Ruthless Crimes by Michael Hambling

Author:Michael Hambling
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Joffe Books crime thrillers
Published: 2020-09-08T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 21: Walkers

Monday afternoon

The area around Seatown and Chideock is a favourite among walkers. Not only is it part of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast World Heritage site, but it also boasts Golden Cap, the highest point on the south coast of England. Most ramblers stick to the south-west coast path which climbs up one side of Golden Cap and down the other. But there are also paths and tracks radiating to inland destinations, meandering around hills and along river valleys. Alan Boothroyd and Denny Churchill had spent the day on one section of this intertwining network, heading south towards Golden Cap. They were walking from Bristol, having set out four days previously, and were on the last leg of their journey, dropping down the incline from the high ground above Chideock. They were accompanied by their two dogs. Alan’s was a border collie, Sammie, who was now getting rather old for such long walks, but she loved being outside on open land and trotted happily beside her owner on these annual autumn walking expeditions. Denny had a much younger dog that he’d bought as a puppy some three years earlier, after his wife died. Jodie was an energetic golden retriever, full of bounce and vigour, keen to investigate every smell, every slightest movement.

The two men were tired. Even though they were regular walkers, the years take their toll and a walk of seventy-five miles in five days was no joke for two recently retired pensioners. They’d broken the walk up into five manageable chunks, with an overnight stay in a pub at the end of each day. This final stretch was the shortest. They were hoping to make it to Golden Cap by late afternoon for the views, then head down the north eastern flank to their final overnight resting place for a celebratory meal and drink. A bottle of champagne might be in order, although they were more likely to opt for a couple of pints of the local ale. Neither of them was particularly keen on bubbly.

‘What do you think? About another forty minutes or so before we reach Golden Cap and get to the top?’ Alan asked.

Denny shrugged. ‘You’re the navigator, Al. If you don’t know, then I sure don’t. What’s that pesky dog up to now? Here, Jodie. Come on, girl.’

Jodie had disappeared into a thicket of brambles and nettles at the side of the path. The line of the fence lay somewhere in the middle of the tangled mass, but it looked as if it had rotted away some years before and had never been replaced. Despite Denny’s repeated calls, the dog didn’t reappear and, surprisingly, Sammie had trotted across to join her younger companion in the thicket. The sound of snuffling and low growling came from the two dogs. Both of them ignored their owners’ calls. Instead, the older dog emitted a mournful howl.

‘Something’s wrong,’ Alan said. ‘I’ve not heard her howl like that for years.’

He picked up a dead branch that was lying nearby and started thrashing a way through the tangled mass towards the snuffling dogs.

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