Shadow of Doom by John Creasey Read Free Book Online Page A

let me lock the door.’
    â€˜I don’t understand you,’ said Lumsden.
    â€˜Please!’ she said. ‘Don’t talk so loudly; you can never be sure who is in the next room.’ Yes, the fear was there as well as sadness.
    â€˜I think we can put some plaster on now,’ she said, and with her cool, deft fingers she patched him up.
    â€˜What did you mean when you said you’d seen worse?’ he asked. He whispered, keenly aware of her warning.
    â€˜It has happened to others,’ she said.
    â€˜But why—why do you stay?’
    â€˜I can’t help myself,’ she said. There seemed tragedy in the helpless shrug of her shoulders and the hopeless tone of her voice. ‘I have to do as I am told. I am a qualified nurse, and useful to them.’
    â€˜Who are they?’ he asked.
    â€˜I am not going to tell you,’ she said. ‘It would only lead to more trouble, and if they found out that I’d told you—well, I don’t know what would happen.’ Her smile was tremulous.
    For the first time he studied her closely. She was certainly not good-looking, and ‘pretty’ didn’t describe her, but there was a touching softness about her face. Her complexion was good, although rather pale, and her eyes were violet in colour. Her mouth was small but full, her nose was also rather small.
    â€˜Don’t try to press me,’ she said, ‘I can’t tell you anything. But—I know they want to learn something from you.’
    â€˜But I’ve nothing to tell them!’ he cried.
    â€˜Hush! They might hear you!’
    â€˜I’m sorry,’ he muttered. ‘I can’t make myself realise that we’re in their house.’ ‘Their’ house – ‘they’ – why wouldn’t she tell him more about them? How was it possible for them to frighten her and make her do whatever they wished?
    â€˜Why did they let you patch me up?’ he asked, suddenly. It had seemed strange before, but he had not thought of asking her. ‘It seems crazy.’
    â€˜Nothing they do is crazy,’ said the girl.
    â€˜Well, this is.’
    â€˜It isn’t,’ she insisted. ‘They’ll keep you here for tonight, perhaps, or else they might take you to her if they think you’re feeling reasonably well.’
    â€˜To her?’ he asked, dazedly.
    â€˜Yes. She—’ The girl paused, looked over her shoulder again, and, after a moment of tense silence, went on in a voice so low that he could hardly hear her. ‘She is very lovely, she will be very friendly and—and kind. You see, they know that they can’t make you talk by hurting you, they’ll try the other way now. It’s happened before.’
    â€˜It’s the most fantastic business I’ve ever heard of!’ declared Charles.
    â€˜I suppose it is,’ she said. ‘If things that do happen can be called fantastic. I shouldn’t warn you, but—if she asks questions don’t answer her. If you’ve managed to keep something back, don’t tell her—on no account tell her—because she will immediately go to them and repeat what you have said. They’re not interested in you, but only in what you can tell them.’
    â€˜I can’t tell them a thing,’ he said.
    He felt a little mean saying that to her. He would probably have told her all that Palfrey had told him but for her fear that they might be overheard. That would be disastrous. He had come through so much, he was warned about the next attempt they would make, he mustn’t take a false step now. But he was greatly tempted to confide in her. She made it so clear that she knew at what cost he had kept so silent.
    She smiled, gently.
    â€˜You’re quite right not to tell me,’ she said softly. ‘You mustn’t tell anyone, especially her. You’ve been so brave.’
    â€˜But I know nothing,’ he