Suzy by Gary L Beer (easy books to read in english txt) 📕

see the man and his daughter walking across the field towards the old oak tree. He had hoped by putting the road-kill fox he had found the other night by the Well would put off any curious rambler's. The man's body language told him otherwise; he had looked scared and very wary, along with looking ill.
Jumping off the stile Lewis heads back into the woods until he reaches a trail that parallels the field. Walking quickly he follows the trail until it reaches the road, stopping about five metres in the woods Lewis stands still and listens. The sound of a car driving away in the distance is the only sound he can here. Stepping out into the road he runs to Malcolm's car, walking around it slowly he looks inside hoping to find some identification of the driver.
The inside of the car is clean and empty of any useful evidence. Walking to the rear of the car Lewis looks out across the field to see the man and his daughter walking towards him. They are still at the far end of the field and Lewis estimates it will take them another ten minutes to reach him.
Walking around the car Lewis makes a mental note of the make and colour, having no pen or paper with him Lewis copies the number plate onto his mobile phone. Satisfied he can gain no more information he picks up a stick about thirty centimetres long. Carefully lifting up the windscreen wiper on the drivers' side Lewis places the stick underneath it and drops the wiper back down.
Seeing that the man and girl are now halfway across the field Lewis runs along the road until he reaches his car. Jumping in he switches the engine on and putting the wheel on full lock he pulls away and turns around in the road. Putting his foot down he races down the road and then slows as he reaches the corner and the man’s' car. Quickly looking as he drives past he can just make out their heads as they reach the edge of the field.
Breathing a sigh of relief Lewis slows down until he reaches a small lay-by about two kilometres further on. Pulling over he switches the engine off and watches his rear view mirror. Lewis assumes that the man and his daughter live locally and to get home they would have to pass him, then it would be just a simple matter of following them home.

Malcolm climbs over the stile and walks around his car, all looks well apart from the stick that has been placed under his wiper blade. Lifting up the wiper blade Malcolm picks up the stick and looks at it closely. Looking like a normal stick he throws it down and examines his wiper blade. The blade appears undamaged and Malcolm lays it back down.
“What was that Dad?” asks Paris as she reaches the car.
“Just a stick that must have fallen out of the tree.” he lies.
That stick was deliberately put there by someone; and Malcolm had a good idea who that someone was.
Unlocking the doors he tells Paris to jump in. Starting the engine as he puts on his safety belt Malcolm drives slowly forward and turns onto the road.
“Dad, you are going the wrong way!” exclaims Paris.
“I thought we would have a little drive in the country as it is such a nice day, I will drive to the end of the road and then we can turn onto that road you like that ends with the sweet shop.” replies Malcolm.
Whoever had placed that stick under his windscreen wiper must have driven here to these woods like he had. Many kilometres away from town along a windy country lane was not a safe route to walk along so the man must have arrived by car.
By driving in the other direction Malcolm hoped to see where the camouflaged man had parked his car. Further along he knew there were several lay-by's and a woodland car park.
Slowing down as he reaches the first lay-by Malcolm pretends to look up into the trees. Glancing down at the road as he reaches the lay-by Malcolm can see wet tyre tracks where someone has turned around in the road recently.
Continuing driving he hopes that he gives no indication of his behaviour to Paris. The last thing he wants to do is frighten her and fill her with paranoia; a squirrel runs out in the road in front of them and provides a good distraction. Malcolm slams on the brakes as the squirrel, terrified out of its wits, runs around in circles on the road.
“What is it doing?” shouts Paris; “it will get killed if it does not get out of the road.”
“It is so scared it does not know where to run, all squirrels seem to act in the same way that is why so many get killed.” replies Malcolm in a sad voice.
The squirrel finally stops running around in circles on the road and jumps into the long grass growing by the side of the road. Putting the car in gear Malcolm drives slowly forward increasing speed when he passes the second lay-by. Slowing down at the woodland car park Malcolm peers through the trees and can see no parked cars; “Looks quiet today.” he says when he sees Paris looking at him.
Paris returns her attention to looking out of the window hoping to catch sight of a badger, she had only seen badger's on the television and hoped that one day she would see one for real.


