Nightmare at 20,000 Feet: Horror Stories by Richard Matheson Read Free Book Online

Sergeant?
      Set.
      Okay. This recording made on January fifteenth, nineteen fifty-four, twenty-third precinct police… '

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      … in the presence of Detective James Taylor and, uh, Sergeant Louis Ferazzio.

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      Name, please.
      Huh?
      What's your name, son?
      My name?
      Come on, son, we're trying to help you.

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      L-Leo.
      Last name.
      I d-don't… Leo.
      What's your last name, son?
      Vo… Vo…
      All right, son. Take it easy.
      V-Vogel.
      Leo Vogel. That it?
      Yeah.
      Address?
      T-twenny two thirty, avena J.
      Age?
      I'm… almost… Where's… my ma?

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      Turn it off a minute, Sergeant.
      Right.

    Click
    Click

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      All right, son. Okay now?
      Y-yeah. But where…?
      You're how old?
      Fi-fifteen.
      Now, uh, where were you last night from six o'clock till you went home?
      I was… at… at the show. Ma give… give me the dough.
      How come you didn't stay home to watch television with your parents?
      'Cause. Because…
      Yes?
      The Le-Lenottis was comin' over to watch it with them.
      They came often?
      N-no. It was the first time they'd… ever come.
      Uh-huh. So your mother sent you to the movies.
      Y-yeah.

      Sergeant, give the kid some of that coffee. And see if you can him find a blanket.
      Right away, chief
      Now, uh, son. What time did you get out of the movies?
      Time? I… don't know what time.
      About nine-thirty, would you say?
      I guess. I don't know… w-what time. All I…
      Yes?
      Nothin'.
      Well, you saw the show only once, didn't you?

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      Huh?
      You saw it only once. You didn't see any picture twice, did you?
      No. No, I only seen it once.
      Okay. That would make it, uh…

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      … roughly about nine-thirty, then, that you got out of the movies. You went home right away?
      Yeah… I mean no.
      Where did you stop?
      I had a Coke at the… at the drugstore.
      I see. Then you went home.
      Ye-

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      … yeah, then I went home.
      The house was dark?
      Yeah. But… they never used no lights when they watched TV.
      Uh-huh. You went in?
      Y-yeah.
      Take a sip of that coffee, son, before it gets cold. Take it easy, take it easy. Don't choke on it. There. Okay?
      Yeah.
      All right then. Now… oh, good. Put it over his shoulders, Sergeant. There we go. Better?
      Mmmm
      Okay. Let's get on with it. And believe me, son, this is no more fun for us than it is for you. We saw it too.
      I want mama. I want her. Please, can I…
      Oh. What did I… well, shut it off, Sergeant. Here kid. You don't have a handkerchief, do you? Here. Did you shut it off, Sergeant?
      Oh. Right away.

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    Click
      When you went in, was there anything… peculiar?
      What?
      You told us last night you smelled something.
      Yeah. It… it… There was a funny smell.
      Anything you know?
      Huh?
      Did it smell like anything you ever smelled before?
      No. It wasn't much. Not in the… hall.
      All right. So you went into the living room.
      No. No. I went… Ma. Can I…

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      Come on, son, snap out of it. We know you've had a bad time. But we're trying to help.

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      You, uh, didn't go in the living room. Didn't you think you should mention that smell?

      I… h-heard the set on and…
      Set?
      The TV set. I thought-I figured they were still watchin'.
      And?
      And ma didn't like me to… b-bust in on them. So I went up to my room so's I wouldn't… you know.
      Bother them.
      Y-yeah.
      Okay. How long were you up there?
      I was… I don't know how long. Maybe an hour.
      And?
      There… wasn't no sound downstairs.
      Nothing at all?
      No. There wasn't nothing at all.
      Didn't that make you suspicious?
      Yeah. Well, I figured… they'd… laugh at somethin' or talk loud