Flesh and Blood by Simon Cheshire Read Free Book Online Page B

that lovely?”
    Caroline Greenhill shot a glance at Mum. The air of amused condescension on Dr Greenhill’s face made me want to crawl under a stone with embarrassment. Mum was giving me one of her ‘go on, speak up’ looks.
    “I like to have a good chat with my new patients, individually,” said Dr Greenhill. “I’ve made appointments for all three of you at the surgery. Yours is immediately after school today, Sam, all right?”
    It was such a straightforward statement, socasually said, and so apparently helpful and caring. It would take me weeks to realize its full meaning.
    I might easily have fallen into the trap, but luckily the night’s events had put me on my guard. I wanted to keep my distance from the Priory’s inhabitants, at least for the moment, until I could make some sort of sense out of what I’d seen. I chose my words with care.
    “I’m fine,” I said in a low voice. “There’s nothing wrong with me.”
    “Just a chat.” Dr Greenhill smiled.
    “Just a chat.” Mum smiled.
    “I may have to stay late tonight,” I said. “There’s work I have to catch up on.”
    “I’m sure you can catch up later. Your mother’s been telling me what a bright boy you are. I’ll expect you at three forty-five.”
    I felt a sudden flush of defiance. “I suppose I have been feeling a bit tired,” I said.
    “Yes?” said Dr Greenhill. Her head tipped to one side a little.
    “Yes, I didn’t get much sleep last night. I heard noises. Strange noises.”
    “We didn’t,” said Mum. “What noises?”
    “In the middle of the night,” I said.
    “I’m afraid our household tends to turn in early,” said Dr Greenhill. “We’re all out like lights. Oh, perhaps you heard our old boiler? The pipes make some dreadful screeches and squeals but we don’t even notice it any more. I’m so sorry if it woke you, it can get horribly loud. We really must have it repaired!” She turned to Mum. “I mustn’t keep you any longer, Ellen. You’ll be late for work.”
    “No problem, they can wait for me for once,” she laughed, a little too much. “I’ll tell Richard about his appointment. He’ll be terribly sorry he missed you.”
    “Until later, then,” said Dr Greenhill. “I’ll see you at three forty-five, Sam.”
    Mum waved at her from the front step as she crossed the street. A blast of cold air whipped into the hallway before Mum came inside.
    “Don’t forget that appointment, Sam,” she said, gathering up her stuff for work.
    “I’m not going,” I said firmly.
    “Don’t be silly,” said Mum mildly. “Of course you should go. I’m going in my lunch hour. It’s very nice of Doctor Greenhill to fit us all in like that. I’msure she’s very busy.”
    “It was a scream I heard last night, Mum.”
    “You’ll hear me scream if you miss that appointment.”
    “Seriously! Someone over in that house screamed!”
    “You heard what she said,” said Mum. “It’s their pipes. I think if someone had actually screamed, Doctor Greenhill would have noticed, don’t you?”
    “I think she did notice,” I said. “She must have noticed. I never said anything about a scream to her, I just said I’d heard a strange noise, and yet she came out with that crap about screeching pipes. As if she knew she needed a cover story. And I never said it was the Priory I heard it come from. She just assumed. She’s hiding something. I don’t know what, but something was going on over there last night. I went out to have a look, and—”
    “What? You went out in the night?”
    “Yes! To find out who screamed.”
    “And did you?”
    “No, but there was an injured dog in the Priory grounds. Someone from the house took it back inside.”
    “Well, it was the dog that made the noise, then,obviously. Dogs do howl, you know, especially if they’re injured. Oh, the poor thing! Doctor Greenhill didn’t mention it.”
    “Which is also suspicious,” I said. “If your dog hurt itself, why wouldn’t you just