Flight of the Jabiru Read Online Free

father in a flurry. At the stables he had been told that Lord Hornsby had been taken away in an ambulance. At first he’d thought there was some mistake because it was likely Harrison who’d needed treatment and care, and apparently he’d been in the ambulance, too. But then he’d been given vague details about his employer having fallen and been knocked unconscious.
    â€œWhere’ve you been, Lara?” Walter asked his daughter as soon as she came inside.
    â€œAt the hospital,” Lara said.
    Walter blinked in astonishment. “Why?”
    â€œI wanted to see if Lord Hornsby was all right.”
    Walter did not understand. “Why?” he asked again.
    â€œI was there when...” Lara began. She searched for the right words to explain what had happened.
    Walter groaned. “Don’t tell me you had something to do with this, Lara.”
    â€œIt wasn’t my fault...”
    â€œWhat do you mean? I told you to keep away from the stables,” Walter said irritably.
    Before Lara could further explain, there was an insistent knock on the door. Walter opened it to find two constables.
    â€œI’m Sergeant Andrews,” the elder of the two said. “And this is Constable Formby, sir. I believe a Miss Lara Penrose lives at this address.”
    â€œShe does,” Walter said.
    â€œAnd you would be...”
    â€œI’m Lara’s father, Walter Penrose.”
    â€œIs Miss Penrose at home, sir?”
    â€œYes...”
    â€œWe would like to speak with her, sir.”
    â€œOf course, but what’s this about?” Walter asked in concern.
    Hearing her name, Lara came forward. “I’m Miss Penrose,” she said. “Can I help you?” She suspected they had come to question her about what had happened at the polo ground.
    Sergeant Andrews took her by the arm. “You are under arrest, Miss Penrose,” he said.
    â€œArrest!” Walter gasped. “What for?”
    â€œFor assaulting Lord Hornsby.”
    â€œI didn’t assault him,” Lara cried insistently. “You can ask him.”
    â€œLord Hornsby says you did, Miss Penrose.”
    Lara paled and her knees went weak. “There must be a mistake,” she said. “He wouldn’t have said that because it’s not true.”
    â€œI suggest you get a lawyer for your daughter, sir,” the sergeant said to Walter as they marched Lara away.
    â€œWhat? Where are you taking her?”
    â€œTo the police station on Vicarage Road, sir. She’ll be formally charged there.”
    â€œDad, this is a mistake,” Lara called over her shoulder.

CHAPTER TWO

    If the situation had felt alarming at the time of her ‘arrest’, the prospect of being bundled into the police station at Newmarket officially turned it into a nightmare!
    â€œThis is ridiculous,” Lara yelled almost hysterically as Sergeant Andrews and Constable Formby physically escorted her through the police station doors like a common criminal. By now her composure had completely deserted her. If not for her stubborn pride, she might’ve dropped to her knees and begged them to let her go.
    Lara had been pleading her case with the two police officers since the moment they’d taken her from her home. She was becoming really frustrated and upset that they wouldn’t even try to see her side of the story, let alone show her empathy.
    â€œSurely you can’t possibly believe I assaulted Lord Hornsby,” Lara cried. “He’s a former military officer with combat training! I’m a woman — a petite one at that! You have to see that it just doesn’t make sense.”
    â€œObviously you took him by surprise and he didn’t see it coming,” Constable Formby commented with a smirk. He immediately received a reprimanding glare from his superior, who’d told him more than once that he had to be seen to be impartial.
    Lara blinked in surprise.