Read Online Catskinner's Book (The Book Of Lost Doors) by Misha Burnett - Free Book Online
Authors: Misha Burnett
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talk first. There could be a perfectly reasonable explanation.
perhaps. He didn't seem convinced.
When the van got close Catskinner leaped, snatched the door open and swung inside in one smooth motion. Godiva flinched back and the van jerked across the oncoming lane. Luckily no one was coming.
Catskinner directed his attention to the back. No one was there. Nothing seemed out of place.
“I had to leave,” Godiva said in a rush, looking panicked. “Cops, they were driving real slow, like they were looking for someone. I ducked down when I saw them, but I was scared they were going to come back. I've been driving around the block.”
“did they go to dr. klein's house?”
“I think so. They were headed that way.”
“drive to the highway.”
Godiva nodded and made a turn at the next intersection. She kept glancing over at me warily, like she was expecting Catskinner to hit her.
perfectly reasonable?
Close enough. Let me talk to her.
“We're going to Lindbergh and Forty,” I told her.
Godiva smiled over at me, her face lighting up. “You're not mad?” she asked.
“No, I think you did the right thing.”
A pause. Then, “Is he mad?”
“Catskinner doesn't get mad.”
i get even.
You get odd, I countered.
“Did you kill her?” Godiva asked. She was looking straight ahead, her voice carefully neutral.
“No,” I said. “The cops came when I was asking her questions, and I had to run.” I studied her profile, but I couldn't tell how she felt about Dr. Klein still being alive. Maybe she wasn't sure herself.
“She said she was going to leave town,” I added.
A nod. “She was always talking about going to Paris. She went to school there for a couple of years, she always wanted to go back.”
“You ever hear of a place called The Good Earth?”
“Sure, Dr. Klein bought stuff from there all the time. Is that where we're going?”
“That's where I'm going. How about Keith Morgan?”
She chewed her lip. It was a cute gesture. “She used to talk to a guy named Keith. I thought maybe he was her boyfriend and he was married.”
Interesting. “What makes you say that?”
“She was always kind of paranoid about his calls. Kept her voice real low. Like she didn't want anyone to hear.”
We got back on the main street and I realized I was starving. “Hang on, let's stop for food first.”
“Sure. And, uh, can you drive? I don't have a license.”
Now she tells me. “Pull into Subway.”
I got myself a footlong. Godiva claimed she wasn't hungry. I wondered if she just didn't want to give me another opportunity to see her eat. I hadn't looked before, or at least I'd tried not to, but it was clear that she didn't eat the same way that normal people eat. Of course, neither did I, since I had to deal with my body being hijacked by Catskinner on a regular basis. It could be that she really wasn't hungry, I wasn't good at judging a reasonable food intake.
While I was eating I asked her about the blue metal boys and the nova crew. She'd overheard Dr. Klein mention both of them, but didn't know who they were. She had a little more information about the nests.
“I think it's some kind of cult. There were a bunch of guys who came over to do work around the place, building the booths and moving stuff. They looked like they were brainwashed or something, they all looked the same and they didn't talk. Creepy.”
About six hundred calories later I was pulling onto the highway. We drove in silence for a while and then I turned on the radio. I wasn't any good at small talk.
As I drove I kept glancing at her. She was singing silently along with the radio, her soft lips moving gently to the rhythm. She didn't seem to be looking at me, but I couldn't tell where those strange eyes were focused behind her sunglasses. I didn't quite know what to think of her. Her body in the seat beside me was like a pin-up made flesh, all curves and warmth and soft smooth skin. I remembered how it felt to hold
perhaps. He didn't seem convinced.
When the van got close Catskinner leaped, snatched the door open and swung inside in one smooth motion. Godiva flinched back and the van jerked across the oncoming lane. Luckily no one was coming.
Catskinner directed his attention to the back. No one was there. Nothing seemed out of place.
“I had to leave,” Godiva said in a rush, looking panicked. “Cops, they were driving real slow, like they were looking for someone. I ducked down when I saw them, but I was scared they were going to come back. I've been driving around the block.”
“did they go to dr. klein's house?”
“I think so. They were headed that way.”
“drive to the highway.”
Godiva nodded and made a turn at the next intersection. She kept glancing over at me warily, like she was expecting Catskinner to hit her.
perfectly reasonable?
Close enough. Let me talk to her.
“We're going to Lindbergh and Forty,” I told her.
Godiva smiled over at me, her face lighting up. “You're not mad?” she asked.
“No, I think you did the right thing.”
A pause. Then, “Is he mad?”
“Catskinner doesn't get mad.”
i get even.
You get odd, I countered.
“Did you kill her?” Godiva asked. She was looking straight ahead, her voice carefully neutral.
“No,” I said. “The cops came when I was asking her questions, and I had to run.” I studied her profile, but I couldn't tell how she felt about Dr. Klein still being alive. Maybe she wasn't sure herself.
“She said she was going to leave town,” I added.
A nod. “She was always talking about going to Paris. She went to school there for a couple of years, she always wanted to go back.”
“You ever hear of a place called The Good Earth?”
“Sure, Dr. Klein bought stuff from there all the time. Is that where we're going?”
“That's where I'm going. How about Keith Morgan?”
She chewed her lip. It was a cute gesture. “She used to talk to a guy named Keith. I thought maybe he was her boyfriend and he was married.”
Interesting. “What makes you say that?”
“She was always kind of paranoid about his calls. Kept her voice real low. Like she didn't want anyone to hear.”
We got back on the main street and I realized I was starving. “Hang on, let's stop for food first.”
“Sure. And, uh, can you drive? I don't have a license.”
Now she tells me. “Pull into Subway.”
I got myself a footlong. Godiva claimed she wasn't hungry. I wondered if she just didn't want to give me another opportunity to see her eat. I hadn't looked before, or at least I'd tried not to, but it was clear that she didn't eat the same way that normal people eat. Of course, neither did I, since I had to deal with my body being hijacked by Catskinner on a regular basis. It could be that she really wasn't hungry, I wasn't good at judging a reasonable food intake.
While I was eating I asked her about the blue metal boys and the nova crew. She'd overheard Dr. Klein mention both of them, but didn't know who they were. She had a little more information about the nests.
“I think it's some kind of cult. There were a bunch of guys who came over to do work around the place, building the booths and moving stuff. They looked like they were brainwashed or something, they all looked the same and they didn't talk. Creepy.”
About six hundred calories later I was pulling onto the highway. We drove in silence for a while and then I turned on the radio. I wasn't any good at small talk.
As I drove I kept glancing at her. She was singing silently along with the radio, her soft lips moving gently to the rhythm. She didn't seem to be looking at me, but I couldn't tell where those strange eyes were focused behind her sunglasses. I didn't quite know what to think of her. Her body in the seat beside me was like a pin-up made flesh, all curves and warmth and soft smooth skin. I remembered how it felt to hold
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