The Voices by F. R. Tallis Read Free Book Online Page A

wristwatch again. ‘At this time?’
    ‘Yes. I’m not sure but I think she might be unwell.’
    Christopher continued his ascent.
    ‘What are you doing up there?’
    ‘I . . .’ She seemed confused. ‘Something happened. I damaged one of the doors.’ He detected a certain strained quality in her voice and made an effort to climb faster. On arriving on the landing he paused to take in the scene: Laura, the right sleeve of her smock stained with blood; the door of the empty bedroom, smashed; wood splinters on the carpet.
    ‘Jesus. What happened?’
    ‘The door got stuck. Faye was on the other side.’
    He noticed the hammer. ‘So you took a hammer to it?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Laura,’ he said in disbelief. ‘We were going to have it stripped and revarnished.’
    ‘I was sorting out my old clothes and she was playing out here. The latch got stuck. What was I supposed to do?’
    ‘You didn’t have to do this,’ he said, pointing at the damaged panel, ‘surely.’
    ‘What if the window had been open? Faye could have fallen out.’
    ‘We don’t use this room. Why would the window have been open?’
    ‘Chris, I wasn’t prepared to take the risk, OK?’
    Christopher crossed the landing and examined thedoor. He ran his finger around the jagged hole. ‘We won’t be able to get this repaired.’ He took a step back. ‘And look, there’s a crack that runs right down to the lower panel. We’ll have to get a new one.’ More expense. Christopher supposed that a Victorian door wouldn’t cost very much, but it would have to be restored and fitted. ‘What happened to your arm? Is that blood?’
    ‘I cut myself trying to get the door open.’
    Christopher scratched his head. ‘I don’t understand. It’s never got stuck before.’ He opened the door, pushed it shut, and repeated the action several times.
    ‘It was stuck.’ Laura’s tone was tetchy. ‘The metal bar thing on the back got jammed.’ Christopher continued to demonstrate the ease with which the door could be opened and closed. ‘Chris, stop doing that. What are you trying to prove? It doesn’t change anything. I’m telling you, the door was stuck.’
    Christopher let the door close one last time and they stood, very still, staring at each other. Eventually, Christopher asked: ‘What’s wrong with Faye?’
    ‘I don’t know,’ Laura replied.
    ‘You said she was unwell.’
    ‘When I got the door open I found her gazing at the wall.’
    ‘That doesn’t sound so bad.’
    ‘It was like she was in a trance or something – a world of her own. You’d have thought the noise I was making would have frightened her. She should have been upset, crying.’ Laura’s hair had fallen in front of her face and she pushed it aside. ‘She was all right for a bit but then she got really tired and fractious so I put her to bed.’
    Christopher sighed. ‘She’s probably coming down with something.’
    ‘She hasn’t got a temperature. Maybe I should take her to the doctor’s.’
    ‘If you want.’ Christopher shrugged. ‘No harm.’
    The atmosphere was suddenly less tense. Christopher took off his jacket. ‘It’s hot, isn’t it?’
    ‘Yes,’ said Laura. ‘How was Henry?’
    ‘Fine.’
    ‘Any luck?’
    ‘Nothing concrete. There’s a film called The Warlock that might be coming my way.’
    ‘When will you know?’
    ‘Henry didn’t say.’
    Laura nodded and indicated the splinters on the carpet. ‘I’ll clean this up.’
    The doctor completed his examination of Faye and smiled. ‘She’s fine.’
    Laura picked up her daughter and gave her a plastic hoop to play with. ‘Then what happened?’
    ‘Nothing that you need to be worried about,’ said the doctor, permitting himself a reassuring chuckle. ‘Look at her! I’ve never seen a healthier child.’
    ‘I thought she was having a fit or something.’
    The doctor drew his head back sharply and adopted an expression that declared his amusement and incredulity. ‘No. I think