Under_The_Whispering_Door_by_TJ_Klune
still, tell him. I want to record his reaction.” The doors swung shut behindher.He went to the portholes, looking out into the tea shop. It was as busy asusual. The lunch crowd had arrived, and most of the tables were filled. Meimoved expertly around the people before setting the tray on a table. Heglanced at the far corner. Nancy’s table was empty. He wasn’t surprised. Hethought she’d be back, but it probably wouldn’t be until he was gone. Hedidn’t know if what they’d done had been enough. He wasn’t foolish enoughto think he’d alleviated her pain, but he hoped she’d at least have thefoundation to start to build again if she wanted.Hugo stood behind the register, smiling, though it was distant. He’d beenquiet that morning, as if lost in thought. Wallace didn’t want to push. He letHugo be.The front door of the tea shop opened, and a young couple walked in, theirhair windswept, eyes bright. They’d been here before, the man saying it wastheir second date, when it was actually their third. He held the door open forhis lady friend, and she laughed when he bowed slightly. Even above the din,Wallace could hear him. “After you, my queen.”“You’re so weird,” she said fondly.“Only the best for you.”She grabbed his hand, pulling him to the counter. He kissed her on thecheek as she ordered for the both of them.And Wallace knew the next thing he needed to do with the time he had left.“You don’t have to do this,” Hugo said after the tea shop had closed for thenight. Wallace had asked Mei and Nelson to give them some privacy. They’dagreed, though Nelson waggled his eyebrows suggestively as Mei pulled himinto the kitchen, Apollo trailing after them.“Maybe. But I think I do. If you can’t, I can ask Mei to—”Hugo shook his head. “No. I’ll do it. What do you want me to say?”Wallace told him. It was short and simple. He didn’t think it was enough.He didn’t know what else to add.If he still had a beating heart, he thought it’d be in his throat as Hugo setthe phone to speaker after he’d dialed the number Wallace had given him. He
didn’t know if anyone would answer. It’d be a strange number appearing onher screen, and she’d probably end up ignoring it as most people did.She didn’t.“Hello?”Hugo said, “Can I speak with Naomi Byrne?”“Speaking. Who’s calling, please?” The last word was quieter, andWallace knew she had pulled the phone away to look at the number, frowningas she did so. He could see her clear as day in the corners of his mind.“Ms. Byrne, my name is Hugo. You don’t know me, but I know yourhusband.”A long pause. “Ex-husband,” she said finally. “If you mean Wallace.”“I do.”“Well, I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but Wallace died acouple of months ago.”“I know,” Hugo said.“You … do? You spoke of him in the present tense, and I just assumed—itdoesn’t matter. What can I do for you, Hugo? I’m afraid I don’t have long. Ihave a dinner meeting to get to.”“I won’t take much of your time,” Hugo said, looking up at Wallace whonodded.“Were you a client of his? If there’s a legal issue, you need to call thefirm. I’m sure they would be happy to assist—”“No,” Hugo said. “I wasn’t a client of his. I guess you could say he is—”“Was,” Wallace hissed. “Was.”Hugo rolled his eyes. “He was a client of mine, in his own way.”A longer pause. “Are you his therapist? I don’t recognize the area code.Where are you calling from?” Then, “And why are you calling?”“No,” Hugo said. “I’m not a therapist. I own a tea shop.”Naomi laughed. “A tea shop. And you say Wallace was a client of yours.Wallace Price.”“Yes.”“I don’t think I ever saw him drink a cup of tea in his life. Forgive me forsounding dubious, but he wasn’t exactly the tea type.”“I know,” Hugo said as Wallace groaned. “But I think you’d be surprisedto hear that he learned to enjoy it regardless.”
