Her Vampyrrhic Heart by Simon Clark Read Free Book Online Page A

just talk for a couple of minutes?’
    â€˜No can do.’ He checked the flashlight. ‘You have to get back to your car. Give me your phone number.’
    â€˜I already did. It’s on the note I left you.’
    â€˜I burned it.’
    She didn’t ask why. Instead, she pulled a card from her purse. ‘My name and number’s on there. I’m stopping at the Station Hotel in Leppington. Do you know it?’
    He nodded. ‘I’ll give you a call. We’ll meet up at the hotel.’ The look she gave him prompted him to add, ‘In the bar.’
    Even though June began to fasten her jacket she moved slowly so she could talk. Clearly she needed to reveal information that was important to her. ‘I came here by train from Manchester. When I reached Leppington I hired a car so I could find you.’
    Despite a sense of urgency to get her away from here, he had to ask the question: ‘Why?’
    Those astonishing blue eyes locked on to his. ‘Twenty-nine years ago my mother met a man called Jacob Bekk. My mother’s the lady you saw in the photo. They fell in love. Before I came along, however, my father returned to this cottage. My mother never saw him again.’
    â€˜So they split up?’
    â€˜No. They loved one another. My mother said Jacob began to change. He seemed to be haunted by something – and she did use the word “haunted”. Also, he became physically different. His skin grew paler; she could see veins through the flesh. His eyes changed, too.’
    â€˜As if the colour had begun to leach away?’
    June’s eyes flashed with surprise. ‘Hey, how did you know that?’
    â€˜How did you know how to find me?’
    â€˜My mother collected news reports of a flood that happened five years ago in this valley. Your name cropped up a lot, and as the name Tom Westonby was linked to Nicola Bekk, my mother drew plenty of conclusions.’
    â€˜We should be going.’ He opened the door.
    â€˜Aren’t you curious about why I’m here?’
    â€˜This isn’t the time to talk. Already I might have left it too late to go through the wood.’
    â€˜I’m here to save my mother’s life.’
    The sentence stopped Tom dead. ‘Save her life? How can coming here save anyone’s life?’ He paused. ‘Sorry, that sounded brutal. You just took me by surprise.’
    â€˜My mother’s name is April. She married Jacob Bekk. He left her soon after she found out she was pregnant with me. She was so angry she changed her name back to Valko. But the absolute truth is that she loves Jacob. She can’t accept that he stopped loving her. For years now she’s been slipping deeper and deeper into clinical depression. Two weeks ago she was hospitalized. This might sound over the top, but she’s literally dying of a broken heart. If she meets Jacob again, she might find some peace … she might even get well again.’
    â€˜I don’t see what I can do.’
    â€˜Help me find Jacob Bekk.’
    â€˜I don’t think I can do that.’
    â€˜I found you.’
    â€˜All you need do is type “Tom Westonby” into a search engine; you’ll be taken to all kinds of websites about the paranormal and monster hunting.’
    â€˜Other missing people can be found, if you try hard enough.’
    â€˜June, I’ve been searching for Nicola Bekk for five years.’
    â€˜Then we’ll find them both together. Nicola and Jacob.’ Her blue eyes held a fierce determination. ‘We can help each other, Tom.’
    â€˜Even if I could take you to Jacob, I wouldn’t.’
    â€˜Why?’
    â€˜Because I would not inflict such a thing on my worst enemy.’
    â€˜Do you always talk in mysterious riddles?’
    â€˜It’s better than you hearing the truth.’
    â€˜You’ve just answered me with another riddle. So why is it better than hearing the