The Attic Room: A psychological thriller - Huber Linda - Страница 41

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‘Well, the police are busy searching for you a long, long way away,’ he said, taking a can of beer from his bag. ‘And your boyfriend’s with them. Seems a pity really, all that effort for nothing. But they’re all very concerned about you. I’ve told them everything I know and I’ve been sent home to rest; they won’t be looking for me till nine tomorrow when I have to go and make a statement. But I’ll pop round and get Naomi first. That old couple won’t be able to stop me. Nice little dog they have, but it isn’t what you’d call a Rottweiler, is it?’

Nina’s mouth went dry. He’d found out where the Harrisons lived and gone to have a look at the place. She spat the words at him before she could think. ‘Leave Naomi alone. You don’t need to involve her in this.’

He ignored this. ‘As soon as she’s safely here I’ll get her pic on the web, along with one of me when I was a nice little kid too, and go on with my search. Shit, Nina, I wish you’d stayed away from Bedford and left me in peace to do this.’

How she wished that too, but Nina said nothing more. He didn’t have Naomi yet. There was still time to escape.

‘Right. Upstairs,’ he said roughly, pulling her to her feet.

Nina’s gut went into a painful spasm. Was this when he raped her?

He manhandled her up the stairs and into the largest room. A stained and smelly double mattress was the only piece of furniture, and Nina was hard put not to moan. Paul kicked his shoes off. He made no attempt to touch her inappropriately, though he stood outside the disgusting toilet while she used it, then made her lie beside him on the mattress and bound her left foot to his right. Nina couldn’t stop the shudders as she lay there, Paul’s leg warm against her own.

‘Sweet dreams!’ he said mockingly, and placed the gun inside his trousers.

Chapter Twenty-Five

Claire’s story – Glasgow

Claire stood in the doorway, her eyes roving the six-bedded bay. The smell and the atmosphere here were almost identical to those in another hospital almost twenty years ago, and for a second the past shimmered in front of her. It was noisier here, with visitors round nearly every bed and children running up and down the corridor. The event she’d been anticipating for months had happened.

Nina was lying on top of a bed by the window, eyes closed. Beside the bed was one of those see-through hospital baby cribs, and in it lay Claire’s brand-new granddaughter.

For a moment Claire stood motionless, emotion making it difficult to breath. This was the next generation of her family. In spite of her fears time was passing and life was going on, and in a sudden flash of understanding she realised she had no control, she had never had control, that things happened and would continue to happen in their own momentum. Worrying made no difference.

Her eyes fixed on the baby, she crept over to the crib. Nina didn’t waken, but the baby’s eyes were open. She looked exactly as Nina had the day after she was born. Claire pulled up a blue hospital chair, and for a long moment she and the baby held each other’s gaze. Claire could feel the smile on her face spread to become joy in her heart.

But how angry she’d been when Nina told her she was pregnant. Still a teenager, not even finished her course yet, unmarried, though that didn’t count for anything these days. Claire couldn’t understand how the girl had been so foolhardy. It wasn’t as if they’d never discussed birth-control.

Nina brought up her pregnancy quite casually over coffee one Friday when she was back on Arran to celebrate Bethany’s birthday. Claire was completely gobsmacked – this kind of thing happened to other people’s kids, not her sensible, hard-working daughter.

‘What are you going to do?’ she demanded, and Nina raised her eyebrows.

‘I’m going to have a baby, what do you think I’m going to do?’ she replied defiantly. ‘Okay, it wasn’t planned but we’ll manage, Mum. When my course is finished I’ll get a job and find day care. Alan’ll help, too. We’re looking for a flat.’

Claire liked Alan, but he wasn’t much older than Nina and was in the middle of a degree in business studies. It was a chaotic situation if ever she’d seen one. She watched helplessly as her daughter moved into student digs with Alan, only to move out again four months later and heavily pregnant. So there wasn’t going to be a happy end with wedding cake and confetti.

Nina stirred on the bed and opened her eyes. Another lump came into Claire’s throat. All the joy in the world was right there on Nina’s face, and Claire knew she should show her own delight. For shame, she chided herself. Misery-guts. Try to be happy for once in your life.

‘Hello love,’ she said, leaning forward to grasp Nina’s hand. ‘And congratulations, she’s just gorgeous.’ Her voice trembled, and she could see happy tears in Nina’s eyes too.

‘Thanks, Mum. Do you want to hold her?’

A few moments later Claire was sitting with her granddaughter in her arms. How well she remembered the time when Nina was tiny; Lily had come to London and they’d had a positive orgy of baby-worship. Those were the days of effortless happiness, and how very much she wanted to feel like that again, for this new little girl.

Claire came to a decision. She would let the past go, because she had to. The past was unchangeable, and the future was uncontrollable. She would live today and be happy. Misery-guts adieu, Claire.

Decision made, Claire smiled across at Nina. The family had grown, there were three generations again. Claire kissed the baby’s head. Whichever way you looked at it, she was rich as a king today.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Wednesday 26th July

Nina jerked awake. What the hell – she was – oh God, she was still stuck in this awful house and Paul was snoring beside her. How unbelievable, she had actually slept here. Her gut cramped and she lay still, panting in shallow breaths until the spasm passed. Thank Christ she hadn’t woken him. Moving as slowly as she could, she turned her head to look round the room. A heavy blue curtain was pulled across the window, but she could see it was pretty light outside.

Fear was sharpening her brain; she was wide awake now. She had to get out of here, and without disturbing Paul. Ignore the rumblings and twitches in her gut, she inched gingerly away from the malodorous body beside her, taking great care not to move her left foot. Paul’s breathing didn’t change, and Nina lay motionless, planning furiously. She had to free her foot. Slowly, slowly, she pulled herself into a sitting position, listening all the time to Paul’s breathing. It didn’t change.

The rope was greasy and difficult to loosen with tied hands but at last she felt it slacken. Squinting at Paul and holding her breath, she pulled her foot from the noose. Hah! She was free.

The snoring continued, and Nina rolled over until she was crouching beside the mattress. If the floor creaked now she’d be done for. Slow-motion, nice and easy, Nina, whatever you do, don’t wake him.

Testing the floor at every step, she crept to the door and inched it open. Out on the landing she paused. Should she make a run for it – or creep downstairs one step at a time? Fear was screaming at her to run, quick, as fast as she could, but her head insisted on caution. She inched down the stairs, stepping on the edge of every second tread only, gripping the greasy bannister and going as fast as she dared.

The bottom tread creaked and Nina froze, but no howl of rage came from the bedroom. She scurried through to the kitchen and seized a knife from the drawer, still half-open after her efforts last night. Jamming it between her knees, she rubbed her bound wrists along the blade. A few good sawing movements and she was free. Right. Quick, quick. Hush to the door, and run, Nina, run, as far away from here as you can get.

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