Tony Walker

She treated us with a lack of friendliness which was, well, we'd done nothing to deserve it.

there was a sort of vague hostility and suspicion which seemed rather hard lines considering also she was so anxious to keep in the shadow that if i hadn't moved the lamp away she'd never have got to the fire at all

And the way she hurried the wretched Williams over his drink was quite distressing, and foolish too, as he was going to drive.

But that was her funnel.

When he'd gone out to start up his engine, I asked her if she was all right for money, and she apparently was.

Then they started off, and I shut up the place and went upstairs.

There happened to be a local guide-book in my bedroom with maps in it.

I looked at these and couldn't help wondering where the girl in the car had come from.

I mean, my road seemed so very unimportant.

The sort of road one might use if one wanted to avoid people.

If one were driving a stolen car, for instance.

This was quite a thrilling idea.

I thought it might be worth while having another look at the car, so I once more unhooked the key from the kitchen dresser and sallied forth into the snow.

It was as black as pitch, and so still that my candle hardly flickered.

It wasn't a large garage, and the car nearly filled it.

By the bye we'd backed it in so as to make it easy to tow it out again.

the engine i'd already seen so i squeezed past along the wall and opened the door in the body part of the car at least i only turned the handle and the door was pushed open from the inside and something fell out on me it pushed me quite hard and wedged me against the wall

It also knocked the candle out of my hand and left me in the dark, which was a bit of a nuisance.

I wondered what on earth the thing was barging into me like that, so I felt it rather gingerly and found it was a man, a dead man, with a moustache.

He'd evidently been sitting propped up against the door.