Read Online Red Hot by Cheryl Alldis, Leonie Alldis - Free Book Online

said.
    ‘Flamin’ bloody lucky,’ Karl said angrily. ‘We’ve gotta do somethin’. This can’t be allowed to go on. I’m goin’ to front O’Toole and get some answers! His kids did this – I’ll bet me life on it!’
    ‘Not sure ya should do that, mate. There’s no proof it was them.’ Frank put his hand on Karl’s shoulder. ‘What good is accusin’ his kids gonna do when there’s nothin’ to back it up!’ he said heavily.
    ‘Frank’s right mate,’ Dig added. ‘Unless there’s some proof you’re better off keepin’ your mouth shut!’
    ‘Well, my guess is you’re gonna get a visit from the cops ‘bout this fire too. My suggestion’s, tell ‘em to look into those friggin’ brats a bit more thoroughly. O’Toole won’t mouth off at the cops the way he would at you’se two. Mind you, he’ll still have a thing or two to say ‘bout you’se sayin’ anythin’ at all, but that’s beside the point. Let the cops deal with it.’ Frank gave Karl’s shoulder a friendly pat. ‘I betta get this lot back.’ He indicated his crew waiting by the fire truck. ‘Make sure ya talk to the cops ‘bout those kids!’
    ‘I’m with you blokes. I reckon those bloody kids are responsible!’ Walter told them. ‘But I’m all for what Frank said; without proof we’re stumped. Have a serious talk with the cops, make ‘em do their job and stick it to the rotten little mongrels before they really do some damage!’ He hoisted his knapsack over his shoulder. ‘I betta get home. See you’se in the mornin’.’ Karl, Digger and Ted made their way up to the house.
    ‘Well, it’s all out down there now.’ Ted said, sitting himself down on the step of the veranda. ‘Nothin’ left of the old dunny now.’
    ‘Bloody suspicious though, isn’t it?’ Dave stated.
    ‘This’s the third friggin’ fire and by hell it better be the last! If I get me hands on the mongrels doin’ it, they won’t be fit to scratch their arses let alone light a bloody fire!’ Karl was livid.
    ‘As soon as it’s daylight, we’ll go through the rubble, see what we can find,’ Digger said, just as pissed off as Karl. ‘With a bit of luck we might find somethin’, mate.’
    ‘Well, in a way, whoever did it has done us a favour. We wanted to get rid of it, now we have,’ Emmie said and started to laugh.
    Before long they were all laughing. The toilet had been old, unused and an eyesore!
    ‘C’mon you two old buggers,’ Karl said to Hazel and Ted. ‘I’ll walk back to the cottage with you.’
    He didn’t like the thought at all that someone was sneaking around lighting fires. Whoever was capable of doing all this had to be a
sandwich short of a picnic basket
in his mind, and the housekeeper and her husband weren’t young. It was better to see them safely back to their home.
    Karl went off with Hazel and Ted, and as soon as the others had gone back to bed, Digger told Win he was going to do a final check on things, make sure there were no hot spots.
    ‘Be careful Dig. Whoever did it might still be out there and they could be dangerous.’
    ‘I’ll be alright, love. Karl’s out there. I just want to check things.’ He kissed her on the cheek and headed back down the path. Karl joined him, having seen that Hazel and Ted were safely inside their cottage.
    ‘Find anythin’ mate…?’ Digger asked.
    ‘No, but somethin’ doesn’t sit right about this. Towser didn’t bark! That makes me wonder. ‘
    Towser was the family dog. He was usually quite placid and friendly, but if he didn’t know you, he would run around leaping and barking and making a racket.
    ‘Ya think it’s someone we know? Ya havin’ second thoughts ‘bout the kids?’ Digger questioned.
    ‘Dunno what ta think. Whoever’s doin’ it is waitin’ till we’ve all gone to bed, which means they’re hangin’ ‘round watchin’. I know those young buggers are out all hours, but Towser would’ve barked at ‘em!’ Karl replied