| General Fiction posted July 15, 2010 | Chapters: |
...27 28 -29- 30... 
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Laura contacts her friends and family
A chapter in the book The Listener
Friends and Family
by snodlander
| Background Laura is a Guild telepath. The Guild warned her of a killer, Andrew Christmas. He claims innocence. Laura is starting to believe Christmas is innocent and the Guild guilty. Christmas wants her help to prove his claims. They start to make plans |
Inga Robinson opened her email. Her eyes caught on the third entry down.
Hi - Laura
That was odd. Laura and she rarely emailed each other more than once a month. To get two in as many days was unique. Was she in trouble? What sort of trouble could her daughter be in, that she was reduced to asking her for help? She took a deep breath to brace herself and opened the email.
Hi Mum,
Just a note to let you know I'm going off radar for a couple of days. I've finally decided to take a break. All work and no play, and all that. I've been working solidly for eighteen months, and I decided I need a little me time. So I've booked into a hotel out in the back of beyond, somewhere near Firham, where I can just relax and be myself for a while. No phone, no Net, just me, the countryside and a TV. Who knows, maybe I'll meet a young farmer and finally get round to making you a grandma. :)
Anyway, I thought I'd let you know, just in case you tried to get in contact. I'll drop you a line when I get back.
Laura
Inga frowned. There was something not quite right about the message. She and Laura weren't the closest of family, but then she'd lived her teens in the Guild school. That was bound to introduce a barrier of some sort. So why the cryptic message? She could have gone away for two weeks and Inga would not have noticed. And why hadn't she mentioned her plans in Saturday's mail? She read it again, scanning for clues.
Then she smiled. Of course. It wasn't to recharge her batteries at all. Expend a little, maybe. She wondered who the young farmer was, and how she'd met him. Did he know yet that she was a Listener? Possibly not. That tended to put men off, poor girl.
She hit the reply button.
Hi Laura,
Just let me meet him before you marry him.
She smiled, imagining Laura's frustration at not being able to keep it secret.
Abby's message window flashed. It was Laura. She opened the window.
Laura: Hi Abby
Abby: Hi, gf. What's up?
Laura: Nothing. Just saying thanks for the party the other night
Abby: LOL I got wasted. Good job it was Sat after. U have fun?
Laura: Yeah. Sorry I left early.
Abby: NP. Hey, what's all this about you and some psycho?
Laura: Yeah, scary. That's why I'm hiding out.
Abby: No way! Where?
Laura: Firham.
Abby: What's there?
Laura: Nothing. That's the point. I'm going off piste for a few days. See you next week.
Abby: OK. Later
Abigail turned to her neighbour in the Listening Post.
"Oh my God, you know I was telling you about Laura? She's just messaged me. How spooky is that?"
Tony didn't recognise the incoming number on his personal line, but he would have to get used to that. As Guild rep his circle of Listener acquaintances was bound to grow. He hit the answer stud.
"Tony Galbraith."
"Tony? Hello?"
"Hi. Who's calling?"
"It's Laura. Can you talk?"
"Laura?" Tony sat upright. A couple of the other Listeners in the Listening Post turned at his exclamation. "Laura," he said, quieter. "Hell's bells, do you have any idea what you've put us through? Where are you? What's going on? Are you all right?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine."
"Jesus, I don't know whether I'm going to hug you or slap you. You don't know the grief we've been going through. Judy is worried sick, I mean literally sick. We had no idea what happened to you after we dropped you off by the side of the road. She's had me go round to your apartment half a dozen times. You're not picking up your mail, your phone's off line. You're going to have to spend hours deleting all the messages Judy left for you."
"Yeah, sorry, but the police still have my notebook, so I'm operating in the stone age at the moment. Is Judy there?"
"No, but wait, wait, I'll patch her in. She'll murder me if I don't. Don't you dare hang up, I'm just putting you on hold."
Tony paused the line and hit Judy's speed dial. Judy answered it on the first ring.
"Judy? I've got Laura on the line."
"What? Is she okay?"
