The Sixth Soul Read Online Free

teaching post. She had only ever been off work once before for a protracted period of five months’
sickness. Anxiety gnawed at Rosen about what might or might not be causing her such pain. He wished that he believed in God so that he could pray it wasn’t anything life threatening. But he
didn’t believe in God and neither did she.
    ‘Hi, David.’
    She sounded bright.
    ‘Have you been in to see the doc?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘And?’
    ‘He thinks – he’s pretty certain it’s a peptic ulcer.’
    ‘Good!’
    ‘Good?’ Sarah laughed.
    ‘It’s not good in itself . . .’
    They had briefly discussed the possibility of cancer on a few occasions and it had played constantly on Rosen’s mind ever since.
    ‘Yes, I know what you mean. It could’ve been a whole lot worse.’
    ‘Where are you?’ He changed tack.
    ‘I’m in the car park at work, summoning up the courage to face 10M, today’s lesson, “Where is God in the face of evil?” Where is God in the face of 10M?’
    In the middle distance, Phillip Caton got into the back of an unmarked police car with DS Gold up front. It would be taking him to Isaac Street Police Station for a more formal interview.
    ‘A peptic ulcer,’ said Rosen. ‘So what’s next?’
    ‘He’s referred me to Guy’s. I’ve got to have a barium meal and a scan just to clarify if his diagnosis is correct. Oh, oh God . . .’
    ‘Sarah, what’s up?’
    Her car door opened and he heard the sudden lurching of his wife being sick on the car park tarmac.
    He waited for what felt like a long time.
    ‘I’ve just been sick,’ she confirmed.
    ‘Any blood in it?’ he asked.
    ‘No.’
    ‘Good.’
    ‘David, you’re starting to annoy me. Intensely.’
    ‘I’m sorry. Maybe you should go home.’
    ‘I might as well be in discomfort but surrounded by people and busy, than sick and at home alone. Besides, I don’t think I’ll be sick again.’
    ‘When’s your appointment?’
    ‘The GP has to contact the hospital, and the hospital send for me when they have a space in clinic. I’ll have to go whatever the time.’
    The wind shifted direction and a blast of rain hit Rosen directly in the face.
    ‘How’s it going there?’ she asked.
    ‘Another abduction, another death, no doubt,’ answered Rosen.
    ‘Where is God in the face of evil? Answer: there is no God, just a whole lot of evil,’ concluded Sarah.
    ‘And you the head of RE in a Catholic school, Mrs Rosen.’
    ‘Don’t pipe it too loud, David. Remember, two salaries are better than one. What time will you be home?’
    ‘I’m not sure.’
    ‘Then I guess I’ll see you when I see you. Sometime late tonight perhaps?’
    ‘I’ll be late, yes, and I’m sorry I couldn’t be with you this morning.’
    ‘Don’t worry. Others have it worse than us. I love you, mate.’
    ‘I love you, too.’
    ‘Gotta go. Oh, 10M, what a life . . .’
    He ended the call, watching the rain. She was bearing pain and discomfort with a spirit that reminded him of one of the many reasons why he loved her from the pit of his being. If it was him
with a peptic ulcer, he’d have griped to Olympic standard.
    Pocketing his phone, Rosen felt the sudden and subtle weight of a presence behind him.
    He turned his head slowly to see DC Robert Harrison walking towards him from the back garden.
    ‘What are you up to?’
    Harrison held up the digital camera in his hand.
    ‘Using my initiative, sir. Photographing the back garden in the absence of a direct order and with nothing else to do.’
    ‘How long have you been there?’
    ‘Where?’
    ‘Behind me, Robert, behind me?’
Listening in on my phone conversation
.
    ‘I’ve just come out of the garden.’
    The open gate to the garden swung back against the fence, slamming against the wooden frame and making the wind and rain seem suddenly sharper, even ill tempered.
    ‘OK, Robert. Go next door. You can be in charge of the fingertip search of number 24’s back