The Danger.

Chapter 24

"Andtoyou,"Ianswered."You"rethebest."

TonystartedthecarandwavedtoEaglerasheclosedthereardoor,andwithout morefusswewereawayandontheroad,takingadirectionoppositetothe kidnappers"house,setfairforsafety.

"Wow,"Tonysaid,relaxingfivemileson."Notabadbitofliberating,thoughI sayitmyself."

"Fantastic,"Isaid,"andifyougoroundanymorecornersatthatspeedDominic willfallofftheseat."

TonyglancedbacktowhereIwasawkwardlyjammedsidewaystoletDominiclie stretchedout,anddecidedtostopthecarforrearrangements,whichincluded removingmorethoroughlytheblackfromourfacesandstowingTony"sgeartidily inthetrunk.Whenwesetoff.a.gainIhadDominiconmylapwithhishead cradledagainstmyshoulder,andhewashalfgraspingthecuddlyteddywhichI"d takenfromhissuitcase.



Hiseyesopenedandfellshutoccasionally,butevenwhenitwascleartheether hadwornoff,hedidn"twake.Iwonderedforawhileifhe"dbeengivensleeping pillslikeAlessia,butlaterconcludeditwasonlythemiddle-of-the-night effectontheextremelyyoung,becausetowardstheendofthejourneyIsuddenly foundhiseyeswideopen,staringupatmyface.

"h.e.l.lo,Dominic,"Isaid.

Tonylookedoverbriefly."He"sawake?"

"Yes."

"Good."

Iinterpretedthe"good"tobesatisfactionthatthepatienthadsurvivedthe anesthetic.Dominic"seyesslidslowlyinTony"sdirectionandthencamebackto watchmine.

"We"retakingyoutoyourmother,"Isaid.

"Trymummy,"Tonysaiddryly.

"We"retakingyoutoyourmummy,"Isaid.

Dominic"seyeswatchedmyface,unblinking.

"We"retakingyouhome,"Isaid."Here"syourteddy.You"lls...o...b..backwith yourmummy."

Dominicshowednoreaction.Thebigeyeswentonwatching.

"You"resafe,"Isaid."Noonewillhurtyou.We"retakingyouhometoyour mummy."

Dominicwatched.

"Talkativekid,"Tonysaid.

"Frightenedoutofhiswits."

"Yeah,poorlittleb.u.g.g.e.r."

Dominicwa.s.stillwearingtheredswimmingtrunksinwhichhe"dbeenstolen away.Thekidnappershadaddedabluejersey,considerablytoolarge,butno socksorshoes.HehadbeencoldtothetouchwhenI"dtakenhimoutofthe holdall,buthislittlebodyhadwarmedintherugtothepointwhereIcould feelhisheatcomingthrough.

"We"retakingyouhome,"Isaidagain.

Hemadenoreplybutafteraboutfiveminutessatuprightonmylapandlooked outofthecarwindow.Thenhiseyescameroundagaintolookatmine,andhe slowlyrelaxedbackintohisformerpositioninmyarms.

"Nearlythere,"Tonysaid."What"llwedo?It"sonlyfour.She"llpa.s.seffing outifwegiveherashockatthistimeofnight."

"Shemightbeawake,"Isaid.

"Yeah,"hesaid."Worryingaboutthekid.Isupposeshemight.Hereweare,just downthisroad."

HeturnedinthroughtheNerritygates,thewheelscrunchingonthegravel: stoppedrightbesidethefrontdoor,andgotoutandrangthebell.

Alightwentonupstairsandafteraconsiderablewaitthefrontdooropened fourinchesonachain.

"Whoisit?"JohnNerrity"svoicesaid."Whatonearthdoyouwantatthis hour?"

Tonysteppedcloserintothelightcomingthroughthecrack.

"TonyVine..."

"Goaway."Nerritywasangry."I"vetoldyou..."

"Webroughtyourkidback,"Tonysaidflatly."Doyouwanthim?"

"What?"

"Dominic,"Tonysaidwithmockpatience."Yourson."

"I..."Hefloundered.

"TellMrs.Nerrity,"Tonysaid.

