Read Online The New Girl by Cathy Cole - Free Book Online Page B

anxious. “Are you OK? We’ve all been going crazy with worry! One minute you were with us as we left the building – and the next minute we couldn’t see you anywhere! You scared the life out of us!”
    Lila’s whole body went rigid as Eve pulled her into a tight hug. Whatever she had been expecting, it wasn’t this! Over Eve’s shoulder she could see the others gathered in the Heartbeat Café’s back garden: Rhi and Max, Ollie and Polly. They were all looking as surprised as Lila.
    â€œHow are you?” Eve insisted, as if she hugged Lila every day.
    â€œAren’t you going to answer your friend?” said her father.
    â€œI’m . . . fine,” Lila said at last.
    Being hugged by Eve felt like being choked by a poisonous jungle vine. After several seconds, Eve gave the appearance of reluctantly letting go.
    â€œHowever can we thank you for finding her, Officer?” Eve said, looking up through her long eyelashes at Lila’s dad.
    â€œIt’s Chief Murray,” he said. “I’m Lila’s father.”
    Polly was the only one of the group whose face wasn’t a picture of shock. It would have been funny if it hadn’t been so embarrassing. Now she wasn’t just the new girl trying to steal Ollie, but the daughter of Heartside’s new police chief as well. Can you be a double pariah? Lila wondered in despair.
    â€œWow,” said Eve, recovering first. “I’m very pleased to meet you, Chief Murray. I’m Eve, Eve Somerstown. My father has already told me a lot about you. I had no idea you were Lila’s father!”
    Lila was pleased to see that Eve’s charm offensive totally failed. Her dad simply nodded, patted his pocket and pulled out a notebook.
    â€œCan any of you tell me what happened in here this afternoon?” he asked, looking round at everyone.
    â€œThere was a fire,” said Eve. She looked sweetly confused. “Wasn’t there?”
    â€œSomeone pulled the alarm under false pretences. It has caused a great deal of confusion, and has lost the Heartside Café valuable business. They are understandably angry, and would like to discover the culprit.”
    Was she imagining it, Lila wondered unhappily, or did her dad shoot her a particular glance when he said that?
    â€œNone of us would do something like that on purpose,” said Rhi.
    The others looked just as shocked at the suggestion that someone had set the alarm off for fun. Lila had a feeling she was the only one who knew the truth.
    â€œLila?” her father rapped. “Have you remembered anything useful yet?”
    Lila knew she should tell him the truth. Her dad hadn’t risen through the ranks of the police for nothing. He could spot a lie a mile off.
    â€œNo,” she said. “Nothing.”
    Her father raised his eyebrows. “You don’t remember who locked the pantry door on you either, I suppose?”
    Lila could feel Eve’s gaze boring into her. She shook her head. Perhaps her silence would make Eve like her a bit more. She hated herself for wanting Eve to like her.
    With a sigh, her father put his notebook away. “Time to go home, everyone. Lila, I’ll give you a lift.”
    Eve towed Ollie away. Rhi did the same with Max. Lingering briefly, Polly gave Lila a look that was part sympathy, part something else. Before Lila could put her finger on it, her father had taken her firmly by the arm.
    â€œThe car’s out the front.”
    Lila had barely settled herself in the front seat of her dad’s squad car before it began.
    â€œI don’t like the crowd you’ve got involved with, Lila,” her father began, turning the car around and heading out of the town centre. “How can you expect me to trust you when something like this happens and you lie to me?”
    Lila wanted to say she hadn’t lied. But she had. So she stayed quiet.
    â€œHeartside Bay is supposed to be a