Realization dawned. “The engine is dead?”
“I turned off the lights. I swear I did.”
“It’s not making any sound?”
“No. It’s the battery. It must be. I can’t have flooded it when I’ve not even been able to turn the engine over. Unless . . . Oh, no. You think someone spotted us and messed with the engine?”
I burst into laughter. “No, I don’t think people have sabotaged your ninety-year-old car because we came to a neighboring village’s Christmas market. Your imagination and creativity are an asset to you, Celia. But sometimes you need to rein it in.”
“Yeah, that probably didn’t happen,” she conceded. “It wasn’t like we really needed the cover stories we invented.”
“You invented. Leave me out of it, although the kissing part was more than acceptable,” I replied. “But look.” I pointed to the road ahead. “Your lights are on. It can’t be the battery.” I scanned the dashboard. “It looks like your petrol is empty.”
“No, there’s no way. I filled her up two days ago and have only used her once to go to the supermarket. The dial thing must be faulty.”
It didn’t matter at this moment why the car had broken down. We just needed to find some transportation. “So, do you have the name of a local taxi firm?”
Now it was Celia’s time to laugh. “Around here? You’re kidding. There are a couple of cabs in Moreton, but they won’t come out here at this time of night.”
“What, we can’t find a cab at all? What about an all-night garage?”
“No, the nearest garage is the one I use at Chipping Camden. Or there might be one at Winchcombe, but nothing’s going to be open now.” She fumbled for her phone. “It’s just gone ten. We’re going to have to call someone in the village and ask them to come and get us.”
I opened the door of the Mini. “Let’s go to the pub before it shuts. At least it will be somewhere to wait in the warm. We’ll freeze if we stay out here.”
Celia followed me out of the car. “I’m going to try Howard. He has a Land Rover. It’s icy out there tonight.” As we walked back up the hill to the Black Swan, Celia tried to get in contact with Howard.
“I’m not getting any answer from Howard, Barbara’s going straight to voicemail, and I must have the wrong number for Jim. It says the number isn’t recognized. I don’t have a number for Keely or Peter. I’m going to try the Manor. See if anyone’s around.”
We got to the bar in the Black Swan just a few minutes before last orders. It was almost deserted. There was one older guy on a stool at the bar and a middle-aged couple by the fireplace. That was it. While the bartender started preparing the hot toddies I’d ordered, Celia was still buried in her phone.
“Fiona’s on her own in reception so she can’t go and find anyone. Where did everyone disappear to? There are always people around. I guess we’ll have to walk it.”
Celia had lost her mind if she thought we were walking back to Snowsly. “We’re not walking anywhere, particularly somewhere six miles away in sub-zero temperatures. We’ll ask someone for a lift. Maybe the barman here. I can offer them some cash. It’ll be fine.”
Celia turned to me, looking like I’d just told her I was planning to murder her cat. “Promise me there is no way on this planet that you’re going to do that. We can’t blow our cover. Not at this point.”
“Because?” I was almost certain no one would care that we’d come from Snowsly, but even if they did, so what? “What’s the worst that can happen?” I wasn’t going to be talked into making a freezing-cold trek on pitch black roads when I could just ask someone for a lift.
“We’re having car trouble, mate,” I said to the barman as he slid our two drinks toward me. “Any chance of a lift to the next village when you’ve finished your shift? I’ll make it worth your while.”
“Sorry. No car. Haven’t even got a license. I cycle everywhere.”
Shit.
“Stay here,” I said to Celia as I stalked toward the couple by the fireplace.
“We’ve shared a bottle of wine,” the woman said after I’d explained our situation. “There’s no way either of us can drive, otherwise we’d have been happy to take you both. We’re staying upstairs for our anniversary so we can enjoy a few drinks.”
I thanked them and turned away before it hit me and I turned back to them. “Upstairs? Do they have rooms?” Snowsville wasn’t large enough for a hotel, but it made sense there’d be a few rooms above the pub.
“Only three. But they’re all very nice.”
I nodded and sped back to the bar. “You have a couple of rooms available?” I asked, without consulting Celia.