confident as I sounded. I considered taking him up to the surgery, but by the look of him he'd been manhandled enough. 'There's a first-aid kit under a blanket in the back of my Land Rover. Can somebody fetch it?'
'I will,' Ben said. I gave him the car keys. As he went out I asked for water and clean towels and began mopping the blood from around the wound.
'What type of snare was it?'
'Wire noose,' Carl said. 'Tightens once anything's got its foot in it. Cut through to the bone, it will.'
It had done that all right.
'Whereabouts were you?'
Scott answered, face averted from what I was doing. 'Over on the far side of the marsh, near the old windmill--'
'We were looking for Lyn,' Carl cut in, giving him a look.
I doubted that. I knew where they meant. Like most windmills in the Broads, the one outside Manham was actually a wind-powered pump, built to drain the marshes. Abandoned decades before, it was now an empty shell that lacked sails or life. The area was desolate even by Manham's standards, but it was ideal for anyone wanting to hunt or trap animals away from prying eyes. Given the Brenners' reputation, I thought that was a more likely reason for them to be out there at this time of night than any sense of public duty. As I wiped the blood from the wound I wondered if they'd managed to blunder into one of their own snares.
'Wasn't one of ours,' said Scott, as though he'd read my mind.
'Scott!' his brother snapped.
'It wasn't! It was hidden under grass on the path. And it was too big for rabbit or deer.'
The announcement was met by a silence. Although the police hadn't yet confirmed it, everyone had heard about the remains of the tripwire that had been found in the woods where Lyn had disappeared.
Ben returned with the first-aid box. I cleaned and dressed the wound as best I could. 'Keep the foot elevated and get him to casualty as soon as you can,' I told Carl.
Roughly, he hauled his brother to his feet and half-supported, half-hauled him out. I washed my hands and then went back to where Jenny stood with my drink.
'Will he be all right?' she asked.
'Depends how much damage has been done to the tendon. If he's lucky, he'll just end up with a limp.'
She shook her head. 'God, what a day!'
Ben came over and handed me my car keys. 'You'll be needing these.'
'Thanks.'
'So what do you think? Reckon that's anything to do with what's happened to Lyn?'
'I don't know.' But, like everyone else, I had a bad feeling about it.
'Why should it have?' Jenny asked.
He seemed unsure how to answer. I realized they didn't know each other.
'Ben, this is Jenny. She teaches at the school,' I told him.
He took it as approval to continue. 'Because it seems like too much of a coincidence. Not that I've any sympathy with any of the Brenners, bunch of poaching bast--' He broke off with a glance at Jenny. 'Anyway, I hope to God that's all it is. A coincidence.'
'I don't follow.'
Ben looked at me, but I wasn't going to say it. 'Because if not it means it's somebody from around here. From the village.'
'You don't know that for sure,' Jenny objected.
His face said otherwise, but he was too polite to argue. 'Well, we'll see. And on that note, I think I'll say good night.'
He drained his glass and started for the door. As if as an afterthought, he turned to Jenny. 'I know it's none of my business, but did you come in a car?'
'No, why?'
'Just that it might be a good idea not to walk home alone, that's all.'
With a last look at me to make sure I'd got the message, he went out. Jenny gave an uncertain smile. 'Do you think it's that bad?'
'I hope not. But I suppose he's right.'
She shook her head, incredulously. 'I don't believe this. Two days ago this was the quietest place on the planet!'
Two days ago Sally Palmer had still been dead, and the animal responsible was probably already turning his gaze towards Lyn Metcalf. But I didn't say that.
'Is there anyone here you can go with?' I asked.
'Not really. But I'll be fine. I
'I will,' Ben said. I gave him the car keys. As he went out I asked for water and clean towels and began mopping the blood from around the wound.
'What type of snare was it?'
'Wire noose,' Carl said. 'Tightens once anything's got its foot in it. Cut through to the bone, it will.'
It had done that all right.
'Whereabouts were you?'
Scott answered, face averted from what I was doing. 'Over on the far side of the marsh, near the old windmill--'
'We were looking for Lyn,' Carl cut in, giving him a look.
I doubted that. I knew where they meant. Like most windmills in the Broads, the one outside Manham was actually a wind-powered pump, built to drain the marshes. Abandoned decades before, it was now an empty shell that lacked sails or life. The area was desolate even by Manham's standards, but it was ideal for anyone wanting to hunt or trap animals away from prying eyes. Given the Brenners' reputation, I thought that was a more likely reason for them to be out there at this time of night than any sense of public duty. As I wiped the blood from the wound I wondered if they'd managed to blunder into one of their own snares.
'Wasn't one of ours,' said Scott, as though he'd read my mind.
'Scott!' his brother snapped.
'It wasn't! It was hidden under grass on the path. And it was too big for rabbit or deer.'
The announcement was met by a silence. Although the police hadn't yet confirmed it, everyone had heard about the remains of the tripwire that had been found in the woods where Lyn had disappeared.
Ben returned with the first-aid box. I cleaned and dressed the wound as best I could. 'Keep the foot elevated and get him to casualty as soon as you can,' I told Carl.
Roughly, he hauled his brother to his feet and half-supported, half-hauled him out. I washed my hands and then went back to where Jenny stood with my drink.
'Will he be all right?' she asked.
'Depends how much damage has been done to the tendon. If he's lucky, he'll just end up with a limp.'
She shook her head. 'God, what a day!'
Ben came over and handed me my car keys. 'You'll be needing these.'
'Thanks.'
'So what do you think? Reckon that's anything to do with what's happened to Lyn?'
'I don't know.' But, like everyone else, I had a bad feeling about it.
'Why should it have?' Jenny asked.
He seemed unsure how to answer. I realized they didn't know each other.
'Ben, this is Jenny. She teaches at the school,' I told him.
He took it as approval to continue. 'Because it seems like too much of a coincidence. Not that I've any sympathy with any of the Brenners, bunch of poaching bast--' He broke off with a glance at Jenny. 'Anyway, I hope to God that's all it is. A coincidence.'
'I don't follow.'
Ben looked at me, but I wasn't going to say it. 'Because if not it means it's somebody from around here. From the village.'
'You don't know that for sure,' Jenny objected.
His face said otherwise, but he was too polite to argue. 'Well, we'll see. And on that note, I think I'll say good night.'
He drained his glass and started for the door. As if as an afterthought, he turned to Jenny. 'I know it's none of my business, but did you come in a car?'
'No, why?'
'Just that it might be a good idea not to walk home alone, that's all.'
With a last look at me to make sure I'd got the message, he went out. Jenny gave an uncertain smile. 'Do you think it's that bad?'
'I hope not. But I suppose he's right.'
She shook her head, incredulously. 'I don't believe this. Two days ago this was the quietest place on the planet!'
Two days ago Sally Palmer had still been dead, and the animal responsible was probably already turning his gaze towards Lyn Metcalf. But I didn't say that.
'Is there anyone here you can go with?' I asked.
'Not really. But I'll be fine. I
Similar Books
