Free Charlotte and the Starlet 2 by Dave Warner Page A

tomorrow.'
    The trail was on a large tract of bush that separated
the boy JOES stationed at Milthorp from the girls at
Thornton Downs. No physical contact was allowed
between the boy and girl JOES apart from official
functions, but they were allowed to make daytime
phone calls to each other on Sundays. The girls had use
of the trail in the morning, the boys in the evening.
Charlotte had been pretty sure that Todd would be on it.
    'You know they could boot us out of the JOES if
they found us?'
    Todd glanced around as he spoke, to make sure
nobody was returning from his riding party. Charlotte
called for Lightning.
    'Believe me, I wouldn't be doing this if I wasn't
desperate.'
    Todd caught the urgency in her voice. Lightning
appeared up ahead from a grove of banksias.
    'What's the matter? And where's Leila?'
    'That,' said Charlotte fighting back tears, 'is what
I need your help with.'

    A short time later Charlotte had told Todd the whole
story.
    'If I can find Leila, perhaps I can offer to buy her
back. I'm sure Dad will help out. The other thing is,
I thought Mr Graham might know how to find Miss
Strudworth.' Mr Graham was the head of the JOES
and was usually stationed with the boys at Milthorp.
'Could you ask him?'
    Todd sighed.
    'I would if he were here. But he's away in Canberra
at the moment.'
    Charlotte moaned.
    'It's impossible.'
    'Maybe not. What about Bevans?'
    'I told you, Chadwick sacked him.'
    'But he must live near here. Perhaps he saw who
bought Leila?'
    Charlotte almost jumped with excitement.
    'Fiona should know where he lives.'
    'All right. You see if you can find out from Fiona
and ring me tomorrow. I'll come with you.'
    'Thanks, Todd, I really appreciate it.'
    Todd checked his watch.
    'Better go.' He remounted swiftly. 'Tomorrow.'
    Then he was off at the gallop. Charlotte felt so
much better. At least now she felt like she was doing
something.

    Leila was soooo tired. The day had been worse than
the worst film shoot she'd ever been on, which had
been that time down near Tijuana where they'd all
got some stomach bug and the air-con in her trailer
had packed up. Even those first few times at Thornton
Downs, when she'd had to jump over hurdles after
not having exercised for years, had nothing on this.
And at least at Thornton you got a clean stable at the
end of the day. Now, not only did she have to work all
day with those terrible monsters called 'children',
she'd been forced to endure a long trip back in that
germ-trap of a horse float. Mark the Shark had
thought he was being Mr Generous by offering her
hay. Great. And from what he was saying, this living
hell was going to happen all over again tomorrow.
Leila glanced up at the stars, wishing she was back in
Snake Hills watching a movie projected on the side
wall of a shop. She wished she was back in L.A. doing
backstroke in Paris' pool. She wished she was in her
stall at Thornton Downs shooting the breeze as
Charlie brushed her. Leila tried to shake her mane. It
was tangled and sticky from soft-drinks, ice-cream
and fairy floss. Right now, life sucked. Big time.

Chapter 7
    'Are you sure you don't want me to come?'
    Hannah was waiting with Charlotte at the bus stop
on the main road as the bus approached.
    'I'd rather you stay here in case Strudworth returns.
Tell her what happened. I'm sure she'll try and help.'
    The bus arrived with a hiss of its hydraulic brakes
and its concertina door opened.
    'Good luck, Charlotte.'
    Hannah and Charlotte hugged, then Charlotte
stepped on board, paid the fare and slumped into her
seat, waving to Hannah as the bus pulled away. A
whole mass of concern weighed down on her. So
worried had Charlotte been about Leila that she had
hardly slept. Was she being fed? What was her stable
like? Did she even have a stable?
    Outside the day was fine and clear, a faint breeze
carrying the smell of eucalypt across hot earth and in
through the open bus window, but Charlotte didn't
notice any of that. She was entirely focused on
whether she