Excerpt from Rhythm of Deceit
“Mum,” she whispered. “Mum, wake up!” With a grunt, Abi opened her eyes and stared up at her daughter. She frowned, and brushing her hair out of her eyes, she pushed herself up onto one elbow.
“Wassup?” she muttered indistinctly, groping on her bedside table for her phone to see the time. “Is something wrong?”
“Dunno,” Natasha shrugged, “but Chris is at the door in a right state and said I had to get you. Now I must let him in.”
She jumped off the bed, ran out of the room and clattered down the stairs. At the bottom, she unbolted the huge front door and hauled it open. Chris was through the door before she’d finished opening it, and standing at the bottom of the stairs impatiently waiting for Abi to come down. She appeared at the top, hair dishevelled, wearing only a long white T-shirt belonging to Gideon. She hooked her hair behind her ears and frowned at Chris.
“What on earth’s the matter?” she asked in concern, starting down the stairs, her bare feet padding on the polished wood. Chris pulled the rolled up newspaper from under his arm and brandished it at her.
“This is the matter,” he said dramatically. “I take it you haven’t seen it yet?”
Abi reached the bottom of the stairs and raised her eyebrows at him. “Until two minutes ago I was fast asleep, “ she pointed out, holding out her hand for the paper, “and besides, we don’t usually read this rubbish.”
Chris was watching her carefully as she unfolded it and looked at the front page. There was a long silence.
“Mum,” she whispered. “Mum, wake up!” With a grunt, Abi opened her eyes and stared up at her daughter. She frowned, and brushing her hair out of her eyes, she pushed herself up onto one elbow.
“Wassup?” she muttered indistinctly, groping on her bedside table for her phone to see the time. “Is something wrong?”
“Dunno,” Natasha shrugged, “but Chris is at the door in a right state and said I had to get you. Now I must let him in.”
She jumped off the bed, ran out of the room and clattered down the stairs. At the bottom, she unbolted the huge front door and hauled it open. Chris was through the door before she’d finished opening it, and standing at the bottom of the stairs impatiently waiting for Abi to come down. She appeared at the top, hair dishevelled, wearing only a long white T-shirt belonging to Gideon. She hooked her hair behind her ears and frowned at Chris.
“What on earth’s the matter?” she asked in concern, starting down the stairs, her bare feet padding on the polished wood. Chris pulled the rolled up newspaper from under his arm and brandished it at her.
“This is the matter,” he said dramatically. “I take it you haven’t seen it yet?”
Abi reached the bottom of the stairs and raised her eyebrows at him. “Until two minutes ago I was fast asleep, “ she pointed out, holding out her hand for the paper, “and besides, we don’t usually read this rubbish.”
Chris was watching her carefully as she unfolded it and looked at the front page. There was a long silence.