‘Get up the damn stairs! There are others right behind me!’ he says.
‘Yeah, right,’ I reply sarcastically, although I feel a little gnawing niggle of worry. He still doesn’t seem to be lying.
‘Zoe, so help me God...’
There’s a clatter down below and an irritated curse floats up to us. Miller jerks his head to indicate that they are on their way. Annoyed, I stand up, holding his shirt to force him to his feet. I move behind him and jab his neck. ‘What I didn’t tell you over the phone,’ I whisper, ‘is that I’ve not been wasting my time while I’ve been stuck inside. I work out. It calms me. I’ve had a lot of time to develop my self-defence skills.’ It’s all bullshit, of course, but he can’t see my face. He’s taking a gamble if he chooses not to believe me.
I nudge the small of his back and force him upwards, just as we hear the first footfalls below.
As soon as we reach the landing, I propel him to the right and down the corridor. He’s taller than me so it’s awkward to keep him moving and watch in front of me. When we reach the first open door leading to an empty office, I push him inside. There’s a lock; it’s only one of those push-button ones and not particularly effective against a real onslaught but it serves my purpose for now.
I grab a chair and press down on his shoulder, making him sit. ‘Why?’ I snarl.
‘You’ve got this all wrong. Yes, I told the Mayor your last name but I had to give him something. I have to make sure he trusts me so I tell the truth sometimes.’
My eyes narrow. ‘Does he know where I live?’
‘No, no, definitely not!’ Miller protests. ‘I told him I don’t have that information because you contacted me by phone.’
Again, he doesn’t appear to be lying but maybe I’m thinking that because I want it to be true. ‘No wonder you specialise in sleep disorders,’ I growl. ‘You must be able to accomplish a lot from here.’
He grimaces. ‘Not as much as I’d like.’
We’re getting nowhere. I lean down until we’re eyeball to eyeball. ‘Explain to me what’s really going on.’
His Adam’s apple bobs nervously. ‘The Mayor is in charge.’
‘I know that.’ I slam my hand down on the armrest and he jumps. ‘And you’re working for him.’
‘Yes. No. It’s complicated.’ He fidgets. ‘He’s got a stranglehold over most all of the Dreamlands. He’s choking it to death because he wants more power and wealth. He created the Department ostensibly to investigate the Bubble. Instead they’re more like the Gestapo. They don’t just search the Bubble to map out the doors, they also make sure no one here gets in their way. I’ve been trying to gain the Mayor’s confidence for two years! He wants to control when people sleep so he can get into their dreams. I’ve been developing a serum for that. If you can control someone’s subconscious and see their dreams, you can change their actions and thoughts in the real world too.’
It makes a sick kind of sense. ‘This serum. Is that what you gave me?’
‘No! The serum doesn’t work. What I give him is just a placebo. What I gave you was to try to stop you from coming here. It’s too dangerous right now, you need to stay away. You were too strong for it though.’
‘Why should I stay away?’
‘Salib. He told me...’
I grab his shirt again, twisting the fabric in my fists. ‘Salib? You know him?’
Miller nods miserably. ‘I’ve not seen or heard from him in months though.’
‘Because he’s dead,’ I say flatly.
His face sags. ‘Then we’re lost,’ he whispers.
‘What did Salib tell you?’
‘To look after you. To make sure you didn’t come here before you were ready. That’s all I know,’ he stutters, ‘I promise.’
‘But you told me you’d not seen him in months,’ I say slowly. ‘When did he tell you this?’
‘A year and a half ago.’
I release my hold on him and step back. ‘That’s when my agoraphobia started.’
‘That was nothing to do with me!’ he protests.
I try to think. A lot of those initial weeks are hazy. I had such a concoction of pills and saw such a procession of doctors that, come to think of it, I can’t remember how Miller got involved in the first place.
‘I made up a referral,’ he mutters, reading my mind. ‘It was the only thing I could think of. When you withdrew from medical help, I kept tabs on you via your mother. She worries about you a lot, you know.’
I might have known. ‘How do I know I can trust any of this?’
‘I...’ His eyes dart around as if searching for something to offer me. Before he can come up with anything, there’s a sharp knock on the door. Both of us freeze.
‘Doctor Miller? Are you in there?’
I give him a nod.
‘Yes,’ he calls out shakily. ‘Just give me a minute.’ He looks at me. ‘You need to hide. When the coast is clear, get the hell out of here. I’ll get rid of them.’