The Invisible by Michelle Dunne

Author:Michelle Dunne [Dunne,Michelle]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Polis Books
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 11

Lindsey carried herself from the kitchen like a person who was in complete control, but by the time she got back to where Charlie was sitting, he looked like he was about to fall asleep. Handing some responsibility to someone else was a weight off his narrow shoulders. A decision she hoped he wouldn’t live to regret.

He straightened himself up as she came and sat down opposite him. He looked painfully hopeful. It was that look of hope that she’d been seeing far too much of lately.

‘What time did your shift end?’

‘Six am.’

‘So you left early? Did you tell anyone you were leaving or where you were going?’

He shook his head. ‘I just legged it as soon as they dragged Derek out of there.’

‘So no one saw you leave?’

‘One of the women did, but she looked kind of out of it.’

Lindsey nodded. ‘And where are you staying tonight?’

His panic returned. ‘What do you mean where am I staying? I’m staying here! Or wherever the fuck you’ve been taking people; that’s where I’m staying tonight!’

‘Calm down, Charlie. Where have you been staying? Where are you supposed to go when you finish work at six?’

‘Ben’s place.’

‘OK. Well then, you need to go to Ben’s house. Tell him you’re sick, that’s why you left work early.’

He jumped to his feet. ‘What?!’

‘Listen to me…’

‘Get me out of here, Lindsey! You did it for them, just…’

‘Charlie, sit down and listen.’ She pulled him gently back into his seat. ‘First of all, I haven’t gotten anyone out of anywhere. But that doesn’t mean that I can’t get you out of here. I just need time to plan. If you disappear, then sooner or later they’re gonna come here looking for you too, aren’t they?’ Because somehow I’ve become fucking Houdini.

He didn’t reply, but his eyes filled with tears again. She fought with herself about sending him away, but it was the only way.

‘Just listen; they’re getting Ben to look for whoever is missing, yeah?’

He shrugged. ‘I think so. It sounded like it.’

‘OK…’

‘You should have seen what they did to Derek. Just because he was on duty when they went missing. Why were there boys there?’ He looked like he’d just realised the answer to his own question.

‘Same reason there are women there.’

Charlie heaved a couple of times and then threw up on her floor. Frank moved just in time to avoid the splatter.

Lindsey handed him a napkin, but didn’t offer any words of consolation because there weren’t any.

‘Oh Jesus…’ he cried, as he dried his mouth.

‘But they got out, right?’

‘But what will they make me do to find them? You have to get me away…’

‘And I will, Charlie. But for now, you need to go back to Ben. Look, he’s more subtle than the others. He has to be. He’s still pretending to be a cop, remember? He’ll use intimidation first and before it goes any further than that, you’ll be gone. I promise.’

The word promise almost choked her. But rather than dwelling on it, she went behind the bar to find a pen.

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