Good Neighbor Sam by Jack Finney

Author:Jack Finney [Finney, Jack]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: General Fiction
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Published: 1963-07-31T05:00:00+00:00

8

Hours later I woke up, knowing in that odd way that you do that it's the very depth of the night, and knowing that again I was hearing a door stealthily opened. There was no question about it this time. But it was the front door at the very end of the hall, just around the corner from my open door, and the tiny sounds awakening me were, first, that of a key very slowly sliding into a lock, its serrations moving the tumblers one by one in a succession of minute clicks; then the key very slowly turned, withdrawing the heavy rectangular brass bolt from its socket. The door handle, squeaking only once, the sound no louder than the breath of a mouse, turned, and the door opened with no sound until its movement was abruptly checked by the bump and rattle of the door chain stretched to its length.

He couldn't get in, and my legs were swinging to the floor. My palms pressed the springs beside me, and as I stood up I released the springs with a quick gradualness that made no sound. Walking on the balls of my feet, I hurried around toward that door in slow-motion speed, feeling my way along the unfamiliar walls, and now I was hearing in reverse the sounds that had brought me awake: the tiny link-by-link clinking of the chain as it sagged, the slow closing of the door, the soft release of the knob, the careful withdrawal of the key. I wasn't scared, I never thought of being scared — I was enraged at the nerve of this son of a bitch. Everything I'd ever read or heard about the complete depravity of the divorce-evidence kind of private detective was obviously true; he was without scruples, morals, or respect for law. He had no human decency, nothing mattered but money, and I just wanted to get my hands on him.

But if he heard even a sound from this side of the door he'd run, and before I could get the chain off he'd be across the lawn and at his car. With his car door locked then, he could start up and be gone. He'd be listening, too, only inches away, and I had to race slowly and without sound. My hand was sliding the chain-end button in its slot as the key was withdrawn from the lock, and the scuff of a shoe sole whispered against flagstone. Then a pebble crushed against concrete, and now the sound came from a window at the side of the house.

I was running silently down the hall in my bare feet, racing him for the side door that opened into the kitchen. The chain was on here, too, but I was here first, and I removed it fast and silently; I wanted this bird to get in. Once again, slowly and with the very minimum of sound, a key slid into a lock. But this was a simple backdoor key and it

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.