The Driver

At the bottom of the hill, the road bends sharply to the left over a narrow stonewalled bridge As the Jaguar continued its rapid descent I wound down the window and waited for the sound I knew must come. Shortly after the car disappeared from view came the sound of squealing tyres followed by a thump. I crossed the bridge into Nenthead and saw the once beautiful, white car at the side of the road, its driver surveying the damage. He'd sideswiped the wall of the bridge and done significant damage to his car. He wouldn't impress many people with that car tonight.

A light drizzle, the first rain in weeks, started to fall as I waited at the traffic lights in Alston and a not so pretty XK120 pulled up behind me. The lights changed and I drove on into the highest Market town in England. A police car was parked in the market square and two officers were checking on vehicles. They waved me through but stopped the Jaguar. Things just weren't going right for him. I took the road to the Hartside pass and drove up the hill at a leisurely pace.

I'd travelled another four miles before I saw the Jaguar in my mirror. The police must have kept him longer than I'd expected. I picked up a little speed and just as expected, on the first stretch of road, that was anything like straight, he roared past. I accelerated and kept on his tail all the way up to the cafe at the top of the pass. At this point, I left the road, which goes down another half mile to a hairpin bend. I took the old road, now pitted and crumbling. This road was replaced because it was too steep and resulted in many accidents. It was now getting dark and required lights. I bounced the Land Rover back up onto the main road and turned to face the oncoming Jaguar. To the left of me was a very steep drop, to my right, a rock wall. As the Jag came around the bend, I switched on all the lights even the roof-mounted spots.

What a pillock - he was not even looking at the road. If he hit the Landy I knew he would come off worse, Still, I'd have hated to return it damaged. He looked up. I could see the look of panic on his face. He yanked the wheel to the right while stamping on the brakes. The rear wheels locked immediately and the back of the car swung around. Too late, he took his foot off the brake pedal and the car shot forward through the fence and launched itself off the edge of the road.

The car travelled about a hundred feet and dropped sixty feet before it came to ground. It somersaulted, the boot lid opened and a case flew out. The driver disappeared from view as the car bounced down the hillside. It came to rest upside down. In the gathering darkness, I could see what looked like flames licking around the underside of the car.

'Oh Shit,' I thought. 'That wasn't supposed to happen, why on earth did he own a car he didn't know how to drive?'

I backed off the road and turned around. I pulled out my cheap phone, called for the emergency services, and reported the accident. I pulled back onto the road and headed off down the hill towards Penrith. After a few minutes, there was a loud bang I looked in the rear-view mirror and I saw a fireball erupt.

The emergency service vehicles raced towards the crash site as I negotiated the roundabout on the A66. I drove to the haulage yard, dropped off the Land Rover, and put the Parka and flat cap into the rubbish bin. After walking across the trading estate, I let myself into my company building by the emergency fire door at the rear.

* * *

The Burns Unit, Carlisle Hospital

16^th September

'You have a visitor today; the police want to talk to you about the accident. As long as you feel up to it, that is.'

'Yeah, why not. I'll tell them all I can remember.'

I was being fed through a tube because there was something wrong with my mouth. It was just after being fed, that a man arrived to talk to me. He introduced himself Police Constable Armstrong of the traffic division and said he wanted to know what I remembered about my accident.

'Sorry about this Mr McIntyre but we are obliged to investigate all accidents where a serious injury is involved. We need to decide if anyone has committed an offence which contributed to the accident.'

'If it helps nail the bastard who caused me to be in here, I'm all for it.'

'Well sir, I realise your memory may be a little fuzzy, but if you can fill in any gaps for me I would be much obliged.'

'No problem Officer, what do you want to know?'

'First of all sir, can you tell me what you were doing on that road at that time?'

'I was on my way to an appointment in Carlisle from my home in Bishop Auckland'

'That would certainly explain why you were on that road. Can you tell me who you were going to meet?'

'Is that strictly necessary officer? It could be very embarrassing both for me and the lady concerned.'

'We can be very discreet sir. We just need to verify what you tell us. It could be important if there is any court action.'

