The Fatal Fan by Lisa Siberry

Author:Lisa Siberry
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Hardie Grant Children's Publishing
Published: 2022-06-27T00:00:00+00:00

It took Hannah a few moments to realise they’d stumbled into a bookshop.

‘Welcome to Fact or Fiction,’ said a hunched man from behind the counter. ‘Can I help you with a book today, girls?’

‘No thank you, we’re just, um, window shopping!’ Hannah waved at the shopkeeper before peeking through the window. They’d escaped just in time – Byron and Tulip had stopped right outside the bookshop at a fruit cart, and were now picking through the peaches and plums.

Patti’s mum took a bite of a peach, then offered it to Hannah’s father. Peach juice dripped down their chins and they both laughed like teenagers.

Hannah blushed. She felt bad hiding from their parents like this, although she couldn’t help noticing how much fun her dad and Tulip were having together. They were just buying food, but they looked so happy.

Like they belong together, Hannah realised with a squeezing feeling in her chest.

‘What do you think those two are up to?’ asked Patti suspiciously.

‘I think they’re buying fruit, Patti.’

‘No, I mean in general.’ Patti breathed out so hard she created a fog circle on the shop window. ‘Three birdwatching holidays. Six months of dating. And who knows how many times they’ve kissed. They’d better not be planning on having a …’ For a moment, Patti looked like she might cough up a hairball. ‘Baby,’ she finally spluttered.

Hannah gave Patti a sympathetic arm pat. Patti’s dad was remarried and had two sons with his new wife. Hannah knew Patti wasn’t exactly the biggest fan of her twin half-brothers.

‘Don’t worry, I haven’t heard Daddy mention the B-word,’ said Hannah. ‘Or actually, come to think of it, the M-word, either,’ she added with a touch of disappointment.

‘Marriage? Ew, thank goodness. I wouldn’t be seen dead in a bridesmaid dress.’

‘Not even a purple taffeta one?’ Hannah asked hopefully. ‘With real high heels to match?’

Patti looked like she’d rather eat a cockroach. ‘Forget it, Plum. Our parents aren’t getting married. To be honest, I have no idea where this whole Mum-Dad thing is going.’

Hannah bit her lip, realising she’d been thinking the same thing lately. In the movies, every romantic comedy ended with the happy couple riding off into the sunset together. Surely their parents had something planned for the future. The question was … what?

Instinctively, both girls turned back to the window and pressed their ears to the glass. After all, they spied on people all the time for their cases. But as Hannah listened intently through the window pane, she heard something she hadn’t been expecting.

‘Don’t you think we should tell the girls?’ Byron was saying as he piled fruit into a tote bag.

‘Not yet.’ Tulip shook her head. ‘Let’s wait until the end of the holiday, then we can tell them.’

Tell us what? Patti mouthed at Hannah.

Hannah shrugged and kept listening.

‘I just hope they don’t take it too hard when they find out this is our last birdwatching holiday,’ said Byron. ‘We have had some great times together.’

‘I know, darling.’ Tulip nodded in a sad sort of way.

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