Chapter Ten

After twenty minutes waiting Lewis starts the engine and checking his mirror's carefully he turns the car around in the road and heads back towards the woods. Driving past the place where Malcolm had parked his car Lewis curses his luck. Hoping that the two ramblers’ did not live in the next town in the direction he is heading, he puts his foot down.
As he reaches the end of the country lane and with no sign of the ramblers’ Lewis turns right and heads back home. This route was longer and he would arrive at the wrong end of town but was wider than the country lane; and a lot safer to drive on.
Filled with thoughts of how he is going to find the ramblers’ Lewis has driven twenty metres past their car before he realises. Slamming his breaks on, much to the annoyance of the lady driver behind him he stares into his rear view mirror.
The ramblers’ car is parked opposite a shop and as he watches he sees the girl come out carrying a white plastic bag. Not believing his luck Lewis watches her get into the car and put her safety belt on as her Dad drives away.
Letting them get thirty metres in front of him before Lewis pulls out onto the road Lewis keeps his distance as he follows them along the road.
Oblivious of the car following them Malcolm tells Paris about all the jobs he will have to do when he gets home. Hoping that she will volunteer to help, he talks of cutting the grass, weeding the flowerbeds and cleaning the fishpond.
Paris lets him talk as she looks out of the window; as she has got her own plans for when she gets back home. Not happy that her Dad would let her get close to the Well she had decided she would go for a bike ride and go and look for herself.
Not on her own of course, she had been disappointed about not being able to look down the Well as she had bragged to her friends about going to find it.
Malcolm soon gave up trying to enlist her help and concentrated on his driving. Still not noticing the car that had been following them for the last five kilometres Malcolm pulls into his drive and switches the engine off; “Did you enjoy that?” he asks as Paris opens the car door.
“Yes thank you, that is a nice place, though I did want to see the Well.” she answers disappointedly, appearing to forget about the awful smell and possible risk of disease.
“Maybe we will go again in a couple of weeks, the flies and maggots would have finished by then and there will probably be only hair and bone left.”
Paris pulls a face at the thought of all those maggots and unbuckles her safety belt as she gets out of the car; “I am going to see what Becky is doing.” she says as she slams the door and runs down the drive.

Parked fifty metres along the road Lewis sees Paris come running out of their drive and run along the road. Now he knew where they lived he felt more relaxed and looked forward to his return later that night.
Lewis drives back to the woods to see what had made the man so suspicious; parking further along the road he takes a meandering trail through the woods towards the Well.
Approaching the Well he could see the road kill fox he had lent against the fence. The body had not moved as Lewis knew that the only large scavengers would be rats; as it is well known that foxes do not eat their own.
As Lewis gets closer he can smell the rotting flesh of the fox and Doug and he covers his mouth and nose with his handkerchief. Looking around he can see the badly disguised footprints and scatterings of moss covered twigs and wood.
Walking around to the other side of the Well he could see where Suzy had gathered the leaves and sticks; now so obvious in the daylight. Walking about a hundred metres from the Well Lewis pulls out his pocket knife and cuts himself a branch from a thick bush. The branch will make an effective broom as it is covered in side shoots.
Returning quietly back to the Well he looks inside and can only see the rubbish he and Suzy had thrown down. The swarm of flies hovering a few centimetres above the pile of wood make it obvious there is a good food source down there.
Sweeping away his footprints and a large area where Suzy had collected the sticks, he tries to cover their tracks. Though the leaves and soil had been turned over and mixed in with the other leaf litter the area looked uniform; and Lewis hoped natural.
Throwing the branch away deeper into the woods Lewis walks back to his car feeling more secure that any other passing ramblers’ would not be so suspicious.
He would also have to try and find another dead fox as the smell of Doug would probably remain for a few more days. If he was lucky enough to find one he intended to throw it down the Well on top of Doug.

Sharon pulls up next to the telephone box; “Hurry up. I will drive around the block and be back in about three minutes.” she tells Suzy