gns.snakes-第14章

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ame　into　his　arc　of　vision；　recognised　the　sleek　white　Jaguar；　Eversham　at　the　wheel；　the　blonde　at　his　side；　puzzled　expressions；　saying　something　to　each　other。　The　gardener　did　not　need　to　lip…read　to　know　what　they　were　saying。　'Now　who　the　bloody　hell's　shut　the　garage　up；　and　what's　Doyle's　van　doing　here　at　this　time　of　day？'
　　
　　Keith　thought　for　a　moment　they　were　going　to　swerve　and　pull　up　in　front　of　the　porch。　Instead　the　car　came　straight　on；　eased　up　to　within　a　foot　of　the　garage　shutter　and　stopped　with　the　engine　ticking　over。　The　occupants　were　talking　again；　obviously　puzzled。
　　
　　Keith　switched　his　gaze　from　the　car　to　the　large　flat　rockery　stone；　the　one　on　which　the　rattler　had　lain　for　the　past　seven　hours。　The　snake　was　not　there　any　longer；　there　was　just　the　lump　of　rough　stone　with　creeping　plants　growing　all　around　it。　It　might　never　have　been；　this　terrible　day　might　have　been　just　a　sweltering；　feverish　nightmare。
　　
　　He　had　to　force　himself　back　to　reality；　thrust　away　the　role　of　spectator。　That　Diamondback　was　cunning；　it　had　slid　off　into　the　surrounding　cover；　was　lying　there　waiting　to　strike；　sensing　easy　prey。
　　
　　The　car　door　clicked　smoothly　open　and　Keith　Doyle　saw　the　powerful　figure　of　Peter　Eversham　about　to　emerge。
　　
　　
　　
　　
　　　Chapter　7
　　
　　PETER　EVERSHAM　was　a　stone　overweight　but　disguised　it　with　his　height。　Well　built；　the　hallmark　of　the　affluent；　a　slightly　flushed　plexion　which　he　told　everybody　was　due　to　his　outdoor　activities；　certainly　not　blood　pressure。　Sleek　dark　hair　brushed　straight　back；　a　neatly　clipped　moustache；　his　suits　hand…tailored　out　of　a　tweedish　cloth　to　enforce　his　self…styled　country　squire　role；　and　strengthen　his　claim　to　chairmanship　of　the　Stainforth　Parish　Council。
　　
　　He　rented　the　grouse　shooting　on　Stainforth　Moor；　fished　for　salmon　in　Scotland　and　played　golf　on　Wednesdays　and　Sundays。　He　was　president　of　the　Stainforth　Country　Club　which　was　set　in　its　own　grounds　two　miles　outside　the　village　and　had　very　little　to　do　with　Stainforth。
　　
　　Eversham　owned　the　Eversham　Engineering　pany　Limited　with　its　three　subsidiary　panies。　He　had　made　his　first　million　in　1979　and　doubled　that　by　1982。　Whilst　other　businesses　foundered；　Eversham　Engineering　appeared　to　flourish　during　the　recession。
　　
　　Cynthia　had　insisted　on　acpanying　him　down　to　the　sales　conference　in　Sussex。　She　had　her　reasons；　her　suspicions　about　those　overnight　stops　of　her　husband's　in　Brighton。　But　nothing　untoward　had　occurred；　even　so　Cynthia　was　not　fully　convinced。　Peter　needed　an　eye　kept　on　him；　there　were　too　many　rumours；　allegations；　for　her　liking；　and　if　they　had　not　been　founded　on　truth　then　almost　certainly　Peter　Eversham　would　have　sued　somebody　for　slander。　He　issued　writs　in　the　way　that　many　people　send　greetings　cards　in　the　festive　season。　Cynthia　told　herself　that　if　Peter　could　have　an　extra…marital　affair　with　herself　behind　his　first　wife's　back　then　he　was　equally　capable　of　deceiving　her。
　　
　　They　had　read　about　the　escaped　snakes　in　the　morning　paper　before　leaving　Brighton。　On　the　way　home　they　had　listened　to　several　bulletins　on　the　car　radio。
　　
　　'Doubtless　the　media　have　blown　it　up　out　of　all　proportion。'　Eversham　was　in　the　fast　lane　doing　95；　watching　his　mirror　in　case　a　police　car　hove　into　view；　they　had　experimented　using　helicopters　to　trap　speeding　motorists　some　time　ago　and　he　was　on　the　alert　for　those　also。　With　two　endorsements　already　on　his　licence　he　could　not　risk　a　third。　'The　devil　of　it　all　will　be　the　crowds　of　sightseers　that　will　converge　on　Stainforth。　The　bloody　place　will　look　like　Butlin's　on　August　Bank　Holiday。'
　　
　　'But　there's　no　getting　away　from　the　fact　that　there　are　snakes　on　the　loose　around　Stainforth。'　Cynthia　Eversham　was　tense；　more　so　today　than　she　usually　was　when　sitting　in　the　passenger　seat　alongside　her　husband。　'Couldn't　we　have　stopped　over　in　Brighton　until　next　week？'
　　
