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Back The Woman in the Wood Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by M.K. Hill
  3. THE WOMAN IN THE WOOD
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. Contents
  7. Epigraph
  8. 1
  9. 2
  10. 3
  11. 4
  12. 5
  13. 6
  14. 7
  15. 8
  16. 9
  17. 10
  18. 11
  19. 12
  20. 13
  21. 14
  22. 15
  23. 16
  24. 17
  25. 18
  26. 19
  27. 20
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. 42
  50. 43
  51. 44
  52. 45
  53. 46
  54. 47
  55. 48
  56. 49
  57. 50
  58. 51
  59. 52
  60. Acknowledgements
  61. About the Author
  62. An Invitation from the Publisher

When she was ready, she necked the champagne, grabbed the key card, and headed downstairs.

39

They drove out of town and into the countryside, the taxi hanging back as far behind Jez’s car as it could. Abs kept his eyes on Jez’s rear lights, but his gaze also snapped frequently to the taxi meter. They had been driving for half an hour, and the cost of the fare steadily ticked upwards in large red numbers.

‘We’re too far behind, we’re going to lose him,’ Abs would tell the cab driver anxiously, or, ‘You’re too close.’

‘I’m doing my best,’ the driver complained. ‘What’s all this cloak and dagger stuff about, anyway?’

‘Don’t you worry about that, mate.’ Abs was increasingly certain he knew where Jez was headed. ‘Just don’t let him see you.’

The driver eyed him warily. ‘As long as you’ve got the money.’

Jez didn’t seem to know he was being followed. He certainly didn’t speed up, or make any sudden changes in direction. Abs tuned out when the cab driver tried to make conversation.

‘I know you,’ said the guy. ‘You’re that—’

‘I’m nobody.’ Abs pointed ahead of them. ‘Eyes on the road.’

‘I’m sure I recognize you.’ The driver eyed him carefully in the mirror. ‘You’re that fella off the telly.’

‘I get that all the time, I’m always mistaken for him, but I’m telling you I ain’t.’

It was very dark now – all the street lights had been left far behind – so there was no way of telling any more if they were even following the right car. And then suddenly the vehicle just disappeared altogether.

‘It’s gone, I can’t see it.’

The cab driver squinted ahead. ‘It can’t just have vanished, it’s around here somewhere.’

‘It’s gone, mate.’ Abs was enraged. ‘You’ve lost it.’

‘This is a straight road,’ snapped the driver. ‘There’s only a couple of big houses around here.’

And then Abs realized where they were, on the long road that ran along the edge of Bethany’s parents’ property. Dark woods flashed by on the left. ‘Pull up here.’

The cab eased to the verge. A few yards ahead was the sharp turn onto the drive, the long, winding lane blurring into blackness. The driver turned on the interior light.

‘Wait for me,’ Abs told the driver. ‘I won’t be long.’

He went to open the back door, but it was locked.

‘You’re having a laugh, right?’ The driver nodded at the trees. ‘You could just disappear and I’ll never see you again. You can pay me right now.’

‘I’m not going to be long, I promise.’

The driver gave Abs a hard stare, and his voice took on an ominous tone. ‘Get your money out or I drive us back into town to talk to the police.’