Page 61 of A Scottish Country Escape

Grandma and I bunched up together behind him as we took the first tentative steps around the back of the house.

There was a high hedge at the rear of the garden, with my mum’s rockery all shadowy in the dark. The only light we had was from the rear kitchen window, spilling onto the grass.

Dexter produced his mobile and used the flashlight, swinging it this way and that. Everything was tranquil, with only the odd flutter from birds preparing to nest for the night.

‘Everything seems fine,’ I commented in a low voice, guiding my grandmother around.

The three of us made our way back down the lawn, using the light from Dexter’s mobile and were just reaching the front of the house when there was a crashing noise from somewhere up the right-hand side.

I gasped and Grandma’s speckled hands fluttered to her throat. Dexter ordered us not to move and raised the spade. There was a cacophony of running feet, the snapping of twigs and branches, and then a blur of white headlights.

A tall figure had darted away from the house and into the undergrowth. Whoever it was must have concealed their vehicle there. They leapt into the driver’s side and then a large, dark, clunky four-by-four was thrown into reverse and screeched off into the night.

Dexter ran after the vehicle, but it was rushing away at speed. The silhouetted woodland swallowed up the car and it vanished.

‘Did you get a look at the registration?’ I yelled, clinging onto Gran’s trembling arm.

Dexter drew to a stop, gulping for air. He dropped the spade down by his feet. ‘They’d covered it up front and back.’

‘I knew I didn’t imagine it,’ murmured Grandma to herself. ‘I had a feeling there was someone there.’

‘I think we should call the police,’ I said, cuddling my grandmother. A chill charged through me. Goodness knows what they wanted, and what might have happened if Dexter and I hadn’t returned when we did didn’t bear thinking about.

‘I think you should too,’ agreed Dexter. ‘There was so sign of any strange vehicle when we got back, so they made sure it was well out of sight over there.’

We hurried back towards Pebble Brook.

‘What’s that?’ quavered Gran’s voice. ‘Over there?’

She hurried past Dexter and me, one shell-pink painted nail shaking as she pointed at the open front door.

A crumpled white sheet of paper was lying face down on the front step. It hadn’t been there before.

My gran was eager to see what it was, but when she reached it, her fingers became hesitant and hovered above the paper. She gave herself a mental shake, snatched it up, and unfolded it, her eyes scanning the page.

‘What is it?’ I asked, apprehension squeezing my chest. ‘Grandma?’

She paled, her mouth drawing into a severe line. She offered the note to me to read.

‘Intimidation,’ she managed, her expression a mixture of anger and fear.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

THE RESERVE CAN’T BE SAVED.

The words shouted up at me.

Dexter put his hand out to read the note too and I passed it to him. His blinking blue eyes scanned the typed black words.

Grandma stood at my shoulder, the shock of what had just happened failing to diminish her spirit. ‘Whoever it is, they’re wasting their time.’

‘I agree,’ I said, nodding my ponytail. ‘We must have rattled them if they took the time and trouble to come up here.’

I stared back up the lane, my heart jumping as I visualised the car and its occupant taking off into the night. ‘They could be dangerous though.’

‘Tish!’ snorted Gran, struggling to sound blasé about the whole thing. ‘I admit I was unnerved when I thought it was an attempted burglary, but now I know it’s just some idiot who doesn’t want us protecting the reserve, that puts a different light on things.’

She accepted the note back from Dexter.