Read Online HIGHWAY HOMICIDE by Bill WENHAM - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Bill WENHAM
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miles south of here. His last memory was of entering his home and seeing…? Once again, the door to his memory slammed tightly shut on him.
He trudged back through the snow to the idling tractor and clambered awkwardly back aboard. In spite of the fact he was now wearing everything, his own clothes, the heavy parka, gloves and hat, with the oilskin and sou’wester over all of that, he was still bitterly cold. His cheeks and nose felt raw as he wiped a wet glove over his face, and he immediately regretted it. He’d also got his boots and the legs of his jeans soaking wet again.
These Ford tractors had never been designed for long trips along the side of a highway and offered no protection to the elements at all, especially in winter. More modern models offered protection in the form of a Plexiglas cabin. It had already taken him a couple of hours to travel from the old house to where he was now and it was still bitterly cold.
Thinking of the old house and the skeletal figure upstairs in the bed, he once again had an acute feeling of déjà vu. As he’d approached closer to the figure, to check out the hole in the forehead, a couple of mice had scurried out from between the skeleton’s ribs. He’d been terrified, because in the dim light, it had seemed to him as if the skeleton itself had moved.
This morning, befo re he’d left, he’d considered going back up to take a better look. Maybe to take the rifle with him on the tractor too, but he quickly thought better of both options.
Right now he was guilty of car theft, and quite possibly he’d been the cause of the girl’s death as well. But if it had to be, it would better to just be caught, than to be caught in the possession of a firearm as well. That would definitely get him shot, without a doubt.
He also realized the old tractor wouldn’ t run much further on the small amount of gas he’d put into it. Right now he’d have to think about shelter again for the coming night. With the snow now stopped, he could see clearly across the surrounding rolling countryside. If he could see clearly, it followed that anyone looking for him would be able to see equally clearly as well.
He’ d be smart to find a suitable hiding place early, even if he didn’t actually go to it until after dark. Also, even beneath his layers of clothes, he was already shivering just as badly as before.
He had to dump the tractor now as well, which gave him another problem. Whatever he’d brought with him, the oil lamp, canned food and candles, he’d have to carry with him. The old tractor had got him this far but it was going to be way too conspicuous and a lot of people had already seen it on the highway. It was bright red , for God’s sake! Why wouldn’t they have seen it?
He put the idling tractor into gear and made a left turn at the intersection. Using the shadows cast by the bright sunshine as a guide, he believed he should now be heading east.
After another four to five miles after making his turn, he came to a narrow secondary road, also on his left. When he’d made the turn on to this road, he could see a house about a few hundred yards away, on his right.
As well as the house, he could see a medium sized red painted barn with an attached silo, on the far side of the house.
He drove the tractor past the house and on further down the road, past the barn as well. When he was well past it, he once again used a break in the trees to hide his getaway vehicle in the field behind them.
As he got down from the tractor, he could see the back of the barn facing him across the field. It had been built at the top of a small hill. The house he’d seen was completely obscured from his view on the other side of the hill by the bulk of the barn and silo. Likewise, he was out of the view of the house as well.
Reaching into the wooden crate under the tractor’s seat, he began to stuff the pockets of the parka with everything in it except the oil lamp. This he had to carry in his
He trudged back through the snow to the idling tractor and clambered awkwardly back aboard. In spite of the fact he was now wearing everything, his own clothes, the heavy parka, gloves and hat, with the oilskin and sou’wester over all of that, he was still bitterly cold. His cheeks and nose felt raw as he wiped a wet glove over his face, and he immediately regretted it. He’d also got his boots and the legs of his jeans soaking wet again.
These Ford tractors had never been designed for long trips along the side of a highway and offered no protection to the elements at all, especially in winter. More modern models offered protection in the form of a Plexiglas cabin. It had already taken him a couple of hours to travel from the old house to where he was now and it was still bitterly cold.
Thinking of the old house and the skeletal figure upstairs in the bed, he once again had an acute feeling of déjà vu. As he’d approached closer to the figure, to check out the hole in the forehead, a couple of mice had scurried out from between the skeleton’s ribs. He’d been terrified, because in the dim light, it had seemed to him as if the skeleton itself had moved.
This morning, befo re he’d left, he’d considered going back up to take a better look. Maybe to take the rifle with him on the tractor too, but he quickly thought better of both options.
Right now he was guilty of car theft, and quite possibly he’d been the cause of the girl’s death as well. But if it had to be, it would better to just be caught, than to be caught in the possession of a firearm as well. That would definitely get him shot, without a doubt.
He also realized the old tractor wouldn’ t run much further on the small amount of gas he’d put into it. Right now he’d have to think about shelter again for the coming night. With the snow now stopped, he could see clearly across the surrounding rolling countryside. If he could see clearly, it followed that anyone looking for him would be able to see equally clearly as well.
He’ d be smart to find a suitable hiding place early, even if he didn’t actually go to it until after dark. Also, even beneath his layers of clothes, he was already shivering just as badly as before.
He had to dump the tractor now as well, which gave him another problem. Whatever he’d brought with him, the oil lamp, canned food and candles, he’d have to carry with him. The old tractor had got him this far but it was going to be way too conspicuous and a lot of people had already seen it on the highway. It was bright red , for God’s sake! Why wouldn’t they have seen it?
He put the idling tractor into gear and made a left turn at the intersection. Using the shadows cast by the bright sunshine as a guide, he believed he should now be heading east.
After another four to five miles after making his turn, he came to a narrow secondary road, also on his left. When he’d made the turn on to this road, he could see a house about a few hundred yards away, on his right.
As well as the house, he could see a medium sized red painted barn with an attached silo, on the far side of the house.
He drove the tractor past the house and on further down the road, past the barn as well. When he was well past it, he once again used a break in the trees to hide his getaway vehicle in the field behind them.
As he got down from the tractor, he could see the back of the barn facing him across the field. It had been built at the top of a small hill. The house he’d seen was completely obscured from his view on the other side of the hill by the bulk of the barn and silo. Likewise, he was out of the view of the house as well.
Reaching into the wooden crate under the tractor’s seat, he began to stuff the pockets of the parka with everything in it except the oil lamp. This he had to carry in his
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