When the Bus Stopped

Chapter 14

The world swung dangerously.

"No," her voice was nothing but a whisper.

After the entire winter spent slaving - with poor lighting - over every single garment, wearing her fingers to the bone trying to get her business off the ground, and now – in less than 24 hours - it was all over.

Even her house bus was - while livable - stuck permanently in one place.

Daniello was digging into his wallet, grabbing notes at random, and shoving them in her honesty box.

"Don't!" She snatched the money and passed it to him abruptly. "I don't take charity."

"Please."

Even the sensation of his skin, and the almost familiar thump in her stomach from touching him, was drowned out by her grief. "No, Daniello."

He gave her a pained expression. "It is the least I can do. I can't bear to see you like this. I haven't even known you for twenty-four hours and you've already been kicked in the ass by life twice."

"Bad luck comes in threes. One more bad situation and then things are going to get much better." She said with faux strength.

"If you want to do something for me then drive after her and run her license plate number... do some detective work and find out where my stuff is, that is the only charity I'll accept."

She began packing her table up, allowing all of the pedestrians their pavement back. "God, she got me really good. Here take these receipts and see if you can find out more about her. My father always warned me about people who drive BMWs."

"What about them?"

"It is a façade. They are usually trying to hide something."

Daniello bit his lip, almost as if he were struggling not to say anything. "These are all EFTPOS receipts," he said, changing the subject suddenly. "I'm not going to be able to track her."

"You will Detective Daniello... you will." She squared her shoulders. "And until then I'd better get to work." She put a hat in front of her in an upturned fashion. "Nice seeing you," she told him with a smile and then began playing the flute.

"Oh, right. You're busking." Daniello started fumbling in his pocket to drag his wallet out again. "I'm allowed to give you money for this right?"

She looked conflicted. "A little, I guess." She noted that he was trying to block his closest ear with his shoulder. She knew she wasn't the best musician in the world but her father had drummed one motto into her throughout her childhood. "Life loves a trier." She watched as Daniello held out a handful of coins and dropped them into her hat.

Daniello gazed at her. His expression softened. "Look I need your help for something. It is pretty important and quite risky so I'll pay you well."

"Oh." Lucy looked interested. "What is that?"

"I need someone like you to help me with surveillance. You see my partner and I are both males and I feel that having a female to assist will be crucial when we need to smoke him out. Can I count on your support?"

"Of course! How much will you pay me?"

"It will be quite a few hours but the agency usually pays a flat rate of five hundred dollars a night. That is for danger money too, you know."

"Five hundred?" Lucy's face brightened. "You can count me in! For that much money I'll let the guy get to second base!"

Daniello's eyebrows disappeared under his curls in shock. "Well, I'd better go and sort out the details." He smiled politely and left.