Page 76 of The Other Lady Vanishes

Adelaide glanced at him, impressed with his ready answer. He ignored her slightly raised eyebrows.

“If some poor soul went off the road in this fog, they won’t find the car until morning,” Burt said.

A stern-looking woman, her gray hair pinned in tight curls, appeared from the kitchen. She wiped her hands on her apron and peered suspiciously at Adelaide’s left hand.

“Here, now, are you two married?” she asked. “We’ve only got the one cabin. Can’t rent it to a couple that isn’t properly married. Got standards here. This isn’t some flophouse. Tell ’em, Burt.”

“Take it easy, Martha.” Burt winked at Jake as he handed over the key. “I’m sure this nice young couple is married.”

“If that’s the case, why aren’t they wearing wedding rings?” Martha demanded.

Adelaide decided she’d had enough. “For your information, we just eloped. We haven’t had a chance to buy rings.”

Jake put his arm around her shoulders. “You’ll have to forgive my bride. She’s a little upset, what with having to walk for a couple of miles after our car broke down. The flashlight died just before we got here. This is our wedding night. As you can see, things haven’t gone exactly as planned.”

“Honeymooners, eh?” Martha’s severe face abruptly softened. She smiled at Adelaide. “I can understand why you’re in a bad mood, whatwith having to walk all that way on a night like this. Your nerves are probably a little on edge.”

“You have no idea,” Adelaide said.

“I understand. I reckon you probably didn’t get any supper, right?”

“No,” Adelaide said.

“I’ve got some leftover stew and corn bread. Go on over to number six and get settled. I’ll send Burt over with the food in a bit.”

“Thank you,” Adelaide said. She suddenly felt guilty about her churlish behavior. “Sorry about snapping at you. It’s just that it’s been a very long day.”

“I can imagine. Weddings are always stressful—even when things go like clockwork. Run along now. I’ll get the stew and the corn bread ready. Burt will be over shortly.”

“Number six is at the end of the row,” Burt said helpfully. He handed a flashlight to Jake. “Here, take this. You’ll find a lantern in the cabin. There’s also a fireplace. Plenty of wood and kindling. Watch your step out there in the fog.”

“Thanks,” Jake said.

He kept his arm around Adelaide’s shoulder and steered her toward the door. When they were outside, he released her and switched on the flashlight. Lantern light glowed behind the curtains of the five occupied cabins. Number six was so dark it was nearly invisible in the fog.

Jake aimed the beam of the flashlight briefly at each vehicle parked in front of a cabin. Adelaide realized what he was doing and shivered.

“You’re wondering if the guy who tried to murder us ended up stopping here for the night, aren’t you?” she said.

“It was a possibility,” he said. “Not a lot of auto courts between here and Burning Cove. But none of these cars look like the one the guy with the dynamite was driving. He probably didn’t dare stop so close to the scene of an attempted murder.”

“What on earth would you have done if we had stumbled across him here?”

“I’m sure I would have figured out something,” Jake said.

They found the front steps of number six. Jake opened the door. Adelaide moved past him into the small, shadowy confines of the one-room cabin.

“I can’t believe it,” she said.

“What?” Jake closed the door and threw the bolt. “That we finally found the auto court in that fog?”

“No,” she said. “I can’t believe that for the second time in my life I’m a fake bride. What are the odds?”

“Probably not good,” Jake said.

Chapter 37

“Where do you suppose the person who tossed that stick of dynamite under your car ended up spending the night?” Adelaide asked.