"Smith, Guy N - The Lurkers" - читать интересную книгу автора (Smith Guy N)

But his fear wasn't lessening. It was growing stronger.

Just as Peter replaced the telephone he heard Janie's Mini pull on to the grass verge outside and the slight judder of pre-ignition as she switched off the engine. He sighed; she'd have to be told the facts now that PC Calvert was on his way up here. He'd hoped she would not return for an hour or two, giving him time to get rid of the law before the cat's disappearance was discussed.

'Hi.' She kicked the door open and came in carrying a cardboard box in her arms. A number of tiny holes had been gouged in its sides with a sharp instrument.

'What's that?' His curiosity overcame all the fears which were crowding in on him.

'Look and see,' she smiled, lowering the box on to the table and lifting one of the flaps.

He bent over, a look of astonishment on his face. 'A rabbit!'

'Yes.' She lifted out the small grey and white half-grown creature. It stared up at them with frightened eyes. 'There was a sign offering rabbits for sale outside one of the cottages in the village. I thought perhaps you could knock up a small hutch of some kind out of all that waste wood that's lying about up in the granary. The cat's been missing for nearly three days now and, well, I thought a pet of some kind might make up for it. Gavin's upset about Snowy, you can tell that. I'm afraid - I get the feeling that - something's happened to that cat.'

'Yes.' He spoke slowly, trying not to meet her gaze. Tm afraid something has happened to it.'

'What - where is he?' Janie clutched the rabbit to her breast as though she feared that the same nameless fate might befall this creature also.

'That scream you heard last night - '

'It wasn't a fox!' Surely he wasn't going to start that argument all over again. 'I know it wasn't.'

'No, no it wasn't a fox.' He stared down at the floor. 'It - it was Snowy.'

'Oh my God, what's happened to him?'

The Wilsons.' Lay the blame first, the details could follow after. "They'll go to any lengths, apparently, with their campaign of terrorism against the English. They've killed Snowy.'

'Oh no! How?'

Well, she'd have to be told, because she would be here when the policeman arrived and he'd want to know every gory detail. They hanged him in a tree and gutted him.'

'How awful, how despicable!' She went a deathly colour that even her make-up could not hide. 'Where did they do it?'

Oh God, that was one question he wished she hadn't asked. 'One of those firs in the stone circle.'

She swayed. Peter grasped her arm, sure she was going to faint. He took the rabbit from her and put it back in the box.

'How - how are you so sure it was the Wilsons?' She clung to him and buried her face against his chest, and he felt the first sobs beginning. It wasn't just the cat; all her fears were building to a peak.

'It must be, part of their crazy campaign to drive the English out of Wales, as well as getting even with me for breaking up their biking session on Saturday.'

'No.' Her voice was low. 'It's not them, I know it. It's that circle - and whatever it is that's still alive up there.'

'Now you're being ridiculous.' Hell, he didn't sound very convincing. There's nothing up there - just a few big stones and some fir trees. It was the Wilsons who killed the cat.'

'Ah1 right.' She gave a loud sigh. 'You're entitled to your opinion, just as I'm entitled to mine. Only I'm afraid I can't stick it here much longer, and neither can Gavin. If you're not prepared to leave, Peter, then I'm going to go and stay with my parents, and I'm taking Gavin with me.'

'I've got to stay." His jaw became square, it always did when he was being stubborn. I've got to stay until I've written my book, and so far I'm not getting on very fast.' A note of anger began to creep into his voice. 'It seems that you're deliberately out to disrupt my work. Drop everything and go and make a rabbit hutch. There's bogeymen in the wood; druids have come back to haunt the old circle. And on top of that I've got this bloody peasant family doing their utmost to drive us out. Well I'm bloody well sick of it and I'm not budging for any of you. You go if you want to, but none of your spooks are going to drive me away.'