Read Online The Incubus, Succubus and Son of Perdition Box Set: The Len du Randt Bundle by Len du Randt - Free Book Online Page A

looked up at their front door. ‘Our home?’
    Rebecca didn’t
answer. She just kept on rocking.
    ‘What’s wrong,
Becky? What are you talking about?’
    ‘Paintings,’ she
said. ‘They’re off.’ Her eyes darted from Justin to the apartment and back to
him. ‘Little man with big eyes. Study door...’
    ‘Whoa there,’
Justin said. ‘You’re not making any sense. Come, let’s go inside and talk about
it over a nice cup of tea, eh?’
    He wrapped his
arms around his wife and led her to the front door. It was unlocked. He opened
it and she instantly headed for the living room.
    ‘These
paintings,’ she said and pointed without looking.
    ‘What about
them?’ Justin asked.
    ‘They...they’re
down.’
    Justin frowned.
‘Down from what?’
    ‘The wall,
Justin!’ she snapped. It was hard to hide the irritation in her voice. She
looked up and her heart sank. The paintings were back on the wall as if nothing
had happened. ‘They...they were on the floor,’ she said and walked to the
nearest painting. ‘This one was lying right here.’
    ‘And now it’s
not?’ Justin asked. He couldn’t help but smirk at his own joke.
    ‘Do you think
it’s funny?’ Rebecca asked with an agitated quiver in her voice. ‘Do you think
I’m making this up?’
    ‘Calm down,
hun,’ Justin said. ‘I know you’re not lying, but you have to see the humour in
this.’
    ‘The study door
was open again.’
    Justin walked to
the study. ‘Well, it’s closed now,’ he shouted from the little hallway. He
appeared again and took Rebecca into his arms. ‘Are you sure that you’re okay?’
    ‘I’m fine,’
Rebecca said and pushed herself away from him.
    ‘I’m just
wondering if you’re…you know…all right up here...’ he twirled his finger next
to his head and crossed his eyes. He meant it as a light hearted joke to try
and ease some of the tension.
    Rebecca didn’t
appreciate Justin’s condescending tone of voice. ‘I’m not crazy,’ she said, but
the last word came out choked. The first tear started the chain reaction.
    Justin stepped
forward and took her into his arms again. ‘I’m sorry, Becky,’ he said softly.
‘It was a terrible joke.’
    ‘I’m not crazy,’
she said, her voice muffled with her face pressed against his chest.
    ‘I know, my
love.’ He held her for a moment longer and allowed her to cry it all out.
Whatever it was that piled up inside her had to come out. Hormones? ‘Don’t pregnant women sometimes hallucinate?’ Justin asked when he thought it
was safe to talk again. ‘I think I read it in one of your pregnancy magazines.’
    Rebecca shook
her head. ‘I didn’t hallucinate,’ she said.
    Justin decided
that it would be best for him to drop the subject. If he didn’t, she might cry
the night away; something he was not in the mood for after a long first day at
a new job. ‘It’s okay,’ he said as re-assuring as he could. ‘I’m here now.
Everything’s going to be just fine.’
    She held him
tighter.
    ‘I’m here to
protect you now. Nothing will harm you.’
     
     
    *    -    -   
-    *
     
     
    Rebecca’s hands
were still shaking when she turned the taps. After a rumble and a clank from
the old water pipes outside the small bathroom window, warm water spurted and
then sprayed from the shower head. She could hear Justin hard at work at the
dishes in the kitchen. Despite his occasional flaws, she still loved him very
much. He was a sense of comfort to her that neither words nor feelings could
properly define. She also adored the little things he did for her that ordinary
husbands would deem unimportant.
    You’re
looking too old for your age , she thought as she
stared at her reflection in the mirror. Did it come with the territory of being
pregnant? She couldn’t help but wonder.
    A soft
scratching sound at the door made her stop and look up. She stood perfectly
still. Did she hear right? Did Justin walk past the door and accidentally brush
his arm