"The Mammoth Book of Best New Horror. Volume 13" - читать интересную книгу автора (S S S, J J J, Kidd Chico, Fowler Christopher, Campbell Ramsey, McAuley Paul,...)

III: Baker Street to Regent’s Park

The world’s first tube railway, the Tower Subway, was opened in 1870, and ran between the banks of the Thames. The car was only ten feet long and five feet wide, and had no windows. This claustrophobic steel cylinder was an early materialization of a peculiar modern phenomenon: the idea that great discomfort could be endured for the purpose of efficiency, the desire to reach another place with greater speed. An appropriately satanic contraption for a nation of iron, steam and smoke.

‘This is where we change,’ called Deborah. ‘Right, off, the lot of you.’

‘Can you see them all?’ I asked.

‘Are you kidding? I bet you there’s something going on somewhere as well, all these people, some kind of festival.’ The adults on the platform were pushing their way into the carriage before we could alight. Suddenly we were being surrounded by red, white and green-striped nylon backpacks. Everyone was speaking Italian. Some girls began shrieking with laughter and shoving against each other. Ignoring the building dizziness behind my eyes, I pushed back against the door, ushering children out, checking the interior of the carriage, trying to count heads.

‘Deborah, keep them together on the platform, I’ll see if there are any more.’ I could see that she resented being told what to do, but she sullenly herded the class together. The guard looked out and closed the train doors, but I held mine back.

‘How many?’ I called.

‘It’s fine, they’re all here. Come on, you’ll get left behind.’

I pushed my way through the children as Deborah started off toward the Bakerloo line. ‘You worry too much,’ she called over her shoulder. ‘I’ve done this trip loads of times, it’s easy once you’re used to it.’

‘Wait, I think we should do another head check—’ But she had forged ahead with the children scudding around her, chattering, shouting, alert and alive to everything. I glanced back anxiously, trying to recall all of their faces.

I saw him then, but of course I didn’t realize.

Four minutes before the next train calling at Regent’s Park. I moved swiftly around them, corralling and counting. Deborah was bent over, listening to one of the girls. The twins were against the wall, searching for something in their bags. Timson, the class clown, was noisily jumping back and forth, violently swinging his arms. I couldn’t find him. Couldn’t find Connor. Perhaps he didn’t want me to, like he didn’t want Deborah to notice.

‘Let’s see you form a crocodile again,’ I said, keeping my voice low and calm.

‘Miss, will we see crocodiles at the zoo?’

‘Miss, are you the crocodile lady?’

Some of the children at the back moved forward, so I had to start the count over. I knew right then.Nineteen. One short. No Connor. ‘He’s gone,’ I said. ‘He’s gone.’

‘He can’t have gone,’ said Deborah, shoving her hair out of her eyes. She was clearly exasperated with me now. ‘He tends to lag behind.’

‘I saw him on the train.’

‘You mean he didn’t get off? You saw everyone off.’

‘I thought I did.’ It was getting difficult to keep the panic out of my voice. ‘There was — something odd.’

‘What are you talking about?’ She turned around sharply. ‘Who is pulling my bag?’ I saw that the children were listening to us. They miss very little, it’s just that they often decide not to act on what they see or hear. I thought back, and recalled the old-fashioned navy-blue raincoat. An oversensitivity to everyday surroundings. He had been following the children since Finchley Road. I had seen him in the crowd, standing slightly too close to them, listening to their laughter, watching out for the lonely ones, the quiet ones. Something had registered in me even then, but I had not acted upon my instincts. I tried to recall the interior of the carriage. Had he been on the train? I couldn’t—

‘He’s probably not lost, just lagging behind.’

‘Then where is he?’

‘We’ll get him back, they don’t go missing for long. I promise you, he’ll turn up any second. It’s quite impossible to lose a small child down here, unfortunately. Imagine if we did. We’d have a bugger of a job covering it up.’ Deborah’s throaty laugh turned into a cough. ‘Have to get all the kids to lie themselves blue in the face, pretend that none of us saw him come to school today.’

‘I’m going to look.’

‘Oh, for Christ’s sake.’

‘Suppose something really has happened?’

‘Well, what am I supposed to do?’

‘Get the children onto the next train. I’ll find Connor and bring him back. I’ll meet you at the zoo. By the statue of Guy the gorilla.’

‘You can’t just go off! You said yourself—’

‘I have to, I know what to look for.’

‘We should go and tell the station guards, get someone in authority.’

‘There isn’t time.’

‘This isn’t your decision to make, you know.’

‘It’s my responsibility.’

‘Why did you come back?’

Deborah’s question threw me for a second. ‘The children.’

‘This isn’t your world now,’ she said furiously. ‘You had your turn. Couldn’t you let someone else have theirs?’

‘I was a damned good teacher.’ I studied her eyes, trying to see if she understood. ‘I didn’t have my turn.’

There was no more time to argue with her. I turned and pushed back through the passengers surging up from the platform. I caught the look of angry confusion on Deborah’s face, as though this was something I had concocted deliberately to wreck her schedule. Then I made my way back to the platform.

I was carrying a mobile phone, but down here, of course, it was useless. Connor was bright and suspicious; he wouldn’t go quietly without a reason. I tried to imagine what I would do if I wanted to get a child that wasn’t mine out of the station with the minimum of fuss. I’d keep him occupied, find a way to stop him from asking questions. Heavier crowds meant more policing, more station staff, but it would be safer to stay lost among so many warm bodies. He’d either try to leave the station at once, and run the risk of me persuading the guards to keep watch at the escalator exits, or he’d travel to another line and leave by a different station. Suddenly I knew what he intended to do — but not where he intended to do it.