Free The Half Truth by Sue Fortin Page B

‘Shhhhhh.’
    Tina nodded furiously, fighting back the whimper in her throat. His voice was deep and loud in her ear. His breath hot on her neck. It seemed an age before he released his hand from her mouth – just a fraction. Convinced she wasn’t going to scream, he took it away completely.
    In the darkness Tina couldn’t see what he was doing, but she could hear him grappling with the coats on the pegs at the bottom of the stairs, finally finding what he needed.
    ‘Mummy?’ Dimitri’s voice called out again.
    The intruder gave Tina a nudge. She took her cue.
    ‘Stay there, Dimitri,’ she called out. ‘Stay in the bedroom. Do NOT come out.’
    The man bundled Tina down the hall and into the living room, pushing her into the armchair. He gagged her with a scarf he had taken from the coat pegs, then forced her to bend forwards before binding her hands and feet together.
    No sooner had he done this than he was gone. Down the hall and into the kitchen. She heard him unlock the back door. She didn’t wait to hear whether he shut it or not. She yanked and twisted her bound hands. Fortunately, there was enough stretch in the knitted scarf to pull her hands free. Some more fumbling and she released her feet. Pulling the scarf from her mouth she leapt out of the chair and ran upstairs.
    She needed to get to Dimitri.
    Tina burst into the bedroom. Dimitri was standing at the window. Tina ran over to him, sweeping her up into his arms. Dimitri wriggled an arm free and pointed to the street below.
    ‘Mummy, that man’s coming,’ said Dimitri.

Chapter 12
    Tina’s breath caught in her lungs. She grabbed at the venetian blinds with one hand, pulling the wooden slats apart.
    There, striding down the path towards the front door, was John. Tina felt her knees buckle with relief. The hammering on the door was the sweetest sound to her ears. Putting Dimitri down and taking his hand, she hurried him downstairs.
    ‘Thank God you’re here!’ she gasped, surprised by how relieved she felt to see John. He was in the hallway, closing the door behind him before she could catch her breath.
    ‘What’s happened? I saw Dimitri up at the window,’ said John. ‘The lights were going on and off downstairs so I thought I’d check it out. Are you both okay?’
    Tina composed herself. She looked from John to Dimitri and back again, willing John to understand.
    ‘I came down for some water, dropped the glass. You know what it’s like, unexpected things going bump in the night.’ Over the top of Dimitri’s head she flicked her eyes towards the kitchen. ‘I think the back door has been left open.’
    She watched John take in the glass lying on the carpet, the coats on the floor and then search her face.
    He reacted instantly, but with such an air of calm and authority that immediately Tina felt safe.
    ‘You go back upstairs,’ he said. Then he mouthed to her to lock the bedroom door. ‘Wait there, I’ll be back in a minute.’
    John watched Tina and Dimitri go back upstairs. Once he heard the bedroom door shut and the key turn in the lock he withdrew his Glock from its holster. He was pretty certain that whoever had been in the house was long gone, but he wasn’t taking any chances.
    The kitchen was empty and the back door wide open. John opened the blinds to allow some light to seep across the garden. Cautiously he stepped out onto the patio, giving his eyes time to become accustomed to the dark. His instincts told him there was no one in the garden, but he checked anyway. The back gate was locked from the inside, so presumably the intruder hadn’t left that way. Probably hopped over the wall. John looked up and down the access footpath at the rear.
    Convinced that the intruder had gone, John went back indoors and up to Tina’s bedroom. He tapped on the door.
    ‘Tina, you okay? I’ll put the kettle on,’ he said softly, conscious that she was probably trying to settle her son. ‘I’ll be downstairs.’
    Tina came into the