F Paul Wilson - Novel 05 by Mirage (v2.1) Page A

           "Have
you seen him since then?"
                 She
shook her head. "No. But I bet he did this, I bet he's been back. I know
it. And I'm going to call the police."
                 "Do
you really think that is necessary?" Eathan asked, touching the woman's
shoulder. "I wish you wouldn't."
                 Julie
was struck by the request. Why didn't he want the police involved? Then Eathan
shot Julie a look that said, I'll explain later.
                 "No,
I'm sorry," she said, heading out the door onto the landing. "I
cannot have strange men coming into my house."
                 As
she started down the stairs, Julie turned to Eathan.
                 "Why
not call the police?"
                 Eathan
glanced out into the hall, then gently shut the door.
                 "Because
... 1 know who this Jimmy Walsh is," he said in a low voice. "And
that's not his name. His real name is Liam O'Donnell and he's wanted by
Scotland Yard."
                 "Oh,
great. Can Sam pick them or what. What's he wanted for? Drugs?"
                 "1
almost wish."
                 Julie
stiffened. "What, then?"
                 "Terrorism.
They want him in connection with a number of IRA fire bombings in London and Belfast . Even now before the
cease-fire they say he's an arsonist."
                 "Oh,
God! Did Sam know?"
                 He
nodded slowly. "Yes."
                 Julie
was shocked speechless for a moment. What on earth had Sam got herself into?
                 "That's
why I didn't want the gendarmes called in. If they find out who this fellow is they'll
come asking about Samantha. It could be dangerous for her. She's not protected
here. I think she's got enough trouble at the moment."
                 "How
did you find out about him. 7 "
                 "I
ran into him here on one of my visits. After only a few moments of conversation
I felt sure that he was hiding something. I hired a detective to run a check on
him. I tried to warn Sam...."
                 "Ever
the guardian angel."
                 He
sighed. "In Samantha's case, somebody has to be."
                 "Do
you think this O'Donnell had anything to do with her coma?"
                 "I
don't know. From the way Mme. DuPont tells it, it doesn't sound like he had
time to do anything, and there were no marks on Sam's body. But who
knows?"
                 Julie
looked around. Sam's studio suddenly had a terribly sinister feel to it...
filled with the presence of whoever did this. Julie tried to shake off the
feeling. She looked around the studio....
                 What
had happened here? What had gone on in Sam's life, in her mind, during that
week of seclusion before her coma? What had she been painting when she locked
herself away?
                 "What
about all this?" she said, looking at the paintings. "What will
happen to them?"
                 "They
stay right here. I've paid the rent in advance till the end of the year and
nothing will be touched. When Sam comes back I want it to look just as she left
it. I want her to be able to resume her life ... her art."
                 She
turned and looked at Eathan. "What did we ever do to deserve you?"
                 "Don't
be silly," he said, looking uncomfortable. "I'm just doing what your
father would do."
                 On
the way out Julie stopped at Mme. DuPont's apartment.
                "Madame?" she said as the
woman opened the door. "Which painting was my sister's last? You said that
you saw her working on a big canvas."
                 "Ah
yes, but I do not know," she said. "The easel was empty when I found
her."
     

           Six
     
                 So
what is consciousness, after all? How does