whole time I waited at the taxi rank I expected one of them to come racing out of the doors. I was desperate to get away. As soon as I was in the taxi, I phoned Paul again to let him know I was on my way, I’d be back soon.
The phone rang and rang and finally went on to the answering machine. ‘Paul, call me as soon as you get this.’
I tried his mobile after that. Once again there was no answer, only that same message. NUMBER NOT IN USE. I sent a text just in case he could access it. I called the house again. And still there was no answer.
All the way along the sun-scorched coast road, I phoned. And he didn’t answer.
Something was wrong.
Chapter 29
When the taxi pulled up, the house looked quiet, as if all was well. Paul hadn’t heard the phone, I kept telling myself. That was all.
The driver turned to me. ‘Home safe and sound, hen,’ he said.
A part of me wanted to ask him to come into the house with me, but it would sound so silly.
‘Are you feeling OK?’ he asked. And before I could reply he went on. ‘Somebody should have gone to that hospital with you. A young lassie like you, and you got stitches. You shouldn’t have had to go on your own.’
‘I’m fine, really,’ I said.
And for all his concern, he was gone, almost as soon as I stepped from the back seat.
I took a deep breath and opened the door. I knew right away that something was definitely wrong. The house was silent. I called out, ‘Paul?’ but there was no answer. I walked past the open door of the living room, then looked into the dining room. Empty, both of them. I walked to Aunt Belle’s room and pushed open the door. Paul wasn’t there. Aunt Belle lay quiet, breathing heavily. She didn’t sound well at all. The book lay on the floor, spine open, as if Paul had been reading it when something had disturbed him he had let it drop from his fingers.
‘Paul!’ I called his name again and Aunt Belle stirred, then lay still. Nothing was going to wake her up for now.
I stood in the hall and stared at the closed door of the other bedroom. I stood staring at it, willing it to open, not wanting to have to go in there, knowing I had no choice.
Then, it appeared. A spider the size of my hand crawling up the door. I knew what that meant. She was close. She was here.
It was now or never. I took a deep breath and I ran at that door, had to or my courage would have failed me. I flung the door wide open and there he was. Paul, lying on his back on the floor, his eyes wide open, staring in terror.
Though I couldn’t see her, I knew she was here.
‘You’re not getting him,’ I yelled, and I gripped Paul’s ankles and began to drag him out of that room. ‘You’re not getting him!’ I repeated it, but even then I was afraid I was too late. Paul looked dead!
He was heavier than I imagined – a dead weight. I didn’t want to think like that. Dead. Yet, even as I dragged him, I could see the door begin to close. She was trying to keep us in here. There was no way I was going to allow that. I shoved that door wide open again. ‘No!’ I yelled. And with one more pull I had Paul in the hallway and the door slammed shut.
I leaned over him. ‘Paul?’ I looked into his eyes, but there was no recognition there. Whatever terror they were seeing was blocking everything else from his view.
Why had he gone into that room? And in the same instant I thought it, I remembered what I’d said about there being more information on my laptop. My laptop was on the bed in that room. Had he thought he would be safe to step in, just for a moment, get the laptop and go back into the safety of my aunt’s room? I could understand why he thought he’d be safe. It had been broad daylight. But Sister Kelly had been too quick for him. As soon as he was inside, the door had slammed shut behind him, the room darkened, and she had come out of the shadows.
He was still breathing at least, his chest rising and falling steadily, but no matter how I tried
The phone rang and rang and finally went on to the answering machine. ‘Paul, call me as soon as you get this.’
I tried his mobile after that. Once again there was no answer, only that same message. NUMBER NOT IN USE. I sent a text just in case he could access it. I called the house again. And still there was no answer.
All the way along the sun-scorched coast road, I phoned. And he didn’t answer.
Something was wrong.
Chapter 29
When the taxi pulled up, the house looked quiet, as if all was well. Paul hadn’t heard the phone, I kept telling myself. That was all.
The driver turned to me. ‘Home safe and sound, hen,’ he said.
A part of me wanted to ask him to come into the house with me, but it would sound so silly.
‘Are you feeling OK?’ he asked. And before I could reply he went on. ‘Somebody should have gone to that hospital with you. A young lassie like you, and you got stitches. You shouldn’t have had to go on your own.’
‘I’m fine, really,’ I said.
And for all his concern, he was gone, almost as soon as I stepped from the back seat.
I took a deep breath and opened the door. I knew right away that something was definitely wrong. The house was silent. I called out, ‘Paul?’ but there was no answer. I walked past the open door of the living room, then looked into the dining room. Empty, both of them. I walked to Aunt Belle’s room and pushed open the door. Paul wasn’t there. Aunt Belle lay quiet, breathing heavily. She didn’t sound well at all. The book lay on the floor, spine open, as if Paul had been reading it when something had disturbed him he had let it drop from his fingers.
‘Paul!’ I called his name again and Aunt Belle stirred, then lay still. Nothing was going to wake her up for now.
I stood in the hall and stared at the closed door of the other bedroom. I stood staring at it, willing it to open, not wanting to have to go in there, knowing I had no choice.
Then, it appeared. A spider the size of my hand crawling up the door. I knew what that meant. She was close. She was here.
It was now or never. I took a deep breath and I ran at that door, had to or my courage would have failed me. I flung the door wide open and there he was. Paul, lying on his back on the floor, his eyes wide open, staring in terror.
Though I couldn’t see her, I knew she was here.
‘You’re not getting him,’ I yelled, and I gripped Paul’s ankles and began to drag him out of that room. ‘You’re not getting him!’ I repeated it, but even then I was afraid I was too late. Paul looked dead!
He was heavier than I imagined – a dead weight. I didn’t want to think like that. Dead. Yet, even as I dragged him, I could see the door begin to close. She was trying to keep us in here. There was no way I was going to allow that. I shoved that door wide open again. ‘No!’ I yelled. And with one more pull I had Paul in the hallway and the door slammed shut.
I leaned over him. ‘Paul?’ I looked into his eyes, but there was no recognition there. Whatever terror they were seeing was blocking everything else from his view.
Why had he gone into that room? And in the same instant I thought it, I remembered what I’d said about there being more information on my laptop. My laptop was on the bed in that room. Had he thought he would be safe to step in, just for a moment, get the laptop and go back into the safety of my aunt’s room? I could understand why he thought he’d be safe. It had been broad daylight. But Sister Kelly had been too quick for him. As soon as he was inside, the door had slammed shut behind him, the room darkened, and she had come out of the shadows.
He was still breathing at least, his chest rising and falling steadily, but no matter how I tried
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