Embrace Me Read Free

in the sweet morning air. James was instantly sure that something dreadful had happened to its driver.
    Marguerite broke into his thoughts. ‘It’s more than someone running out of petrol, James. I don’t like the look of this. It gives me the shivers. I’m picking up fear … someone in panic … running for his life.
    ‘No, two people, a driver and a victim. Why would both doors have been left open if it were only one person?’
    They were within fifty feet of the abandoned car when James stopped the Range Rover and cut the motor. The three of them remained silent and made no attempt to leave their vehicle. Finally, James climbed down reluctantly to stand in the road, Arthur following. James looked across the driver’s seat at Marguerite. They gazed into each other’s eyes. There were tears in hers. He understood her sadness for he too was affected by the sight. He could think only of fear and flight. Something vile had happened to the driver of this car. Were they dead in the wood? Had they screamed to be saved and no one had heard? And why here? Why deliberately block the road?
    He could understand the tears in Marguerite’s eyes, her fearof what had happened. The whole scene was redolent of evil. Marguerite wiped her eyes, took a deep breath and jumped down on to the road. She and James walked to the front of the Rover. Holding hands, they walked together to the abandoned car, Arthur several steps behind them. Neither one of them recognised it. On looking inside there was the faint scent of expensive perfume and leather.
    None of them touched anything. James wanted to start the car and park it somewhere else in order to clear the road but Marguerite stopped him. ‘The police will have to be called to conduct a search of the wood and I don’t think they’d appreciate any interference. The sooner they tow this away and find the owner, the better it will be for everyone.’
    Marguerite, looking for clues as to why the car should have been abandoned in such a fashion, discovered perfectly clear fingerprints of a thumb and forefinger. They appeared to be sharp, unusually precise and were red, as if someone had dipped the pads of their finger and thumb in red ink, which was impossible. Or perhaps blood. She said nothing of her discovery to James or Arthur, believing the less said about it the better. This was clearly a police matter.
    What she did say as James was calling them on his mobile telephone, was, ‘Why here? Why on your road? Did the driver know it? Was he seeking help from you or the girls … from me? Oh, damn it to hell! We’re for it now. Intrusion, intrusion, intrusion.’
    ‘Not necessarily. They’ll tow the car away, ask everyone in the village and us a few questions, search the wood, and if nothing’s found it will all be over,’ said James.
    ‘I wish I had your optimism. But something tells me you don’t believe that any more than I do.’ Marguerite had no sooner said it than she realised by the look on James’s face that she was right. He too had seen the bloodied fingerprints and preferred not to speak of them.
    Standing in the background, Arthur hung his head guiltily, wondering if he was the only one so far to have noticed the bloody prints.

Chapter 2
    It seemed to James, Marguerite and the postman, standing close to the abandoned car, that the police were taking an inordinate length of time to answer their call. Quite suddenly James handed the mobile to Arthur. ‘It just occurred to me that you’re the one who discovered this so you should be the one to report it to the authorities. It really has nothing to do with me or my family. It’s you they’ll want to question.’
    He placed the phone in Arthur’s hand then moved it to the postman’s ear before he had a chance to say anything. Almost at once there was someone on the line and the postman reluctantly reported his find.
    ‘I have to finish my round. After that I can meet you at the station if you want, Jerry?’
    Arthur