Read Online Lost Girls by Graham Wilson - Free Book Online

murderess, who has strangely been released on bail with
all further details suppressed by the judge, we can report that
yesterday she accompanied her new boyfriend to hospital for a
supposed operation to repair his broken leg. Meanwhile the person
in question went off in a taxi alone to an unknown destination. It
is a strange state of affairs for a convicted felon who has served
none of her sentence to be free to come and go on her own.”
     
    More sick
rubbish followed; nasty speculation into Susan’s private life and
former lovers.
    Vic could feel
the anger welling up inside him. He wanted to get hold of James
Wilkinson and rearrange his pretty face. How dare he treat Susan
like that? He hoped she had not seen this, it was vile. He decided
he should read yesterday’s story, it was better to know what was
being said even if it was a pack of lies.
    He soon found
the story in yesterday’s paper. He read, his hands shaking, his
mind reeling. He did not care what the reporter said about him, or
Mark, or even Susan’s former pretty-boy boyfriends, David and
Edward. But to treat her like a slut or a common criminal and say
these things about her, when she was the most honourable person he
knew, it made his blood boil.
    He must talk to
her and quickly, to tell her not to read it, to tell her to come
and see him straight away so he could protect her and keep her away
from all this stuff.
    He dialled the
number again and again the phone rang out.
    He had this
awful premonition. She should be out of the shower by now; she
would see his missed call. Even if she did not pick up in the
instant she would ring back in a minute.
    He remembered
back to yesterday. While he was waiting to go into surgery he had
this terrible feeling that it was all about to go awfully wrong,
but her reassurance had pushed it away.
    Then last night
it had been at the edge of his consciousness until he had got out
the love word and she had returned it. Then, after that, he had
felt so happy and it had been forgotten.
    But now it hit
him with both barrels, an awful sense of loss. Something bad had
really happened to her. Calm down, calm down , he told
himself. He rang again, still no answer.
    He rang Alan’s
number. Sandy picked up. He asked Sandy if she had read yesterday
or today’s paper about Susan.
    She said no,
they had gone out to dinner with David and Anne last night, as
David was on his way back to Sydney today and they had slept late
this morning. Now Alan was in the shower and getting ready for
work. Sandy asked him what it was about.
    Vic told her
and also told her how he had tried to ring Susan this morning and
could not get onto her. Now he was really worried lest she had read
the paper and done something stupid.
    Sandy was all
practical common sense. “I am sure she has just gone out for an
early morning walk, walking along the beach or something like that.
She must have left the phone behind. Why don’t you give her another
half an hour and try to ring her again? Once Alan is dressed I will
ask him to call there and check on her, just to be safe.”
    Vic thanked her
and hung up.
    Now his
breakfast had come but his appetite was gone. He forced himself to
slowly eat all the food that was on the plates, so as to pass the
time, before he tried to ring again.
    Half an hour
had passed since he last rang. He called again, twice, five minutes
apart. Each time he left a message. “Emily, ring me please, as soon
as you can.”
    Just as he hung
up the second time his own phone rung back. He looked at it with a
flash of hope, hoping to see her number come up. Instead it was
Alan’s number.
    He picked up,
“Vic here.”
    Alan’s voice
came down the line. “This is strange; I am here at the flat. There
is no sign of Susan, but nothing is gone. However the paper is open
at the page of yesterday’s story, so she must have read it. But her
clothes are here, the bed looks like it has been slept in, nothing
else I can see to get excited about. Perhaps