A Song of Shadows Read Online Free Page A

by seconds. As for those assailants, the official story was that they had not been identified or found, but barroom scuttlebutt suggested they were dead.
    Soames recalled those two ‘security consultants’, and felt slightly ill at the memory of raising his voice to them.
    In many ways – in his movements, his labored breathing, even the texture of his skin – Parker resembled someone older than his years, except for his eyes, which were unusually bright and piercing. Soames had never met the man before, so he couldn’t say if they had always been that way, but they had an extraordinary clarity and – for want of a better word – insight. They were how Soames imagined the eyes of one of Christ’s apostles might have looked as he came to understand the true nature of the being to whom he had devoted his life. They were the eyes of one who has suffered, and out of that suffering had come knowledge. Soames figured that being shot and almost killed might do that to a man.
    Soames did not speak with Parker for long. He simply confirmed that the house was in order, and supplied him with an information file about the town, containing a list of bars, stores and restaurants; details of houses of worship and the times of services; and the names of various carpenters, plumbers, mechanics and other tradesmen who could be relied upon in the event of a mishap. Soames had also underlined the contact numbers for the doctors in the area, and moved them from the rear of the file to the front, just in case.
    ‘My card is in a pocket at the back,’ said Soames. ‘Call me any time, if I can be of assistance.’
    ‘Thank you,’ said Parker.
    The wind blowing in from the sea had only the slightest edge of cold to it. The tide had recently gone out, and gulls swooped down for stranded shellfish. Farther out, Soames could see the graceful ellipse of a cormorant’s neck, just before the bird submerged itself beneath the waves.
    ‘I hope you’ll be happy here,’ said Soames. He didn’t know where the words came from. They weren’t just a Realtor’s niceties; he meant them sincerely. Perhaps it was the sight of the cormorant that brought them out. ‘It’s a beautiful spot.’
    ‘It is.’
    They appeared to be running out of conversation. Soames wanted to ask Parker how long he might be staying, although the rent had been paid three months in advance. Aside from any worries he might have had about reprisals against the detective, the additional income – ‘caretaking’ bonus included – was welcome, and it would be nice to have a couple hundred extra dollars in his pocket. He decided not to pursue the subject until a month or more had gone by, and instead half-heartedly occupied Parker with small talk.
    ‘Well,’ said Soames, ‘I just wanted to make sure everything was okay. I’ll be on my way now. Any questions, just give me a call.’
    They shook hands. Parker might have looked frail, but his grip was strong.
    ‘Thank you for your help,’ said the detective.
    ‘I’m sure I’ll see you around town.’
    ‘Probably.’
    Soames had returned to his vehicle and driven away. His radio came on, and the transmission was briefly interrupted at exactly the same point in the driveway. Soames paused, glanced to his left, and saw something flashing in the sunlight as he passed: a metal object, small and circular. Discreetly, as though to retrieve something from his glove compartment, he leaned over as though to fiddle with the glove compartment. Yes, there it was: another little device set in the ground directly across from the first. Soames had continued on his way and said nothing about what he had seen, not even to the chief of police.
    Now, three weeks since the detective’s arrival in Boreas, Soames shielded his eyes with his right hand as he looked down on the beach and the sea beyond. The weather was growing warmer and warmer with each day, but out here at Green Heron Bay Soames was still glad that he was wearing a jacket.