The Tesla Legacy by Robert G. Barrett Read Free Book Online Page A

‘Amazing.’
    ‘Wait till you see the old car with the bullet holes in the back.’
    Jesse replaced the items in the brown briefcase and closed it. After examining the initials on the front of the black briefcase, she took the diary out. After turning to where it started, Jesse read the first page then had a look at a couple of others and the last one.
    ‘Oh my God!’ she said, placing one hand to her mouth.
    ‘I told you you’d like it, didn’t I?’ grinned Mick.
    Jesse closed the diary then came round from behind the counter and put her arm around Mick’s waist. ‘Mick,’ she said, ‘I’ve got a great idea.’
    ‘You have?’ said Mick, unexpectedly feeling himself being ushered towards the front door.
    ‘Yes. Why don’t you go home and leave everything with me. I’m going to close the shop for a bit. And I’ll call over to your place tonight.’
    ‘You sure you wouldn’t like me to stick around for a while?’ suggested Mick. ‘Rub your shoulders. Give you a little scalp massage? You like that.’
    ‘Nice offer. But no thank you,’ said Jesse. ‘I’ll see you back at your place.’
    ‘What time?’ asked Mick.
    ‘Nine. Ten. Something like that. Goodbye, precious.’
    Jesse gave Mick another quick kiss as ribet! ribet! sounded through the shop. She turned the OPEN sign over to CLOSED, pulled down the blind, and Mick found himself walking back to the van. When he got behind the wheel and wound the window down, Mick spotted the same kookaburra still sitting in its tree and motioned to Jesse’s car.
    ‘Hey,’ he called out. ‘Shit on it again.’
    Mick drove home via the beach and noticed, despite a brisk nor’easter blowing, there was a bloomfy, fun-in-the-sun, two-metre wave running right off the surfclub and no waxheads around. When he got inside Mick changed into his Speedos, boardshorts and a plain grey T-shirt. He tossed his mat and fins into the van, drove down to the beach and pulled up in the car park at the same time as his dark-haired postman mate Ray arrived in his old Ford station wagon. They walked down to their usual spot on the sand and found two other mates with their lids also getting ready to hit the surf. There were the usual greetings then Mick told everyone about buying the oldMaxwell and how he’d have his Buick back on the road tomorrow. He didn’t mention the briefcases. The boys were happy for Mick and gave him a pat on the back, then they all splashed into the surf and spent the rest of the afternoon zipping through the good waves, getting chundered by the gnarly ones and having a good time in general.
    The beach was emptying and the sun had seen enough of the day too when the boys split up. Mick felt like his arms were going to drop off and he knew he’d sleep well that night. He drove down to the Oporto and got half a chicken, chips and coleslaw and ate that watching the ABC news with a bottle of mineral water. He would have liked a beer or three, but knew they’d put him on his backside and he didn’t want Jesse coming round to find him comatose on the lounge. Instead, Mick switched off the TV then went into his office and sorted out emails and other business. Although he wasn’t starting work again till Monday, there were five jobs waiting for him already. After sorting everything out, Mick was about to turn the computer off when there was a familiar knock on the door.
    Mick opened it and Jesse was standing there holding the two briefcases. She was wearing thesame clothes with a leather bag over her shoulder, and had an unusually serious look on her face.
    ‘Hello, Oz,’ said Mick. ‘How’s things?’
    ‘How’s things?’ echoed Jesse. She walked past Mick into the loungeroom, then turned around and waited as Mick closed the door and walked over to her. ‘Mick,’ she said. ‘Do you know what you’ve got here?’
    ‘I dunno,’ shrugged Mick. ‘Sort of.’
    ‘Shit! I knew just by talking to you over the phone, you’d found something out of the