"Hang on." He thumbed the button on his notebook. "Laura? You still there?"
"Hi guys."
"Oh my God, Laura!" Tony slid the volume on his earpiece down as Judy screamed into the phone. "Laura, what's up? Are you okay? Where are you? We're coming to pick you up."
"No, no, I'm fine, honest. I just wanted you guys to know, that's all."
"No you're not fine. What's happened?" said Judy.
"Honestly, nothing. After the weekend's adventures, I just want to hide away and gather my wits, that's all. I'm going to spend a few days watching movies and eating chocolates. I just didn't want you to worry. Listen, I really appreciate what you did for me, coming to the rescue like that. And I still owe you a dinner. When I've got my head screwed on again we'll sort that out, okay?"
"Laura, listen to me," said Tony. "You don't need to be on your own, you know. That's what we're here for."
"Yes," said Judy. "Any time you want, you know you can always come round."
"Well, sure, that's true enough, but I meant the Guild, Laura. We have facilities you won't get anywhere else. You needn't do this on your own."
"I'm not sure about that, Tony," said Laura.
"Of course she's not, Tony, not after what your friend did in the car."
"Look, that was unacceptable. We all agree on that, but he was acting on the best of motives."
"Anthony," said Judy. Tony sighed. His formal name never meant anything good.
"Judy?"
"Don't you dare, just don't you dare try and justify what he did."
"No, I'm not justifying it, I just -"
"Of course she's wary about going to the Guild after your friend betrayed her."
"Look, he's not my friend, and I already said he was in the wrong, but he's one person, Laura. He works for the Guild, but he's just one man. The Guild is us, every one of us. We can help. We want to help. Where are you? I can get the local rep to drop you a note. Just a friendly hello, nothing more"
"I'm slobbing out in a motel near Firham, but I don't want to chat to anyone, especially strangers, not at the moment. I've not had a holiday since I left the academy. I'm just going to pamper myself on my own for a day or two. I'm fine, honest."
"What?" Judy's voice sounded muffled. "Right, right, two seconds. I'll be there . Look, Laura, I have to go. I'm on a contract. You just do what you need to, honey, and don't let Tony bully you into anything. You hear that Tony? Leave the poor girl alone."
"Yes, dear." Tony waited until Judy cleared the line.
"Laura? Look, I appreciate the Guild's not your favourite organisation at the moment, but just think about it, okay? And remember Judy and I are your friends, regardless. Let us know if you need anything."
"I appreciate that, Tony, but I'm fine. I just wanted you to know I'm okay."
"That's good to know. Keep in touch."
"I will. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Tony looked around the Post. It was always busiest on a Monday. He rose and stepped outside into the square. He looked around, almost expecting to see Judy bearing down on him. He hit the dial button on his phone.
"Hi, Babs? It's Tony."
"Tony, darling. What can I do for you?"
Tony sighed. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do. He just hoped Judy would see it that way when she found out.
"You know you said you wanted to know if I heard anything from Laura?"
Laura hung up the phone and stared at the screen in front of her.
"Are you all right?" said Christmas.
"No," said Laura. "I feel dirty. I don't have a huge number of friends, and those I've got I'm using like, like pawns in a chess game. Is that what you do? How can you live with that?"
Christmas put his hand on hers. She pulled it away.
"Look," said Christmas, "your friends, the real ones, would they help you if you asked? I mean, isn't that what friends are for? And if they wouldn't help you when you're in danger, what sort of friends are they?"
"But if the Guild is as dangerous as you say they are, I've just put them in danger. My god, my mum too."
"No, trust me on this. The Guild want to keep this all quiet. Your friends and family know nothing. Even if they were deep scanned, they know nothing. What would be the point of the Guild or anyone else bringing attention to themselves by harming your friends? It would be counter-productive."
"But they're monitoring them, you think?"
"It's what I'd do. You're a loose end. At the very least your friend Peter wants to find out what happened, how much you know or believe about me. You said he tried to scan you in the car, with your friends there? That's a sign of how desperate he is. No, he'll have caught at least one of those trails. Good job."
