Free And The Earth Moved: Romantic Comedy Cozy Mystery (Amber Reed CCIA Mystery Book 1) by Zanna Mackenzie Page A

office and wish I’d thought to bring along a pair of gloves. Come to that, why hadn’t Charlie got some spare gloves in his car? Perhaps he had but chose not to offer me them. Too late now to go back and fetch some though.
    “Mmm, interesting,” he mutters as he takes photo after photo of some papers using his mobile phone.
    “What’s interesting?” I ask irritably. “Tell me.”
    “Shhh,” he replies. “I’m trying to concentrate.”
    More photos of papers. I try to peer over Charlie’s shoulder but he’s too tall, even hunched over a desk examining papers, so I move to his side and lean across as he flicks through some documents instead. “A planning application?” I ask, recognising the headed paper and the logo of the local council. “What’s it for?”
    “An extension to the quarry by the looks of it, further out towards the edge of the moor, near those ancient standing stones where Joel fell to his death.”
    “What?” I gasp. “The council will never grant that.”
    “They haven’t put the application in yet, these forms haven’t been signed.” He glances at me. “Have a nose around and see if you can spot anything which might shed some light on what’s going on around here. But don’t touch anything.”
    I look around. The office is still a complete tip. If Charlie had come in and ransacked the place in search of whatever he’s looking for then I doubt the Turston brothers would even have noticed. I take a step nearer to a large noticeboard and begin to read the various things pinned up on it. Fire regulations. Health and safety certificates. A wall planner with various dates circled in bright red marker pen. I notice today’s date is one of those circled and wonder what it means. Is it significant?  I suppose I’d better mention it. “Charlie, look at…”
    Charlie interrupts me. “Amber. Stay calm. I think we’ve got company.”

Chapter Eight
    “What?” I drop my torch. In a split second Charlie picks it up, takes my hand and pulls me across to a door in the corner of the room.
    Lights from a vehicle sweep across the wall of the office and my throat constricts. We’re about to get caught. “What’s going on?” I whisper. “Who is it?”
    “I don’t know do I?” he snaps. He yanks the door open and tucks me inside what appears to be a large store cupboard. “Look, stay here.”
    I can just about see him as he moves around the furniture in the office which has been plunged back into darkness as the car is parked up, headlights switched off. 
    “Be careful,” I hiss as he makes his way towards the small window at the side of the building above one of the messy desks.
    At the window he flattens himself against the wall and carefully eases the slats of the metal blind away from the frame a fraction so he can see, at an angle, out into the quarry yard.
    “What’s going on?” I can’t help asking.
    “God knows, there’s a car parked up but I can’t see who is driving it. It does look familiar though. I think the same vehicle was parked here earlier when we visited the offices. Must be somebody who works here.”
    He can remember information on all the cars which were parked up near the quarry offices earlier today?
    Of course he can.
    “What…” I begin.
    “Get back in the store cupboard now and shut the door,” Charlie says in a don’t-you-dare-argue-with-me tone.
    “But…”
    “Do it! Now! Do not open the door no matter what happens.”
    I hear the distinct sound of footsteps - heavy boots - approaching the office and realise why Charlie has issued his warning. I close the door softly and sink to the floor amongst the boxes and a cobweb covered vacuum cleaner.
    I hear footsteps in the office then silence.
    What is going on out there?
    I pray Charlie is OK. He drives like a cross between a spy escaping the enemy and a guy in a Formula One race. He carries wire gutters in a backpack and knows how to disable security alarms. Surely he knows how to handle