　　'Whilst　the　cat's　away　the　mice　will　play；'　he　laughed。　'I　don't　like　leaving　my　business　interests　in　the　care　of　other　people　longer　than　is　absolutely　necessary。'
　　
　　You　mean　you're　playing　golf　tomorrow；　she　smiled　cynically　to　herself。　She　was　at　last　beginning　to　understand　the　man　she　had　married。　Subtle；　selfish；　and　above　all　ruthless。
　　
　　They　left　the　motorway；　picked　up　a　sign　for　Stainforth。　3　1/2　miles。　Cynthia's　mouth　was　dry；　there　was　a　churning　in　her　stomach　that　was　not　wholly　due　to　carsickness。　If　there　was　one　thing　that　repelled　her　it　was　the　thought　of　snakes。　Ugh！　She　recalled　that　time　when　she　was　five　and　her　parents　had　taken　her　to　the　zoo；　she　had　not　wanted　to　go　into　the　reptile　house　but　she'd　had　no　choice。　Those　snakes；　they　all　looked　the　same；　slimy　and　squirmy；　and　when　one　slithered　up　to　the　glass　of　the　case　she　was　staring　into　she　had　gone　hysterical。　Adults　didn't　understand；　her　mother　had　grabbed　her；　slapped　her　and　told　her　not　to　be　so　stupid。　Stupid？　Even　now　she　sometimes　had　nightmares　about　those　vipers；　waking　up　in　the　middle　of　the　night　in　cold　fear；　certain　that　there　were　cold　slippery　serpents　wriggling　about　in　the　bed。
　　
　　'Home；　sweet　home。'　Peter　slowed；　had　to　take　a　wide　sweep　to　negotiate　their　own　drive　entrance　because　a　shabby　old　caravanette；　hand…painted　in　a　bilious　orange　colour；　was　parked　on　the　verge　by　the　stone　pillars。　Several　more　vehicles　were　lining　the　village　street。　'The　sightseers　have　arrived；　I　see。　Hey；　what's　Doyle　still　doing　here　at　this　time？　He　finishes　at　five。'
　　
　　'Maybe　he　had　a　late　start；'　she　replied　uninterestedly。
　　
　　'And　the　garage　shutters　are　down。'　He　was　annoyed　because　he　wanted　to　drive　straight　into　the　garage。　'As　I　said；　you　can't　leave　other　people　unsupervised　for　long。'
　　
　　The　Jaguar　rolled　to　a　halt　in　front　of　the　garage。　Eversham　felt　an　urge　to　blast　the　horn；　fetch　that　gardener　on　the　run　from　whatever　he　was　doing；　ask　him　what　the　bloody　hell　was　going　on。　Instead；　he　eased　open　the　driver's　door；　began　to　swing　himself　out。　And　that　was　when　he　heard　the　banging　on　the　inside　of　the　garage　door；　the　steel　shutter　vibrating。　Somebody　was　shouting。
　　
　　'Mr　Eversham；　Mr　Eversham；　don　'I　get　out　of　your　car。　There's　a　rattlesnake　on　the　rockery！'
　　
　　Peter　Eversham　froze；　heard　the　words　but　their　meaning　did　not　sink　in。　He　recognised　Keith　Doyle's　voice　but　what　the　blazes　was　the　stupid　bugger　doing　inside　the　garage　with　the　shutter　down？　And　another　thing　。　。　。

　　
　　What　the　fucking　hell　was　wrong　with　the　car？　A　noise　as　though　the　exhaust　had　suddenly　e　loose；　was　banging　and　rattling　on　the　underside。　But　it　couldn't；　the　car　was　stationary。
　　
　　'Peter！'　Cynthia　Eversham　screamed；　panicked；　and　grabbed　her　husband's　arm；　overbalanced　him　back　into　the　seat。
　　
　　'What　the　。　。　。'
　　
　　Even　as　he　fell　he　saw　the　snake；　a　thing　like　a　thick　painted　hosepipe　darting　out　from　beneath　the　Jag；　its　vicious　strike　missing　him　and　pinging　on　the　inside　of　the　open　door。　Cynthia　was　yelling；　shrieking　hysterically；　and　then　the　car　door　obeyed　the　laws　of　gravity；　swung　softly　shut　on　the　slight　incline。　Clicked。
　　
　　'Jesus　God！'
　　
　　'It　was　a　snake；　Peter。　It　tried　to　。　。　。'
　　
　　'For　Christ's　sake；　shut　up；'　he　pushed　her　away；　and　in　the　same　movement　eased　the　handbrake　off；　felt　the　car　begin　to　roll　slowly　backwards。　And　as　it　did　so　the　occupants　heard　something　happening　beneath　them；　that　frantic　rattling　sound　again；　interspersed　with　lashing　noises　as　if　a　horse　whip　was　flaying　mercilessly　on　the　underside　of　the　car。
　　
　　Still　rolling　backwards。　Cynthia　screamed；　clutched　at　her　seat；　saw　that　vile　light…coloured　reptile　with　the　black　diamond　markings　thrashing　frenziedly　on　the　tarmac　in　front　of　them。　It　wriggled；　tried　to　leap；　fell　back；　squirmed　and　convulsed；　turned　its　repulsive　head　towards　them；　as　if　mouthing　insane　reptilian　curses。　But　something　was　wrong　with　it；　even　in　her　state　of　terror　she　saw　its　injury；　the　lower　part　of　its　body　crushed　and　flattened　like　the　hose　that　ti