The Doorkeepers Read Online Free PDF

heart’s given out.
    â€œWell, sir, we had a call from London, England. Your sister was found dead yesterday.”
    â€œMy sister?” he repeated. “What do you mean, ‘found dead’?”
    The deputy consulted his notebook. “Her body was discovered in the River Thames near a place called Kew and was picked up by a police river patrol just after five thirty a.m. London time.”.
    Josh reached for the arm of the old colonial rocking chair and awkwardly sat down on the edge of the seat.
Julia!
He couldn’t believe what the deputy was telling him. He hadn’t heard from Julia in nearly a year now, but he had known why she wanted to escape to England. He had written to her from time to time, with all the latest gossip from Mill Valley, but he hadn’t seriously expected her to reply, not till she was ready. He looked across the room and there she still was, in a wooden photo frame, smiling at him as if everything was fine. It was impossible to think that she was dead.
    â€œDo they know—” he began, but then he had to clear his throat. “Do they know how it happened?”
    The deputy shook his head. “If they do, they didn’t say. All they told me was, they’re going to be holding a post-mortem, and they’ll e-mail any further information, if it’s relevant.”
    â€œBut what? Did she fall in, was she pushed in, or what?”
    â€œThey didn’t say, sir. I’m sorry.”
    â€œWell, is there anybody I can call? I mean, who did you speak to?”
    The deputy copied out a name in his notebook and tore off a page. “Here you are – Detective Sergeant Paul, New Scotland Yard. There’s the number, too.”
    Josh took the note and said, “Thank you.”
    â€œIf there’s anything else we can do, sir, don’t hesitate to call the sheriff’s department. My name’s Rudy Goralnik.”
    The deputy hovered a little longer, but when Josh saidnothing more, he mumbled an embarrassed goodbye, and left. Nancy closed the door behind him and came back into the living room. Josh looked up at her, stricken. “She’s dead,” he whispered. “They found her in the river.”
    Nancy knelt down in front of him and put her arms around him. “Oh, Josh. I’m so sorry. I don’t know what to say.”
    â€œThe British police didn’t tell them how it happened. She wouldn’t have jumped in, would she? She wouldn’t have tried to kill herself? I know she was depressed and everything, but she was very positive, wasn’t she? Very self-protective. She wouldn’t have taken her own life, ever. She would have worked things through.”
    â€œI’ll tell your patients what’s happened,” said Nancy. “You can’t do any more animals today.”
    Josh sat up straight. “I’ll tell them myself. They came all this way.”
    He made his way back to the kitchen, with Nancy close behind him. The man with the bull terrier still hadn’t attempted to remove its muzzle, and was waiting for him with an expression on his face that was half-sheepish, half-belligerent.
    â€œI’m sorry, sir,” said Josh. “You’ll have to make another appointment.”
    â€œHey, listen, just because I happen to own the dog, that doesn’t mean I’m skilled in handling him, does it? You think I want my fingers bitten off? I play Hawaiian guitar.”
    Josh patted him on the shoulder and said, “Never mind. Just make another appointment, will you? The clinic is closed for today.”
    He went out on to the verandah and told the rest of his clients the same thing. “I’m sorry,” he heard himself saying, “but there’s been a kind of family tragedy.” He paused, and suddenly he couldn’t stop the tears from running down his cheeks. “I’ve just been told that my sister has died.”
    Everybody came up to him and