Rex 02 Counterclockwise by K C Finn

Author:K C Finn
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

The Clockworkers

21.

Not all pits are actually pits, some are oubliettes. As Cae, now fully rested after a good hour on the dirty floor, gets to his feet and cradles his fractured ribcage, he looks around the circular room again.

“It’s definitely an oubliette,” he says for what must be the third time.

“Any time you feel like telling us what one of those is, go right ahead,” drones Kendra.

“They look like traps, or dungeons, or death pits, but with one little difference,” Cae answers. “They have a hidden door.”

The detective starts feeling the wall with his gloved hands, fingers rounding the edges of every stone he can reach. Kendra begins to mimic him, albeit unenthusiastically.

“Even if there is a door,” she sighs with frustration. “It might only open from one side.”

“Which means someone could come and collect us any minute,” Cae replies positively.

“Except that we’ve already been in here an hour,” Redd says anxiously. Cae is surprised to find that the conman too is now searching the walls for gaps. “We could starve to death before the door opens.”

Cae shakes his head and carries on feeling around. “Someone has to know we’re here. The whole floor caved in at Wincher’s Clocks; who’s not going to notice that in the morning?”

“Boy, I wish I had your optimism,” Kendra remarks disappointedly, still handling the wall. “I had an appointment to keep this morning, too.”

“Oh?” Cae asks. “Where were you headed?”

Kendra’s dark lip curves awkwardly. “I’ll tell you if we ever get out,” she replies with half a hollow laugh.

“Tsk, tsk,” says Redd, coming to check the wall above where Kendra has just been. “So secretive. Not a good quality in a police chief, you know.”

“You being such a sound judge of good character and all,” Cae sneers as Kendra shoves Redd out of the way roughly.

The conman lets out a chuckle. “Tell me Kendra,” he continues unashamedly, “Were you this charming and genteel as a child too?”

Kendra pauses for a moment in her work.

“I have no idea,” she replies in a less confident tone.

“Pardon?” Cae asks, surprised. He and Redd also stop feeling the walls, turning simultaneously to look at the ex-solider.

“How can you not know what you were like as a child?” Redd asks incredulously.

“Because I don’t remember,” Kendra answers, her hazel eyes falling on Cae sheepishly. “I have no memory of anything before I was eighteen.”

For once Redd Richmond is silent, his greying eyebrows raised in surprise. Cae takes a few steps closer to Kendra, his blue eyes filling with concern.

“Why not?” He asks tentatively.

“It’s no big deal,” Kendra says briskly, suddenly turning away and trying to laugh it off. “I was brought into hospital from a car crash out in the middle of nowhere. I had head injuries, amnesia too, so there was no way to trace who I was or where I’d come from. That’s when the army took me in.”

“But your family,” Cae continues immediately. “Nobody came looking for you? Nobody came to claim you?”

The way Kendra’s broad shoulders tense tells Cae he has struck a nerve, and he immediately realises the tactlessness of his outburst.

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.