When the Bus Stopped

Chapter 20

Lucy noticed Daniello watching her as she fell soundly onto the baked earth beneath the window. She was only lucky she hadn't broken a bone. Listening, with her heart in her throat, to see if the men were going to be in hot pursuit she heard them carry on their conversation.

"You've got a bag turned over," the angry voice continued. "You haven't been testing the goods have you?"

"Not at all!" Peter's indignant voice replied. Lucy could just imagine him... hands on hips... dressed in denim. Looking like he'd flash danced straight out of the eighties.

His comrade gave a suspicious harrumph. Before continuing in a more positive tone of voice. "Look at all these suitcases. They all got past customs? Unbelievable really."

"Hurry up!" Daniello hissed at Lucy from the shadows. Then he continued muttering - possibly thinking she couldn't hear him - "Acting like some kind of dreadlocked Nancy Drew!"

"I'm right here," Lucy whispered.

A voice from the barn caught their attention, "What is this? Why is there a letter addressed to me in here?"

Silence fell.

"Maybe it was my kids." A deep voice offered. "I'll fucking kick their heads in when I get home. I told them not to come up here."

"Your kids? Did they get through that window?"

The letter she had been carrying with her... she'd left it inside on the suitcases.

Lucy's face was a picture of abject horror. The clogs in her brain ticked over desperately. Either she was going to have to go back in there and blow the case against the men so someone's kids didn't get their 'heads kicked in' or she was going to have to come up with something fast.

"Euckkkk!" Lucy made a guttural sound.

"Heaven forbid!" Daniello snarled from the shadows. "Now isn't the time to clear dust out of your throat! Are you mad?"

Lucy ignored him and ran about thumping the corrugated iron walls.

"Fucking possums!" She heard Peter's companion say. "We've had a few lurking about. They must've been chewing the letter and messing with the suitcases." Lucy heard a gun being cocked. "I'll go shoot the fuck."

Springing to action Lucy raced past Daniello's hidden body hissing, "Back to the batmobile."

As they pulled the car doors shut behind them Lucy turned to Daniello. "I just smuggled a small bag of drugs out for you to test at the lab."

"Let me guess. It is in your bra?"

Lucy glanced down and saw that she was now the proud owner of an extremely lopsided cleavage. "Err... yes. I probably would have been safer taking two."

He started the car.

"What are you doing? Aren't you going to call the station and get back up?"

"I've already called in," Daniello said. "The Police will carry out the drug bust."

"Drug bust," Lucy giggled. "Sort of like what I have here?" She grabbed at her lop sided bust and juggled it in amusement.

"So we won't be needing you any more," Daniello continued. "I'll pay you now."

"Oh. Right."

"Are you ok?"

"Sure. Bit sad it's all over I guess. A bit of an anti climax really." She sighed loudly. "And then - with everything turning to custard around me - this is the only job that I've done well."