‘I think I can guess why,’ said Bastian. ‘He’s muttered things to me about having help. I don’t think he was referring to Delphine.’
Cass took a few moments to digest this. ‘He doesn’t know I can draw, does he?’
‘I don’t think so, but he’s very good at truffling out anything and everything. He could have got Becca to tell him things. Ranulph might have mentioned it to her. But the thing is, we – you – need to get the drawings done as soon as possible. Could you do it in a week, do you think?’
‘I don’t know how many drawings you need me to do.’
‘I can reduce the number if I have to.’
Cass grinned suddenly. She was being given a responsible job at last and she would love the challenge!
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Neither of them were surprised to see Austin on the veranda waiting for them when they got back.
‘Where have you been?’ he asked as they joined him.
‘Visiting Delphine’s family,’ said Bastian.
‘She’s been asking me to visit for a while,’ said Cass, untruthfully, ‘but I waited until Bastian was able to come with me. I would never have found it otherwise.’
‘So where’s Delphine now?’ asked Austin.
‘At home,’ said Cass. ‘It’s her day off.’
Austin’s face fell. ‘Oh. What about lunch?’
Cass took a breath, about to tell him off for being so demanding and entitled but was spared because Ranulph and Becca appeared. They seemed to take in the situation.
‘Hey, Cass,’ said Becca. ‘Shall we get some lunch on the table? I know we should leave it to the guys, but I’m hungry!’
In the kitchen, Becca apologised. ‘Sorry for roping you in but I reckon if you feed Austin, and let him get at the rum, he’s less of a pain.’
As they found bread, vegetables they could make salad with, and fish, Cass realised that Becca was a nicewoman. If Ranulph fell back in love with her, she couldn’t blame him. And she, Cass, probably was too young for him. It was a pity her heart didn’t agree with her head: her head had all the answers.
‘What have you been up to this morning, Cass?’ asked Ranulph. ‘Surely not cooking?’
Cass shook her head. ‘I made the salad, but Becca did most of everything else.’
‘We went to see Delphine’s place,’ said Bastian. ‘And while we were there, we saw her brother. He’s the guy who keeps my pick-up on the road.’
‘There’s nothing wrong with it, is there?’ asked Becca.
‘No,’ said Bastian. ‘But he told us he’s got a pick-up there he’s doing up.’
Austin was suddenly listening. ‘Oh?’
‘Yes,’ said Bastian. ‘I thought that might interest you, Austin.’
‘Is he willing to sell it?’ Austin asked.
‘He is,’ said Bastian. ‘But he’ll want a lot of money. Pick-ups like mine are scarce, and particularly useful just now.’
‘How much?’
Bastian quoted the figure. ‘And he’ll want cash.’
Austin shrugged in a way that made Cass think he’d arrived, not with useful supplies, aid to a hurricane-torn country, but with wads of bank notes, probably dollars. And he must have had a lot of cash if he was planning to hire a private plane – potentially for only two seats.
