Pokrewne

Start
Chelsea Handler Chelsea Chelsea Bang Bang (epub
Brit Brinson [Dia of the Dead Dia of the Dead (epub)
Cody Goodfellow [Radiant Dawn Radiant Dawn (epub)
Cate Tiernan [Immortal Belove Immortal Beloved (epub)
C J Busby [Deep Amber 01] Deep Amber (retail) (epub)
Carl Ashmore [Time Hunters 01 The Time Hunters (epub)
Drew Hayes [Super Powereds 02 Super Powereds Year 2 (epub) i
Beth Harbison [Shoe Addict 02 Secrets of a Shoe Addict (epub)
Cara Lynn Shultz [Dark World The Dark World (retail) (epub)
Bova Ben Droga przez uklad sl Skalne szczury

[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.“I think you made a conquest,” Peg said.“Who?” She tried to look surprised.“Tom.”“Don’t be silly.I just didn’t know what to say when he asked me about a coffee.Yanks are funny that way, aren’t they?”“I work with them,” Peg reminded her.“And they’re no different from other people.Actually, I always thought Tom was shy.”“I like him, he’s very nice,” Mrs.Redden said hurriedly and moved on ahead, not stopping until she reached the third-floor landing, where she waited for Peg, who followed more slowly.When Peg came abreast, Mrs.Redden, trying to sound amused, asked, “That girl with no bra, is she my rival, then?”“Who?” Peg stopped, a little out of breath.“Debbie.”“Who knows, with that generation,” Peg said.“I don’t think so, though.”And went on up to the top floor, taking out her keys again to open the apartment door.As she turned the key in the lock, both women heard the phone ring inside the flat.“Is that your phone?”“Yes, but I don’t know who it could be at this hour of the night,” Peg said, pushing the door open and hurrying down the hall.The ringing stopped just before she picked the receiver up.“Hello? Hello?” She listened, then replaced the receiver.“Too bad.I wonder, was that for you, Sheila?”“I doubt it.Kevin wouldn’t call this late,” Mrs.Redden said, but there in the half-dark hall, her elation sank to a sudden fear.In her mind she saw the two Saracen armored cars barricading the lower end of Clifton Street, no one in the street, and just above the Army and Navy Club, Kevin’s surgery.There was a blue van parked in front of the Army and Navy Club.There was no one in the van.You never left a vehicle unattended.A soldier in battle dress ran out (she had not noticed the soldiers) and beckoned hurriedly with his automatic rifle, ordering her into the shelter of a doorway.She saw, still as a painting, the empty street, rain wet on the pavement, the van unattended.Then, all at once, splinters in the air, the noise coming after the dust and smoke as the van blew itself up.She saw the huge dusty hole where the Army and Navy Club had been, the shattered windows and rubbled wall of Kevin’s surgery.The soldiers had warned him in time.He and the patients had been moved out.“Would you like a cup of tea before you go to bed?” Peg asked.“Not unless you would.”“Well, let’s go to sleep now and have an early breakfast before I go to work.Is a quarter to eight too soon for you?”“No, no.”Peg moved toward her, her arms out, coming to kiss her good night, but now, in the half-dark hall, Mrs.Redden saw, not Peg, but that other woman, blonde, with dust on her hair, blood on her face, running out of the Queen’s Arcade, shaking her fist.“Fucking Fenian gets!”“You’re shivery,” Peg said, embracing her.“Are you cold?”“No, no.I wonder who that was on the phone.”“Probably a wrong number.”Chapter 2• Croissants, coffee, chatter, screams of laughter, two women in the ease of no child to get off to school, no husband to be fed, no boy friend to be watched for signs of a morning mood, talking, charting the movements and marriages of former friends, calling out anecdotes to each other as Peg hurried to do her hair and put on her suit, the chat so good and the time so quick and easy until the moment came when they kissed each other, hugged, promised to keep in touch, and then, suddenly, Peg was gone.The hall door shut.Alone, Mrs.Redden felt the emptiness of being left behind.Turning, she went into the living room, opened the windows, and stepped out onto the balcony, craning down, hoping to catch sight of Peg below, on the street.She had hardly seen Peg, had hardly seen Paris; this part of the holiday was already ending.Then, far below, Peg stepped out, hurrying along the edge of the pavement in her ice-cream suit, going to the corner to the Métro.“Peg?” Mrs.Redden called down, “Peg!” but it was foolish—with six floors and the noise of traffic, there was no chance.Peg was gone.Unaccountably she felt guilty about Peg, so decent and generous, and why didn’t I stay over and have lunch with her, bad manners of me, because I wanted to see Tom Lowry again, not Peg, but I should have done both, I should have taken a later flight.The phone rang.She stood, irresolute, as its tone gonged through the empty flat.It might be Tom Lowry phoning to say he can’t meet me.She went to answer, but the moment she picked up the receiver, she sensed it wasn’t him.Kevin’s receptionist said, “Is Mrs.Redden there?”“Speaking.Is that you, Maureen?”“Yes, Mrs.Redden.Hold on, the doctor wants to talk to you.”“Hello, Sheila.” His voice always sounded strange on the phone.“How are you getting on? Did you have a good flight?”“Yes, lovely,” she said.“How are things at home?”“Well, that’s why I’m ringing.John McSherry’s mother-in-law died yesterday afternoon.The funeral’s the day after tomorrow.It’s a bloody nuisance.”McSherry was one of the doctors in his group.“But you don’t have to go to the funeral of McSherry’s mother-in-law,” she said.“Wait a minute.” She heard the familiar irritation in his voice.“John’s wife is laid up, she has a heart condition, you know.Anyway, I offered to hold on here for three more days to let him get things squared away at home.”“But why does it have to be you? What about Con Cullen, he could do McSherry’s work, couldn’t he?”“I’ve already offered to do it.”“But why? They take advantage of you, time and time again.You’re always the one who works extra days.Surely, just this once, they’ll have the decency to let you get away in peace.”“Look, nobody forced me, it was my idea.And besides, it’s just for two more days.”“But this is our holiday! We’ve been looking forward to it for ages.”“You have,” he said.“What’s that supposed to mean?”“It means, will you stop nagging me.I’ll be in Ville-franche on Friday.Just enjoy yourself and lie out in the sun.You don’t need me for that.”“So you won’t be coming before Friday, is that it?”“Let’s say Friday night.I’ll give you a ring.”“Why bother?”“What do you mean?”“If you don’t want to come on this holiday, then don’t.You’ll be far happier sitting at home, stuck into the telly.”“Oh, balls.” He was shouting now.“We can’t all live like you, ignoring the facts of life, dancing in the dark.”It was his oldest jibe.Dancing in the dark.“Suit yourself,” she said.“I’ll be there on Friday night.Look, I’m sorry it turned out like this.”“You’re not one bit sorry,” she said, and hung up.But, of course, that was the worst thing she could have done.Now, if only she could ring back and apologize: but that wouldn’t work, he would take it as a further insult, a false contrition.She never should have hung up [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]