the empty road - 3. the dark

by bofa xesjum

part three of forty

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later. a road. a dark road. a dark country road. are we there yet? i think this is the place. come now, you think, or you know? <> pull over, mrs hartwright tells collins, the chauffeur the prince exhales a melancholy sigh, but says nothing. collins, as instructed, pulls over carefully and stops the car. a long wooden railing separates the car from an untended field. am i to do anything? the prince asks petulantly, with another sigh. collins is quite capable, mrs hartwright assures him, as she lights a cigarette. collins gets out of the car. there is no light, except for mrs hartwright’s cigarette. the prince does not hear collins open the trunk, but he does hear a sudden - thump as john prester’s body hits the ground, and then a grunt as collins lifts it. i say, do you remember jenny thorndike? mrs hartwright suddenly asks the prince in a casual tone. i would prefer to forget her, the prince replies. what has she to do with all this racket? she was always getting into scapes like this. they were all in a day’s - or night’s - work to her. the prince opens his mouth to reply, but suddenly a pair of yellow headlights appear in the road up ahead… next