Overload by Arthur Hailey

Author:Arthur Hailey [Arthur Hailey]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi, pdf
Published: 2014-02-16T16:00:00+00:00

3

"When the power failure happened," Karen Sloan said from her wheelchair, "Josie and I were on our way home in Humperdinck."

"Humperdinck?" Nim was puzzled.

Karen gave him one of her warm, glowing smiles. "Humperdinck is my beautiful, beautiful van. I love it so much I just couldn't call it van,' so I gave it a name."

They were in the living room of Karen's apartment and it was early evening in the first week of November. Nim had accepted-after several postponements because of pressures of work-an invitation from Karen to join her for dinner. Josie, Karen's aide-housekeeper, was in the kitchen preparing the meal.

The small apartment was softly lighted, warm and comfortable. Outside, in contrast, most of northern California was enduring a Pacific gale, now in its third day, which had brought strong winds and torrential rain. As they talked, rain pounded against the windows.

Other sounds merged softly; the steady hum of the respirator mechanism which kept Karen breathing, and an accompanying hiss of air, inward and out; small clatters of dishes, the noise of a cupboard door opening, then closing, from the kitchen.

"About the power failure," Karen resumed. "I'd been to a movie, at a theater where they have facilities for wheelchairs-I can do so many things now with Humperdinck that I couldn't before-and, while Josie was driving, all the street lights, and lights in buildings, went out."

"Almost one hundred square miles," Nim said with a sigh. "Everything went. Everything."

"Well, we didn't know that then. But we could see it was widespread, so Josie drove directly to Redwood Grove Hospital, which is where I go if I ever have problems. They have an emergency generator. The staff took care of me, and I stayed at the hospital for three days until the power was back on here."

"Actually," Nim told her, "I already knew most of that. As soon as I could after those explosions and the blackout, I phoned your number. I was at the office; I'd been called in from home. When there was no answer I had someone contact the hospital, which is listed on your info sheet.

They told us you were there, so I stopped worrying because there was lots to do that night."

"It was an awful thing, Nimrod. Not just the blackout, but those two men murdered."

"Yes, they were old-timers," Nim said, "pensioners who were brought back in because we were short of experienced security help. Unfortunately their experience belonged to another era and we found out later that the worst they'd ever dealt with was an occasional trespasser or small-time thief. They were no match for a killer."

"Whoever did it hasn't been caught yet?"

Nim shook his head. "It's someone we, and the police, have been looking for for a long time. The worst thing is, we still haven't the slightest idea who he is or where he operates from."

"But isn't it a group-Friends of Freedom?"

"Yes. But the police believe the group is small, probably no more than a half-dozen people, and that one man is the brains and leader.

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