Murder in the Dark by Simon R. Green

Author:Simon R. Green [Simon R. Green]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Severn House Publishers
Published: 2018-07-10T16:00:00+00:00

FOUR

Some People Have a Beast in Them and Vice Versa

I looked at the Professor for a long moment. ‘It’s bigger? Are you sure?’

‘Of course I’m sure!’

‘How much bigger?’

‘Not much,’ the Professor said steadily. ‘But a measurable amount.’

‘And you think that’s connected with the people who have died here?’

‘I can’t prove it. But if it isn’t, that would be a hell of a coincidence. I have to wonder if perhaps we’re feeding the hole. Paying it tribute, in blood and death.’

‘How would that work?’ I said.

‘I don’t know!’ the Professor said loudly. ‘I don’t feel like I understand anything about the hole any more. Except that it scares the crap out of me.’

I nodded slowly.

‘For now, keep this to yourself, Professor. We can’t prove anything, and people are scared enough as it is.’

She shrugged, and then made herself look at the headless body again. ‘What are you going to do with Ellie?’

‘Put her somewhere safe,’ I said.

I knelt down beside Ellie again. It had been a long time since I’d felt this helpless on a case. I’d had such good intentions when I came here. This was going to be the case where I protected everyone so well that no one had to die. You’d think I’d know better than to make such promises to myself.

I cradled Ellie’s body in my arms and got to my feet. Not a single drop of blood fell from the severed neck, as though the hole’s gravity had sucked all the blood out of her. Just like when Robert lost his arm. So if there was a killer, it was no wonder I hadn’t seen any incriminating bloodstains on anyone’s clothing. Yet another clue I didn’t have to work with. But was the blood loss down to gravity, or because the hole was hungry?

Ellie’s body felt oddly unbalanced in my arms, without a head. I held her close to me, even though it was too late to protect her from anything. I walked back down the hillside into the camp, and the Professor trudged along behind me. Not weeping, not saying a word. I could still feel her presence at my back, like a silent reproach.

When I got to the camp fire, Penny, Mike and Paul all looked up as I walked past, carrying my burden. Penny looked at me steadily, making it clear she didn’t judge me. Paul looked at Ellie, not at me. Mike looked like he wanted to say something, but didn’t know what. His angry eyes burned holes in my back as I headed for the tents. The Professor sat down beside the fire with the others, still not saying anything.

I stopped outside the tent where I’d put Terry and Robert. I held Ellie’s body to me with one arm while I opened the flaps with the other. Then I paused for a moment, half-convinced that when I went in I’d find the other two bodies were gone. That someone had taken advantage of the situation to remove them while I was preoccupied.

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