David Nickle - The Caretakers
Here you can read online David Nickle - The Caretakers full text of the book (entire story) in english for free. Download pdf and epub, get meaning, cover and reviews about this ebook. City: New York, year: 2016, publisher: Tom Doherty Associates, genre: Science fiction / Romance novel. Description of the work, (preface) as well as reviews are available. Best literature library LitArk.com created for fans of good reading and offers a wide selection of genres:
Romance novel
Science fiction
Adventure
Detective
Science
History
Home and family
Prose
Art
Politics
Computer
Non-fiction
Religion
Business
Children
Humor
Choose a favorite category and find really read worthwhile books. Enjoy immersion in the world of imagination, feel the emotions of the characters or learn something new for yourself, make an fascinating discovery.
- Book:The Caretakers
- Author:
- Publisher:Tom Doherty Associates
- Genre:
- Year:2016
- City:New York
- ISBN:978-0-765-38652-6
- Rating:5 / 5
- Favourites:Add to favourites
- Your mark:
- 100
- 1
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 5
The Caretakers: summary, description and annotation
We offer to read an annotation, description, summary or preface (depends on what the author of the book "The Caretakers" wrote himself). If you haven't found the necessary information about the book — write in the comments, we will try to find it.
The Caretakers — read online for free the complete book (whole text) full work
Below is the text of the book, divided by pages. System saving the place of the last page read, allows you to conveniently read the book "The Caretakers" online for free, without having to search again every time where you left off. Put a bookmark, and you can go to the page where you finished reading at any time.
Font size:
Interval:
Bookmark:
David Nickle
THE CARETAKERS
The meeting with Miss Erish started earlier than scheduled, in a room other than the one arranged. That meant they were all late, even Evelyn Simmons, who had flown in the day before and, unable to properly sleep owing to the time difference, risen long before the dawn.
She lingered in her room barely an hour, then took an elevator down to the lobby. It was empty but for the night manager, who dutifully inquired as to her needs and then left her to herself, to wander restlessly from chair to bench to sofa in the cold and quiet predawn.
Evelyn pored over emails, sent texts to her still-sleeping daughter back in the home time zone. Eventually, she watched the sunrise through the glass walls fronting on the parking lot as she chewed on a bagel from the continental breakfast table, slathered with most of a bubble packet of peanut butter and a dollop of strawberry jam. It had snowed the night before, and the dawn light made bright orange rinds of the frosted car hoods.
Unbeknownst to her or any of the others, the meeting had commenced at that moment, in its new room and on its new schedule, absent nearly all of them. By the time she sorted that out and arrived ten minutes early, reckoned against her understanding of the schedule, it was too late.
The skin of Evelyns forearms contracted in premonitory gooseflesh as she opened the double doors to the meeting room on the fifth floor, and she shivered as cold air from within washed over her. The room was empty but for its furnishings: eight black leather chairs, a conference table, and a dry-erase board, fringed with half-erased pictographs. The middle of it contained a note, written at some length in the cramped, antiquely cursive hand that Evelyn had come to recognize.
The note was accusatory: the tone was not as angry as it might have been, but nevertheless quite clearly disappointed. Evelyn stepped out of the room, and checked her email. But there was nothing, certainly no indication as yet of a rescheduling. She had not yet finished keying in a text message to the rest of the group when Leslie Hunterof course it was Leslie Hunterstepped off the elevator. He had cropped his hair short to his skull and gained some weight around his middle since the last time.
Morning, Evie, he said. We the first?
Evelyn started to explain about the rescheduling but Leslie shouldered past her into the room before she could finish. He read the note himself, shaking his head as he went.
I should have known, he said, when I saw the note on the door.
Evelyn had wondered that too when she read that first message taped to the door of the Cumberland Suite, where they were to have met: this one not handwritten but printed on hotel stationery, advising of the relocation.
What else had changed?
Well, its too late, she said.
Any rescheduling email? A text? Leslie didnt bother with his phone but motioned to hers, which dangled in her hand at her side. A call?
Evelyn shook her head no.
He rocked back on the balls of his feet and forward again, rolling his shoulders and puffing his cheeksas though bracing himself or readying for a sprint.
Nothing to be done, she said.
Leslie swallowed and nodded.
Didnt see you at the bar last night, he said.
