I engaged gear and drove away fast as he yelled after me.
II
I turned off the car headlights as I swung the nose of the Buick into the Private road leading to Ocean End.
The most unlikely place, and yet the most obvious for Dedrick to hide out would be Ocean End. If Marshland had left the estate, and Serena was there alone, Dedrick might not have much trouble to persuade her to give him sanctuary, depending on the story be told her.
It was no more than an idea, but although I was aching for my bed, I knew I couldn’t rest until I had put it to a test.
Half-way up the drive, I stopped the car and got out. I reluctantly decided it would be safer to walk the rest of the way.
The main gates were closed. I had heard stories about the various burglar alarms fitted throughout the estate, so I kept away from them. I walked beside the high wall until I came upon a creeper that looked strong enough to take my weight. With a little effort, I reached the top of the wall and surveyed the moonlit garden spread out before me.
I dropped quietly from the wall, landing in the soft soil of a rose bed.
In the distance I could see the house, and I moved cautiously towards it, keeping in the shadows, using every scrap of cover I could find until I reached the terrace.
The ground floor was in darkness, but two of the upper windows showed lights. The time was twenty minutes past two: late enough for anyone to be up.