Dastardly Deeds by Ilsa Evans Read Free Book Online Page B

was no one there. Ali was helping Lew with the wheelchair lift at the rear of the bus as I joined the queue at the steps. I followed Tessa into the bus, her rounded butt just inches from my face. Once inside, I took the seat beside Petra. Deb and Phoebe were directly across the aisle. I leant over.
    ‘What happened to your tour?’
    Deb grimaced. ‘We think April’s son cancelled her trip from Rome. Unfortunately, she’d made all the bookings for us so they’ve gone also.’
    ‘Damn. So you’ve lost your payments?’
    ‘Not sure, but insurance will take care of it. In the meantime we’ve had to scramble to rebook everything. It was too late for these ones. Love the hat, Nell.’
    ‘I’m sure her son didn’t mean anything by it.’ Phoebe ducked forward. ‘Just one of those things. Must have been so hard for him. The grief and all.’
    ‘He didn’t seem all that grief-stricken.’ Deb gave me a look that underscored her comment. ‘And he certainly moved quick with the cancellations.’
    I twisted around and could see Donald and Scott farther down the bus. Enid, opposite, appeared to have connected their presence with the change in our plans and was now tersely explaining why she was not happy. The two men looked a little stunned.
    The road to the ancient city of Troy threaded through bucolic farmland. Occasionally a stocky couple could be seen tending crops, their clothing earth-toned and the women wearing kerchiefs. They looked like they had stepped straight out of a painting. Ali, the tour guide, kept up a running patter about the countryside. Apart from some interesting information about the local university, which was named 18 th March University after a famous battle, a lot of his conversation seemed to involve olives. My handbag was raided by Quinn, the muffins vanishing before we had even begun the climb towards Troy. Soon afterwards we trundled into a car park that was dominated by a large wooden horse with an undersized head. We tumbled out of the bus and immediately separated as half the group headed towards the horse and the other half admired a heavily pregnant cat that was sunning itself on the asphalt.
    Quinn and Griffin Russo had already disappeared inside the horse by the time I got there. I could hear their laughter echoing from within and minutes later their heads were poking out from a window high on the horse’s back.
    ‘So picture this.’ Donald stopped by me, peering upwards. ‘You’ve been under siege for years when suddenly your enemy vanishes and instead a massive wooden horse appears outside the city gates. Your first response is to fling them open and, instead of just going to have a look, drag the whole thing inside the city. You’d have to assume they weren’t all that bright.’
    I grinned, a little surprised. I hadn’t taken him for a particularly chatty guy. ‘Maybe they were trying for that year’s Darwin Award.’
    ‘I blame Brad Pitt,’ said Petra, joining us.
    Enid, who was passing with her brother, stopped to nod. ‘Yes, but no. It was really that female with the fat lips. Wasn’t much he could do when she threw herself all over him. Tramp.’
    Uncle Jim looked embarrassed. He peered around for Yen.
    Petra turned her laugh into a cough. ‘Wrong movie. I was talking about
Troy
.’
    ‘Anyway—’ I was frowning ‘—that’s ridiculous. Angelina Jolie wasn’t the one who was married. I don’t care if she stripped off and wrapped herself around him like a belt, he could have said no. Men don’t get a free ride just because they’re men.’
    ‘Except when they do,’ said Petra.
    ‘What’s up?’ asked Darcy cheerfully. He was holding hands with Tessa.
    I gave him a disgusted look and turned on my heel. As I left, I could hear Donald asking Petra if it was something he’d said.
    Ali and Lew had just finished organising our entry so I waited with them until everybody had finished either climbing the horse or admiring it.
    Ruby looked at me anxiously.