"Where is Firham anyway?"
"Miles away. Miles and miles. Which means they'll need to stay there overnight, and spend a day or two trying to cover the area. We're safe, for the moment."
Hi - Laura
That was odd. Laura and she rarely emailed each other more than once a month. To get two in as many days was unique. Was she in trouble? What sort of trouble could her daughter be in, that she was reduced to asking her for help? She took a deep breath to brace herself and opened the email.
Hi Mum,
Just a note to let you know I'm going off radar for a couple of days. I've finally decided to take a break. All work and no play, and all that. I've been working solidly for eighteen months, and I decided I need a little me time. So I've booked into a hotel out in the back of beyond, somewhere near Firham, where I can just relax and be myself for a while. No phone, no Net, just me, the countryside and a TV. Who knows, maybe I'll meet a young farmer and finally get round to making you a grandma. :)
Anyway, I thought I'd let you know, just in case you tried to get in contact. I'll drop you a line when I get back.
Laura
Inga frowned. There was something not quite right about the message. She and Laura weren't the closest of family, but then she'd lived her teens in the Guild school. That was bound to introduce a barrier of some sort. So why the cryptic message? She could have gone away for two weeks and Inga would not have noticed. And why hadn't she mentioned her plans in Saturday's mail? She read it again, scanning for clues.
Then she smiled. Of course. It wasn't to recharge her batteries at all. Expend a little, maybe. She wondered who the young farmer was, and how she'd met him. Did he know yet that she was a Listener? Possibly not. That tended to put men off, poor girl.
She hit the reply button.
Hi Laura,
Just let me meet him before you marry him.
She smiled, imagining Laura's frustration at not being able to keep it secret.
Abby's message window flashed. It was Laura. She opened the window.
Laura: Hi Abby
Abby: Hi, gf. What's up?
Laura: Nothing. Just saying thanks for the party the other night
Abby: LOL I got wasted. Good job it was Sat after. U have fun?
Laura: Yeah. Sorry I left early.
Abby: NP. Hey, what's all this about you and some psycho?
Laura: Yeah, scary. That's why I'm hiding out.
Abby: No way! Where?
Laura: Firham.
Abby: What's there?
Laura: Nothing. That's the point. I'm going off piste for a few days. See you next week.
Abby: OK. Later
Abigail turned to her neighbour in the Listening Post.
"Oh my God, you know I was telling you about Laura? She's just messaged me. How spooky is that?"
Tony didn't recognise the incoming number on his personal line, but he would have to get used to that. As Guild rep his circle of Listener acquaintances was bound to grow. He hit the answer stud.
"Tony Galbraith."
"Tony? Hello?"
"Hi. Who's calling?"
"It's Laura. Can you talk?"
"Laura?" Tony sat upright. A couple of the other Listeners in the Listening Post turned at his exclamation. "Laura," he said, quieter. "Hell's bells, do you have any idea what you've put us through? Where are you? What's going on? Are you all right?"
"Yes, yes, I'm fine."
"Jesus, I don't know whether I'm going to hug you or slap you. You don't know the grief we've been going through. Judy is worried sick, I mean literally sick. We had no idea what happened to you after we dropped you off by the side of the road. She's had me go round to your apartment half a dozen times. You're not picking up your mail, your phone's off line. You're going to have to spend hours deleting all the messages Judy left for you."
"Yeah, sorry, but the police still have my notebook, so I'm operating in the stone age at the moment. Is Judy there?"
"No, but wait, wait, I'll patch her in. She'll murder me if I don't. Don't you dare hang up, I'm just putting you on hold."
Tony paused the line and hit Judy's speed dial. Judy answered it on the first ring.
"Judy? I've got Laura on the line."
"What? Is she okay?"
"Hang on." He thumbed the button on his notebook. "Laura? You still there?"
"Hi guys."
"Oh my God, Laura!" Tony slid the volume on his earpiece down as Judy screamed into the phone. "Laura, what's up? Are you okay? Where are you? We're coming to pick you up."
