The Danger. - LightNovelsOnl.com
You're reading novel online at LightNovelsOnl.com. Please use the follow button to get notifications about your favorite novels and its latest chapters so you can come back anytime and won't miss anything.
"Whathappened?"Isaidwithanamountof.a.gitationappropriatetothe circ.u.mstances.
Hepaused,thensaid,"Canyoubeoverheard?"
"Yes."
TheClerkhimselfwaslisteningwithhalfanearandAlessiawithboth.Twoor threeotherpeoplewerelookingmyway.
"Right.Iwon'texpectcomments.There'sbeenaboykidnappedfromthebeachat WestWittering.That'saboutanhour'sdrivealongthecoastfromBrighton,I'd guess.Goovertherep.r.o.ntoandtalktothemother,w.i.l.l.you?"
"Whereisshe?"Isaid.
"IntheBreakwaterHotel,BeachRoad,climbingthewalls.Ipromisedherwe'd havesomeonewithherintwohours,andtohangon.She'sincoherent,most unhelpful.WehadatelephonecallfromHoppyatLloyds,thefathergotintouch withhisinsurersandgotpa.s.sedalongachaintous.Thefather'shad instructionstostaybyhishometelephone.TonyVine'sonhiswaytohimnow.
Canyoutakedownthenumber?"
"Yes,hangon."Ifumbledforpenandpaper."Fireaway."
Hereadoutthefather'snumber."HisnameisJohnNerrity."Hespelledit."The child'snameisDominic.Mother's,Miranda.Motherandsonwerealoneinthe hotelonholiday,fatherbusyathome.Gotallthat?"
"Yes."
"Gethertoagreetothepolice."
"Yes."
"Hearfromyoulater?Sorryaboutyourdayattheraces."
"I'llgoatonce,"Isaid.
"Breakaleg."
IthankedtheClerkoftheCourseandlefthisofficewithAlessiastilllooking distressedonmybehalf.
"I'llhavetogo,"Isaidapologetically."Canyoupossiblygetaliftbackto Lambourn?WithMikeNoland,perhaps?"
Eventhoughshehadherselfearliersuggestedit,shelookedappalledatthe ideaandvigorouslyshookherhead.Panicstoodquiteclearlyinhereyes.
"No,"shesaid."Can'tIcomewithyou?Please...Iwon'tbeanuisance.I promise.Icouldhelp...withyoursister."
"You'reneveranuisance,butIcan'ttakeyou."Ilookeddownatherbeseeching face,attheinsecuritystillsoclosetothesurface."Comeouttothecarwith me,awayfromthesecrowds,andI'llexplain."
Wewalkedthroughthegatesandalongtothecarpark,andIsaid,"Ihaven't anysisters.Therewasnocrash.Ihavetogoonajob...achild'sbeen kidnapped,andIhavetogotohismother,sodearestAlessia...wemustfindMike Noland.You'llbesafewithhim.Youknowhimwell."
Shewashorrifiedandapologeticandalsoshaking."Couldn'tIcomfortthe mother?"shesaid."Icouldtellher...herchildwillcomeback...asIdid?"
Ihesitated,knowingthesuggestionstemmedfromhernotwantingtogohomewith MikeNolandbutalsothinkingthatperhapsitmadesense.PerhapsAlessiawould indeedbegoodforMirandaNerrity.
Ilookedatmywatch."Mrs.Nerrity's.e.xpectingme,"Isaidindecisively,and sheinterruptedsharply,"Who?Whodidyousay?"
"Nerrity.MirandaNerrity.But..."
Hermouthhadliterallyfallenopen."ButIknowher,"shesaid."Oratleast, I'vemether...HerhusbandisJohnNerrity,isn'the?"
Inodded,nonplussed.
"TheirhorsewontheDerby,"Alessiasaid.
Iliftedmyhead.
Horses.
Somanyhorses.
"Whatisit,"Alessiasaid."Whydoyoulookso...bleak?"
"Right,"Isaid,notdirectlyanswering."Getinthecar.I'dbegladforyouto come,ifyoureallymeanit.b.u.t.there'sagoodchancewewon'tbegoingbackto Lambourntonight.Wouldyoumindthat?"
