Deadly Games Read Free Page B

for her twin’s directness.
    Instead of firing up, however, Sid simply shook his head. “I never touched them.”
    â€œThen what happened?” said Jenny persuasively.
    â€œIt’s true I used to be a driver. One evening we was told these two kids were in the tunnel. May and Leslie. Poor mites – nine and ten years old they were. Fair broke my heart. They were running away from a kids’ home, like. I met the superintendent, a Mrs Garland. Right misery she was – and she was always sucking peppermints. Must have been worried about bad breath. No wonder they was on the run.”
    â€œWere they found?” asked David.
    â€œThat’s the funny thing – they was
never
found. They disappeared into thin air. The current was switched off and the tunnel searched, but thereweren’t no sign of them kids – not anywhere. They had to start the trains again, but the old girl, Mrs Garland, was in a right state. Said she knew they were hiding there somewhere. I saw her rushing through the tunnel, searching for them. They had to stop the trains again. But it was no good – she’d vanished. No trace of her at all. There’s an old repair works two stations down – it was closed even in my day – and later that was searched too. But there was no sign of any of them. Weird. Then it started happening.” Sid went silent, his face paler now and his hands shaking slightly.
    â€œDon’t get yourself upset,” said David quietly, “or we’ll have to go.”
    â€œWhat started happening?” Jenny pressed him.
    â€œI started seeing ’em – when I was driving, like. I saw ’em running ahead of me. That’s all I saw. Dozens of times. Just ahead of me but never on the line. And I could see through ’em. Like they weren’t really there. In the end I couldn’t take it any longer so I left the job and went back home. I couldn’t get another.”
    â€œWhy not?” asked Jenny.
    â€œWent to pieces, didn’t I? Had a breakdown. Kept seeing them kids in me mind. Didn’t have any of our own – we couldn’t. Maybe that’s why I kept seeing ’em. Anyway, the wife and I fell out so I left home and went on the road. But I didn’t seeMay and Les for a long time after that.” He spoke of them with affection and yearning and Jenny’s eyes filled with tears.
    â€œSee?” prompted David. “You saw them again?”
    â€œA few months ago I got a skip at Hockley, but it weren’t no good so I moved into the closed-up tube station. That brought back a few memories. Then someone told me about the Roxy. It was warmer, more cosy, like. But I hadn’t been there more than a few nights when that old wreck of a screen started to flicker. At first it was no more than a shadow. Then I recognised ’em. It was one hell of a shock.”
    â€œDid you tell anybody?” asked Jenny.
    â€œJust Nell. As I say, she’s nosy but at least I can trust her. She told me I could have the sight.”
    â€œDoes she have it?” asked David.
    â€œNo, but her auntie had, or so she says.”
    â€œAnd then?” Jenny was worried that they were getting sidetracked. “You saw May and Leslie again, running down the side of the tunnel?”
    Sid’s eyes lit up. “Every night I saw them two and they went a bit further down the tunnel each time. Then they got stuck – that was a few weeks ago. They just don’t go any further, but they might with you. You’ve got to find them for me.” Sid looked intently at the twins. “In some way I don’t understand, them kids are relying on me.”He paused. “Maybe it’s because I’ve been searching for them for so long that they know I’m not hostile – not like that old misery Mrs Garland. I reckon they can feel that I love ’em. Who knows – ” His voice quavered. “Who knows, they