Chapter 16. Cari froze. Her breath caught in her throat.

A TERRIBLE “ACCIDENT”

C ari froze. Her breath caught in her throat.

She didn’t realize how hard she was squeezing Eric’s hand until he pulled his away in pain.

“Let’s get out of here,” Eric said, his face white in the dim hall light, his eyes wide with fear. But he made no move to leave. Craig’s face had gone slack, his mouth hanging open, his breath coming in loud gasps.

It was still silent on the other side of Simon’s door.

Dead silent.

A few seconds later the door to Simon’s room burst open, and Edward staggered out. He gripped the hunting rifle in one hand, holding it out in front of him at arm’s length. The rifle was smoking.

Edward’s one good eye was wide with terror. He was wearing his usual outfit, the safari jacket, a disheveled sport shirt and wrinkled trousers. His white hair stood out on his head at odd angles.

Cari and the two boys took a step back, then another.

Edward seemed to be totally deranged. Out of control and dangerous.

He stormed out into the hall and slammed against the opposite wall. The four teenagers had stopped to huddle a few doorways down the hall. He stared at them as if not quite believing they were there, bewildered and wild with excitement at the same time.

“An accident!” he cried, his hoarse voice unnaturally high. “My brother Simon has had a terrible accident!”

He swung the rifle around.

Cari screamed.

For a second it appeared that he was going to fire at her!

But he continued swinging it in a wild arc, frenzied. “A terrible accident!” he repeated.

Cari heard rapid footsteps coming up the stairs. A few seconds later Martin appeared, wearing a dark robe and leather slippers, his hair tufted wildly about his head. “Edward—what is it?” he demanded. “What’s going on?”

Edward, lurching unsteadily from side to side, bumping against the hallway walls, uttered a loud cry of despair. “A terrible accident,” he told Martin. “Simon has had a terrible accident.”

Martin’s normally stony face seemed to crumble. His mouth dropped open. His gray eyes momentarily glazed over, then grew wide with fright. “Accident?”

“Call a doctor!” Cari screamed. “He’s shot Simon! Call a doctor!” She started to open the bedroom door.

“Get out of there!” Martin shrieked.

Cari was so startled by his wild reaction, she stumbled into Eric.

“But Simon is hurt in there!” Eric protested to Martin. “And there’s a woman in there too! We heard her!”

“Get away!” Martin cried, moving quickly to block the door.

“A terrible, terrible accident,” Edward muttered, still staggering, seemingly out of control.

“Call a doctor!” Cari repeated. “How can you just stand there?”

“It’s too late for a doctor,” Edward snarled. He seemed more angry than contrite.

“What?” Martin cried, his face crimson in the dim hall light.

“It’s too late. My brother is dead.”

“How could you? How could you kill Simon?” Martin shrieked, his voice high and shrill.

“I told you it was an accident,” Edward snapped.

Edward and Martin stared at each other, unblinking, challenging the other to back down.

Edward pulled the rifle in closer to his side.

Martin shook his head. He took a deep breath. “Edward, you know it wasn’t an accident.”

Edward didn’t react.

“Admit it, Edward,” Martin said angrily. “Admit it. It wasn’t an accident. You shot him. Admit it. You shot Simon.”

This can’t be happening, Cari thought, staring at Edward, waiting for him to react. This can’t be happening. Why isn’t anyone going into the room? What about Simon? What about the woman?

“Admit it,” Martin said more loudly, more firmly.

Edward stared back in silence, his eyes wild.

“That’s quite enough from you,” he said finally.

He raised the hunting rifle to his shoulder.

He aimed it at Martin.

“No! Oh no!” Cari screamed.

Дата добавления: 2015-07-20