Chartreux Shock by Katherine Hayton

Author:Katherine Hayton [Hayton, Katherine]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2019-09-04T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter Ten

The sun was close to setting as Marjorie stood near Duncan on the bridge. It was on private property, though the signposts at the entrance allowed strangers to use the land as a crossing point, provided any visitors remembered to close the gate.

On one side, the bridge had a strong concrete balustrade protecting any passing vehicles from driving over the side. On the other, wires strung along robust wooden posts had done the same, until they’d snapped under the weight of a vehicle.

If only the crossing had been on the main road, someone would have spotted the breakage sooner, which would have led them to the vehicle lying beneath the shade of the bridge. But the farmer was deep in the tail end of lambing season and it took a few days for a tourist using a shortcut to discover the accident.

Adelaide and Vicky stood shoulder to shoulder a few metres away—an odd positioning for the women who’d sniping at each other just an hour before. Marjorie stuck fast to Fletcher’s brother, trying to stop horrible thoughts running through her mind.

“You can head on home, if you want to,” Duncan offered for the dozenth time since they’d arrived. “I’m fine to stay around here by myself.”

Marjorie gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and murmured something noncommittal under her breath. The man didn’t look at all fine and the thought of abandoning him to stand guard alone while the police fished his brother’s vehicle out of the river made her shudder.

“He’s a good swimmer.” Duncan hugged himself, his cotton shirt no match for the stiff breeze blowing straight off the water. “Mum used to call him her fish boy when we were holidaying up at Queen Charlotte Sound. Fletcher just couldn’t get enough of the water.”

She didn’t bother to say anything. A reality check would come soon enough, courtesy of the police divers working to free the wreckage. He didn’t need an anticipatory one from her.

Some part of him must already realise a car crash off the side of the bridge might incapacitate even the hardiest of swimmers. Even a brief stint of unconsciousness could have taken away Fletcher’s only hope of escape. “The current doesn’t look all that strong.”

Considering the divers couldn’t stand in the shallows of the river, despite it only being waist-deep, Marjorie thought otherwise. The car must be wedged in tight to still be in position, this many days after the crash.

A movie short played in her mind—a car plummeting off the side of a bridge into the depths of a river. She’d seen alternates of the same footage so many times, the vision came easily. What was less easy was shutting it out of her head despite knowing it would just set her nerves further on edge.

“I’m fine if you want to go.”

“And I’m fine staying right here until you decide you want to leave,” Marjorie said in a firm voice. “Don’t worry about me. I’m old and ugly enough to take care of myself.”

Regina waved to her from a position fifty metres up the riverbed.

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