Читать книгу All The Pretty Dead Girls - John Manning - Страница 7

She talked for just over three hours. Dr. Marshall didn’t interrupt, didn’t ask any questions. She just let Sue talk until she finished, betraying no emotion on her face.

The clock on the mantelpiece read just past five thirty when Sue finished her story. The sun had gone down, and an automatic timer had turned the lights on. Every so often as Sue talked, Dr. Marshall had stood and put another log on the fire. The tea service still sat on the coffee table, the water gone cold, the cups untouched for quite some time.

They sat in silence, the only sound the occasional crack and pop from the fireplace.

“So,” Sue said finally, “do you think I’m crazy?”

“I’m not sure what to think, to be honest.” Dr. Marshall replied, standing up and picking up the tray. She carried it out of the room.

She does. She thinks I’m crazy.

Sue shivered, wrapping her arms around herself. The streetlights outside had come on, throwing strange-looking shadows into the room.

Maybe it was a mistake to come here. Maybe there’s no one who can help me.

But if it hadn’t all happened to me, I don’t know if I would believe it either.

Dr. Marshall walked back in, carrying two wineglasses and an open bottle of Shiraz. She poured herself a glass and placed the bottle and second glass on the table. She settled back into her chair. “Help yourself,” she told Sue.

“No, thanks.”

“Sue—” Dr. Marshall looked at her with stern eyes. “Surely you’re aware of how fantastic your story is.”

“Yes. But that doesn’t make it untrue.” She doesn’t believe me, Sue thought, clenching and unclenching her fists.

“But you don’t have any proof, do you?” Dr. Marshall asked gently. “That’s the problem, isn’t it?”

“You don’t believe me.” Sue felt her eyes fill with tears of frustration. It had been a mistake to come here.

“No, that’s not quite true.” Dr. Marshall cleared her throat. “I don’t want to believe you. But I conducted a few investigations of my own before I left the college, and so parts of your story ring true.”

Sue moved forward in her seat. “Do you know then? Do you know what was going on there?”

Dr. Marshall took her glasses off and set them on the coffee table. “No, Sue. Like yourself, I have no hard evidence.” She shook her head. “But if your story is true…Sue, it’s frightening. Absolutely frightening. And without proof, I don’t know what we can do. No one will believe this, no one.”

“My grandparents lied to me. I can prove that.”

“But that doesn’t prove your story,” Dr. Marshall went on. “Your grandparents could easily explain away why they didn’t tell you the truth. I can think of any number of reasons myself they wouldn’t have told you.”

Sue stood up and walked over to one of the windows facing the front yard. A truck drove by as she watched. Show her, a voice within her whispered. That’s the only way to make her believe. You have to show her.

She resisted the voice, as she had any number of times since that horrible day.

“You really should call your grandparents and let them know you’re all right.” Dr. Marshall was talking behind her. “They’re worried sick about you.”

“No.” Sue replied. “They aren’t worried about me. Didn’t you listen to anything I said?”

She turned to face Dr. Marshall, who sat in silence now.

“I explained why they want to find me.” She laughed bitterly, shaking her head. “It has nothing to do with concern about me.”

“Sue…”

She wiped her eyes. “I’ll go. But promise me you won’t call them. You won’t tell anyone I was here.”

“Sue, you’re exhausted. I can’t just let you go—”

“You can’t stop me.” Sue was hard, angry. “Promise me you won’t call my grandparents.”

“All right. I won’t call them, if you don’t want me to. But I insist you not leave here until after you’ve rested a bit, gotten something more solid to eat than a peanut butter sandwich.” Dr. Marshall held up her hands. “And besides, I didn’t say I didn’t believe you, Sue. It’s just a lot—a lot to take in.”

“Swear to me you won’t call them.” Sue was fierce. “I’ll lay down, take a nap, whatever you want, but swear to me you won’t call them!”

“All right, I swear.” Dr. Marshall gave her a smile. “I won’t call them. But once you’ve gotten some rest…”

I never want to see or speak to them again, Sue thought, and no amount of sleep is going to change my mind.