Free Hot on the Trail by Irena Nieslony Page A

in the mini bar if you want them.”
    ‘No, I’ll wait until breakfast. I still feel very tired and just want to go back to sleep.”
    David kissed Eve and she immediately went to sleep afterwards. However, she woke up quite early, as did David, and they were down having their breakfast at around eight. Eve felt much better and her appetite had almost fully recovered.
    As they were finishing breakfast, Eve’s mobile rang. She looked at the caller ID.
    “Matt Connors. I wonder what he wants.”
    “Hello, Mr. Connors. Is there a problem?” she asked.  
    “I’m afraid I have some bad news. Somebody burnt down that big shed in your garden last night.”
    “What? You say someone did it? So it was deliberate?”
    Eve could hardly believe what she was hearing.
    “The police think it was arson. You’re very lucky that’s all they set fire to.”
    “God, why would someone want to do this?”
    “I have no idea. It was probably kids. It often is. Anyway, you have your next door neighbor, Vera Ryan, to thank. She saw the flames and called the fire brigade.”
    “She did? Well I will thank her as soon as I see her. I think we’d better get over to the house this morning.”
    After closing the call, Eve turned to David.
    “Somebody burnt my shed down,” she said, almost in tears. “Do you think that person doesn’t want me to have the house?”
    “Hey, don’t cry, darling,” David said, moving his chair closer to hers and putting his arm around her. “Who wouldn’t want you to have the house? Andrea’s parents are dead and you haven’t any other relatives here. It was probably teenagers having their ‘so-called’ fun.”
    “Can we go over to the house and see what damage has been done?” Eve asked.
    “Of course we can,” David replied, both surprised and impressed that Eve had actually asked him this time.
    They immediately went up to their room to finish getting ready and then called a taxi. .
    * * *
    It wasn’t long before Eve and David arrived at the house. They rushed in and then out through the back door into the garden where they saw the charred ruins of the shed.
    “Well it’s a total write-off and so will all the tools be that were in it, I expect” Eve said, sounding a little despondent.
    “Was there much in there?” David asked.
    “Well there were lots of gardening equipment and other bits and pieces like a drill and chainsaw. The fire must really have taken hold by the time Vera saw it. I should take back all the awful thoughts I’ve had about her; she’s been very helpful after all. Oh well, I suppose I’ll have to put in an insurance claim, presuming it is insured. I’ll need to speak to Matt about that.”
    Vera suddenly popped her head over the wall.  
    “I’ m so sorry about your shed. I wish I’d seen it earlier, but I wasn’t aware of it until I was about to go to bed and thought I smelt smoke. I looked out of the window and saw the flames so I called the fire station straight away.”
    “Vera, don’t apologies for anything. I really am grateful for what you did. Thank you.’
    Another head popped over the wall.
        “Oh, this is Trevor, my son. He arrived this morning with his wife, Pam, and their two kids. They’re staying for a week.”
    “G’day,” Trevor said.
    Eve and David greeted him.
    “Want any help clearing the mess?” Trevor continued.
    “No, we’ll be fine,” David said. “Thanks anyway.”
    Vera and Trevor then disappeared as quickly as they had arrived.
    “Sorry, Eve,” David whispered. “I don’t think I could have faced working with him. I don’t know why, but I imagine he’ll pry like his mother.”
    “Don’t apologies. I’m right with you there, but it is a big mess and you might feel sorry you turned him down.”
    David just shrugged his shoulders before going to the local shop to get some plastic bin bags to put the rubbish in. Eve turned to go into the house, but before she did, her eyes drifted upwards to the house on the