'Oh very well, it was with Sara Shaftoe. Her husband runs some sort of electronics firm in Penrith.'

'You don't mean Ronnie Shaftoe?'

'Yeah his name's Ronald, why what so special about him.'

The constable lowered his voice. 'Between you and me sir, if I were screwing Ronnie Shaftoe's wife I would keep very quiet about it around here. Don't you know where you are?'

'I'm in the burns unit of Carlisle Hospital.'

'Yes sir, you're in the Ronald Shaftoe burns unit. After his friend got killed on the track, he raised the money to build this place and equip it. He is pretty much a legend in these parts.'

'You're kidding me; the geek raised the cash for this place?'

'Oh yes sir, when he quit racing cars he put all his energies into fundraising for this place. I think he is still on the board of governors.'

'Now I know you're kidding me. I don't believe little Ronald used to race cars.'

'Oh yes sir, I saw him race. He was damn good too. Would have been national champion, if it weren't for that crash.'

'That's all very interesting, Constable, but can we get on with the interview.'

'Certainly sir, I'll get straight to the point. In a situation like this when there is no other vehicle involved, we have to ask whether there might have been some other reason for the incident. Are you having any problems at work or at home?'

'I've already told you, there was another vehicle involved. For what it's worth, both my home life and my work are extremely stable. What are you trying to imply?'

'I'm sorry, sir, but as I said, so far we can find no evidence of another vehicle and our information is that you are none too popular either at work or at home. When we returned the phone and the suitcase to your wife, she didn't seem interested in your welfare.'

'My wife has my phone and weekend bag? Oh shit, why did you do that?'

'You weren't expected to survive sir. The items weren't evidence so we returned them to your next of kin. It's normal procedure.'

I didn't know what to say. If Beth had the case, she had all the bondage gear I was going to use on Sara. Since I never used anything like that on her, she would instantly know there was something going on. If the phone was still working, she had access to all my emails. The combination of the two meant I had one hell of a hill to climb. At that moment, my right ankle began to itch. I tried to scratch it with my left foot but for some reason, it wouldn't move.

'Excuse me, officer; I have an awful itch on the top of my right ankle. You couldn't give it a little scratch for me could you?'

I felt him lift the covers and then he hesitated. 'I think I'd better not sir, might do more harm than good. I think you'll have to ask a nurse to do that for you. Now, if we can go back to the accident, sir, you said someone else caused your accident. What can you tell me about this other vehicle?'

'Not a lot I'm afraid. It was coming towards me on my side of the road. I can't tell you much more because all its lights were on and I didn't see it until the last minute. It's the lights I remember, more than the normal two There were another two or three high up shining down on me. I yanked the wheel to the right and braked hard. The rear wheels locked up. That's the last I remember.'

'You say you never saw the other vehicle until the last minute. Why was that?'

'You have to understand officer, I was late for my appointment. I was frustrated. I'd been stuck behind a Land Rover all the way from Wolsingham. He was doing no more than fifty most of the time and that fell to below thirty going through villages.'

'You mean he prevented you from breaking the law.'

'I suppose you could look at it that way, but he certainly got me wound up. I didn't get past him until the run up to Hartside.'

'So he was behind you at the time of the accident.'

'Well no, I think he must have turned off the summit.'

'That would be the carpark for the cafe which means the driver of the Land Rover would have been able to see and hear your accident. I wonder why he didn't report it? I'm sorry, sir, you were telling me why you never saw the other vehicle until it was too late. You were very frustrated and you were late. You were accelerating hard out of the hairpin, then what happened?'

'My phone rang. The bloody phone rang. I reached for it, but it wasn't on the seat. It must have slid off going round the hairpin. While I was looking for the phone, I took my eye off the road. When I looked back at the road, there it was all lights and much too close for me to stop.'

'I see sir. The thing is two people reported the accident. One was anonymous but the other was a driver who followed you up from Alston. He does not recall seeing any vehicle travelling in the opposite direction. We will appeal for the Land Rover driver to come forward as a witness. However, since he wasn't involved in the accident, the force is unlikely to put much effort into finding him.'

'Wait, I remember. Your boys pulled me over in Alston. The Land Rover was in front of me but they waved him through. Maybe they got the number.'

