The Sound (Sarah Alderson) by Sarah Alderson

Author:Sarah Alderson
Language: eng
Format: mobi
ISBN: 9781471115745
Publisher: Simon & Schuster UK
Published: 2013-07-31T14:00:00+00:00

26

‘Oh thank God!’

I sit bolt upright in bed, my heart slamming like a clawhammer into my ribs. Carrie is standing in the doorway to my room, clutching a hand to her chest.

‘Thank God,’ she says again, almost collapsing against the door.

‘Thank God what?’ I ask, my blood pounding in my ears.

‘A girl was attacked last night,’ Carrie says, breathlessly, ‘on the beach. I just heard on the radio. They said it was a foreign girl, no other details. I just had—’ She breaks off and draws in a deep breath. ‘We didn’t hear you come home last night.’

‘A girl was attacked?’ I say, another shot of adrenaline surging through me.

Carrie nods. ‘She was found unconscious in the water.’

‘Where?’

‘On Dionis – is that where you were last night?’

I nod. My brain is slow to wake up, to reach through the fog and the events of last night and process what she’s telling me.

‘Did you see anything?’ Carrie asks.

‘Um, no,’ I shake my head, ‘I mean . . .’ I think of the almost fight that happened between Jeremy and Jesse, ‘. . . no,’ I say again.

Mike appears behind Carrie in the door, holding Braiden. ‘Is everything OK?’ he asks. He looks tired, his eyes are bleary and he has a day’s growth of stubble darkening his cheeks.

Carrie turns to him. ‘A girl was attacked last night on Dionis beach.’

Mike looks stunned. He looks at me. ‘You’re OK though, Ren?’

‘Yeah,’ I say, still dazed. ‘I’m fine.’

‘You need to be careful,’ Carrie says to me. ‘I’m not sure I want you out at night anymore. I feel responsible for you.’

‘She’ll be OK, Carrie,’ Mike interjects. ‘Don’t panic her. Did they find out who did it?’

‘No,’ Carrie says. She’s frowning now and biting her lip.

Brodie’s yells interrupt us. ‘Mom!’

Carrie immediately disappears, heading downstairs to Brodie.

Mike is still standing in the hallway just outside my room. ‘I wonder if it’s the same guy,’ he muses to himself as he rocks Braiden.

‘Huh?’ I say. I’m still feeling bleary.

‘The same man who killed that Brazilian nanny last year,’ Mike says and he wanders off.

I clutch the quilt to my chest and swallow hard. Just then the doorbell downstairs goes and several seconds later I hear Carrie shouting my name.

‘Ren! It’s for you.’

I check the time. It’s seven in the morning. Who the hell could it be? Carrie’s tone sounds terse. I stumble from bed and glance quickly in the mirror. I look like a bag of vomit. My hair is standing up all over the place and my hurried attempt to take off my mascara last night has resulted in two black eyes. I wipe at them while smoothing my hair down. I’m in a pair of shorts and a camisole top, so I pull a shirt on over the top wondering if it’s Jeremy. Maybe I left something in his car and he’s returning it. I lean closer in to the mirror and check my teeth are clean. I don’t have time to brush them or wash my face because Carrie shouts my name again – this time with a distinct hiss to her tone.

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