Chapter NineteenThree Guesses
The hall light went off and Tim crawled awkwardly past Mrs. Barrelforth’s large knees and out of the unfastened door on her side of the car. She gave him a couple of seconds to reach the shelter of the stone wall, then sent the car forward with a crash of worn gears. Crouched in the shadows, Tim listened to the sound of the engine growing fainter and fainter among the dunes, and his spirits fell with it. Mrs. Barrelforth’s departure made him realize how comforting her hearty presence had been, just as the evanescence of false dawn made it seem darker than ever. An advantage, no doubt, but a double-edged one.
He heard footsteps in the gravel driveway and jumped, then recognized the figure of the housekeeper coming to shut the gate. It closed with a crunch and
