Peril on the Indian Pacific by Larmer C A

Author:Larmer, C A [Larmer, C A]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780645944938
Google: 4Qvn0AEACAAJ
Publisher: Wild Acres Books
Published: 2024-09-30T18:12:44+00:00

~

When Ronnie rejoined the group in the lounge, they were digging into a variety of colourful salads and a large ploughman’s platter. She grabbed a plate and helped herself as they watched her warily.

“Still in one piece, is he?” Perry ventured, and she looked up.

“He’ll live, but he won’t lie to me so easily next time, I’ll grant you that.” Then she sighed with exasperation. “I’m not sure he’s the culprit. He’s ticking all the boxes, but… I just can’t see it. And he had a reasonable explanation for being in the Platinum carriage. Says he was worried about his brother. Admits the family’s business meeting the night before had been intense, and Clay was exhausted by it, told them all he was clearing out, so he was just checking up on him.”

“That fits with what the Gleesons and Tag told us,” said Perry. “It would be intense if he was announcing his successor. Could’ve ended in blows?”

Ronnie dabbed her lips with her napkin and nodded. “Except Phillip says it was all very civil, nothing personal. But I do wonder. I mean, their business is personal. Two of his three children were about to be officially ousted from the family farm, not to mention losing a multimillion-dollar enterprise. How can you not take that personally? There must have been a fight, otherwise why would Clay feel the need to go?”

“Sounds more like a tantrum to me,” said Missy. “My sister, Henny, used to do that when we were kids. If she didn’t get her way or was snippy about something, she’d threaten to leave home. Sometimes it was just bluster, but sometimes she did go. For hours! Freaked the parentals out, as you can imagine. Luckily she grew out of that nonsense. I guess it was her way of cooling down.”

“But what was Clay cooling down from?” asked Ronnie. “The man had just handed over his life’s work to his eldest son. A time for celebration, not sulking, surely? But listen, there’s something else…” She glanced around and back. “While I was in there, I saw a notepad with some things scribbled down. Freshly scribbled I might add.”

She produced a blue-smudged thumbprint as proof. “I’m not sure it has anything to do with this, but I thought I should mention it. Now let me see if I can remember…” Her face scrunched up tight. “There was the name Andrew or Andrews, I think it was… James someone or other, and then the words barber and gardener of all things.”

“He’s worrying about his hair and his lawn at a time like this?” said Alicia.

“I wouldn’t put it past that family,” said Ronnie. “They’re shockingly blasé. Keep saying ‘Oh that’s just Clay’, but how dreadful would it be if one of your group suddenly announced they were deserting a holiday early? Imagine if it was one of us.”

“Missy’d be clinging onto our legs, not letting us go,” said Perry, winking at the young librarian.

Missy giggled.

Claire said, “What if Clay was testing them and they failed? Was hoping they’d beg him to stay, and he was left feeling unwanted.

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