Read Online Snare by Gwen Moffat - Free Book Online Page A

thoughts flew to Esme Dunlop. There was no escape; her car was outside, her light was burning. She rose heavily and went to the kitchen. She was prepared for a face at the window pane so was not alarmed to see one, but there was no Cheshire cat grin and when she switched on the outer light and opened the back door, it was not Esme blinking in the glare but Ivar Campbell, and he looked terrified.
    â€˜The light,’ he gasped. ‘Put the light out.’
    â€˜Damn it,’ protested Miss Pink. ‘Pull yourself together. And don’t give me orders.’
    â€˜Please! Let me in. Have you got a drink?’
    â€˜I’m on my way to bed.’
    â€˜I must have a drink.’
    â€˜The bar’s open.’
    He shook his head helplessly. Aware that she could be asking for trouble but too tired to argue, she retreated. ‘Close the door,’ she told him curtly. He did so, and bolted it.
    She seated him beside the fire and gave him a tot of brandy. He was haggard: unshaven, dirty – black dirty. There were smears of soot on his face and hands. He didn’t remove his cap. She waited but so did he, and the silence gave her time to select her course of action.
    â€˜Were you followed here?’ she asked.
    â€˜There’s no doubt of it.’ The response was apathetic. She’d chosen correctly, not exciting him.
    â€˜And Debbie and the children? They’re on their own?’
    His eyes were desperate. ‘You don’t have to worry about them any more.’
    A cold hand twisted her gut. She started to speak, but he was muttering about a fire. ‘ Fire? ’ She heaved herself to her feet. ‘Your house is on fire?’
    â€˜No!’
    She checked and started to breathe deeply; she must not let him rile her. She sat down carefully.
    â€˜Are Debbie and the children safe?’
    He wouldn’t meet her eye. ‘I guess so.’
    â€˜What does that mean?’
    â€˜It means I don’t know! How would I know?’ Now he did look at her: angry, bewildered, lost. ‘She left me.’
    â€˜When?’
    â€˜Probably in the forenoon some time. I came home this afternoon and she was gone.’
    â€˜She’ll come back.’
    â€˜She’s taken all her clothes, and the kids’ things. Someone took her away; she couldn’t have carried all that stuff on her own.’
    â€˜You’re not suggesting she’s been abducted?’
    He looked startled. ‘I hadn’t thought of that. You mean held to ransom?’
    Miss Pink considered this reaction, then asked, ‘What did you say about a fire?’
    â€˜The place was set fire to. It was in flames when I got home. I been fighting it, that’s why I’m ... like this.’ He spread his filthy hands,
    â€˜It’s still burning?’
    â€˜No, I managed to put it out.’
    â€˜Mr Campbell – Ivar – are you sure your wife and children are safe?’ Someone should check which parts of this story were fact and which fantasy, she thought, although the soot on his face pointed to at least part of its being true. Nevertheless, soot can be transferred from a fire-back to the face.
    â€˜I didn’t hear the fire brigade,’ she said.
    â€˜By the time I could have got to a phone, the fire was out. I don’t have a telephone.’
    â€˜No one helped you fight the fire?’
    He was surprised. ‘Don’t you know where I live? In the woods beyond the car park. The place could have burned to the ground and no one the wiser except them that set the fire.’
    â€˜Why did they want to burn it?’
    â€˜Ah!’ The exclamation conveyed deep satisfaction. ‘They’d have hoped I was inside, but that wouldn’t be all of it. They were after my records.’
    â€˜Records?’
    â€˜That’s confidential.’ He looked sly.
    â€˜Of course. So you haven’t informed the police?’
    â€˜No