'Yes, we know about that, Sir. The patrol was looking for a White Jaguar Convertible reported stolen from outside the High Force Hotel. They made no mention of a Land Rover, but they are so common in that part of the world that it is hardly likely that anyone would have paid it any attention. Every farm has one; it's the only way to get around in the winter. The officers concerned reported that your car was already damaged.'

'I miscalculated and scraped a stone wall.'

'Scraped it pretty hard by all accounts. Look, Sir, I can see this is a problem for you, I'll come back another day, maybe after your dressings are removed.'

As he left, I realised why I hadn't seen anything of Bethany. She had my phone and case so she was probably suspicious. Then I thought again. He'd said she was displeased when he returned the case before she knew what was in it. Surely, she couldn't have known anything before that.

Chapter 4

The Shaftoe Residence, Shap village

28^th August

The Wife

We set off bright and early. Ronald climbed into his Morgan to go to work and I threw an overnight bag in my Audi ready for the drive to Glasgow. I was meeting Sue, my friend from University, for lunch. I'd allowed plenty of time, it was a two and a half hour drive and lunch was booked for 1 pm. I'd been surprised when the Facebook message popped up. She'd found me through the university alumni page then called me to arrange this day out. I'd never celebrated a divorce before, but there was a first time for everything. As I made my way up the motorway, I still felt guilty. Most of what I'd told Ronald was true except we weren't going to a show in the evening. Sue had arranged a night out clubbing. She intended to celebrate her freedom in style. I hadn't told Sue but I had other plans for the evening.

Lunch was a fun affair. I hadn't seen any of the girls since leaving university. We had a lot to catch up on.

'So, you've been married to the same man since graduation,' Sue said to me. 'That seems unbelievable, especially since it wasn't Robert that you married. Was it someone you knew back home?'

'No I married Ronald Shaftoe, you must remember him. He was the one who always came out with top scores. Always quiet studious, never seemed to party much.'

'You don't mean Ronald the nerd surely?'

'Don't call him that. Ronald is an excellent husband and father, I have a great life.'

'Ah I see it now, he got you pregnant, that's why you married him.'

'I was pregnant, yes, maybe we wouldn't have got married so quickly if I hadn't been carrying Anthony, but I love Ronald. I'd like to think we'd still have got married.'

'So how long is it now? 23 years? I don't know how you do it, today marks the end of my second marriage. No kids, of course, couldn't stand the thought of one of them growing inside me. Reminds me of that scene in one of the Alien films, when the thing bursts out of her stomach.'

'It's nothing like that. I really liked being pregnant, I only wish we'd had more.'

'So why didn't you?'

'I don't know it just never happened. We certainly tried, we did a hell of a lot of trying, still do.'

Sue gave a little giggle and addressed the rest of the women. 'Do you hear this, girls? Sara's been married twenty-three years and they're still at it like rabbits. Don't we all feel jealous?'

'Believe me, Sara; most of us have experienced a big drop off in our sex lives. I've never managed to maintain a good sex life for more than about five years before one of us gets bored. What's the secret, has he got a really big dick?'

'He's bigger than Robert if you remember him, but that has nothing to do with it. We love each other. When we make love, I feel part of him. The way he makes me feel is beyond compare. Ronald loves me and supported me when I decided to go back to work and he is genuinely proud of me, just as I'm proud of him.'

'So how does he feel about tonight? Because I have every intention of getting laid.'

'He thinks we're going to a show, but I won't be doing anything he should worry about.'

The shopping was great fun. We must have spent over an hour wandering Agent Provocateur trying on lingerie that cost a fortune but all I could think of was 'Ronald would love this.' Sue couldn't believe that I still wanted to look sexy for him. When I came out wearing a playsuit, I thought she was going to choke.

'You're never going to buy that.'

'Do you know, I think I might. You don't think it looks silly do you.'

'On you, girl, it looks fantastic. I just wish I had the body to carry it off. No wonder Ronald can't keep his hands off of you.'

I did buy it and a balcony bra and thong set.

