Acolyte (The Wildermoor Apocalypse Book 1) Read Online Free PDF Page B

right trouser leg and tightened his worn leather belt to hold it in place.  He didn’t bother to replace the toolbox or reposition the shed door to its rightful place.  Colin turned and briskly walked back up the passageway and down the length of Exeter Street, not lifting his head to acknowledge any passers-by.  Ten minutes was all it would take him to reach Wildermoor Psychiatric Institute.
     
     
     
     
     
     
     

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    The sound of the coffee machine often pleased Dr. Lorraine Thacker, but not today.
    Her 11:00am appointment had not shown up.  This would not have bothered her so much if it had not have been Colin Dexler who already took up time on most of her surgery days but had never missed or even been late to a session in the last six months. Of all of her patients, Dexler concerned her the most.
    Lorraine placed her still-too-hot coffee mug on her desk and sat back down, immersing herself once more in Dexler’s case file.  Dexler’s social history told of an abusive childhood and a broken home. He sought solace within himself, had no friends or known family.  She felt that she had begun to make real progress with him up until a few weeks ago.  Colin had almost cracked a smile and showed signs of relaxation. Then that all changed and it was as if the clock had turned back months.  He would hardly engage in their sessions and spent most of his time looking at the floor.  He feared meeting people’s eyes.
    A light tap at the door roused Lorraine from her notes.  A head appeared from around the door as it opened and April, the surgery’s receptionist, greeted her with a quick smile, which promptly fell back down from her face.
    Lorraine spoke first. 
    ‘Any joy?’ April shook her head regrettably. 
    ‘No, I’m afraid not, Doc.  We tried calling several times. Eventually he answered but it was quite concerning…’ Her voice trailed off, the last word hanging in the air between them.
    ‘Concerning?’ Lorraine asked showing concern of her own.  ‘How do you mean?  Did he speak?’
    ‘Yes and no.  All I could make out was that he wanted to be left alone, but he sounded panicked.’
    He wasn’t the only one.
    ‘I’d better visit and see that he’s okay-‘ Lorraine said as she got up from her desk, grabbed her bag and headed towards the door.
    April stepped from behind the door and motioned Lorraine to slow down. 
    ‘Don’t rush out. I’m sure he is fine. He may even be on his way.  He didn’t say that he wasn’t coming in today.’
    ‘Yes, but you also said you couldn’t understand anything he did say,’ Dr Thacker fired back.  ‘How do you know that he is okay?’
    ‘I’m just hoping I suppose.  For his sake.  Listen, you can’t rush out anyway as you still have your twelve o’clock.  Duty of care, remember?’ April reminded her, ‘Other people are depending on you too today.’
    Lorraine nodded and reluctantly hung her handbag onto the back of her recliner chair and popped herself back behind her desk.  April said she would return with more coffee from the machine and gently closed the door.  Now alone once more with her thoughts she started to imagine a host of horrid things that could be happening to, or at the hands of, Colin Dexler.  The man clearly wasn’t well and she was not doing her best to rehabilitate him.  But for now she remained a prisoner behind her desk.
    Deciding she needed to act, unable to settle properly until she knew Colin was not lying dead on his kitchen floor, she picked up the phone on her desk and spun the dial around to the one number she knew she could count on.
    ‘Wildermoor Police.  Reception, Switchboard or Emergency?’ the voice asked.
    ‘Chief Detective Inspector Darke please.’
    ‘Certainly. Good morning, Lorraine,’ the voice greeted cheerily. ‘I will pass you through.’
    At the initial sound of his gruff, harsh, yet warming voice Lorraine instantly felt better,