Stop the Beat by Zanna Mackenzie

Author:Zanna Mackenzie [Mackenzie, Zanna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2016-10-15T22:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER EIGHT

Inside the yurt, Prima Donna is having a blazing row with a woman who looks just like her but about thirty years older. The resemblance is so strong, the new arrival has to be her mother. Agency HQ were right about her being in the UK, then. Looks as though she’s saved us all more time and effort in trying to track down her exact whereabouts.

“Hey, you’re back,” Dan shouts above the din when he spots us both standing in the doorway.

“Sorry, man, it was a dead end,” Archie explains to him with a disappointed shrug.

Across the room Suzie is glaring at Archie, clearly still annoyed by him going off to do some work with us. I suspect another row is about to kick off as well.

“No worries.” Dan high-fives Archie. “Thanks for checking it out. It was a big help.”

Archie inclines his head in the direction of the two bickering women. “The mother’s turned up, then?”

“Yep.” Dan shoves his hands in the pockets of his jeans and looks as though he’s trying to silently count to ten.

I’m guessing he’s trying to keep calm and not bawl out his client and her rather loud mother.

“Have they been yelling at each other since she arrived?” I check, moving to stand next to Dan, eyeing Serena and her mother warily.

“Yep.”

“What are they arguing about?”

“Anything. Everything. Nothing useful to us or our investigation so far though,” he replies.

Although I didn’t think it was possible, the screeching intensity goes up a few more decibels.

“You honestly didn’t know?” Serena’s mother yells and then stops to smirk at her daughter.

“No.” Serena slumps onto a sofa.

Suzie gets up and stomps off into her and Archie’s bedroom. She’s understandably not happy about having her romantic festival weekend trampled all over by a stroppy pop star.

Ooh, hang on. I’ve missed something vital here. What was it that Serena didn’t know about?

“Your sister is as much a tart as you are.” The mother flicks her fake blonde hair back in annoyance. “I don’t know where I went wrong raising you girls. No respect for the sanctity of marriage.”

Ah. I see. It looks as though mommy dearest has just let slip about Nancy and Declan having a thing going on. Hmm. How did she know about that?

“Ladies, can we calm things down for a moment?” Dan asks, stepping forward. “Mrs. Montague, can we have a quiet word with you, please?”

Serena’s mum looks Dan up and down several times. Thoroughly. “You can have whatever you want, sweetheart.”

I turn away so I can roll my eyes out of sight of both mother and daughter.

“Where are you staying tonight?” Dan asks.

“Oooh, you’re a quick worker and no mistake. Well, I like that in a man. I’m going to be sharing my daughter’s suite up at the manor house, but I’m sure we can squeeze you in as well.”

Double yuck.

Dan manages a strained smile. “Thanks for the offer, but Amber and I already have our accommodation sorted.”

The woman’s gaze flicks to me, takes in my jeans, trainers and dishevelled ponytail and snorts in derision.

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