Six women wandering through the clothes shops of a city can have a whale of a time and so it was with us. By the time we reached Ralph Lauren, we were all giggling like schoolgirls. I hadn't spent so much money on myself in years. When the shops closed we made our way to a bar, prior to moving on to the restaurant for dinner. It was in the bar that I made my apologies and left. I told the girls I was going home to Ronald. They all teased me about not being apart for a night even after 23 years. It was all very good-natured. It did hurt though because I knew I was not going home to Ronald, I was meeting Robert at a hotel in Carlisle.

The drive down was miserable; the rain came down heavily as I drove down the motorway All the way my emotions were being pulled one way then the other. I felt awful that I was going to be cheating on Ronald but in other ways, I was looking forward to the raw lust and rampant sex I would get from Robert. With Ronald, I felt loved even treasured, with Robert I felt used. Ronald only wanted to give me pleasure, Robert wanted to take his pleasure and to hell with me. With him, I felt powerless and I realised that was something I longed for. I found it odd that I enjoyed my job so much. At work, I told everyone else what to do yet I found myself craving the submissive role I had had with Robert at university. I knew I didn't love him. It wasn't him I wanted, it was what he did to me.

It was 7.30pm when I entered the room and was taken completely by surprise. The hotel was once a big country house set in acres of land with a lake that I could see in the fading light. The big surprise was the bed it was a large four poster, though on with a modern sprung mattress. I looked and imagined myself being tied there helpless as my body was being teased. I would be thrashing about as the spasms hit me. Then it struck me, Robert would not tease and tempt me. He would not spend time getting me so aroused I would beg him to fuck me. He would just use me.

I walked into the surprisingly modern bathroom. It was fully equipped and even had a bidet. That might come in handy later. I took off my clothes and stepped into the shower. As the water sprayed down on me, I ran my hands lightly over my body gently rubbing the soap over myself, caressing myself the way that Ronald loved to do to me. I closed my eyes and it could have been his hands on me. I shook my head and brought myself back to my senses. I towelled myself off and looked in the mirror. A heated mirror, I was impressed. I lifted my breasts and looked at them in the mirror. The nipples were, perhaps, a little too pale. I reached into my makeup bag and pulled out a dark rouge. I used my finger and slowly applied the rouge to the nipples using a circular motion on each one. It was stimulating, my body felt excited, the finger felt like a tongue. I imagined a mouth closing on my breast, sucking with the tongue flicking at me. It was so heavenly I tried to pull the head to my breast. I saw the face; it was my own beloved Ronald. Then as I reached for the head, but it was gone. I shivered and shook my head again.

I ran my fingers over my mound. It was not as smooth down there as I would have liked. I went back into the bedroom and got the wipes and my epilator from my bag. I sat on the bed and used the wipes to lubricate the skin then used the epilator to remove all but the shortest hairs. I put the machine down, lay back on the bed and ran my finger over my lightly oiled pussy lips. The feeling started me tingling. My slippery finger slipped into the slit and sought out my clitoris. It wasn't a finger any more it was a tongue with lips kissing me. The lips pushed harder onto and into me, I felt them close on my little clitty. The tingling turned to throbbing and my hips thrust up into his face. Yes, it was a man eating me. I looked down into the loving eyes of my Ronald, loving eyes filled with tears. I reached out for him.

'Ronald, my love, what's wrong?' I reached down for him but he was gone. I suddenly felt panic. My Ronald was here and he was crying. What was I doing here preparing myself for another man while the man I loved was crying? I had to get away. I thought for a moment then picked up my phone and called Robert's number. It rang for a while then went to voicemail.

'Hello Robert, I can't do this. I love Ronald and I'm not hurting him. Do your worst Robert I'm going home.'

Just to be safe I sent him a text.

'Robert, I'm not doing this. It's over. Don't contact me again.'

I got dressed and packed everything back in my case. At reception, the girl was surprised.

'Is there something wrong with the room Madam?'

'No the room is fine, I'm afraid we've had a family crisis and I have to go. I've called him but if my husband turns up here tell him, I've had to go. Is there any bill to settle?'

'No madam, everything is taken care of thank you. I hope you sort out your problem.'