The Devil's Cave by Martin Walker

Author:Martin Walker [Walker, Martin]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Suspense, Fiction, General, Mystery & Detective, Thrillers, Crime
ISBN: 9780385349536
Google: EQFgpjIn--cC
Amazon: B00B0LP42W
Publisher: Knopf
Published: 2013-07-09T05:00:00+00:00

20

Bruno was woken by the sound of an old and asthmatic motorbike coming up the lane. He felt the heat coming from Isabelle’s side of the bed, stretched out a hand and felt the material of his rugby shirt, soaked with her sweat. He checked his watch: it was just before seven, about the time he should rise, since it was a market day in St. Denis. He rinsed his hands and face, slipped on a tracksuit and sneakers and went into the kitchen to put the kettle on to boil. Balzac had evidently had fun with the newspaper he had put down, tearing it into shreds, and the puppy gazed proudly up from the wreckage at his new master. Bruno let him out of the front door, and Balzac went to the nearest tree and lifted his leg. He seemed to be house-broken already. Bruno shivered in the morning air. The mist was so thick that all he could see of the approaching bike was a dim headlight growing stronger. He strode down to the corner where the lane turned into his property to ask the driver to turn off his engine before it woke Isabelle.

“I’ve found her,” came a half-familiar voice as the bike drew to a halt. “Now you’ve got to get her back.”

The helmet came off, and Bruno recognized Louis Junot, unshaven and looking as though he’d spent the night in a ditch. He seemed sober, and there was no smell of alcohol on his breath.

“It’s a bit early for a social call, Louis, and I’ve got to get to the market.”

“It’s not a social call, it’s about getting Francette back,” Junot insisted. “I know where she is. It’s just up the road, that fancy new hotel at St. Philippon, the one with the helicopters.”

“Did you speak to her?”

Junot shook his head. “It was just something I found in her wastepaper basket, in her room. It was bundled up with wrapping paper from some gift, a card that said ‘See you in St. Philippon.’ So I went there last night, and there she was, all dolled up like a ten-franc rabbit …”

“She’s eighteen, Louis. She can do as she pleases.”

“I’ve got to talk to her, Bruno, tell her it’s going to be different now. I haven’t touched a drop since you came to the farm, honest. Brigitte will tell you the same.”

“Louis, it’s market day and I have to get to town. Meet me by the mairie just after noon, and we’ll go there and see if she’s prepared to talk to you. Now I’ve got to go, and you need to get some sleep.”

Junot’s mouth worked as if he were holding something back, tears or rage or just plain frustration.

“Go home, Louis,” Bruno said kindly. “I’ll see you later.”

Bruno watched him go for a moment and then went back inside to make coffee. As it brewed, he peeped into the bedroom where Isabelle was still asleep. He fed and watered his chickens and, for Balzac, put out some of Gigi’s leftover dog food that he’d never had the heart to throw away.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.