Читать онлайн «Thursday's Child»
Автор Никки Френч
Nicci French
THURSDAY’S CHILDREN
Contents
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Follow Penguin
1
It started with a reunion and it ended with a reunion and Frieda Klein hated reunions. She was sitting in front of her fire, listening to its slow crackle. Beside her was Sasha, who was staring into the glow. Beside Sasha was a buggy. In the buggy was Sasha’s ten-month-old son, Ethan, a blur of dark hair and soft snoring. A cat lay at Frieda’s feet, faintly purring. They could hear the wind blowing outside. It had been a day of fog and swirling leaves and gusts of wind. Now it was dark and they were inside, hiding from the approaching winter.
‘I’ve got to admit,’ said Sasha, ‘that I’m intrigued by the idea of meeting an old school friend of yours. ’
‘She wasn’t a friend. She was in my class. ’
‘What does she want?’
‘I don’t know. She rang me up and said she needed to see me. She said it was important and that she’d be here at seven. ’
‘What time is it now?’
Frieda looked at her watch.
‘Almost seven. ’
‘I don’t know things like that any more. Since Ethan was born, I’ve forgotten what a night’s sleep is like and my brain has turned into sludge. I don’t even know what day it is. Is it Wednesday?’
‘Thursday. ’
‘That’s good. Almost the weekend. ’
Frieda gazed back into the fire. ‘Thursday’s perhaps the worst day of the week. It’s nothing in itself.
It just reminds you that the week’s been going on too long. ’Sasha pulled a face. ‘That may be reading too much into it. ’ She leaned over the buggy and stroked her son’s hair. ‘I love him so much but sometimes when he’s asleep I feel relieved and grateful. Is that a terrible thing to say?’
Frieda turned to her friend. ‘Is Frank helping out?’
‘He does his best. But he’s so busy with his work. As he says, helping the guilty walk free. ’
‘That’s his job,’ said Frieda. ‘He’s a defence barrister and –’
She was interrupted by a ring at the door. Frieda gave Sasha a rueful look.
‘You are going to answer it, aren’t you?’ Sasha said.
‘I was tempted to hide. ’
Opening the door, she heard a voice that seemed to come out of the darkness and was immediately enfolded in a hug.
‘Frieda Klein,’ said the woman. ‘I’d know you anywhere. You look just like your mother. ’
‘I didn’t know you’d ever met my mother. ’ She gestured towards the fireplace. ‘This is my friend Sasha. This is Madeleine Bucknall. ’
‘Maddie,’ said the woman. ‘Maddie Capel. I got married. ’
