The Hypnotist

Chapter 86

Simone hears a whispered conversation. From the kitchen, maybe. But who would Sim be talking to? She tries to brush aside her fear, but the floor creaks, and through the narrow opening Simone sees someone walk past the bathroom- and it isn’t Shulman. It’s a much smaller person, a woman in a bulky tracksuit. The woman comes back from the hall, and Simone doesn’t have time to move away from the door. Their eyes meet in the tiny gap; the woman stiffens, and her eyes widen in fear. She quickly shakes her head at Simone and continues along the hallway, into the kitchen.

For a moment Simone stands there, processing this new information, then her gaze falls upon the bloody footprints the intruder’s trainers have left on the floor. Abruptly her confusion is overridden by panic-stricken terror. She has to get out of the apartment, just get out. She opens the bathroom door and sneaks out into the passage, heading for the hall. She tries to move silently, but she can hear the sound of her own breathing and the floor creaking beneath her weight. Someone is muttering and rummaging around in the cutlery drawers in the kitchen, and something is crumpled on the floor ahead of her.

It takes a few more moments for her to understand what she is looking at. It’s Shulman, on his back in front of the door. Blood is pumping from a wound in his throat, spurting wearily with the rhythm of his fading pulse. A dark red pool is spreading across the entire floor. Sim stares up at the ceiling, his eyelids trembling. His mouth is open and slack. Beside his hand, among the shoes on the doormat, lies her phone. She needs to grab it, run out of the apartment, and call the police and an ambulance. Suddenly she hears footsteps behind her in the hall. The young woman is returning. Her whole body is shaking and she raises a finger to her lips.

“We can’t get out that way, the door is locked with a key,” she whispers to Simone.

“Who- ”

“My little brother.”

“But why- ”

“He thinks he killed the hypnotist. He didn’t see, he thinks- ”

Something crashes to the floor in the kitchen.

“Evelyn? What are you doing?” shouts Josef Ek. “Get back in here!”

“Hide,” whispers the woman.

“Where are the keys?”

“He’s got them in the kitchen,” she says, hurrying back to her brother.

Simone creeps along the hall and into Benjamin’s room. She is panting. She tries to close her mouth but can’t get enough air. The floor creaks, but Josef Ek is talking loudly in the kitchen the whole time and doesn’t appear to hear. She spies Benjamin’s computer and hurries to turn it on, and just as she slips back into the bathroom she hears the welcome melody from the operating system.

Footsteps move rapidly up the hall. With her heart pounding, she waits a few seconds and then eases out of the bathroom and into the kitchen. The floor is covered with cutlery and bloody footprints. She can hear the two siblings moving around in Benjamin’s room. Josef Ek swears and hurls things onto the floor.

“Look under the bed!” shouts Evelyn in a frightened voice.

There is a thud, the box containing Benjamin’s Manga books is dragged out, and Josef hisses that there is no one there. “Help me,” he says. He kicks the box as hard as he can.

“Try the closet,” Evelyn suggests quickly.

He throws open the door and begins yanking clothes off hangers, throwing them behind him.

“What the fuck is this?” Josef screams.

“Hang on, Josef. He might be in the other closet.” A glass shatters and heavy footsteps thump along the corridor.

Simone steps over Shulman’s body. The tips of his fingers still tremble slightly. She slides the long key into the deadlock. Her hand is shaking violently.

“Josef,” Evelyn shouts desperately. “Look in the bedroom! I think he’s in the bedroom!”

As Simone turns the key, Josef Ek rushes into the hall and stares at her, an angry growl rumbling in his throat. Simone fumbles with the latch, her hand slips, but she manages to turn it. Josef has a carving knife in his hand. He hesitates for a moment, then moves rapidly towards her. Simone’s hands are shaking so much she can’t push the handle down. Evelyn rushes into the hall and hurls herself at Josef ’s legs, trying to restrain him, screaming for him to wait. Without looking back, he reaches behind him and slashes at her with the knife, and Evelyn loses her grip. Simone manages to get the door open, and as she stumbles out into the stairwell the bath towel slips off. Josef stops for a moment and stares at her naked body. Behind him Simone sees Evelyn rub her hand in the blood around Shulman’s body, smearing it over her face and throat and sinking to the floor.

“Josef, I’m bleeding,” she screams. “Darling… you cut me!”

She coughs and falls silent, lying on her back.

“Evelyn?” he says in a terrified voice.

He goes back into the hall, and as he bends over his sister, Simone suddenly sees the knife in Evelyn’s hand. It shoots straight up as if from some kind of primitive trap and penetrates the space between two of Josef ’s ribs with considerable force. His body goes completely slack. His head tilts to one side, he slumps to the floor, and he is motionless.