Dangerous Encounters

Chapter 19 Ruth conceives a workable plan

Ruth said, "I'm not sure, but I think there's someone in the Rover." 

"Oh yes, you're right. He's smoking, that's what you saw. It's a policeman. So it's an official car." 

Right on time the Panda car reappeared, and continued on the clockwise circuit. I could follow it partially with the telescope, now I knew where it was going. 

I saw it appear on the far side of the house just before the wood Ruth and I had been in that morning. It stopped and I saw the headlights flash briefly across as it turned round, and made more quickly back. 

"Panda's coming back," I said. 

The front door to the house opened, and a man in a dark suit came out. I muttered a description, "Fair curly haired, fortyish, no glasses, clean shaven, six one, athletic build. Eve comes out looks as though she's hoping to persuade him to stay, refuses, they kiss formally." 

The Panda car stopped by the gate. I heard the window slide down and the ping and chatter of the radio. Ruth and I kept quiet and still. 

I did not dare move the telescope, but I saw the car park lights glare and heard the Rover's six cylinder engine start, and come down the drive. It turned left out of the gate, and the Panda car fell in behind, and both rapidly accelerated away. We heard the two vehicles move along the road to our right which would, if they didn't turn off, take them into Northallerton. 

"Interesting if the Panda car returns," I said, "four miles there, four back, say twenty minutes." 

The car park lights went out. The moon began to rise and a thin mist started to form over where we knew the river to be. Ruth shivered, and we cuddled. Twenty five minutes passed, we heard a car on the road at the other end of the field and Pat said quietly in the walkie-talkie. "Panda just gone by. Shit. He's reversing back." 

"Just pretend to be sexually ambiguous and debating whether to nip into the back of the van for a cuddle with Mandy. Hide the WT." I said. 

"Will do." 

Five minutes later we heard the car depart and the Transit start. "He's asked us to move on. Shall we pick you up?" 

"No. We'll meet you at the golf club car park before you get to Northallerton. We'll walk. See you in three quarters of an hour." 

We waited for the Panda to re-appear. If it were going to, the circuit should take about ten minutes at patrol speed. Bang on time the car arrived but unhesitatingly turned up the drive. The maid let the officer in. 

"I didn't expect that," I said. 

"Reward for services rendered?" asked Ruth. 

"Well , if it's sex it'll be a half hour. I doubt it'll be a meal, although it could be in the kitchen; that'd be about the same time. No, I favour a cash reward, and a drink." 

The door opened again. "Oh yes," I said, "classic body language. Pats his pocket with satisfaction. Cash on the nail." 

The Panda turned right out of the gate and went off at patrol speed. I heard it take the next right turn. 

"Right, time for walkies." 

We had only just emerged from the side road when the light of powerful headlamps fished at the edge of a rise in the road ahead. I took Ruth in my arms and moved closer to the hedge. 

"This is nice," she murmured. 

"Strictly for camouflage," I said as a huge Rolls Royce limousine wafted by, the rear interior lit, revealing two Arabian garbed men and glittering jewels on two dark skinned women.