s [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

lifted a hand as he strolled back to the office.
Becca fanned herself.  Looks like you ve got yourself an inside track there, girl. From what I hear,
Wells is single, lonelyand alone.
Nola set the tray on the table with a sharp tap.  Better not let Carter catch him chatting you up. She
threw a dismissive glance at Wells s retreating back, her voice pitched loud enough to carry.  Man must
have a death wish.
Dani s jaw clamped.  Carter and I are finished. We ve been finished for months.
Nola s expression didn t flicker and Dani had to wonder if she d even heard.
A latte was placed in front of Dani, a small star-shaped biscotti and a sachet of sugar placed neatly on
the saucer.  Let s hopehe knows that.
Becca lifted a brow.  If I were you, Nola, I d start worrying about it when it becomes your business.
Nola s head swivelled. Her gaze settled on Becca like a pair of twin lasers, old issues bubbling to the
surface.  All I m saying is it s a shame that boy has to come back from almost being killed and find out
his girlfriend lost interest while he was lying in a hospital bed.
Dani ripped open a sachet of sugar and emptied it into her cup.  Like I said before, we broke up before
he left. And he d been gone about eight months before he hit the hospital bed.
 Hmmph. Nola turned on her heel.
Becca let out a breath.  She didn t know that.
Dani shrugged.  Neither did I, until I talked to Gladys Hainey at the supermarket.
Becca lifted her cup and took a reflective sip.  I should have kept my mouth shut.
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Dani lifted a brow.  But ?
Becca grinned.  Uh-huh. Impossible.
Dani cradled her cup between her fingers, and transferred her gaze to the view. The small cove the town
was built around was sheltered, with rock promontories at both ends, a pretty stretch of shelly beach and
enough deep water that fishing boats could tie up at the jetty.  Better drink up before Nola comes back
to clean the table. You might have forgotten who owns this café, but I haven t. Closing time could be any
second.
 Talking about closing. I heard the Barclays barn caught on fire last week. According to John, they lost
a shed full of plant.
Dani tensed, the memory of the fire and the swiftness with which it had spread, eating through steel and
timber, wasn t one she d forget in a hurry.  I was there for an appointment. The building was already
ablaze when I drove in the gates. By the time the Fire Service got there it was too late, the building had
burned to the ground. Luckily they re covered by insurance.
Twenty minutes later, John arrived to pick up Becca.
Becca eased to her feet, grimacing as she rubbed the small of her back.  Brunch. Next Sunday?
 It s a date. Becca s leisurely brunches were legendary, and usually peopled with an eclectic,
sometimes oddball mix of characters. Whenever an invitation was issued, Dani always turned up. If the
food itself was plain, it was a certainty the company wouldn t be and, as it happened, Becca was a
fabulous cook. All the years she d spent travelling hadn t been wasted. She spoke several languages and
cooked with inventive gusto. It was one of the things Nola just didn t get about Becca she didn t see
the interesting woman behind the pretty face.
Dani finished her coffee, hitched the strap of her purse over her shoulder and walked back toward the
supermarket where she d parked the truck. As she passed the alley that led to the back of the café, she
paused. She could smell smoke.
A fragment of blackened paper with a glowing orange edge swirled in the breeze. The wisps of smoke
thickened. Frowning, she stared down the narrow, potholed lane, reluctant to trespass. Nola wouldn t
thank her for poking around her property, but she couldn t just walk away without investigating. Not
after what had happened to the Barclays barn. From what she knew of the layout of the shops that
fringed the beach and the conglomeration of houses and flats built behind them, the buildings were too
close to allow for any activity like burning rubbish.
She started down the alley. Her pulse rate quickened as she rounded a corner and was pushed back by
a hot gust of smoke. Flames roared out of a Dumpster set against the back wall of the café. The fire had
already taken a hold of the old weatherboard building, licking hungrily upward and threatening to catch
on the small adjacent carport where Nola s car was parked. The wind a sea breeze was blowing
hard enough to muffle the crackle of the flames, and inside the café music was playing, which was
probably why Nola hadn t noticed that her livelihood was about to go up in flames.
Retracing her steps, Dani pounded on the door that opened out onto a small delivery bay. When there
was no answer, she pushed her way inside.
A young girl stacking a dishwasher was visible down a small, dim hallway. Her head jerked up, her
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expression indignant.  You can t come in here 
 The back of the café is on fire.
The girl gaped at her. Heart pounding, Dani spotted an ancient fire alarm and hose jutting from the wall.
Taking off a shoe, she broke the glass and threw the switch. An ear-splitting ringing filled the building as
she began unwinding hose.
Nola stepped into view. Her face went white, then bright red. Flames were now visible at the back
window.
Dani dragged the hose out the door and down the steps. The girl followed, dragging loose hose with her. [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]