Read Online The Safe House by Nicci French - Free Book Online Page B

washed up not just the mugs but my breakfast things and yesterday’s dinner things as well. ‘I should say that I felt dubious about this. I mean about this as a plan. But the way it’s worked out, I don’t think Finn could be in better hands.’
    ‘I hope everybody is going to carry on being this supportive of me when it has all gone wrong.’
    ‘Why should it go wrong?’ Daley asked, but he laughed as he said it, his eyebrows slanting into a dark upturned ‘V’. ‘The only thing I want to say is that I’m worried about Finn being so cut off from her normal surroundings, from people she knows.’
    ‘I feel the same, I promise.’
    ‘You know about these things, but if I could just make a single suggestion, it would be that we should arrange for her to see people. Assuming that’s what she wants and the police agree, of course.’
    ‘We’ll take it slowly for a bit, shall we?’
    ‘ You’re the doctor,’ Daley said. ‘Well, I’m a doctor as well, but what I mean is you’re the doctor.’
    ‘I don’t know what you mean,’ I protested. ‘I’m a doctor. You’re a doctor. And we’ll just try to make the best of this stupid and tragic situation that we possibly can. Meanwhile, I shall want the details of medication, history and so on, and your number. I don’t want to have to go to Baird every time I need some information.’
    ‘It’s all in my bag in the car.’
    ‘One more thing. This situation is ridiculously vague, so I want to be firm about one thing. I’m going to tell you and I’m going to tell Baird that I want a strict time-limit for all of this.’
    Daley looked taken aback.
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘If things work out, there’s the danger that we’ll become a replacement family for Finn in her new life. That’s no good. What’s the date now, January the twenty-fifth, isn’t it?’
    ‘The twenty-sixth.’
    ‘I’m going to be clear with Finn that whatever happens, however things go, this arrangement is until the middle of March – let’s call it March the fifteenth – and no more. All right?’
    ‘Fine,’ said Daley. ‘I’m sure it will be less than that anyway.’
    ‘Good. So, shall we join the ladies?’
    ‘You think it’s a joke, Sam. You wait until you get invited for dinner by the neighbours.’
    ‘I’m looking forward to it. I’ve already got my face-powder ready.’

Nine
    I turned to face the girl. I hadn’t looked at her properly until now. Her pale oval face, behind the swing of dark-brown hair, was perfectly expressionless. Under her neat thick eyebrows, her brown eyes were unfocused. She was attractive, she could be lovely in different circumstances, but hers was a face from which all character seemed to have been wiped.
    ‘Let me show you round the house,’ I said. ‘Though that won’t take long.’
    She stooped to pick up the small suitcase which was beside her, although she looked too weak and listless to carry anything at all.
    ‘Here, let me take that for you. We’ll start with your bedroom, though you’ve seen that already.’ She flinched as my hand touched hers on the handle of her case. ‘Your hands are cold; I’ll put the heating on in a minute. Come this way.’
    I led the way up the stairs, Finn following obediently behind. So far, she had not said a word.
    ‘Here. I’m sorry about all the boxes; we can move them into the attic later.’ I put her suitcase by the bed, where it stood, forlornly small in the high-ceilinged room. ‘It’s all a bit bare, I’m afraid.’ Finn stood in the middle of the room, not looking. Her arms hung by her sides, pale fingers loose as if they didn’t belong to her at all. I gestured vaguely at the wardrobe and small chest of drawers that Danny had found for me in a nearby village. ‘You can put your stuff in there.’
    I led the way back into the corridor. I saw something small and white and angular on the floor. I crouched and picked it up delicately between two fingers.
    ‘And this, Finn, is