Read Online With Silent Screams by Steve McHugh - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Steve McHugh
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garage. “You two have been hours.”
“Sorry,” I said. “Sort of lost track of time.”
Warren walked toward me and offered me some keys. “Your car and bags are ready.”
“Nate,” Felicia said. “It’ll be daylight soon, I’ll have to go. Remember, you always have a friend here, and be careful.” She said goodbye to Sky and then left.
“I think you made an impression,” Sky said.
I exhaled. “You have no idea.”
“You off to Maine now?”
“Stratford, yeah. It’s a few hours’ drive.”
“Be careful, and we’ll contact you if we get anything from that safe, or from whoever is working against us.”
“Thanks. Just watch your back, Sky. Something weird is happening here.”
As we walked together over to Sky’s truck, she whispered, “Our people are still sifting through the house. When we find something, and we will, I’ll call and let you know. So, was it worth coming here?”
I couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across my lips. “You’re a fucking genius, Sky. And I will never ever say that again.”
Sky laughed as she climbed up into the driver’s seat of her father’s Range Rover. “You know, you never told me who you think is behind this. What’s the House of Silent Screams?”
“It’s a house that belonged to a group of people that made the Manson’s look rational and normal.”
“And why were you so shocked to see it written on the bathroom wall?”
“Because it doesn’t exist anymore, and it hasn’t for over th irty years.”
CHAPTER 7
Portland, Maine. 1977.
A fter finding the misericorde dagger in the motel room wall, I packed up all my stuff and switched rooms. I did actua lly want to get some sleep at some point. Not that I thought there would be a repeat performance; they’d made their point and wo uld hav e waited for me to make mine. But better to be cautious than dead.
I met up with William outside the motel just before 7 AM . He had two polystyrene cups in his hand and passed me one, which I waved away.
“You don’t like coffee?” he asked; it was clearly something he’d never encountered before.
“No, it’s horrid stuff. Smells nice though.”
William shrugged, downed one cup and crunched it up, throwing the remains into the bin beside him before starting the second cup.
I told the detective about the visitor the night before and his expression soured.
“I promise you, only the captain and I know, and he’s not going to tell anyone.”
“Well, someone figured it out. Let’s get this done as quickly as possible, I don’t want to drag it out.”
The detective drained his second cup of coffee and threw the cup away as a black BMW E12 pulled up beside us. A man wearing a suit opened the passenger door and glanced at us while he walked to the rear door and pulled it open, whereupon an older-looking man stepped out.
William immediately brought himself up to his full height. “Mayor Richards,” he said and offered his hand to the immaculately dressed man.
“Bill,” he said and shook his hand before turning to face me. “You must be Nathan.” He didn’t offer me his hand; he just stared at me, as if trying to figure me out.
“That’s what people tell me,” I said. “I didn’t think anyone other than the detective and his captain knew I was here.”
“Well, apparently I’m important enough to be told these things,” Mayor Richards said. “Galahad himself sent you here; the old king would not have sent an outsider to deal with the problem.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s the old king,” I said as Bill’s mouth dropped open in shock.
The mayor forced a smile and nodded slightly. “You should be careful here, Mister Garrett, the people you’re after are dangerous. I would hate to have to explain to Galahad how you didn’t complete your mission.”
I noticed that the man who had opened the car door for the mayor had his hand resting on top of a pistol. I wondered how far the mayor was going to push it before he just
“Sorry,” I said. “Sort of lost track of time.”
Warren walked toward me and offered me some keys. “Your car and bags are ready.”
“Nate,” Felicia said. “It’ll be daylight soon, I’ll have to go. Remember, you always have a friend here, and be careful.” She said goodbye to Sky and then left.
“I think you made an impression,” Sky said.
I exhaled. “You have no idea.”
“You off to Maine now?”
“Stratford, yeah. It’s a few hours’ drive.”
“Be careful, and we’ll contact you if we get anything from that safe, or from whoever is working against us.”
“Thanks. Just watch your back, Sky. Something weird is happening here.”
As we walked together over to Sky’s truck, she whispered, “Our people are still sifting through the house. When we find something, and we will, I’ll call and let you know. So, was it worth coming here?”
I couldn’t stop a grin from spreading across my lips. “You’re a fucking genius, Sky. And I will never ever say that again.”
Sky laughed as she climbed up into the driver’s seat of her father’s Range Rover. “You know, you never told me who you think is behind this. What’s the House of Silent Screams?”
“It’s a house that belonged to a group of people that made the Manson’s look rational and normal.”
“And why were you so shocked to see it written on the bathroom wall?”
“Because it doesn’t exist anymore, and it hasn’t for over th irty years.”
CHAPTER 7
Portland, Maine. 1977.
A fter finding the misericorde dagger in the motel room wall, I packed up all my stuff and switched rooms. I did actua lly want to get some sleep at some point. Not that I thought there would be a repeat performance; they’d made their point and wo uld hav e waited for me to make mine. But better to be cautious than dead.
I met up with William outside the motel just before 7 AM . He had two polystyrene cups in his hand and passed me one, which I waved away.
“You don’t like coffee?” he asked; it was clearly something he’d never encountered before.
“No, it’s horrid stuff. Smells nice though.”
William shrugged, downed one cup and crunched it up, throwing the remains into the bin beside him before starting the second cup.
I told the detective about the visitor the night before and his expression soured.
“I promise you, only the captain and I know, and he’s not going to tell anyone.”
“Well, someone figured it out. Let’s get this done as quickly as possible, I don’t want to drag it out.”
The detective drained his second cup of coffee and threw the cup away as a black BMW E12 pulled up beside us. A man wearing a suit opened the passenger door and glanced at us while he walked to the rear door and pulled it open, whereupon an older-looking man stepped out.
William immediately brought himself up to his full height. “Mayor Richards,” he said and offered his hand to the immaculately dressed man.
“Bill,” he said and shook his hand before turning to face me. “You must be Nathan.” He didn’t offer me his hand; he just stared at me, as if trying to figure me out.
“That’s what people tell me,” I said. “I didn’t think anyone other than the detective and his captain knew I was here.”
“Well, apparently I’m important enough to be told these things,” Mayor Richards said. “Galahad himself sent you here; the old king would not have sent an outsider to deal with the problem.”
“Maybe that’s why he’s the old king,” I said as Bill’s mouth dropped open in shock.
The mayor forced a smile and nodded slightly. “You should be careful here, Mister Garrett, the people you’re after are dangerous. I would hate to have to explain to Galahad how you didn’t complete your mission.”
I noticed that the man who had opened the car door for the mayor had his hand resting on top of a pistol. I wondered how far the mayor was going to push it before he just
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