The Attic Room: A psychological thriller - Huber Linda (книги бесплатно без регистрации txt) 📗

The police officer broke the seal and stationed himself at the front door while they trooped inside. Naomi started to hunt round for her missing ipod, and Nina went into the living room. The air smelled musty; it was as though the house had been shut up for centuries and not a few days. And there was the sofa where Paul sat and told her a pack of lies – and she’d believed him.

‘Nina, stop it. Let’s find the stuff you want and get out of here,’ said Sam, rubbing her shoulder.

Nina heaved a shaky sigh, staring at the big table, where two stray photos lay gathering dust. The rest were still with Emily. She would collect them when they visited tomorrow.

‘There’s nothing in here,’ she said. ‘I’ll have a quick look in the study and then pack the last odds and ends from the bedroom. Sam, could you maybe bring the big box of china down from the attic? There might be something nice there, like those vases.’

He gave her a salute and bounded up the stairs two at a time. A shriek of triumph told Nina that Naomi had found her precious ipod, and she went into the study to see her daughter booting up Sam’s old laptop.

‘It was under the microwave. I’ll charge it up here now. And Mum, could we take that little desk home? It would look quite nice in my room.’

Nina glanced at the secretaire, her lips twitching. So much for her own plans for it. And if Naomi was developing a taste for antique furniture it was just as well they’d inherited John Moore’s millions.

‘Sure,’ she said, going through to the kitchen. ‘Sam can organise to have it transported up to Arran.’

Or if he kept his word and came to see them on the island, he could bring it himself, if he drove up. And talking of Sam, where was the man? He’d been up in the attic for ages, and there were no thumps and bumps telling of him shifting stuff around.

Nina ran up to the first floor. The vases were still on the chest of drawers in the room she and Naomi had occupied, and she pulled a couple of towels from the airing cupboard to wrap them in.

‘Sam?’ she called. ‘We’re about finished here. I’m packing those vases; I’ll take them on the plane. Have you found the china?’

No answer. Nina stood still. Silence from the attic; nothing was moving up there.

‘Sam?’

Nina’s stomach cramped uncomfortably when once again, no reply came from above, and she dropped the vases on what had been Naomi’s bed. Something was wrong… Sam? She crept out to the landing. The attic door above her was cracked open, dim electric light shining round its edges like something from a horror film – but now she was being ridiculous.

And yet…

Nina stood at the bottom of the attic stairs, the hairs on the back of her neck rising and her breath catching painfully in her chest.

Paul was up there. She could smell him. She would never forget that smell.

The house remained silent. Ice-cold fear was pumping through Nina’s body with every beat of her heart. Oh no no… Naomi… She had to get Naomi out of this house, immediately, right this instant. It was Naomi Paul would be after; she was the one he’d wanted to help catch his paedos. Thank Christ there was a policeman at the door. And dear God in heaven – Sam, what had happened to Sam? But Naomi came first. Her heart breaking, Nina turned away from the attic. Be normal, Nina. Paul mustn’t know he’d been rumbled…

‘Get a move on, Sam – I’ll take this lot downstairs,’ she called, aware that her voice sounded nothing like her own but unable to do anything about it.

Quick, quick, quick, downstairs and away, Nina – and thank heavens Naomi was down there on the laptop and not trailing round after her mother, looking for souvenirs. Down, down, as if everything was normal… She was in the study now, pulling Naomi from the desk, smothering the child’s protest with one hand.

‘Shh! Paul’s upstairs. We have to get out of here, come on!’

Naomi’s face turned pale and she followed Nina without a word. Nina eased the front door open, and they slid out and stood in an odd little huddle on the doorstep with the policeman on duty.

‘He must have knocked Sam out,’ whispered Nina, clutching Naomi to her side, sick horror making her legs shake. When was this going to end? Paul had a gun, until more police arrived they were in grave danger yet again. Why had he come back here, to the scene of his suffering as a child? He couldn’t have known they were coming today, hell, he must have chosen to hide out here. In the attic room. How completely macabre that was. Nina stood hugging Naomi while the constable radioed for reinforcements.

‘They’ll be with us in minutes,’ he said in a low voice. ‘The boss says try not to upset him, he might take it out on Sam Harrison. You two stay put – he won’t be able to shoot at you from the attic windows while you’re here under the eaves. I’ll go in and see what’s happened to Sam.’

He slid inside, disappearing up the stairs, treading lightly.

Nina craned her neck to see along the road. This would definitely count as an emergency; the police would be blue-lighting through town. The best thing would be to get hold of Paul by whatever means it took, and get him help. A psychiatric –

With appalling suddenness a shot rang out upstairs, and two starlings screamed heavenwards from the garden next door. Nina and Naomi clutched each other again.

‘Was that a gun?’ Naomi’s face was pale.

‘Hell, yes.’ Nina’s breath caught in her throat. Who had Paul shot at? But it must be the policeman, if he’d been going to shoot Sam he’d have done it before now. Or – had they got into the kind of situation where a hostage – Sam – ends up getting killed… Dear God, what should she do… there was still no sign of the police. Nina made a spot decision.

She handed Naomi her phone. ‘Call David Mallony, his number’s there. Tell him what’s going on. I’m going to see if Sam needs help.’

Naomi grabbed her arm. ‘No! You can’t – he might shoot you too.’

Nina cupped the child’s face. ‘Sweetie, I have to. He won’t shoot me. And we can’t just do nothing. So you get phoning – and stay right here, okay? Under the eaves where you’re safe.’

Naomi nodded, her face rigid. ‘Are you sure he won’t shoot you?’

‘Positive. It’s you he wants, to, um, help him trap some other people. He won’t risk you running away. I won’t be long.’

She turned back into the house and raced upstairs. Dear God let Sam be safe. Alive. She’d only just found him… And please let her get out of this safely too – she had a child who needed her. Maybe she should have stayed with Naomi. But imagine if Sam was hurt or even died because she hadn’t gone to help him – she wouldn’t be able to live with herself if that happened.

There was no sign of the policeman on the upstairs landing and no sound from Paul. Nina climbed the attic stairs, her heart thumping. Her mouth was dry but steely determination filled her head as she stood on the little landing, staring at the attic door. It was slightly open, but all she could see was the stairs.

‘Paul, I know you’re up there. Where’s Sam? And the policeman? What happened?’ Good, she sounded in control.

Footsteps approached down the stairs on the other side of the door. It swung a little further open, though there was still nothing to be seen of Sam or the young policeman.

‘Nina. They’re both up here, but they’re not saying much. We need to talk, Nina. I need to get those last two bastards.’

Fear and adrenalin rushed through Nina and she swayed on her feet. Paul’s voice was high, cracking on almost every word; this time he really did sound mad. And Sam...

A hand on the wall steadied her. ‘Paul. Of course we can talk. I want to get them every bit as much as you do.’

And she did, didn’t she, even though he had lied about them abusing her as well. This was so hard – she was revolted by what he was doing, yet the state he was in today was due to her coming here and stirring things up. If she hadn’t done that, Paul would have finished his ‘research’ and handed his findings over to the police. Which would have been a much tidier end to the whole affair than the one they were seeing now. And the thought that her actions had caused her cousin to have such a king-sized breakdown was truly appalling.