went on in the house.
Her eyes began to droop and she fell asleep.
The click of the rear door of her car opening awoke her. The next thing a heavy blow struck her on the head and knocked her
unconscious.
“Help me get her in the boot,” said Olivia.
“We can’t do this,” wailed Charles.
“Yes, we can. It’s your fault for being such a wimp. She’s been asking questions all around the town. We’ll take her and her
car up to that peat bog and shove the whole lot in.”
“You’re mad,” said Charles.
“You want to spend time in prison? Come on!”
They heaved the unconscious body into the boot of the car and slammed down the lid. Olivia settled herself in the driver’s
seat with Charles beside her and drove off.
“What if Mrs. Mallard saw us?” said Charles.
“I drugged her cocoa. She’ll sleep all night.”
Charles felt numb cold with fear. He knew that when this woman was reported missing, then the police would quickly learn she
had been searching for him. But Olivia had threatened to kill him if he talked, and he was sure she would do it. He began
to contemplate the idea of suicide.
Olivia drove up to the peat bog several miles up on the moors outside the town. “Get out!” she ordered her brother. “The brake
isn’t on. Help me push.”
“But she wasn’t dead!” cried Charles.
“She soon will be! Push!”
There was an incline down to the peat bog. They both pushed hard and the car gathered momentum until the front pointed down
into the bog and began to sink.
“Right,” said Olivia. “Let’s go. We’ll let ourselves into the house the back way so no one sees us. If they don’t have a body,
they can’t do anything to us.”
But the front of the car struck a large rock sunk in the peat bog and stopped sinking.
In the boot, Hannah recovered consciousness.
Shepherd Diarmuid Burns, walking back across the moors with his sheepdog at his heels, heard a faint cry coming from the direction
of the peat bog. He saw the car upended and heard cries coming from the boot. He knew if he went up to the car, he might sink
in the bog. He took out his mobile and urgently called the emergency services, saying to bring ladders as someone was in the
boot of a car in the peat bog. He then shouted to whoever was trapped in the car that help was coming.
Hamish got a message from Strathbane, roused Dick Fraser, jumped in his Land Rover, and set off for Braikie with the siren
howling.
Charles Palfour, crouched at the end of his bed, heard the sound of that siren. He knew he should wake his sister. Olivia
had taken a sleeping pill. Then the thought of actually being caught and arrested came to him on a wave of relief. He hoped
against hope it was all over and he could be free of his sister at last.
When Hamish arrived on the scene, the Braikie fire brigade had put a ladder across the bog and a fireman was cautiously crawling
along it to the car. The fireman popped the lid of the boot. On a rise above the peat bog, Hamish saw the white face of Hannah
Fleming.
Another ladder was produced. Two ambulances had arrived on the scene. A paramedic crawled along the second ladder, and he
and the fireman gently drew Hannah out of the car. Together, the ladders side by side, they carried Hannah to safety.
“What happened, Hannah?” asked Hamish, noticing the dried blood matting her hair.
“I was at the Palfours’,” she said. “I was trying to help you.” Then she lost consciousness.
Hamish dialled Jimmy. “I’m up at Braikie. Those Palfours have tried to kill Hannah Fleming. They hit her on the head, stuffed
her in the boot of her car, and dumped the car in a peat bog. It didn’t sink. Send backup fast.”
It was a long night. Charles and Olivia Palfour were arrested and charged with the attempted murder of Hannah Fleming.
Then Charles confessed that they had murdered the Russian, Andronovitch, and they were charged with that
Her eyes began to droop and she fell asleep.
The click of the rear door of her car opening awoke her. The next thing a heavy blow struck her on the head and knocked her
unconscious.
“Help me get her in the boot,” said Olivia.
“We can’t do this,” wailed Charles.
“Yes, we can. It’s your fault for being such a wimp. She’s been asking questions all around the town. We’ll take her and her
car up to that peat bog and shove the whole lot in.”
“You’re mad,” said Charles.
“You want to spend time in prison? Come on!”
They heaved the unconscious body into the boot of the car and slammed down the lid. Olivia settled herself in the driver’s
seat with Charles beside her and drove off.
“What if Mrs. Mallard saw us?” said Charles.
“I drugged her cocoa. She’ll sleep all night.”
Charles felt numb cold with fear. He knew that when this woman was reported missing, then the police would quickly learn she
had been searching for him. But Olivia had threatened to kill him if he talked, and he was sure she would do it. He began
to contemplate the idea of suicide.
Olivia drove up to the peat bog several miles up on the moors outside the town. “Get out!” she ordered her brother. “The brake
isn’t on. Help me push.”
“But she wasn’t dead!” cried Charles.
“She soon will be! Push!”
There was an incline down to the peat bog. They both pushed hard and the car gathered momentum until the front pointed down
into the bog and began to sink.
“Right,” said Olivia. “Let’s go. We’ll let ourselves into the house the back way so no one sees us. If they don’t have a body,
they can’t do anything to us.”
But the front of the car struck a large rock sunk in the peat bog and stopped sinking.
In the boot, Hannah recovered consciousness.
Shepherd Diarmuid Burns, walking back across the moors with his sheepdog at his heels, heard a faint cry coming from the direction
of the peat bog. He saw the car upended and heard cries coming from the boot. He knew if he went up to the car, he might sink
in the bog. He took out his mobile and urgently called the emergency services, saying to bring ladders as someone was in the
boot of a car in the peat bog. He then shouted to whoever was trapped in the car that help was coming.
Hamish got a message from Strathbane, roused Dick Fraser, jumped in his Land Rover, and set off for Braikie with the siren
howling.
Charles Palfour, crouched at the end of his bed, heard the sound of that siren. He knew he should wake his sister. Olivia
had taken a sleeping pill. Then the thought of actually being caught and arrested came to him on a wave of relief. He hoped
against hope it was all over and he could be free of his sister at last.
When Hamish arrived on the scene, the Braikie fire brigade had put a ladder across the bog and a fireman was cautiously crawling
along it to the car. The fireman popped the lid of the boot. On a rise above the peat bog, Hamish saw the white face of Hannah
Fleming.
Another ladder was produced. Two ambulances had arrived on the scene. A paramedic crawled along the second ladder, and he
and the fireman gently drew Hannah out of the car. Together, the ladders side by side, they carried Hannah to safety.
“What happened, Hannah?” asked Hamish, noticing the dried blood matting her hair.
“I was at the Palfours’,” she said. “I was trying to help you.” Then she lost consciousness.
Hamish dialled Jimmy. “I’m up at Braikie. Those Palfours have tried to kill Hannah Fleming. They hit her on the head, stuffed
her in the boot of her car, and dumped the car in a peat bog. It didn’t sink. Send backup fast.”
It was a long night. Charles and Olivia Palfour were arrested and charged with the attempted murder of Hannah Fleming.
Then Charles confessed that they had murdered the Russian, Andronovitch, and they were charged with that
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