Iimaginedhemusthaveseenherbehindherhusband,becauseverysoftlythe frontdooropenedwideandMirandastoodthereinanightgown,lookinggaunt.

Foramomentshehoveredasifterrified,notdaringtobelieveit,andI climbedoutofthecarwithDominichangingontight.

"Hereheis,"Isaid."Safeandsound."

ShestretchedoutherarmsandDominicslidfrommyembracetohers,therug droppingaway.Hewrappedhislittlearmsroundherneckandclungwithhislegs likealimpet,anditwasasiftwoincompletebodieshadfusedintoonewhole.

Neitherofthemspokeaword.ItwasNerritywhodidallthetalking.

"You"dbettercomein,then,"hesaid.

Tonygavemeasardoniclookandwesteppedthroughintothehall.

"Wheredidyoufindhim?"Nerritydemanded."Ihaven"tpaidtheransom..."

"Thepolicefoundhim,"Tonysaid."InSuss.e.x."

"Oh."

"InconjunctionwithLibertyMarket,"Iaddedsmoothly.

"Oh."Hewasnonplussed,notknowinghowtobegratefulorhowtoapologizeor howtosayhemighthavebeenwrongingivingusthesack.Neitherofushelped him.TonysaidtoMiranda,"Yourcar"sstillatthehotel,butwebroughtall yourgear..yourclothes,chair,andsoon...backwithus."

Shelookedathimvaguely,herwholeconsciousnessattunedtothelimpet.

"TellSuperintendentRightsworththeboy"sback,"IsaidtoNerrity.

"Oh...Yes."

Dominic,seenbyelectriclight,wasanice-lookingchildwithawell-shaped headonaslenderstalkofaneck.HehadseemedlightinmyarmsbutMiranda leanedawayfromhisweightashesatonherhip,thetwoofthemstillentwined asifwithglue.

"Goodluck,"Isaidtoher."He"sagreatkid."

Shelookedatmespeechlessly,likeherson.

TonyandIunloadedtheirseasidestuffintothehallandsaidwewould telephoneinthemorningtocheckifeverythingwasallright;butlater,when Nerrityhadfinallycomeupwithastrangledthankyouandshuthisdooronus, Tonysaid,"Whatdoyouthinkwe"dbetterdonow?"

"Stayhere,"Isaiddecisively."Roughlyonguard.There"sstillTerryandPeter unaccountedfor,andmaybeothers.We"dlookrightidiotsiftheywalked straightinandtookthewholefamilyhostage."

Tonynodded."Neverthinktheenemyhaveceasedhostilities,eventhoughthey"ve effingsurrendered.Vigilanceisthebestdefenseagainstattack."Hegrinned.

"I"llmakeasoldierofyouyet."

Chapterfourteen.

FORONEDAYtherewaspeaceandquiet.TonyandIwenttotheofficeforafew hoursandwroteajointreport,whichwehopedwouldbeacceptabletothe a.s.sembledpartnersonthefollowingmorning.Apartfrombeingmisleadingabout theorderinwhichDominic"sescapeandtheentryofthegladiatorshad occurred,westuckfairlycloselytothetruth:asalwaysitwasinthewording itselfthatthelessorthodoxactivitieswereglossedover.

"Wededucedthatthechildwasbeingheldintheupperstory,"hewrote,without sayinghowthedeductionhadbeenmade."Afterthechildhadbeenfreed, SuperintendentEaglerwasoftheopinionthathe(thechild)shouldbereunited withhisparentsa.s.soonaspossible,andconsequentlyweperformedthe service."

OnthetelephoneEaglerhadallayedourslightlyanxiousinquiries.

"Don"tyoufret.Wetookthemwithoutafight.Theywerecoughingandcryingall overtheplace."Hisvoicesmiled."Therewerethreeofthem.Twowereonthe topstoryrunningabout,absolutelyfrantic,lookingforthekidandnotbeing abletoseefortears.Theykeptsayinghe"dfallendownthechute."

"Didyoufindthechute?"Iaskedcuriously.

"Yes.Itwasacircularcanvasthingliketheyhaveforescapesfromaircraft.

