Where the Summer Ends - By Karl Edward Wagner Page 0,104
frightening.”
“Precisely why we must continue.”
“Precisely why we must not.” Lisette sighed. They’d covered this ground already. It had been a moment of weakness when she agreed to allow Dr Magnus to buy her a drink afterward instead of heading back to the flat. Still, he had been so distressed when she told him she was terminating their sessions.
“I’ve tried to cooperate with you as best I could, and I’m certain you are entirely sincere in your desire to help me.” Well, she wasn’t all that certain, but no point in going into that. “However, the fact remains that since we began these sessions, my nerves have gone to hell. You say they’d be worse without the sessions, I say the sessions have made them worse, and maybe there’s no connection at all—it’s just that my nerves have gotten worse, so now I’m going to trust my intuition and try life without these sessions. Fair enough?”
Dr Magnus gazed uncomfortably at his barely tasted glass of sherry. “While I fully understand your rationale, I must in all conscience beg you to reconsider, Lisette. You are running risks that...”
“Look. If the nightmares go away, then terrific. If they don’t, I can always pack up and head back to San Francisco. That way I’ll be clear of whatever it is about London that disagrees with me, and if not, I’ll see my psychiatrist back home.”
“Very well, then.” Dr Magnus squeezed her hand. “However, please bear in mind that I remain eager to continue our sessions at any time, should you change your mind.”
“That’s fair enough, too. And very kind of you.”
Dr Magnus lifted his glass of sherry to the light. Pensively, he remarked: “Amber.”
•X•
“Lisette?”
Danielle locked the front door behind her and hung up her inadequate umbrella in the hallway. She considered her face in the mirror and grimaced at the mess of her hair. “Lisette? Are you here?”
No answer, and her rain things were not in the hallway. Either she was having a late session with Dr Magnus, or else she’d wisely decided to duck under cover until this bloody rain let up. After she’d had to carry Lisette home in a taxi when she passed out at the party, Danielle was starting to feel real concern over her state ofhealth.
Danielle kicked off her damp shoes as she entered the living room. The curtains were drawn against the greyness outside, and she switched on a lamp to brighten the flat a bit. Her dress clung to her like a clammy fish-skin; she shivered, and thought about a cup of coffee. If Lisette hadn’t returned yet, there wouldn’t be any brewed. She’d have a warm shower instead, and after that she’d see to the coffee—if Lisette hadn’t returned to set a pot going in the meantime.
“Lisette?” Their bedroom was empty. Danielle turned on the overhead light. Christ, it was gloomy! So much for long English summer evenings—with all the rain, she couldn’t remember when she’d last seen the sun. She struggled out of her damp dress, spread it flat across her bed with the vague hope that it might not wrinkle too badly, then tossed her bra and tights onto a chair.
Slipping into her bathrobe, Danielle padded back into the living room. Still no sign of Lisette, and it was past nine. Perhaps she’d stopped off at a pub. Crossing to the stereo, Danielle placed the new Blondie album on the turntable and turned up the volume. Let the neighbors complain—at least this would help dispel the evening’s gloom.
She cursed the delay needed to adjust the shower temperature to satisfaction, then climbed into the tub. The hot spray felt good, and she stood under it contentedly for several minutes—initially revitalized, then lulled into a delicious sense of relaxation. Through the rush of the spray, she could hear the muffled beat of the stereo. As she reached for the shampoo, she began to move her body with the rhythm.
The shower curtain billowed as the bathroom door opened. Danielle risked a soapy squint around the curtain— she knew the flat was securely locked, but after seeing Psycho... It was only Lisette, already undressed, her long blonde hair falling over her breasts.
“Didn’t hear you come in with the stereo going,” Danielle greeted her. “Come on in before you catch cold.”
Danielle resumed lathering her hair as the shower curtain parted and the other girl stepped into the tub behind her. Her eyes squeezed shut against the soap, she felt Lisette’s breasts thrust against her back, her flat belly press