The Naked Room Read Online Free PDF Page A

go there.
    I force the fear to the back of my mind and set to work, wetting a corner of the towel to dab the blood from my sore nose. My clothes are clammy. My stomach won’t let me ignore the food, a piece of bread and butter, a small slice of cold meat cut into pieces, a tomato, and a spoonful of potato salad. At least The Cow is feeding me.
    Did mother tell the wrong person who my father is? But who? Georgie? Aunt Rosalind? Even Pam? The thought slithers into my mind that one of these beloved women who comprise the only family I have may actually be involved. But I would have trusted them with my life. You might have to, Ally.

CHAPTER 5
    Images of a Lost Child
    Eloise Carpenter
    Saturday: 3.00pm.
    I was re-painting the laundry and had no premonition that anything was wrong when the telephone rang. My goddaughter, Pamela, spoke so fast I couldn’t make sense of anything she said. ‘Darling, slow down. Take a deep breath and start again.’
    ‘Ally’s missing and the police have been called in!’ Fear turned her voice shrill, starting my heart pounding. I was momentarily unable to reply.
    ‘Aunt Eloise? Are you still there?’ Pam has called me “Aunt” since she learned to talk.
    ‘Yes, yes. Give me a moment.’ Dear God. The room felt drained of oxygen, my hands trembled so violently that I could barely hold the receiver. Breathe. Somehow I pulled myself together, forcing myself to speak calmly.
    ‘What’s this about a night club? Pam, slow down and tell me again.’
    She repeated the message.
    ‘What do the police say?’
    ‘They’re looking for her already because Sir James McPherson got on to some bigwig in the police force straightaway and threw his weight around.’
    Thank God! I read somewhere that you couldn’t report a person as missing until a certain time elapsed. My mind began to squirrel around the logistics of travelling so late in the day. ‘I’m coming down to Brisbane, Pam. I hope to God Georgie’s home.’
    ‘Aunt Eloise, can you catch a flight to Brisbane? Or could you ask mum to drive you down?’ Pam must be frightened; she knows how flying affects me.
    I knew she would rather have her mother cope with me. ‘Your mother’s away for a couple of days and I don’t know anyone else who’d be free at short notice,’ I replied. I’m afraid of flying to the point where I am aviaphobic, but “needs must.”
    ‘I’ll have to try and get a flight. But it might need to be the bus. It’s so late…’
    ‘Of course, Aunt Eloise. Let me know the ETA and where, so I can meet you.’
    I slumped into a chair, incoherent thoughts skittering through my brain. Better make a list…ring Johnny Morse and see if he can take me to the mainland on his water taxi, ring Georgie and ask her to come over. She’ll feed the animals, but first of all, ring the airline. No, ring Georgie first and ask her to ring the airline. Or should I just get onto the night bus? No, ring Johnny first and find out if he can take me—no, have to ring Georgie. Oh my God, Ally. Ring Ally.
    Surely her mobile…she would answer? I had to check for myself that she was not available to answer her phone. I hit the speed dial and listened as the mobile on the other end rang six times. For a heart-stopping moment, I thought she answered, but it was message bank.
    My closest friend and Ally’s godmother, Georgie, arrived within ten minutes of my frantic phone call. She made me a hot drink into which she put her panacea for all ills, a heavy slug of whisky. I sipped while she organised the island taxi driver to take me to the mainland.
    ‘Try for a seat on the overnight bus.’
    ‘Are you sure? I thought in this case you might find it would be better to fly. They might bump someone.’ My stomach did a slow roll and prickles of perspiration broke out over my body. I shook my head. ‘Okay, I’ll try the buslines.’
    Georgie booked me a seat on the overnight coach and rang Pam to advise arrival time. She also promised to feed