Read Online Suzie and the Monsters by Francis Franklin - Free Book Online
Authors: Francis Franklin
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an extra card.’ He’s starting to sound confused.
‘So you have that when you’re on duty, and then hand it over when your shift finishes?’
There’s a long pause. ‘Yes,’ he says eventually. ‘Your mum... I haven’t spoken to her. A long time.’
‘Mum’s fine,’ I say, looking for somewhere to pull over.
‘It’s just, I don’t remember, why... why you’re staying with me. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s great to see you, but I don’t have any food, and how long are you staying?’
I turn into a side street and park. Looking into his eyes, I try to calm him. ‘It’s just for one night, Dad.’ I reach over and hold his hand, and let him sink into my eyes gradually. ‘Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about Mum. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about all my questions. We’re having an adventure tonight. I’m your daughter. It’s natural for me to want to know about your work. You’re making me very happy. Now, just relax.’
He’s deep in a trance now. ‘Now, Daddy, I would love to know what your PIN number is.’ He looks upset and doesn’t answer. ‘Shh,’ I say, ‘it’s okay. Is it my birthday?’ It’s a stab in the dark, but he smiles and nods. I’m on a roll tonight. ‘Eight digits?’ He nods again. ‘Day, month, year?’ Another nod. ‘When is my birthday, Daddy?’
‘March 22nd, honey,’ he says.
‘1995?’ He nods. ‘What did you get me this year?’
He looks suddenly so sad. ‘I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t get you anything.’
‘When was the last time you saw me?’
‘Five years ago.’
‘You must miss me a lot.’
He nods.
I think for a minute, then wake him up again. ‘Dad, I’m really grateful. This is the best birthday present you could have given me.’ I give him a hug before starting the car and returning to the main road.
He’s happy again, excited about our father-and-daughter trip, and I don’t question him any further about Alex’s fortress. Instead, he chatters away about some family holiday when I was just a child.
At the Dodgeson office he takes me to Reception. The uniformed guard behind the desk doesn’t want to let me in. Dominic, Daddy, has a long conversation over the phone with someone more senior, and I’m aware of all the cameras here and outside that have seen me. I’m doing my best to look like a teenager, innocent, ignorant and bored. The guard takes the phone back and listens briefly before shrugging. He puts the phone down and calls me over to fill in the visitor book. I write down my name, Sandra Wright, in neat capitals, and the time of entry, eleven o’clock give or take five minutes, and he tears this out and puts it in a plastic cover with a bright red strip, and a lace strap for me to hang the visitor ID around my neck.
‘I can only show you the main control room,’ Dominic tells me in the lift on the way up to third floor, which is also the top floor. ‘And you have to promise not to touch anything.’
‘I promise.’
The door to the control room is immediately opposite the lift. The corridor stretching left and right is dark and quiet, although there is a light on in one of the offices. ‘Someone’s in,’ I say, pointing.
‘Probably one of the computer guys,’ he says without interest, and ushers me into the control room. I am faced with a huge wall of flat-screen displays, most showing multiple black-and-white images with annotation. There are two guards in uniform sitting at the desk in the centre of the room. This has a computer that presumably lets them control the wall displays, and presumably they can manually control camera direction and reset some of the security systems. There’s a radio communication system, which is currently quiet, and several colour-coded telephones.
‘Hi Dom,’ one says, and the other nods greeting. Both look at me curiously, and I give them a friendly smile.
‘Hi Bill, Tony,’ Dom replies. ‘This is my daughter Sandra. She’s doing a school project
‘So you have that when you’re on duty, and then hand it over when your shift finishes?’
There’s a long pause. ‘Yes,’ he says eventually. ‘Your mum... I haven’t spoken to her. A long time.’
‘Mum’s fine,’ I say, looking for somewhere to pull over.
‘It’s just, I don’t remember, why... why you’re staying with me. Oh, don’t get me wrong. It’s great to see you, but I don’t have any food, and how long are you staying?’
I turn into a side street and park. Looking into his eyes, I try to calm him. ‘It’s just for one night, Dad.’ I reach over and hold his hand, and let him sink into my eyes gradually. ‘Don’t worry about me. Don’t worry about Mum. Everything’s fine. Don’t worry about all my questions. We’re having an adventure tonight. I’m your daughter. It’s natural for me to want to know about your work. You’re making me very happy. Now, just relax.’
He’s deep in a trance now. ‘Now, Daddy, I would love to know what your PIN number is.’ He looks upset and doesn’t answer. ‘Shh,’ I say, ‘it’s okay. Is it my birthday?’ It’s a stab in the dark, but he smiles and nods. I’m on a roll tonight. ‘Eight digits?’ He nods again. ‘Day, month, year?’ Another nod. ‘When is my birthday, Daddy?’
‘March 22nd, honey,’ he says.
‘1995?’ He nods. ‘What did you get me this year?’
He looks suddenly so sad. ‘I’m sorry, honey, I didn’t get you anything.’
‘When was the last time you saw me?’
‘Five years ago.’
‘You must miss me a lot.’
He nods.
I think for a minute, then wake him up again. ‘Dad, I’m really grateful. This is the best birthday present you could have given me.’ I give him a hug before starting the car and returning to the main road.
He’s happy again, excited about our father-and-daughter trip, and I don’t question him any further about Alex’s fortress. Instead, he chatters away about some family holiday when I was just a child.
At the Dodgeson office he takes me to Reception. The uniformed guard behind the desk doesn’t want to let me in. Dominic, Daddy, has a long conversation over the phone with someone more senior, and I’m aware of all the cameras here and outside that have seen me. I’m doing my best to look like a teenager, innocent, ignorant and bored. The guard takes the phone back and listens briefly before shrugging. He puts the phone down and calls me over to fill in the visitor book. I write down my name, Sandra Wright, in neat capitals, and the time of entry, eleven o’clock give or take five minutes, and he tears this out and puts it in a plastic cover with a bright red strip, and a lace strap for me to hang the visitor ID around my neck.
‘I can only show you the main control room,’ Dominic tells me in the lift on the way up to third floor, which is also the top floor. ‘And you have to promise not to touch anything.’
‘I promise.’
The door to the control room is immediately opposite the lift. The corridor stretching left and right is dark and quiet, although there is a light on in one of the offices. ‘Someone’s in,’ I say, pointing.
‘Probably one of the computer guys,’ he says without interest, and ushers me into the control room. I am faced with a huge wall of flat-screen displays, most showing multiple black-and-white images with annotation. There are two guards in uniform sitting at the desk in the centre of the room. This has a computer that presumably lets them control the wall displays, and presumably they can manually control camera direction and reset some of the security systems. There’s a radio communication system, which is currently quiet, and several colour-coded telephones.
‘Hi Dom,’ one says, and the other nods greeting. Both look at me curiously, and I give them a friendly smile.
‘Hi Bill, Tony,’ Dom replies. ‘This is my daughter Sandra. She’s doing a school project
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