Read Online Red Rain: A Novel by R. L. Stine - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: R. L. Stine
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shoulder.
“It was a traffic accident.” Andy kept his eyes down, partly not to see their grief. He had to force his voice to stay steady. “On Stephen Hands. Near 114. The Easthampton police—they didn’t want to tell you on the phone. They asked me—”
The man’s expression changed. His eyes went wide. He raised a hand to say halt. The woman lifted her head and squinted at Andy. Tears glistened on her pale cheeks.
“That can’t be,” the woman choked out. “You’re wrong.”
“My wife . . . she is away,” the man said, staring hard into Andy’s eyes. “She’s on an island off South Carolina. She isn’t in Easthampton.”
Andy’s throat tightened again. He swallowed hard. “Mr. Hamlin, I was told—”
“He’s not Mr. Hamlin, you idiot!” the woman screamed. Her hands balled into tight fists. “He’s not Mr. Hamlin. Oh, I don’t believe it. I don’t fucking believe it.” She pounded the banister.
“I’m Mark Sutter,” the man said. He slid an arm around the woman’s trembling shoulders. “Roz, please—”
But she pulled away and flung herself toward Andy, furiously shaking her head. “How could you do that? How could you be so stupid? Why didn’t you ask our names first?”
“I . . . was nervous,” Andy said. “I should have done that. Really. I didn’t mean—”
Could I just dive headfirst into the bay and drown myself now?
“I think you want Bluff Point,” Sutter said softly. “This is John Street.”
“Oh my God.” The words tumbled out of Andy’s mouth. “I am so totally sorry. I hope . . . I mean . . . The rain. It’s so dark. . . .”
What could he say? “I’m sick about this, sir. Ma’am.” He really did feel sick.
They glared at him, both breathing hard. Sutter reached for the doorknob.
“I can only apologize,” Andy repeated. “I’m new out here, and, well . . . I’m so sorry. If you’d like to report me to my chief, I can give you my ID.”
Roz spun away. She disappeared into the house. Sutter shook his head. “You should get out of the rain, Officer.”
Andy nodded.
The door closed. He heard the lock click.
He stood there for a moment, letting the rain batter him.
Perhaps I’ll laugh about this in a few weeks. Tell it like a funny joke.
He suddenly found himself thinking of the Police Academy movies. The cops were all total idiots.
I should join them.
He sighed and strode slowly to the car. No reason to run. Hecouldn’t get any wetter. He slid behind the wheel. A cold shudder ran down his back.
The radio squealed. “Pavano, you there?” Vince’s distorted voice.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“How’d it go?”
13
“L et go of me! Please! Don’t hurt me!” Lea cried.
Mumbling crazily to himself, the man dragged her to a pile of boards and stones. His eyes were wild, bulging wide, his gaze darting from side to side. He didn’t seem to hear her cries.
He’s gone crazy from the storm.
What does he plan to do to me?
Then she saw the bare-chested boy, a stream of long hair hanging down over his face. His mud-drenched shorts clung to his hips as he bent over a pile of rubble. He appeared to be struggling with something in the pile.
As the man pulled her nearer, Lea heard the shrill screams. And saw the openmouthed, terrified face of a woman peering up from below a ragged crisscross of boards.
The boy had her by the hands and was tugging with all his strength, crying and tugging, trying to free her from beneath the caved-in house. The woman tossed her black hair wildly, her head tilted back in pain, and she shrieked in agony.
“Help,” the man grunted, letting go of Lea. He motioned toward the screaming woman. “Help me.”
He lifted the boy out of the way. He gave Lea a gentle push and motioned for her to take one of the woman’s flailing hands.
I must have been the first person he saw. He’s obviously in a total panic.
She gripped the woman’s hand tightly. It felt cold and damp, like a small
“It was a traffic accident.” Andy kept his eyes down, partly not to see their grief. He had to force his voice to stay steady. “On Stephen Hands. Near 114. The Easthampton police—they didn’t want to tell you on the phone. They asked me—”
The man’s expression changed. His eyes went wide. He raised a hand to say halt. The woman lifted her head and squinted at Andy. Tears glistened on her pale cheeks.
“That can’t be,” the woman choked out. “You’re wrong.”
“My wife . . . she is away,” the man said, staring hard into Andy’s eyes. “She’s on an island off South Carolina. She isn’t in Easthampton.”
Andy’s throat tightened again. He swallowed hard. “Mr. Hamlin, I was told—”
“He’s not Mr. Hamlin, you idiot!” the woman screamed. Her hands balled into tight fists. “He’s not Mr. Hamlin. Oh, I don’t believe it. I don’t fucking believe it.” She pounded the banister.
“I’m Mark Sutter,” the man said. He slid an arm around the woman’s trembling shoulders. “Roz, please—”
But she pulled away and flung herself toward Andy, furiously shaking her head. “How could you do that? How could you be so stupid? Why didn’t you ask our names first?”
“I . . . was nervous,” Andy said. “I should have done that. Really. I didn’t mean—”
Could I just dive headfirst into the bay and drown myself now?
“I think you want Bluff Point,” Sutter said softly. “This is John Street.”
“Oh my God.” The words tumbled out of Andy’s mouth. “I am so totally sorry. I hope . . . I mean . . . The rain. It’s so dark. . . .”
What could he say? “I’m sick about this, sir. Ma’am.” He really did feel sick.
They glared at him, both breathing hard. Sutter reached for the doorknob.
“I can only apologize,” Andy repeated. “I’m new out here, and, well . . . I’m so sorry. If you’d like to report me to my chief, I can give you my ID.”
Roz spun away. She disappeared into the house. Sutter shook his head. “You should get out of the rain, Officer.”
Andy nodded.
The door closed. He heard the lock click.
He stood there for a moment, letting the rain batter him.
Perhaps I’ll laugh about this in a few weeks. Tell it like a funny joke.
He suddenly found himself thinking of the Police Academy movies. The cops were all total idiots.
I should join them.
He sighed and strode slowly to the car. No reason to run. Hecouldn’t get any wetter. He slid behind the wheel. A cold shudder ran down his back.
The radio squealed. “Pavano, you there?” Vince’s distorted voice.
“Yeah, I’m here.”
“How’d it go?”
13
“L et go of me! Please! Don’t hurt me!” Lea cried.
Mumbling crazily to himself, the man dragged her to a pile of boards and stones. His eyes were wild, bulging wide, his gaze darting from side to side. He didn’t seem to hear her cries.
He’s gone crazy from the storm.
What does he plan to do to me?
Then she saw the bare-chested boy, a stream of long hair hanging down over his face. His mud-drenched shorts clung to his hips as he bent over a pile of rubble. He appeared to be struggling with something in the pile.
As the man pulled her nearer, Lea heard the shrill screams. And saw the openmouthed, terrified face of a woman peering up from below a ragged crisscross of boards.
The boy had her by the hands and was tugging with all his strength, crying and tugging, trying to free her from beneath the caved-in house. The woman tossed her black hair wildly, her head tilted back in pain, and she shrieked in agony.
“Help,” the man grunted, letting go of Lea. He motioned toward the screaming woman. “Help me.”
He lifted the boy out of the way. He gave Lea a gentle push and motioned for her to take one of the woman’s flailing hands.
I must have been the first person he saw. He’s obviously in a total panic.
She gripped the woman’s hand tightly. It felt cold and damp, like a small
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