Alice Parker & the Curse of Fate Read Online Free Page B

tent became brighter. I
realised that it must be some sort of signal.’
    ‘ Oh, come on!
The star as the guiding light? Leading someone to their target, you
mean? That would be pretty twisted at this time of year!’
    ‘ And who do we
know with a twisted mind?’ said Alice quietly, her voice
quivering. ‘She knows we’re here, doesn’t she?’
    ‘ I doubt it.
It might look that way but I just don’t see how it’s
possible. Unless Sarah has blabbed.’
    ‘ She wouldn’t!
No way! She knows the reason we came here. She wouldn’t do
anything to put us in danger, you know that.’
    ‘ So how else
would Isabella find out?’
    ‘ You tell me!’
fumed Alice.
    They wracked their
brains in silence, having been directed out of the market and across
the road by security guards. Blaring sirens signalled the arrival of
a fire engine, two ambulances and several police cars as hundreds of
people poured out in to the street. This enchanting setting had now
been transformed into chaos and panic.
    Her eyes glued to
the scene, Alice was relieved when the fire was put out swiftly.
Miraculously no one appeared to have been badly hurt. How would she
have felt if they had? She was convinced it was an attempted attack
on her and Thomas, no matter what he thought. That bright light had
definitely been following Thomas around the market, and in Alice’s
mind there was no way that explosion could be a coincidence.
    ‘ I think we
should head back,’ said Thomas. ‘There’s no point
staying here. I don’t think they’ll re-open the market
tonight.’
    ‘ No ...
please, not yet. I’m not sure I’m ready to face
Grandma.’
    ‘ So don’t
tell her. If it happens to be in the newspaper, we’ll say we
had already left when the fire broke out. Besides, I still don’t
think it’s anything for us to worry about.’
    Alice shook her
head. ‘You’re wrong. But you might be right about not
telling Grandma.’
    ‘ Fair enough.
Come on, we’ll get another hot drink on the way home, since we
had to abandon the last ones. I was enjoying that punch as well!’
    Alice shuddered when
she thought about it. If she hadn’t been there with him, it
might have been the last drink Thomas ever had.

Chapter 4

    The
Similar Stranger

    ‘ So, another
nice trip today?’ asked Brigitte as she passed a plate of
cheese around the breakfast table. ‘Which attractions would
you like to visit?’
    ‘ Actually, I
was hoping Grandma might show us some of the less ... um ... touristy
places,’ replied Alice, nudging Grandma’s foot under the
table.
    ‘ Oh, I could
take you to a few places I liked when I was your age,’ said
Grandma with a twinkle in her eye.
    ‘ You could
try,’ chuckled Brigitte. ‘But you will be disappointed.
Your favourite little shops are now a multi-screen cinema. And you
remember that coffee house where your boyfriend used to take you? It
is a sushi restaurant now!’
    Grandma turned up
her nose.
    ‘ Grandad used
to take you to a coffee house here?’
    ‘ Er, no. Not
him,’ mumbled Grandma, blushing.
    ‘ Anyway, we
are going to visit Barbara today, are we not? She will be
disappointed if we cancel.’
    Grandma pulled a
face. Clearly she was not bothered about visiting her cousin,
Barbara.
    ‘ And tomorrow
Matthias will be here,’ Brigitte continued. ‘He has
offered to take us all out for lunch.’
    Matthias was
Brigitte’s son; a huge man with a long, silvery pony tail and a
wicked sense of humour. He was a dentist, but Alice had always
thought he didn’t look like one.
    ‘ Fine,’
agreed Grandma through gritted teeth. ‘We’ll go and see
Barbara, but Alice and Thomas needn’t come. I’m sure
you’ve got ideas of your own for today,’ she added with a
wink.
    ‘ We have
indeed,’ grinned Thomas. ‘So don’t worry about us.
Eat up, Alice, then we’ll go.’
    *
    Alice pulled a face
as she realised they were entering the U-Bahn station again. ‘Oh!
I’d hoped Finwip village would be within