Bullets in the Sand (The Inspector George Zammit Series Book 2) by AJ Aberford

Author:AJ Aberford [Aberford, AJ]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hobeck Books
Published: 2022-08-22T16:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 35

NATASHA BONNICI

CHAPEL OF OUR LADY OF THE ABANDONED, MALTA

Natasha had returned from her usual monthly meeting with Signor Bruno late the previous night. She knew her father was in Milan but, given their conflicting appointments and Natasha’s wish not to be away from the chapel for too long, had left for the airport straight after her visit to the palazzo.

She and Simon had settled into an easy rhythm with Savi. He had relaxed into captivity and, when not following their orders, was happy to play endless games of Fifa and build his empire in Civilisation, on the X-Box. In the early evenings, Simon brought him takeaway food, beer and some weed, and they would sit together until it got dark, watching from their clifftop eyrie, eating, drinking and smoking, as the sun slid down the sky and dipped beneath the darkening sea.

Beyond the chapel, waves pounded against a mass of fallen boulders, sheared from the cliff face over the centuries by the action of wind and rain. The chapel had been built as a place of quiet contemplation. The rumble of the sea and the continuous passing of the wind created a backdrop of white noise which, in time, became its own strange silence.

It seemed Savi had become perfectly at ease with the new arrangement, where he had no responsibility for anything except the two things he loved most: gaming and hacking computer systems.

Simon had worked out that Savi was awake for most of the night and only rose in the early afternoon. He left boxes of crisps and snacks that seemed to keep the boy happy until his pizza, or kebab, arrived in the evening. In reality, there was not much difference in age between the two of them, but Simon could not help seeing Savi as a useless younger brother and, despite himself, had started to feel a little protective towards him.

Savi had asked Simon to get him some clean clothes. It was true, the jeans and sweatshirts he had brought with him were now filthy and stained with slops from takeaway meals and the dirt and dust of the chapel. Simon had looked him up and down and agreed he could do with some new things. He had asked the boy what he wanted. Savi had thought for a bit and chewed on his bottom lip, then said: “What do you think Natasha would like?”

“Natasha? What’s it got to do with her?”

“What do her sort of guys usually wear? She must go out with guys. Well, she’s hot, isn’t she?

“So?”

“Well, I sort of … like her. She was up for it, you know, with me, until you barged in. So … you know? I need to look my best.”

“You’re kidding me? You don’t think for a minute …” Simon was incredulous. He started laughing.

“You can laugh all you want, but I know when someone’s into me. I don’t see why you think it’s so funny.”

Simon’s peals of laughter echoed around the deserted countryside.

Savi was hurt by this ridicule.

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