Дмитрий Леонтьев – Terrible (страница 4)

Charlie read the contract and Thomas added, “According to the government program, you are hired for a period of five years so this contract complies with the requirement.”

At that moment, Julia entered the room with two cups of coffee. She handed one cup to Charlie with the words “This is for you” and the other to Thomas with the same words.

“Thanks, Julia,” said Thomas.

Charlie looked through the papers once again and asked, “Could you give me a pen?”

“Yes, sure, here you are,” replied Thomas and handed him a blue pen.

Charlie took the pen from Thomas’s hand and signed the documents.

“Well, welcome on board!” Thomas greeted him cheerfully.

“Thank you,” reacted Charlie. “So, when do I start?” he asked.

“Already tomorrow,” said Thomas.

“Wow, it is very kind of you but could I have a couple of days to settle down? I moved here only yesterday and didn’t have time yet to unpack and …” Charlie started to say.

“I hear you, Charlie,” said Thomas with compassion. “But we have long been waiting for a person with your qualifications.” “We really need a good surgeon as soon as possible,” he added. “By the way, where do you live? What street?” Thomas Charlie asked.

“Green street,” replied Charlie.

“I know that street. It’s in my neighborhood,” said Thomas. “But don’t tell me that your house is number 15,” he added.

“Well, yes, it is. Why?” Charlie said quite surprised. “How did you guess?” he asked Thomas.

Thomas stared at Charlie as if not knowing what to say and at last uttered, “Never mind.”

“Is something wrong there?” Charlie asked.

Thomas looked up at Charlie again and after a pause said, “Yes, something wrong happened to the family that lived there before you.”

“You are scaring me now just a little,” Charlie said.

“We all still can’t understand what happened to them,” said Thomas broodingly and took a sip of coffee.

CHAPTER 7

“Let me out, please,” repeated the voice. “Mum, where are you?”

At that moment Emma realized that the voice which she had heard belonged to her son who was inside the house and that he must have been speaking from behind the door.

Emma couldn’t understand why her son was behind the front door and didn’t want to come out.

“Where are you, mum?” said her son worried.

“I am here, sweetie,” at last Emma said and put the metal box, which was approximately 80 inches long and 30 inches wide, on the porch.

“I am here, sweetie,” she repeated and ran to the front door, which appeared to be locked. Emma grabbed the handle but couldn’t open it. It was certainly locked.

“Danny,” she said. “Why did you lock that door?”

“I didn’t do it,” he said from behind the door.

“Well,” Emma sounded worried, “Let me try to open the door once again.”

After several attempts, she managed to open the door.

“You are up so early. What happened?” It was the first question that Emma asked her son when she at last saw him.

“Christina woke me up. She stretched across the whole bed and pushed me off. I woke up when I fell onto the floor,” he complained and wiped his nose.

“Oh, my poor baby,” Emma said and clasped Danny in her arms. “Today we will tidy up the house and already tonight you will sleep in your own room, I promise.”

“Hooray,” exclaimed Danny and raised his hands up.

Emma put him down to the floor and suggested cheerfully, “Let’s go to the kitchen to have a good and healthy breakfast”.

Emma took Danny’s hand and brought him to the kitchen. “10 a.m.,” she said looking at the clock, which was hanging on the wall.

“Danny,” she said. “We have sandwiches.”

Emma came up to the fridge, opened it and took out a plate with sandwiches.

Then she turned around and put the plate into the microwave.

“Let’s go brush your teeth first,” she told Danny.

She looked at him and suddenly noticed some bruises on his right hand. The sight of the bruises scared her a little.

“Danny,” she held up his hand. “Where did you get this? Does it hurt?” she asked him worried.

Danny just shrugged his shoulders and also looked at his big bruises.

“No,” he answered. “It doesn’t hurt.”

“Where did you get them?” asked him Emma.

“I don’t know,” the child replied.

“Did Christina offend you?” asked Emma “Please, tell me the truth,” she added.

“No! No!” Danny said. “Maybe I got them when I fell off the bed,” he supposed.

“Oh, Danny,” Emma said and hugged him. “I promise you, today you will sleep in your room.”

They heard the microwave beeping. Emma went up to it and took out the sandwiches.

Suddenly Emma and Danny heard some sounds coming from upstairs.

“Christina must have also woken up,” Emma thought.

“Christina,” Emma called out loudly. “Come down to the kitchen!”

Then Emma put the plate with the sandwiches on the table and called again, “Christina! Come here!”

But nobody answered her.

“Did she also fall off the bed?” thought Emma.

“Christina! Where are you?” she asked again and decided to go upstairs to see what had happened.

Emma climbed up the stairs and came up to the room where her daughter should have been sleeping.

Emma touched the handle and cautiously opened the door.

“Christina! Wakey! Wakey!” Emma said joyfully and entered the room.

Much to her surprise, the room was empty and totally silent.

“Christina!” Emma cried out frightened.

CHAPTER 8

Charlie was driving again, quite bewildered by Thomas’s words.

He was keeping his eyes on the road throwing occasional glances into the rearview mirror.