The Last Murder at the end of the World (Stuart Turton) читать бесплатно онлайн полную версию книги (ч. 29)

EIGHTEEN

It’s nearly dawn, orange sunlight drawing across the island.

On the west coast, thirty minutes’ walk from the village, Hephaestus is asleep on a dirty mattress in an old World War II bunker built into the rock face.

There’s dried blood under his nose and his face is freshly bruised, his arms raked by the fingernails of a dozen hands. He’s naked, sweat shining on skin.

An alarm is screeching. He opens a bloodshot eye, to see a flashing red light on the wall.

Shaking off his daze, he scrambles to his feet and stumbles over to a homemade oscilloscope, which is sitting on a table among bits of machinery. Clutching it in both hands, he gives a shake.

‘Is this right?’ he demands of me.

‘Yes.’

Roaring, he hurls it at the wall, then swipes everything off a work table.

‘Where’s my mother?’

‘In the village,’ I say.