- Page 223 and 224: The tables jumped again as Alan too
- Page 225 and 226: He hated how much he focused on it,
- Page 227 and 228: “He does,” Hugo said. He looked
- Page 229 and 230: “Or I know my limits,” Wallace
- Page 231 and 232: age. He was coldly handsome, though
- Page 233 and 234: were here in February. Speaking of,
- Page 235 and 236: him. He turned to see Alan stepping
- Page 237 and 238: Alan rose slowly to his feet, point
- Page 239 and 240: CHAPTER17It was bigger than any sta
- Page 241 and 242: The boy nodded at Wallace before lo
- Page 243 and 244: instead of solid. “In fact, an ar
- Page 245 and 246: full well he wasn’t in his right
- Page 247 and 248: dies. Death is cleansing. The pain
- Page 249 and 250: Sure, the bureaucracy of it all can
- Page 251 and 252: “He’s not gone,” Wallace said
- Page 253 and 254: He didn’t know.He’d never felt
- Page 255 and 256: “Then do it. I don’t know what
- Page 257 and 258: Hugo shook his head. Muttering unde
- Page 259 and 260: The sadness receded, though it didn
- Page 261 and 262: On the third evening, Hugo switched
- Page 263 and 264: Nancy did as asked, clutching her p
- Page 265 and 266: Mei cocked her head as if confused,
- Page 267 and 268: I KNOW. BUT I HOPE IN HEARING FROM
- Page 269 and 270: For a moment, Wallace thought it’
- Page 271 and 272: CHAPTER19Acceptance.It was easier t
- Page 273: then another and then another. And
- Page 277 and 278: “What’s that supposed to mean?
- Page 279 and 280: “I’m not trying to,” Wallace
- Page 281 and 282: He laughed wildly. “If not now, w
- Page 283 and 284: Wallace felt the pull the moment th
- Page 285 and 286: As the sun set, they stood side by
- Page 287 and 288: He failed.His eyes rolled up in his
- Page 289 and 290: They said, “Cameron, let’s go o
- Page 291 and 292: grit his teeth together. Tears floo
- Page 293 and 294: CHAPTER21The next day, Charon’s C
- Page 295 and 296: He hung his head. “I’m scared,
- Page 297 and 298: Nelson rose from his chair, tugging
- Page 299 and 300: on forever. He wondered if there we
- Page 301 and 302: Nelson standing in front of the tea
- Page 303 and 304: Hugo lowered his hand back to the b
- Page 305 and 306: “Hugo?”“Yeah?”“Don’t fo
- Page 307 and 308: Wallace couldn’t. Everything was
- Page 309 and 310: They drank tea as if it were any ot
- Page 311 and 312: impressed.”“Frankly, I don’t
- Page 313 and 314: “Don’t I?” the boy asked. He
- Page 315 and 316: discriminate. It’s there for ever
- Page 317 and 318: “You swear?” Wallace insisted.
- Page 319 and 320: “Not afraid,” the Manager repea
- Page 321 and 322: Someone crouched next to him. “Wa
- Page 323 and 324: The Manager nodded. “The job will
didn’t know if anyone would answer. It’d be a strange number appearing on
her screen, and she’d probably end up ignoring it as most people did.
She didn’t.
“Hello?”
Hugo said, “Can I speak with Naomi Byrne?”
“Speaking. Who’s calling, please?” The last word was quieter, and
Wallace knew she had pulled the phone away to look at the number, frowning
as she did so. He could see her clear as day in the corners of his mind.
“Ms. Byrne, my name is Hugo. You don’t know me, but I know your
husband.”
A long pause. “Ex-husband,” she said finally. “If you mean Wallace.”
“I do.”
“Well, I’m sorry to be the one to have to tell you this, but Wallace died a
couple of months ago.”
“I know,” Hugo said.
“You … do? You spoke of him in the present tense, and I just assumed—it
doesn’t matter. What can I do for you, Hugo? I’m afraid I don’t have long. I
have a dinner meeting to get to.”
“I won’t take much of your time,” Hugo said, looking up at Wallace who
nodded.
“Were you a client of his? If there’s a legal issue, you need to call the
firm. I’m sure they would be happy to assist—”
“No,” Hugo said. “I wasn’t a client of his. I guess you could say he is—”
“Was,” Wallace hissed. “Was.”
Hugo rolled his eyes. “He was a client of mine, in his own way.”
A longer pause. “Are you his therapist? I don’t recognize the area code.
Where are you calling from?” Then, “And why are you calling?”
“No,” Hugo said. “I’m not a therapist. I own a tea shop.”
Naomi laughed. “A tea shop. And you say Wallace was a client of yours.
Wallace Price.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t think I ever saw him drink a cup of tea in his life. Forgive me for
sounding dubious, but he wasn’t exactly the tea type.”
“I know,” Hugo said as Wallace groaned. “But I think you’d be surprised
to hear that he learned to enjoy it regardless.”
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