Flight of the Jabiru Read Online Free Page B

right arm. She involuntarily jumped, as if he was on fire. She glanced at him in horror, barely containing the urge to wipe imaginary germs from her arm. Instead, she squirmed across the chair, closer to the woman.
    The man turned to openly leer at her, giving her a head-to-toe assessment. She concluded that he was determining whether or not she was worth mugging. She glared back at him defiantly.
    The woman could no longer contain her curiosity. “What ya done, love?” she asked, subjecting Lara to the smell of rotten teeth.
    â€œNothing,” she snapped upset. “But no one believes me.”
    The woman uncrossed her skinny legs, unashamedly revealing a gaping hole in her left nylon. She laughed sardonically. “I’m innocent too,” she said mockingly.
    â€œI am innocent,” Lara claimed tearfully. “Do I look like I’d assault anyone? I’m a school teacher, a trusted member of society.”
    â€œWell, excuse me,” the woman said pretending to be impressed. “Ya hear that, Fred? We’re in the presence of a law-abiding schoolteacher. The criminals in Newmarket are becoming high-brow.” She cackled and his smirk grew wider.
    Lara felt tears prick her eyes again.
    â€œHow much do ya reckon school teachers earn, Hazel?” the man asked, noting Lara’s tailored suit and leather boots.
    â€œA lot more than I get standing on street corners,” Hazel whispered so the constable wouldn’t overhear. She cackled like a laying hen.
    Realization suddenly dawned, and Lara’s mouth dropped open. Hazel was a streetwalker. A prostitute! Lara couldn’t believe the position she had found herself in, and all because she’d wanted to give Harrison Hornsby moral support! It was ludicrous.
    Jumping to her feet, Lara approached the front desk. “This is past ridiculous,” she said to the sergeant who was filling out paperwork. “I’m going to the hospital to speak to Lord Hornsby. He will confirm I did not assault him.” She heard Hazel cackling again and turned to give her a withering glare. “I bet Lord what’s-his-name deserved what ya gave him. He should be man enough to admit it,” said the streetwalker.
    â€œI didn’t assault Lord Hornsby and Harrison can confirm that,” Lara said, frustrated and outraged that no one believed her.
    â€œWho’s Harrison? Yer boyfriend?” Fred asked, ogling Lara’s figure. His lewd thoughts couldn’t have been plainer if they’d been written across his forehead.
    â€œCertainly not! He’s a ten-year-old boy and he just happens to be Lord Hornsby’s son and one of my pupils. He’s a sensitive boy. He had a bad fall this afternoon while playing polo, but instead of giving him sympathy and making sure his injuries were treated, his father verbally berated him, shattering his fragile self-esteem.”
    Hazel’s eyes widened. “Oh, that’s terrible, isn’t it, Fred?” She pretended to be outraged but did a very bad job of it.
    â€œI only intervened to defend Harrison,” Lara explained further.
    â€œOf course you did,” Hazel patronized.
    â€œAs soon as I speak to Lord Hornsby, he’ll sort this misunderstanding out and all this nonsense will be forgotten.”
    â€œSounds like you had motive for walloping that toffee-nosed Lord,” Hazel claimed.
    â€œI certainly didn’t wallop him , as you put it. I’d never do that,” Lara said aghast.
    Sergeant Andrews came out from behind the front desk. “You are not going anywhere, so sit down, Miss Penrose,” he ordered. “If you don’t do as you are told, I will have Constable Formby put you in a cell sooner rather than later.”
    â€œWhy can’t I go to the hospital and get this straightened out? It will save us all a lot of trouble. I shouldn’t be here at all.”
    â€œI already have Lord Hornsby’s statement, as