Free Philip Brennan 03-Cage of Bones by Tania Carver Page A

sister had a couple, she lived in Wales and they weren’t close.
    She felt another chair being pulled up next to her. Marina sat down. Anni immediately felt more relaxed.
    Marina smiled at the boy. ‘Hello.’
    Anni didn’t know how she had managed it, but something in Marina’s smile connected with the boy. He didn’t reply, but neither did he look as scared as he had done.
    ‘I’m Marina.’ She gave another smile. If she had seen the depths of fear in his eyes, thought Anni, she wasn’t letting it show. ‘Don’t worry. You won’t have to remember all these names. How are you feeling? Do you hurt anywhere?’
    The boy forgot his need to escape and shifted slightly as if testing his body in response to the question. He held up his bandaged hand.
    ‘Yes, you’ve broken your fingers. But they’ll mend.’
    He still didn’t speak, but he didn’t express any great discomfort either. He looked at the tube going into the back of his hand. Frowned. Moved his other hand towards it.
    ‘I think it’s better if you leave that where it is,’ Marina said, her voice calm and warm yet authoritative. ‘It’s feeding you. Making you big and strong.’
    The boy’s hand fell back.
    ‘It’s a little bit uncomfortable. But it’ll make you feel a lot better, I promise you.’ Another smile. Reassuring. ‘That’s better.’ Marina leaned forward towards the boy, not threatening his space, just showing she was interested in him. ‘Now, I’ve told you my name, Marina, why don’t you tell me yours?’
    The boy’s eyes darted between the three women.
    ‘We’re not going to hurt you. But it would be nice if I knew what to call you, don’t you think?’
    Again the boy’s eyes darted. But this time the fear seemed to be lessening. Like he was deciding whether he could trust them or not. He began moving his mouth. At first Anni took it for another unconscious fear response, but she quickly realised that he was trying to form sounds, words.
    She waited, hardly daring to move, while the boy’s mouth twisted.
    ‘Fff … ’ His front teeth looked rotten, painful as he placed them on his lower lip, tried to make a sound. ‘Fff … Ffinnn … ’
    They waited. He offered nothing more.
    ‘Finn?’ said Marina. ‘You’re called Finn?’
    Another glance between the three of them. Then a small nod of the head.
    Anni let out a breath she was unaware of holding. She stole a glance at Marina, saw a glint of joy, triumph in her eye.
    ‘Well hello, Finn,’ said Marina, still smiling. ‘It’s a pleasure to meet you.’
    The boy seemed to relax slightly. His mouth kept twisting, trying to form more words, or just repeat the same one.
    ‘Ffinn … Finn … ’
    ‘Very good,’ said Marina, an encouraging teacher. ‘So where are you from, Finn?’
    More tortuous mouth-twisting. ‘Thhh … Gahh … denn … ’
    Anni and Marina stole a glance at each other. ‘The … Garden?’ said Marina. ‘Is that where you’re from?’
    Another nervous look between the pair of them, then a nod.
    The Garden, thought Anni. Her mind was immediately working. Checking through a mental Rolodex for a match. Children’s homes, care homes, residential, secure units, YOIs, anything that would match … The Garden … She came up with nothing.
    Marina was about to ask another question, but Finn’s mouth was twisting again. She kept silent, waited.
    ‘Mmm … mmoth … eh … moth … er … ’
    ‘Mother?’ said Marina. ‘Your mother?’
    Another nod.
    ‘What about her? Is she … is she looking for you?’
    Finn frowned. A dark shadow covered his face. His mouth twisted once more. ‘Thh … thhuh … god … thuh god … nerrr … ’
    ‘The gardener?’ said Marina. ‘Your mother is the gardener?’
    Finn shook his head viciously. ‘Nnnuh … nnnuh … ’ The darkness was seeping back into his eyes. The terror.
    ‘Your mother,’ Marina persisted, trying to head off those dark thoughts. ‘Tell me about your mother, Finn. Is she …