I got in late. Went straight to bed.
And woke up at four, am I right? Evie, Evie, Evie. Leslie stepped nearer, touched her forearm. His hand was warm. Was it damp also? Or was she the one sweating? You have to power through the jet lag. Just stay up as late as you can when you get in. Only way.
And that was as close as they got to the nut of it before Andrea Retson and Bill Allen and the new oneamwilson7@gmail.com was the only name that Evelyn knew her asgot off the elevator in a group. Leslie told them what had happened and pointed to the board, but no one wanted to go inside to examine it.
What the fuck? amwilson7@gmail.com was a thin slip of a girl, with black hair grown past her shoulders and swooping down over her left eye her right eye, peering out in a sleepy drawl of indifference. Shed underdressed, Evelyn thought, showing up at her first meeting in a loose off-the-shoulder sweater and black tights, dirty white winter boots with a ruffle of faux fur. The cursing didnt aid the cause any better. Im supposed to read minds?
Nothing to be done, said Evelyn.
Well, fuck, said the girl, and kicked at the carpet with one boot, a gesture that recalled the manner of a horse.
Because no one else would, Evelyn went into the meeting room, found the marker where it had been dropped on the floor, and used the cloth on the back of it to erase the note. She flicked the lights off, and without looking back, slipped out the door and pulled it shut.
At the elevator, they each of them checked their phones again to see if there were a message indicating how to proceed, then tucked the devices in purses and pockets when it was clear none had yet arrived.
We shouldnt go far, said Andrea.
Where would we go? said Bill.
They made their way down to the hotels bar. It overlooked the river, which was not entirely frozen over, and a freeway on the far side. The bar was closed, so Andrea stepped away to arrange for coffee service.
Evelyns phone chirped from her purse, and she checked it. Her daughter had texted her back, finally. STOP, it read. Evelyn slipped the phone back into her purse.
Any news? asked Leslie, and Evelyn said, Nothing.
Andrea returned, empty-handed and flustered.
They wont bring it, she said. The complimentary breakfast ended an hour ago. The bar doesnt open until three. Until then, they wont bring coffee.
Thats not very hospitable, said Bill.
It seems deliberate, said Andrea.
Why are we
You know why. Andrea fell emphatically on the sofa and scowled at Bill.
Excuse me a moment, said Evelyn, and rose.
In the restroom, she set herself in a stall and keyed in the passcode to her phone. The text from her daughter hung there on the screen
STOP
Evelyn considered that word and, with her thumbs, typed in a reply:
IN A TELEGRAM STOP WOULD JUST MEAN PUNCTUATION
Her thumb hovered over the SEND button as she considered deleting her reply and composing a new one. But in her consideration, she trembled, and her thumb brushed near enough, and just like that, the decision was made.
Evelyn stood and adjusted her skirt, slid the phone away in her purse. When she finally left the restroom, she found Leslie leaning against one wall of the narrow corridor.
I thought we should talk, he said, his voice low. About Amy.
Amy?
The new girl, he said, and Evelyn got it. amwilson7@gmail.com.
Amy, she said. What about her?
She left.
What do you mean?
Leslie rested his hand on Evelyns shoulder and drew her nearer so he could speak in her ear. Shes gone. Andrea went after her. Maybe shell convince her to come back. But for now, shes gone.
It had happened very quickly. Amyher name was Amyhad been gnawing on her thumbnail and, after a moment, began to breathe rather heavily, and as Leslie frowned and started to ask what was what, shed stood up, shook her head violently so that hair spread to the side and for an instant revealed both her eyes. Fuck this! she shouted. And then she turned away from them and ran, across the lobby and out the front door into the snow.
Andrea followed her, but I dont know how far shell get, said Leslie. His hand moved to the nape of Evelyns neck and slid down the flesh of her back. Shes not wearing boots. Not like Amy.
Evelyn took Leslies hand, lifted it away, and Leslie sighed.
Font size:
Interval:
Bookmark:
Similar books «The Caretakers»
Look at similar books to The Caretakers. We have selected literature similar in name and meaning in the hope of providing readers with more options to find new, interesting, not yet read works.
Discussion, reviews of the book The Caretakers and just readers' own opinions. Leave your comments, write what you think about the work, its meaning or the main characters. Specify what exactly you liked and what you didn't like, and why you think so.