Caedmon’s Song by Peter Robinson Read Free Book Online

about the attack itself? Do you remember anything about how it happened?’
    Kirsten closed her eyes and confronted only darkness. It was as if a black cloud had formed somewhere in her mind, and inside it was trapped everything that this man wanted to know. The rest of
her – memories, feelings, sensations – could only circle the thick darkness helplessly. It was a chunk of her life, a package of pain and terror that had been wrapped up and hidden away
in the dark. She didn’t know if she could penetrate it, or if she wanted to; inside, she sensed, lived horrors too monstrous to confront.
    ‘I was looking for the moon,’ she said.
    ‘What?’
    ‘I sat on the lion – you know, that statue in the middle of the park – and I threw my head back. I was looking for the moon. I know it sounds silly. I wasn’t drunk or
anything. It’s just that it was my last night and I’d always wanted to . . . to just . . . sit. That’s all I can remember.’
    ‘What happened?’
    ‘When? What do you mean?’
    ‘You were sitting on the lion looking for the moon. What happened next?’
    Superintendent Elswick’s voice was soft and hypnotic. It was making Kirsten feel sleepy again. Now that she had come round fully, she could feel her aching body with its tight skin, and
she wanted to sail out on the tide again and leave it behind.
    ‘A hand,’ she said. ‘That’s all I remember. A hand came from behind, over my nose and mouth. I couldn’t breathe. And then it all went black.’
    ‘You didn’t see anyone?’
    ‘No. I’m sorry . . . I . . . There was something . . .’
    ‘Yes?’
    Kirsten frowned and shook her head. ‘It’s no good. I can’t remember.’
    ‘Don’t worry about it, Kirsten. Just take it slowly. You can’t remember anything at all about the person who attacked you, no matter how insignificant it might seem?’
    ‘No. Only the hand.’
    ‘What was the hand like? Was it big or small?’
    ‘I . . . I . . . it’s hard to say. It covered my nose and mouth . . . It was strong. And rough.’
    ‘Rough? In what way?’
    ‘Like someone who’s done a lot of hard work, I suppose. You know, lifting things. I don’t know. I’ve never felt a hand that rough before. We had a gardener once, and his
hands looked like this one felt. I never touched them, but they looked rough and calloused from doing manual work.’
    ‘This gardener,’ Elswick said, ‘what’s his name?’
    ‘It was a long time ago. I was just a little girl.’
    ‘Do you remember his name, Kirsten?’
    ‘I think it was Walberton. My daddy called him Mal. Short for Malcolm, I suppose. But I don’t see why—’
    ‘At this point, Kirsten, we know nothing. We need everything we can get. Everything. No matter how absurd it seems. Is the gardener still around?’
    ‘No, not any more. Daddy knows. He’ll tell you.’
    All right. Is there anything else?’
    ‘I don’t think so. I can’t remember what happened after the hand grabbed me. How long have I been here?’
    ‘Ten days. That’s why we have to act as quickly as we can. The more time goes by, the harder it is to pick up a trail. Can you think of anyone who might have wanted to harm you? Any
enemies? An angry boyfriend, perhaps?’
    Ten days! It was hard to believe. What had she been doing here for ten days? Just sleeping and dreaming? She shook her head. ‘No, there’s only Galen. There’s no one who’d
do something like this. I don’t understand it. I never did any harm to anyone in my life.’ Tears began to trickle from the corners of her eyes into the fine hair above her ears.
‘I’m tired. I hurt.’ She felt herself fading again and didn’t want to stop.
    ‘That’s all right,’ Elswick said. ‘You’ve been very helpful. We’ll go now and let you get some rest.’ He stood up and patted her arm, then nodded to
Sergeant Haywood that it was time to go. ‘I’ll come back and see you again soon, Kirsten, when you’re feeling better. Your mother and father