Enter the Dead: A Supernatural Thriller by Mark White Read Free Book Online

I’ll find out. This isn’t the
end of it, I promise you.’
    Tom stood up and
extended his arm. Sam recoiled at the cynicism of the gesture, backing away in
disgust at the man whom he’d once called his best friend. ‘Please, Sam,’ Tom
said, urging him to take his hand. Shake my hand and get the fuck out of
here, or I’ll tell you all about that ‘something else’. And then what will you
do, eh?
    ‘Goodbye, Tom,’ Sam
said, walking to the door. ‘I hope it works out with Gabby. I hope you get what
you deserve.’
    Tom stared blankly at
Sam as he left the office, slamming the door behind him. Revenge is a dish
best served cold , he thought, watching him as he headed off down the
corridor and out of his life forever.

CHAPTER TEN
     
    When
Max Railton let himself in to number thirty-nine, Chaytor Avenue, the last
person he expected to find waiting for him was his father. Sam was sitting in a
chair opposite Gracie, the pair separated by a welcoming fire and a small,
round coffee table, upon which was placed a blue and white teapot, a chipped
milk jug and two white enamel mugs. It was evident to Max that they must have
been in deep conversation about something or other, because it was only when he
entered the room that either of them noticed that he was in the house. Max was
confused; partly at seeing his dad at three-thirty in the afternoon, and partly
at seeing him talking to Gracie. His dad rarely spoke to her - usually the
small-talk was left to Max’s mother - and he hardly ever came into the house;
preferring to wait outside on the doorstep while Max collected his things. So
to see him there was unsettling to say the least.
    ‘Oh, hello Max,’ Gracie
said, smiling at him warmly. ‘I didn’t hear you come in. My ears aren’t want
they used to be.’
    ‘Hi, Aunt Gracie,’ Max
replied, walking across to her and kissing her on the cheek before turning to
Sam. ‘What are you doing here?’
    ‘Nice to see you too,’
Sam said, his smile not as warm or as convincing as Gracie’s. ‘How was your
day?’
    ‘Fine, I guess. You
still haven’t answered my question.’
    ‘Do I need a reason to
come home early to see my son?’
    ‘Yes. What’s wrong?’
    ‘It’s a long story. Actually
it’s not that long.’
    ‘Well?’
    ‘Well what?’
    ‘Are you going to tell
me why you’re here or aren’t you?’
    ‘Of course I’m going to
tell you. But first I need to-’
    ‘Max, darling,’ Gracie
said, interrupting them. ‘I hope you don’t mind, but your father and I need a
little more time to finish our conversation. Would you be a darling and take
yourself off to the front room for a few minutes? I promise we won’t be long.’
    Max eyeballed them
suspiciously. ‘What’s going on here?’ he said, reluctant to move. ‘Why can’t I
stay?’
    ‘There’s nothing wrong,’
Gracie replied. ‘There’s just something I need your father’s help with, that’s
all. Something personal. I tell you what, why don’t you help yourself to the
biscuit jar and go and watch some television? You needn’t concern yourself with
boring grown-up talk.’
    ‘Are you trying to
bribe me?’
    ‘I am, yes.’
    ‘Fair enough,’ Max
said, retrieving the biscuit jar from a nearby shelf and leaving the room.
Having taken orders from her since before he was able to wipe his own backside,
he wasn’t about to start arguing with her now.
    When they were
satisfied that he was out of earshot, they resumed their conversation.
    ‘Are you certain you’ve
got your facts in order, Sam? I mean, if they were planning on making you redundant,
surely there would have been some prior warning. You must have had an inkling
that it was coming.’
    ‘We don’t all have the
power to see into the future,’ he replied sarcastically.
    ‘That’s not fair.’
    ‘Sorry. Couldn’t
resist. You’re right though; I should have seen it coming. It came out of the
blue: no warnings, no prior conversations…nothing. I thought I was doing a