The Note (Unsolved Mysteries Book 1) by Kim Knight (books to read romance txt) ๐
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- Author: Kim Knight
Read book online ยซThe Note (Unsolved Mysteries Book 1) by Kim Knight (books to read romance txt) ๐ยป. Author - Kim Knight
โGreat, punctured.โ
Pulling herself up, she glanced the length of the quiet road in search of help. There was no one around. She gave up on anyone passing by that could help her. Instead, she dialled the number on the windscreen sticker for the car breakdown service.
โHello, my nameโs . . . sorry, excuse me. Hallo, mijn naam is Madeline,โ she said to the call handler.
There was a silence on the line.
โHello, hello,โ she yelled.
Madeline tutted at the blank screen. Her battery had died. She groaned loudly and shoved her phone in her pocket.
The bitter wind whipped around her, and the rain assaulted the thin material of her coat. She began to shiver and cursed even more. She leaned on the side of the car, and tears welled in her eyes, then spilt over onto her cheeks.
A dog barked somewhere in the distance.
Her eyes darted toward the woodland area.
โHey, hello, is anyone there?โ Her voice echoed back, bouncing around the open space.
Overcome with fear, she hurried away and jumped into the driverโs seat. She locked the doors and prayed someone would pass by and help her. With the weather as bad as it was, she wasnโt optimistic about it.
Why would anyone be out in this? She wondered. She could only hope a car would drive by.
The dog barked again, and her hearted pounded against her rib cage.
She narrowed her eyes and stared into the distance.
The distorted form of a man jogging out of the woods with a dog behind him, came into focus.
Madeline lowered the window, then called out through the rain, โHey, excuse me.โ
The dog barked again in her direction. From what she could see through the heavy rain and hail stones, it looked as if the man glanced toward her.
โExcuse me,โ she yelled out again. โI have a flat tire can you help me?โ
What the hell. He probably doesnโt speak English. God, help me.
Madeline stepped out of the car, then waved her arms to beckon the man to come over. Once she had his attention, she pointed to the tire.
Through the onslaught of rain, Madeline noticed the man jogging in her direction. She let out a breath and counted her blessings.
โAre you okay, what's up?โ he asked.
He removed his earbuds and doubled over to catch his breath.
Madeline's heart fluttered. She was happy he spoke English.
โMy tireโs flat,โ she said. โI don't have any juice on my phone. Can I borrow yours?โ
Impatiently, she waited for his response.
The stranger moved his gaze over her car, then pulled out his phone.
โSure.โ He handed her the device. โDo you have break down cover?โ
โYes, thank God. That's one thing I do have.โ
Madeline took his iPhone in hand, then quickly dialled the breakdown service.
โYes, hello. It's . . . Oh, I'm sorry,โ she paused a moment, trying to recall what Dutch she knew, given the situation.
โHere, allow me,โ the man said. โI speak fluent Dutch.โ
Madeline's attention moved back to the stranger. Through the rain, from under his hood, he looked down at her. But his face remained obscured partly by his hood.
He held his hand out for the phone, and she passed it to him.
Nodding toward the car, he said, โGet in. Itโs pouring out here.โ
โThank you, my name's Madeline Slone. I just need someone to change the tire. That's all.โ
โDo you have a spare?โ
โI don't know. I guess so, probably.โ
The man laughed at her, then placed the phone to his ear under his hood. He spoke in rapid Dutch to the call handler.
Madeline hopped into the car to shield herself from the storm, as well as from the dog that yapped at her feet. The furry beast kept her from closing the door.
Damn dog, move. She kicked at the mut, then slammed the door.
Several seconds later, the man tapped on her window, and she rolled it down.
โOkay. Let's take a look in the boot,โ he said.
โThe boot?โ
โYeah, for the spare.โ
โWhen will they get here toโโ
โDon't worry,โ he said. โI'll handle itโit's just a puncture.โ
โOh, okay. But it's raining.โ Madeline looked up at the dark, grey sky.
The man laughed again. โIt's just water. I'm Chris, by the way.โ
Slightly pissed off at his sarcasm, Madeline pressed the release button to open the boot.
Yeah right, just water, she thought, then smoothed a hand over what was her sleek, bone-straight hair now back to its natural curly state.
Thirty minutes later, and with a fresh tire change, Madeline started the engine, then turned to Chris.
โI really don't know how to thank you,โ she told him. โYou couldโve allowed the breakdown service to handle it. You wouldโve been home by now. You're soaked.โ
โNo problem. Youโd still be waiting if I did that.โ
Shyly, Madeline looked away from Chris' gaze, focused on the road ahead, then glanced back to him.
He stood in the rain with his hoodie zipped to his neck, shivering.
โLet me give you a lift home, it's the least I can do.โ
Chris' expression remained unreadable. He glanced up and down the road.
โOkay, thanks,โ he said. โWhich way are you heading?โ
โTo Amsterdam Centraal. What about you?"
โSame.โ
โHop in, let's go.โ
Chris rounded the car to the passenger side, opened the door, moved the chair back, and then whistled for his dog to jump in. โI'm sorry if he leaves mud on the seat. Iโll clean it off.โ
Madeline cringed at the thought of dog hair and mud all over the seat, then forced a lazy smile across her lips. โDonโt worry about.โ
Once Chris and his dog were on board, she placed the car in gear, then slowly took off. She navigated her way through the storm toward the city centre.
The journey was longer than expected. The weather caused Madeline to drive cautiously.
โHere we go. I'll jump out here,โ Chris told her almost an hour later.
She pulled over into a free space just past the tramline.
โThanks for your help today, Chris.โ
โNo problem.โ Chris faced her head on.
For the first time, Madeline noticed just how handsome he was.
His hair was slightly damp and had
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