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“… and no one suspected anything. At least it turns out now that Robbins did, though he was asleep when I locked the door, because that daughter of his, the one he gave out was dead, was there-ru
From behind her Judy heard a low rippling laugh-quite a pretty laugh.
“Well, he never knew who pushed him either. Let me see- we’re coming to the end of this common, and I must watch the road and not talk so much. There’s rather a steep lane down, and then the road forks and you go to the right. Pretty, wooded country, but the primroses will hardly be out yet, I should think. After that-let me see-”
Judy heard the rustle of paper behind her. A map was being unfolded and hung over the back of her seat. A flash reflected from the windscreen disclosed the presence of a torch. A little flicker of hope sprang up. If Lona Day had to manage a map and, a torch, would she be able to keep the pistol aimed?… The hope flickered out. She felt the pistol again, pressing steadily against her spine. The map hung over the back of the seat, and that left a hand for the torch.
They came off the heath down a short, steep lane that ran between hedges. Judy found herself wondering whether there was a ditch under the hedge. If there was-suppose she ditched the car… The answer to that one was easy, Lona would shoot her out of hand. She simply couldn’t afford to let her go-not after all the things she had said. But suppose she could back into a ditch-there might be a chance that way. If she could do it quickly enough-if she could make an excuse for reversing and do it then, Lona might be knocked off her balance and there would be just a chance of getting away. It was the only chance she could think of.
There was a click behind her and the torch went out. Lona said in a satisfied voice,
“Yes-that will be all right. I hope you see how stupid it would be to try any tricks with me-you simply wouldn’t have a chance. I have everything pla
Judy found herself slowing down a little, her eyes following the line where the ditch would be-if there was a ditch- she couldn’t be sure. And then all at once a rabbit came scuttering out of the shadows and across the front of the car. The fork of the road was just ahead. She thought the rabbit came out of a ditch on the right. She slowed down a little more and took the left-hand fork. At once the voice behind her said,
“Stop-stop-that’s wrong! I told you to keep to the right.”
The pistol pressed so close that it hurt.
Judy stopped dead. In spite of the cold a wave of heat went over her and her hands were sticky with sweat, because she hadn’t been sure whether Lona would shoot her when she took the wrong turn. She had to chance it, but she hadn’t been sure. She thought it would all depend upon where they were and how much farther the car was meant to go. She said,
“I’m sorry. I’ll back to the fork-it won’t take a moment.”
The last words seemed to ring a warning bell. There was only a moment now-perhaps only a moment to live. The thought was in her mind as she put the car into reverse and pushed her foot down on the accelerator. She couldn’t feel the pistol. Lona must have moved it.
The car ran back evenly, and then she jammed her foot right down. There was just time to feel a sudden exhilaration as they shot back, before the hind wheels bumped and came down hard in the ditch.
Something smashed at the impact with the bank-a bumper, glass, perhaps both, she didn’t know. High above everything Lona’s scream-a sound of rage, not fear. In the instant before the crash Judy’s hand had gone out to the catch of the door. The next thing she knew, she was slipping down over the ru