"No, no, I'm fine, honest. I just wanted you guys to know, that's all."
"No you're not fine. What's happened?" said Judy.
"Honestly, nothing. After the weekend's adventures, I just want to hide away and gather my wits, that's all. I'm going to spend a few days watching movies and eating chocolates. I just didn't want you to worry. Listen, I really appreciate what you did for me, coming to the rescue like that. And I still owe you a dinner. When I've got my head screwed on again we'll sort that out, okay?"
"Laura, listen to me," said Tony. "You don't need to be on your own, you know. That's what we're here for."
"Yes," said Judy. "Any time you want, you know you can always come round."
"Well, sure, that's true enough, but I meant the Guild, Laura. We have facilities you won't get anywhere else. You needn't do this on your own."
"I'm not sure about that, Tony," said Laura.
"Of course she's not, Tony, not after what your friend did in the car."
"Look, that was unacceptable. We all agree on that, but he was acting on the best of motives."
"Anthony," said Judy. Tony sighed. His formal name never meant anything good.
"Judy?"
"Don't you dare, just don't you dare try and justify what he did."
"No, I'm not justifying it, I just -"
"Of course she's wary about going to the Guild after your friend betrayed her."
"Look, he's not my friend, and I already said he was in the wrong, but he's one person, Laura. He works for the Guild, but he's just one man. The Guild is us, every one of us. We can help. We want to help. Where are you? I can get the local rep to drop you a note. Just a friendly hello, nothing more"
"I'm slobbing out in a motel near Firham, but I don't want to chat to anyone, especially strangers, not at the moment. I've not had a holiday since I left the academy. I'm just going to pamper myself on my own for a day or two. I'm fine, honest."
"What?" Judy's voice sounded muffled. "Right, right, two seconds. I'll be there . Look, Laura, I have to go. I'm on a contract. You just do what you need to, honey, and don't let Tony bully you into anything. You hear that Tony? Leave the poor girl alone."
"Yes, dear." Tony waited until Judy cleared the line.
"Laura? Look, I appreciate the Guild's not your favourite organisation at the moment, but just think about it, okay? And remember Judy and I are your friends, regardless. Let us know if you need anything."
"I appreciate that, Tony, but I'm fine. I just wanted you to know I'm okay."
"That's good to know. Keep in touch."
"I will. Goodbye."
"Goodbye."
Tony looked around the Post. It was always busiest on a Monday. He rose and stepped outside into the square. He looked around, almost expecting to see Judy bearing down on him. He hit the dial button on his phone.
"Hi, Babs? It's Tony."
"Tony, darling. What can I do for you?"
Tony sighed. It was hard, but it was the right thing to do. He just hoped Judy would see it that way when she found out.
"You know you said you wanted to know if I heard anything from Laura?"
Laura hung up the phone and stared at the screen in front of her.
"Are you all right?" said Christmas.
"No," said Laura. "I feel dirty. I don't have a huge number of friends, and those I've got I'm using like, like pawns in a chess game. Is that what you do? How can you live with that?"
Christmas put his hand on hers. She pulled it away.
"Look," said Christmas, "your friends, the real ones, would they help you if you asked? I mean, isn't that what friends are for? And if they wouldn't help you when you're in danger, what sort of friends are they?"
"But if the Guild is as dangerous as you say they are, I've just put them in danger. My god, my mum too."
"No, trust me on this. The Guild want to keep this all quiet. Your friends and family know nothing. Even if they were deep scanned, they know nothing. What would be the point of the Guild or anyone else bringing attention to themselves by harming your friends? It would be counter-productive."
"But they're monitoring them, you think?"
"It's what I'd do. You're a loose end. At the very least your friend Peter wants to find out what happened, how much you know or believe about me. You said he tried to scan you in the car, with your friends there? That's a sign of how desperate he is. No, he'll have caught at least one of those trails. Good job."
"Where is Firham anyway?"
"Miles away. Miles and miles. Which means they'll need to stay there overnight, and spend a day or two trying to cover the area. We're safe, for the moment."
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