Foranswersheslidintothefrontpa.s.sengerseatandclosedthedoor,andI walkedroundtoclimbinbesideher.
AsIstartedtheengineanddroveoutofthegateshesaid,"TheNerritys'horse wontheDerbylastyear.Ordinand.Don'tyouremember?"
"Um..."No,actually,Ididn't.
"Itwasn'toneofthereallygreats,"shesaida.s.sessingly,"oratleastnoone thoughtso...Hewasanoutsider.Thirty-threetoone.Buthe'sbeenwinningthis yearquitewell..."Shestopped."Ican'tbeartothinkofthatchild."
"Hisname'sDominic,"Isaid."Haulthemapoutoftheglovecompartmentand findthefastestroutetoChichester."
Shereachedforthemap."Howoldishe?"
"Don'tknow."
WespedwestwardsthroughSuss.e.xinthegoldenafternoonandcameIeventually totheBreakwaterHotel,rightonthepebblybeachatWestIWittering.
"Look,"Isaid,puttingonbrakesandpullingoffmytie."Behavelikea holidaymaker.Walkintothehotelslowly.Smile.Talktome.Don'tseemworried.
O.K.?"
Shelookedatmewithpuzzlementturningtocomprehension."Doyouthink...
someone'swatching?"
"Someoneusuallyis,"Isaidastringently."Alwaystakeitforgrantedthat someoneis.Kidnapperspost.w.a.tcherstomakesurethepolicedon'tarrivein hugenumbers."
"Oh."
"Sowe'reonholiday."
"Yes,"shesaid.
"Let'sgoin."
Weclimbed,stretching,outofthecar,andAlessiawanderedafewstepsaway fromthehoteltolookouttotheEnglishChannel,shadinghereyesandspeaking tomeoverhershoulder."I'mgoinginforaswim."
Iputmyarmroundhershouldersandstoodbesideherforafewseconds,then withmesayingteasingly"Mindthejellyfish"wewalkedthroughthehotel's gla.s.sentrancedoorsintoawidearmchair-scatteredlounge.Afewpeoplesat arounddrinkingtea,andagirlinablackdresswasmovingtoandfrobehinda polishedbrowncounterlabeled"Reception."
"h.e.l.lo,"Isaid,smiling."Wethinkafriendofoursisstayinghere.AMrs.
Nerrity?"
"AndDominic,"Alessiasaid.
"That'sright,"thegirlsaidcalmly.Shelookedataguestlist."Room sixty-three...b.u.t.they'reprobablystillonthebeach.Lovelyday,isn't.i.t?"
"Gorgeous,"Alessiaagreed.
"Couldyougivetheirroomaring?"Iasked."Justincase."
Thegirlobliginglyturnedtotheswitchboardandwa.s.surprisedatreceivingan answer."Pickupthephone,"shesaid,pointingtoahandsetonthecounter,and Iliftedthereceiverwithanappropriatesmile.
"Miranda?"Isaid."ThisisAndrewDouglas."
"Whereareyou?"asmallvoicesaidtearfully.
"Downstairs,hereinthehotel."
"Oh...Comeup...Ican'tbear..."
"Onmyway,"Isaid.
Thegirlgaveusdirectionswhichwefollowedtoaroomwithtwinbeds,private bathroom,viewofthesea.MirandaNerrityopenedherdoortouswithswollen eyesandaclutched,soakinghandkerchiefandsaidbetweengulps,"Theysaid...
themaninLondonsaid...youwouldgetDominicback...hepromisedme...Andrew Douglaswillgethimback...healwaysdoes,hesaid...don'tworry...buthowcanI notworry?Oh,myG.o.d...mybaby...Gethimbackforme.Gethimback."
"Yes,"Isaidgently."Comeandsitdown."Iputmyarmroundhershouldersthis time,notAlessia's,andguidedherovertooneofthearmchairs."Telluswhat happened.Thenwe'llmakeaplantogethimback."
Mirandatookaverysmallgriponthings,recognizingAlessiawithsurpriseand pointingtoapieceofpaperwhichlayononeofthebeds.
"Alittlegirlgaveittome,"shesaid,thetearsrolling."Shesaidamanhad askedher.Oh,dear...oh,dear..."
