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Authors: Ann Purser
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this afternoon? Down Hangman’s Lane, in the direction of the woods? The scene of the supposed crime might at least give us a hint of the direction we should take.”
Ivy nodded. She considered how she could tactfully mention that Miriam and Rose had walked into the woods, through bracken and fallen branches, so it would be impossible for Roy to negotiate a path for his vehicle.
But Roy had thought of this and said that he would wait at the edge of the road, and she should venture only as far as it was easy walking. That might be enough to set their imaginations working. And in any case it was a lovely afternoon, and it was a shame not to make the most of it.
IN THE DEEP, dark woods, a man with a woolly hat pulled down over his ears straightened up from his task and stretched his back. It was heavy work, and he thought bitter thoughts about the need to do it. It had taken him longer than he thought, but he was back here today to finish the job. He sat on a tree stump and lit a cigarette, carefully stamping out the match. Years ago, when he had been playing truant from school, one of his fellow cricket dodgers had lit an illicit cigarette and, in a panic of possible discovery, had thrown away the glowing butt end and caused a major fire.
He sighed, and closed his eyes. What a life! Playing in a two-bit band when he had studied at the Royal College of Music and been a star pupil. Women had been his undoing, or so his old father said. The old boy had rather liked the idea of his son romping through London’s eligible females, but when it came to bailing him out of debts incurred on his merrymaking adventures, the worm had turned, and paternal disapproval sent him packing.
It was quite a decent mound of earth now, he decided, and began to push two or three holes into it, trying to imitate the badger. He knew badgers cleaned out their tunnels regularly and left the rubbish outside the entrances, so he dragged handfuls of matted dead grass and scattered it around. That would have to do, and he reckoned he would recognise it when the time came. He picked up his spadeand turned to leave, when he heard a sound. Fox? Angry badger? He knew it was a human being, when a voice not far away said loudly, “Go away, you nasty creature!” So it was a woman, coming his way. He stayed motionless whilst he decided what to do.
Fourteen
IVY WATCHED AS the snake slithered off into the undergrowth, and she took deep breaths to slow down her pounding heartbeat. Not many things frightened Ivy, but snakes she could not abide. She supposed it was a phobia, and a childhood trip to a zoo had made her tremble with panic at the thought of the reptile house.
She wondered now whether it would be more sensible to go back to Roy. But she had hardly reached the edges of the interior where folk seldom ventured. Sometimes a family would take a picnic and see how far they could penetrate, but they never got very far. She pushed on through the nettles, well protected by good thick stockings, but decided as soon as the brambles thickened she would return to Roy.
Then she saw him. A man, bent double to push through overhanging branches, running away from her. His progress was impeded by the thicket, but he was soon out of sight.
“Hey! Stop! Stop at once!” Ivy was quite restored now and intent on discovering who could be so anxious to get away from her. There was something familiar about him, but he did not turn around for her to see his face.
She began to follow, but even before she had to stop to catch her breath, he had disappeared. A helicopter droned overhead, obscuring any sounds that might tell her which direction he had taken. The sun had gone in, and the woods was dark now, with a thundercloud overhead. Ivy turned to retrace her steps and realised that she had no idea which way to take. She was lost, spots of rain had begun to fall between the trees and even one of her thick stockings now had a large hole.
What to do? Ivy did not panic. She
Ivy nodded. She considered how she could tactfully mention that Miriam and Rose had walked into the woods, through bracken and fallen branches, so it would be impossible for Roy to negotiate a path for his vehicle.
But Roy had thought of this and said that he would wait at the edge of the road, and she should venture only as far as it was easy walking. That might be enough to set their imaginations working. And in any case it was a lovely afternoon, and it was a shame not to make the most of it.
IN THE DEEP, dark woods, a man with a woolly hat pulled down over his ears straightened up from his task and stretched his back. It was heavy work, and he thought bitter thoughts about the need to do it. It had taken him longer than he thought, but he was back here today to finish the job. He sat on a tree stump and lit a cigarette, carefully stamping out the match. Years ago, when he had been playing truant from school, one of his fellow cricket dodgers had lit an illicit cigarette and, in a panic of possible discovery, had thrown away the glowing butt end and caused a major fire.
He sighed, and closed his eyes. What a life! Playing in a two-bit band when he had studied at the Royal College of Music and been a star pupil. Women had been his undoing, or so his old father said. The old boy had rather liked the idea of his son romping through London’s eligible females, but when it came to bailing him out of debts incurred on his merrymaking adventures, the worm had turned, and paternal disapproval sent him packing.
It was quite a decent mound of earth now, he decided, and began to push two or three holes into it, trying to imitate the badger. He knew badgers cleaned out their tunnels regularly and left the rubbish outside the entrances, so he dragged handfuls of matted dead grass and scattered it around. That would have to do, and he reckoned he would recognise it when the time came. He picked up his spadeand turned to leave, when he heard a sound. Fox? Angry badger? He knew it was a human being, when a voice not far away said loudly, “Go away, you nasty creature!” So it was a woman, coming his way. He stayed motionless whilst he decided what to do.
Fourteen
IVY WATCHED AS the snake slithered off into the undergrowth, and she took deep breaths to slow down her pounding heartbeat. Not many things frightened Ivy, but snakes she could not abide. She supposed it was a phobia, and a childhood trip to a zoo had made her tremble with panic at the thought of the reptile house.
She wondered now whether it would be more sensible to go back to Roy. But she had hardly reached the edges of the interior where folk seldom ventured. Sometimes a family would take a picnic and see how far they could penetrate, but they never got very far. She pushed on through the nettles, well protected by good thick stockings, but decided as soon as the brambles thickened she would return to Roy.
Then she saw him. A man, bent double to push through overhanging branches, running away from her. His progress was impeded by the thicket, but he was soon out of sight.
“Hey! Stop! Stop at once!” Ivy was quite restored now and intent on discovering who could be so anxious to get away from her. There was something familiar about him, but he did not turn around for her to see his face.
She began to follow, but even before she had to stop to catch her breath, he had disappeared. A helicopter droned overhead, obscuring any sounds that might tell her which direction he had taken. The sun had gone in, and the woods was dark now, with a thundercloud overhead. Ivy turned to retrace her steps and realised that she had no idea which way to take. She was lost, spots of rain had begun to fall between the trees and even one of her thick stockings now had a large hole.
What to do? Ivy did not panic. She
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