Itslantedfromtheholeinthefloorboardsintoasmallcupboardonthefloor below.Thedoorofthecupboardhadbeenbrickedupandwallpaperedandthere wasawardrobestandinginfrontofit.Allfreshlydone,thecementwasn"t thoroughlydried.Anyway,theycouldhaveslidtheboydownthechuteand replacedthechunkoffloorboardsandputarugoverthetrapdoor,andno ordinarysearchwouldhavefoundhim."

"Wouldhehavesurvived?"Iasked.

"Ishouldthinkso,yes,aslongasthey"dtakenhimoutagain,b.u.t.todothat they"dhavetohaveunbrickedthedoorway."

"Allrathernasty,"Isaidsoberly.

"Yes,very."

TonyandIputEagler"saccountofthechuteintoourreportanddecidednotto tellMiranda.

Eagleralsosaidthatnoneofthekidnapperswastalking;thattheyweretough, sullen,andmurderouslyangry.Noneofthemwouldgivehisname,address,orany otherinformation.Noneofthemhadsaidasinglewordthatcouldwithpropriety betakendownandusedinevidence.Alltheirutteranceshadbeenofthe four-lettervariety,andtheyhadbeensparingevenwiththose.

"We"vesenttheirprintstothecentralregistry,ofcourse,butwithnoresults sofar."Hepaused."I"vebeenlisteningtoyourtapes.Red-hotstuff.I"llpry openthesefineoysterswithwhat"sonthem,neverfear."

"Hopetheyutterpearls,"Isaid.

"Theywill,laddie."

TowardsmiddayItelephonedtoAlessiatopostponethelunchinvitationandwas forgiveninstantly.

"Mirandatelephoned,"shesaid."ShetoldmeyoubroughtDominichome.Shecan"t speakfortears,butatleastthistimethey"remostlyhappy."

"Mostly?"Isaid.

"Johnandthatpoliceman,SuperintendentRightsworth,bothinsistedonDominic beingexaminedbyadoctor,andofcourseMirandadidn"tdisagree,butshesays theyaretalkingnowoftreatmentforhim,notbecauseofhisphysicalstate, whichisn"tbad,butsimplybecausehewon"ttalk."

"Whatsortoftreatment?"

"Inhospital."

"Theycan"tbeserious!"Isaidwithalarm.

"TheysayMirandacangowithhim,butshedoesn"tlikeit.She"stryingto persuadeeveryonetoletDominicstayathomewithherinpeaceforafewdays.

Shesaysshe"ssurehe"lltalktoher,ifthey"realone."

Ireflectedthatoncethenewsofhiskidnapandreturnhitthepublic consciousnesstherewouldbelittleenoughpeaceforawhile,b.u.t.thatotherwise herinstinctswererightontheb.u.t.ton.

Isaid,"DoyouthinkyoucouldpersuadeJohnNerrity,referringtoyourown experiences,thattobecartedofftohospitalamongstrangerswouldbe desperatelydisturbingforDominicnow,evenifMirandawentwithhim,andcould makehimworse,notbetter."

Therewasasilence.Thenshesaidslowly,"IfPapahadsentmetoahospital,I wouldhavegonetrulymad."

"Peoplesometimesdoawfulthingswiththebestintentions."

"Yes,"shesaidfaintly."Areyouathome?"

"No.Intheoffice.And...aboutlunch...I"mverysorry..."

"Anotherdaywilldofine,"shesaidabsently."I"lltalktoJohnandringyou back."

ShetelephonedbackwhenTonyandIhadfinishedthereportandhe"dgonehome toawell-earnedsleep.

"Johnwasverysubdued,you"dbesurprised,"shesaid."Allthatself-importance wasinabeyance.Anyway,he"sagreedtogiveDominicmoretime,andI"veasked MirandaandDominicdowntoLambourntomorrow.Popsy"ssuchadarling.Shesays it"sopenhouseforkidnapvictims.Shealsosuggestedyoushouldcomeaswell, ifyoucould,andIthink...Idothinkitwouldbethebesteverthing...ifyou could."

"Yes,Icould,"Isaid."I"dliketo,verymuch."

© 2024 www.topnovel.cc