"Howoldwasthelittlegirl?"Iasked.
"What?Oh...eight...somethinglikethat...Idon'tknow."
AlessiakneltbesideMirandatocomforther,herownfacepaleagainandtaut withstrain,andIpickedupth.e.s.h.eetofpaperandunfoldedit,andreadits brutalblock-letteredmessage.
WE'VETAKENYOURKID.GIVEYOURHUBBYABELL.TELLHIMTOGOHOME.WE'LLTELL YOURHUBBYWHATWEWANT.DON'TGOSQUAWKINGTONOONE.NOONEATALL,SEE.IF YOUWANTTOSEEYOURKIDAGAINDON'TGOTONOPOLICE.WE'LLTIEAPLASTICBAG OVERHISHEADIFYOUGETTHEPOLICE.SAVVY?.
Iloweredthepage."HowoldisDominic?"Iasked.
"Threeandahalf,"Mirandasaid.
Chapterten.
MIRANDA,twenty-six,hadlongblondhairfallingfromacenterpartingandon otheroccasionsmighthavebeenpretty.Shestillworeabathingsuitwitha towellingrobeover,andtherewa.s.stillsandonherlegsfromthebeach.Her eyeswereglazedbehindthepuffedeyelidsasiftoomuchdevastatedemotionhad putafilmoverthemtorepelreality,andshemadevaguepointlessmovements withherhandsasiftotalinactivitywasimpossible.
OutofhabitIcarriedwithmealwaysaflatcontainerlikeacigarettecase, whichcontainedamongotherthingsasmallcollectionofpills.Itookoutthe case,openedit,andsortedoutastripofwhitetabletsinfoil.
"Takeoneofthese,"Isaid,fetchingwaterinatoothmugandslidingapill fromitswrapper.
Mirandasimplyswallowedasinstructed.ItwasAlessiawhosaid,"Whatareyou givingher?"
"Tranquilizer."
"Doyoucarrythoseroundwithyoualways?"sheaskedincredulously.
"Mostly,"Inodded."Tranquilizers,sleepingpills,aspirins,thingsforheart attacks.Firstaid,that'sall."
Mirandadrankallthewater.
"Doyouhaveroomserviceinthishotel?"Iasked.
"What?"shesaidvaguely."Yes...Isupposeso...They'llbebringingDominic's suppersoon..."Theideaofitreducedhertofreshdeepsobs,andAlessiaputher armroundherandlookedshattered.
Itelephonedtoroomservicefortea,strong,a.s.soonaspossible,forthree.
Biscuits?Certainlybiscuits.Comingrightaway,theysaid:andwithverylittle delaythetrayarrived,withmemeetingthemaidatthedoorandthankingher forhertrouble.
"Mrs.Nerrity,drinkthis,"Isaid,puttingdownthetrayandpouringteafor her."Andeatthebiscuits."IpouredanothercupforAlessia."Youtoo,"I said.
Theyeachdrankandatelikeautomatons,andslowlyinMirandathecombined simpleremediesoftranquilizer,caffeineandcarbohydratetooktheworstedge offthepainsothatshecouldbeartodescribewhathadhappened.
"Wewereonthesand...withhisbucketandspade,makingasandcastle.Heloves makingsandcastles..."Shestoppedandswallowed,tearstricklingdownhercheeks.
"Alotofthesandwaswet,andI'dleftourthingsuponthes.h.i.+ngle...towels,a beachchair,ourlunchbox,packedbythehotel,Dominic'stoys...itwasalovely hotday,notwindylikeusual...Iwentuptositonthechair...Iwaswatchinghim allthetime...hewasonlythirtyyardsaway...less,less...squatting,playingwith hisbucketandspade...pattingthesandcastle...Iwaswatchinghimallthetime,I reallywas."Hervoicetaperedoffintoawail,thedreadfulsearingguilt soundingjaggedandraw.
"Weretherealotofpeopleonthebeach?"Iasked.
"Yes,yestherewere...itwa.s.sowarm...butIwaswatchinghim,Icouldseehim allthetime..."
"Andwhathappened?"Isaid.
"Itwastheboat..."
