Augi stood up from behind her mobile desk. Lucy didn’t bother stepping in for a hug. Augustini wasn’t a hugger, and Lucy respected that.
‘I don’t often see you here,’ Augi said.
‘I don’t usually have time to read, but I’m after a particular book.’
‘Have you joined a book club?’
Lucy scoffed. ‘No way. I leave that to Mum and Jen. They’re the bookworms of the family. I need The Art of War. I checked the catalogue; it should be on your shelves somewhere.’
‘Sun Tzu?’ Augi looked around. ‘Yes, I’m pretty sure we have it. Although you could get it online.’
‘I checked. There are reserves, and I need it now. I owned a copy once upon a time, but I must’ve chucked it when I downsized to move into the apartment.’
Augi bobbed down, fingers running over the bumpy spines until they stopped. ‘Here. You’re in luck. Our cataloguing team were keen to ditch this as it hadn’t been loaned in a while. I argued it’s a classic.’
‘Good on you.’ Lucy took the book and flicked to the back cover. ‘Yep, this should do the trick.’
Augi raised her brows. ‘And what do you need tricks for?’
‘War,’ Lucy said.
‘Right,’ said Augi, taking the book and Lucy’s card. She scanned both. ‘That should give you a head start in your war.’ She hesitated. ‘I hope there won’t be any casualties.’
‘Nothing physical… unless I decide to inflict them.’
Augi laughed. ‘I don’t fancy his chances… I take it there’s a man involved?’
‘You take it right. Only a man could get me this riled up.’
‘What’s he done?’
Lucy didn’t reply immediately. She trusted Augi implicitly. Anyone so determined to keep her own secrets wasn’t likely to blab someone else’s.
‘He’s taken me for a fool,’ she said at last.
‘Then he deserves everything that’s coming to him, because he must be the fool.’
Lucy grinned. ‘I appreciate the vote of confidence.’ She lifted the book. ‘And with this I’ll brush up on my game plan and demolish him. Just as he wants to demolish the hotel.’
Augi’s eyes widened. ‘Oh no! I wondered what was behind all those consultation notices.’
‘Yeah, well, it’s this man. Oliver Perry-Warnes. He’s bought the hotel and, for some reason, is going overboard on the community consultation. So, I want to get a strategy together which will make sure he doesn’t succeed.’
Augi smiled faintly. ‘You know, I almost pity him.’
‘Don’t waste your pity. He’s an out-and-out bastard. Sam knows him. Just ask him.’
‘I don’t think so. I don’t need any complications in my life.’ Her brown eyes suddenly looked startled, and her face closed down, as if she were scared she’d said too much.
Lucy decided to help her out by acting as if she hadn’t noticed.
‘Anyway,’ she said lightly, ‘I think I’ll go sit outside, take a few minutes out and skim through this again.’
‘Right. Well, I hope it gives you what you need.’
Outside, Lucy plopped herself into an oversized beanbag. A couple of teenagers were playing tennis; the thwack of the ball and birdsong from the trees on the bank opposite were the only sounds.
An elderly dog lay beside her in the shade. ‘You and me, babe,’ she muttered, fondling its silky ears before opening the book. His tail flicked lazily in response.
