Devil's Rock - Chris Speyer [80]
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Chapter 21
When Zaki woke, the first thing he noticed was the pain from his burnt wrist, then that the laptop was gone from the bedside table. Michael must have come back in the night and taken it. On the table, beside where the laptop had been, there was a circular scorch mark. No wonder the bracelet had burnt his wrist.
The bracelet! With a jolt of panic, Zaki was fully awake. The bracelet! Where was it? Had Michael knocked it on to the floor? He searched under the table, under the bed, the whole room. There was no sign of it. Michael must have taken it. Picked it up, perhaps, to see what it was. What if he put it on?
Zaki flung himself out of the door and raced the few feet to Michael’s room. No Michael. There was the usual mess, but his brother wasn’t there. Frantically, he began to search the room. Where in all this clutter had Michael put the bracelet? It must be here! Please, God, let it be here! He searched every surface, threw the jumbled bedclothes off the bed, ferreted through the boxes of CDs, sifted through the piles of discarded clothes, shook out every garment and went through every pocket.
When he had finished, he went back and did it all again. The bracelet was not in the room. Michael must have it with him.
Fingers of ice gripped Zaki’s heart. Maunder’s spirit was thriving now. Like some monstrous larva that devours its living host, it would overpower whoever next wore the bracelet.
What was the time? Just after seven – very early for Michael to be up and about on a Sunday. Maybe he never went to bed. As he left Michael’s room, Zaki almost collided with his father. His father looked him up and down.
‘Zaki, did you sleep in those clothes?’
Zaki realised that he was still in his uniform from Friday.
‘Zaki, go and have a shower and put something clean on, right now! Honestly! I don’t know what’s go into you two!’
‘Dad, have you seen Michael?’
‘No I haven’t. Isn’t he in his room?’
‘Dad, he’s gone. I think we should look for him.’ Zaki headed for the stairs.
‘Zaki! Come back here and get in the shower, now!’
‘Dad, it’s important!’
‘Get in the shower! Do what you’re told! Your brother may be a teenager but you’re not. Don’t you start acting up!’
‘But, Dad, you don’t understand . . .’
‘No I don’t. Now go and wash.’
What should he do? Disobey his father? Make a run for it? No – maybe he should keep him happy. Perhaps then he’d help him look for Michael.
He turned and went to the bathroom but as he opened the door his father called after him, ‘Zaki – your shoulder – shouldn’t you be wearing your sling?’
‘No, it’s fine. Seems to be better.’
‘Zaki, are you sure . . . ?’
‘It’s fine!’
Zaki shut the door behind him. He didn’t want a long discussion with his father about his shoulder and he didn’t want him to see his burnt wrist.
He washed quickly and put on clean clothes, making sure his sweatshirt sleeve covered the livid red burn. He found his father in the kitchen, eating breakfast.
‘I’m going to look for Michael.’
‘Eat some breakfast before you go anywhere.’
‘Dad, I think Michael might be in trouble.’
‘He is. He’s in trouble with me. You can tell him that if you find him! Where did he go to last night?’
‘I don’t know.’
Zaki’s father shook his head, then, in a gentler voice, said, ‘Come on, sit down and eat something.’
Zaki poured himself cereal and milk and ate it standing up.
‘Dad,’ he said through a mouthful of cereal, ‘won’t you help me look for him?’
‘No I will not – I’ve got better things to do.’
Zaki finished his mouthful.
‘Right. I’m going.’
He put down his bowl and bolted for the door.
‘Aren’t you going to have anything else?’
‘No!’ Grabbing his jacket from the hooks by the front door, Zaki was out and in the street before his father could mention homework or any other thing that might delay him.
Where to start? Was Michael acting like Michael, or was Michael acting like Maunder?
He was acting like Maunder. If he had been acting like Michael, he would still be in bed. Where would Maunder go?