whilst you can, you may not be here for long.’
Tess found herself actually trembling. Susan seemed to notice.
‘Please do not let that worry you, my dear, who knows how long you will have? Peter, my husband, was sent back to me a few months after he was taken. I was alone, lost, angry. I wanted to die myself.’
Tess had recovered her composure.
‘Did Peter die suddenly?’ she asked.
‘Yes. He went off to work as usual one day and never came back. He had sat down at his desk and had a massive heart attack.’
‘I’m so sorry.’
‘I was so angry with God. He had worked so hard, had done all his life, but he was going to retire the next year, we were going to travel. It seemed so unfair. But then he did come back to me though, when I was at my lowest. He was my Peter, calm, patient, talking to me, helping me, guiding me.
‘I hadn’t been out of the house for weeks but he got me out again, just to the shops at first, then to our church. That, just that, helped me so much.
‘Eventually he encouraged me to come here, to Iona and the community. He knew that I had always wanted to do it but had never had the chance.’ She gave a little, quiet laugh. ‘He almost had to bully me to come. Peter! Bullying! He was really no good at it but he did his best.
‘He came with me, settled me in, calmed my fears. And then one day…’
She stared wistfully across the water and then sighed. ‘One day he was gone. No goodbyes. He just knew I was in the right place, that I was at peace. He did that for me.’
Tess reached her hand across to Susan’s and tried to hold them but found that she felt nothing and nor did Susan appear to notice any touch. She quickly moved her hand away.
‘So he saw to it that you were happy and safe and then he went away. You think that was why he came back to you?’ she said.
‘I am sure of it. He was my angel,’ Susan turned away from the view and looked at Tess again, ‘and I think that you are Dan’s’
‘An angel? Me?’ Tess laughed, ‘I’m no angel.’
Susan smiled. 'I guess that you are thinking of the classic image of an angel; the winged messengers of the bible?'
Tess laughed. 'Exactly! What other kinds are there?'
'If you read the texts of the world's religions you'll find they come in many forms. One theory is that they are an extension of God to produce effects in this world. Basically, they are sent to a do a task.'
Tess nodded, thinking over what Susan had said.
‘I don’t know,’ she said at last, ‘I’m not sure I believe in angels either. But it is another way of looking at it, in fact the reverse of what both Dan and I have thought and it does make more sense. I think Dan believes he has to help me find my killer.’
‘Your killer? You were murdered?’
Tess nodded.
‘Oh my poor dear, I’m so sorry.’
Tess shrugged.
‘It looks like that doesn’t matter,’ she said, ‘not if I’m here for Dan. So what can I do for him?’
‘My dear,’ said Susan gently, ‘I don’t have the answer to that I’m afraid. I’ve had the time to think about what happened to me but your course will almost certainly be very different. Only God knows his purpose in sending you to Dan. But, I do believe He does have a purpose for you though.’
‘Yes,’ said Tess softly. 'Actually, so do I.'
'There is one more thing,' said Susan, equally softly. 'Something you really need to know. Something I wish that I