Free The Beast of Seabourne by Rhys A. Jones Page A

“Heeps only had the one laptop with him to give away as a prize, did you notice? I’m sure Skelton said there’d be laptops for everyone who won. I mean, what if we’d won? They would have needed three, wouldn’t they?”
    Oz hadn’t even thought of that. What did it matter now? “Maybe Skelton got it wrong. Or maybe Heeps had heaps more in his car,” Oz said, trying to lighten the mood.
    â€œMaybe,” Ellie said, but then she shook her head as if to rid it of these confusing thoughts and looked to where her bus was waiting. “See you tomorrow at Ballista’s. And don’t be late,” she called over her shoulder as she ran.
    â€œYou’ve got You-Know-Who’s address, then?” he shouted after her.
    â€œOf course,” Ellie said, throwing him a scornful glare for daring to ask.

Chapter 4
    The Bear Trap
    The following morning, Oz reached Ballista’s—the trio’s favourite café in the whole of Seabourne—to find Ellie already there, talking to a lovely girl with purple-streaked, platinum-blond hair. In contrast to Ellie’s weekend attire of sweatshirt and jeans, the girl wore tight black trousers and high-heeled ankle boots. She had a tray of six coffees in one hand and three paper bags of Ballista’s food in the other. Although in heels she was a few inches taller than Ellie, there was no doubting the sisterly resemblance.
    â€œHi, Macy,” Oz said as they met inside the café entrance. “Hello, gorgeous,” Macy Messenger said with a dazzling smile.
    â€œYou hungry, then?” Oz asked, not fazed in the slightest by her teasing. He’d become used to it over the years.
    Macy grimaced. “I’m on the breakfast run. Half the salon was at a hen party last night at the Bachelorette Bistro, and they’re wrecked. Everyone wants a hot panini and a large double-shot cappuccino. Mega pain.”
    â€œI like your hair.”
    â€œOh, thanks, Oz,” Macy said, sounding pleased. “Did it myself. I’m getting lots of great tips from the girls at Final Cut. You ought to let me do something with yours one day.
    Fancy some highlights?’
    â€œUh…no, thanks.”
    â€œNo, you’re right. Don’t need them, do you? Not with it inky black like it is. Goes nicely with those powder-blue eyes. If only you were four years older and not my little sister’s bestest friend.” Macy sighed and batted long, thick eyelashes. “Well, maybe you can try and persuade Ellie to let me do her a makeover. That natural look of hers is so last year.”
    â€œIf you don’t hurry up, your coffee will be cold,” Ellie said through clenched teeth, her eyes like horizontal arrow slits through which flaming darts would emerge to ignite her sister at any moment.
    â€œAll right, all right. Just a suggestion,” Macy said, backing out through the door that Ellie held open for her. “See you, Oz,” she sang, sending him a final dazzling smile as she tottered away.
    â€œSorry about that,” Ellie said as Macy disappeared from view.
    â€œâ€™S okay,” Oz said. “She looks…different out of school.”
    â€œIt’s her Saturday WAG look; big hair, spray-on tan, you know.”
    â€œSounds like she’s enjoying it, though.”
    â€œYou know Macy. Now she says she’d be perfectly happy staying here in Seabourne as an apprentice hairdresser doing hair extensions instead of going to Uni.” Ellie shook her head. “Drives my mum crazy. I mean she’s mad not to go now, even if it will cost loads. By the time we go, my dad says it’ll cost two arms and both legs.”
    â€œWhat about script?”
    â€œExactly. She’ll have to go in at eighteen if she doesn’t go to Uni, and she won’t like that. At least after Uni, you get a choice depending on what your degree’s in. She fancies Air Force because the uniform is