Rendezvous With Danger Read Online Free

dream.’
    â€˜What did actually happen? Were they swerving to avoid an oncoming car?’
    â€˜No, there was nothing else on the road.’
    â€˜Except your Morris.’
    â€˜Except my Morris,’ I agreed miserably.
    â€˜I think you’ll find Herr Cliburn is right,’ said Stephen, as he paused to take the drinks from Christina’s tray. ‘ I mean, if the crashed car was their own, they’d hardly leave it like that, would they?’
    â€˜You mean you think the car was stolen?’ asked Christina, pulling up a chair.
    â€˜Looks like it,’ Stephen said.
    â€˜Whether it was their car or it wasn’t they behaved in a most peculiar manner.’ I shook my head, mystified. ‘It was as if someone was following them.’
    â€˜You mean because they immediately grabbed your car?’
    â€˜That’s one of the things, and also their behaviour when they got out of the car. They both seemed to be in a state of panic, looking back up the road as if they expected the hounds of hell to come galloping round the corner.’
    â€˜And all they got was Stephen,’ said Christina, grinning.
    I laughed. ‘Yes. They couldn’t have been being followed after all. It must have been a good twenty or thirty minutes before he came along and there was no other traffic in all that time.’
    A bell rang and Christina sighed. ‘Just when it is getting interesting. I shan’t be long.’ Unwillingly she rose from the table and disappeared inside the guest-house.
    â€˜I imagine any signs of panic you saw would be due to the crash,’ Stephen said. ‘They were both very lucky men. The car is practically a write-off. An experience like that would unnerve anybody.’
    â€˜I hope they treat my car with a bit more care.’
    â€˜After the shake-up they’ve just had, they’ll be crawling along at thirty miles an hour now.’
    â€˜I hope so,’ I said fervently.
    â€˜Trust my intuition. When they’ve got where they want to go, they’ll dump your car like a hot brick. It will be returned to you within hours. You see. The German police are very efficient.’
    â€˜I wouldn’t know. I’ve never had anything to do with them. Do you know Germany well?’
    â€˜Not as well as I’d like to. That’s why I’m pottering around here by myself. I’ve spent a lot of time in Munich this last year or so. I’m in advertising and the head office of our biggest account is there. This time I decided to combine business with pleasure and instead of heading back to London, hired a car and motored down here.’
    â€˜How many more days have you left?’ I asked casually.
    â€˜That depends on when your car is returned. I could hardly disappear now, not knowing the outcome, could I?’ He glanced at his watch. ‘In fact, it’s time we were making tracks for Niedernhall now. If your friend fails to appear, I’ll run you straight to the police station myself.’
    â€˜Cross fingers it won’t be necessary,’ I said, picking up my bag and following him inside, to say goodbye to Christina.
    She was busy setting a tray for afternoon tea.
    â€˜Oh, you are not going so soon?’ She pushed the tray to one side and hurried across to us. ‘Perhaps Stephen could bring you back later on.’
    We strolled out into the brilliant sunshine and she said chattily, slipping her arm through mine, ‘ It’s a small world, Susan. Stephen works in Hanover Square, and for eighteen months I worked round the corner at Claridge’s, yet we never met. Now in London I could believe it if you’d had your car stolen, but down here, where nothing ever happens …’
    â€˜Stephen thinks the men who took it were joy-riding and that they’ll abandon it when they get where they want to go.’
    She nodded her head in agreement. ‘I’m sure he’s right. You must let me