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

good
job. That’s certainly what they were telling me, anyway.’
    ‘It doesn’t make
sense.’
    ‘I know.’ They paused and
drank some tea. ‘I don’t know why I’m telling you this,’ he said, placing his
cup back onto the table. ‘In all the years you’ve been looking after Max I’ve
hardly even spoken to you. I’m sorry about that, by the way. I guess I’m
feeling a little fragile this afternoon.’
    ‘No need to apologise.
What does Sarah have to say?’
    ‘Nothing yet. I haven’t
been able to get hold of her; her phone’s switched off and she’s not at the
office. Probably out visiting a client. She’s not going to take it well when
she finds out, that’s for sure. Christ, what am I going to do?’
    ‘Well, if you want my
advice, I suggest you go home, cook a nice meal and wait for Sarah. Then you
should tell both her and Max together over dinner. Keep your head, be honest,
and answer any questions they throw at you calmly and clearly. Get a good
night’s sleep, if you can, and then first thing tomorrow you need to get out
there and see what other jobs there are. It won’t take long for a man of your experience
to find something suitable. What you mustn’t do is allow your head to drop and
start feeling sorry for yourself. That’s when trouble starts.’
    ‘Easier said than done.
You’re not the one who’s out of a job.’
    ‘Maybe so, but it’s not
your fault they can’t secure enough business to keep people employed. You’re
not the salesman.’
    ‘I suppose.’
    ‘No supposing about
it.’
    Sam looked up from the
fire and stared into the old lady’s eyes, studying her properly for possibly
the first time in all the years that he’d entrusted his son to her. She was
wizened, with deep wrinkles and hairs that grew from places that would
embarrass a younger, more self-conscious woman. Her clothes were basic but
well-made: clearly she took pride in herself and was happy in her own skin.
Despite being fired from his job only two hours earlier, sitting there beside
her he felt safe and warm and almost content with the world outside. He was
beginning to understand why there were others – many others, according to Max –
who trusted her and came to her for advice and guidance. So what if he didn’t
believe in the hocus-pocus nonsense that she and her kind espoused? The fact
was she was a comforting person to be around. It was easy to see why Max loved
her so much.
    ‘Max tells me you’re
sceptical of my work,’ she said, as if able to read his mind.
    ‘I guess I am.’
    ‘Do you have faith,
Sam?’
    ‘Faith in what
exactly?’
    ‘In God, in Mother
Nature…in some kind of higher power.’
    ‘Not really, no.’
    ‘I don’t mean to pry,
but do you mind me asking why not?’
    ‘I do, as it happens.’
    ‘Fair enough.’
    ‘Wait…sorry…I didn’t
mean to be rude or anything. It’s just…well…let’s just say I have a pretty good
reason for my cynicism. Any notion I had of there possibly being a merciful God
in heaven was laid to rest a long, long time ago. When I was only a boy.’
    ‘A death in the
family?’
    Sam’s eyes widened.
‘How did you find out about that? Who told you? Was it Sarah? I know it
couldn’t have been Max.’
    ‘Calm down,’ she said,
smiling at him. ‘Nobody told me anything.’
    ‘Then how do you know
about Lucy?’
    ‘I don’t know
anything about Lucy. What I do know is that when children lose their faith in God
it usually comes as a result of some traumatic experience. You see; we adults question
our faith without giving it so much as a second thought, especially nowadays
when it’s socially acceptable to be an atheist or agnostic or whatever else we
might choose to be. But with children it’s different; they are born into a
fascinating world of fairies and witches and ghosts. They hang on to their
belief in Father Christmas long after they suspect that he’s not real, and the
same goes for God. That’s just the way they are. More