Cold Grave Read Online Free PDF Page A

maple syrup over a waffle.
    Judging by the pile on Martin’s plate, he was ravenous. She wondered if he had missed anything on offer. A server poured them each a coffee from the machine. Anya added a glass of water. They found an empty table inside, next to the windows.
    As Martin began to eat, Anya glanced around. Most of the children devoured doughnuts and pastries, while the parents preferred the hot food. Cereal and fruit seemed the least popular. One frazzled mother tried to coerce a toddler to eat some egg, with little luck. The father was reading a magazine and seemed oblivious to his wife’s plight. The child stuck his hands in some ketchup from the plate and smeared it over his shirt.
    Martin pointed his knife in the family’s direction. ‘The husband thinks he’s a hero for giving her a break, but he begrudges the expense. She wants to get away so he will spend some quality time with his son. Despite room cleaners and cooks, the mother’ll stress because they’re out of their normal routine. Junior’s already fussy about food, and my guess is he won’t sleep well, so Mum’s in for a rough time.’ He placed some egg and ham on his fork as the toddler began to scream. ‘Dad thinks he’ll get sex as thanks for the holiday, but not with Junior in the room and her all stressed out . . .’
    Anya took a bite of fresh pineapple and stared at her former husband in disbelief.
    ‘When did you develop that sort of insight?’
    He grinned. ‘You learn a lot as a stay-at-home father. Playgroups are a real eye-opener. You know how women like to vent at those things.’
    Anya didn’t know. Through no fault of her own, she had never been to one. She felt her resentment at the situation flare. More than anything, she had wanted to spend time with Ben, but part-time work wasn’t feasible. When the magistrate awarded custody to Martin, the primary carer, she was shattered. The judge argued that Ben was better off with the stay-at-home parent, rather than a nanny. It also meant that Martin didn’t have to work. He could surf and ‘find himself’ to his heart’s content.
    The irony was that Anya had been the reliable and responsible parent, but that made no difference in court. She had to work even more hours to pay for two homes. Only Martin now had a girlfriend, which further complicated the situation.
    She managed to suppress her anger though – she knew it was important to Ben that they got on and so far things had been going well.
    ‘How’s Nita? I didn’t even ask how she felt about you coming away.’
    A large man tried to squeeze past, accidentally bumping Anya’s back. He held two plates stacked high with food.
    ‘She thinks Ben should spend more time with you. And the time away from us will be good for her. She’s been offered a job in London, and doesn’t know if she’ll take it.’
    Anya paused, shocked. Ben had grown fond of Nita, and the relationship seemed mutual. She and Martin had been together for two years and, although not living with them, she was a frequent visitor to their home.
    ‘Does Ben know?’
    ‘I’m not that thoughtless,’ Martin snapped.
    Anya glanced at the nearby tables in case anyone else had heard.
    Martin sighed. ‘What I mean is, there’s no sense upsetting him until we know for sure. This trip of yours couldn’t have come at a better time, to be honest.’ He stabbed a hash brown with the fork.
    Anya wanted him to explain why, but experience had taught her probing would only irritate him. He would open up only if and when he was ready. At least she understood better why he had been so eager to come on the trip.
    Four men in their twenties staggered in, looking as if they’d slept in their clothes. They walked past the food line and into the dining area, as if looking for something better.
    ‘This boat is awesome!’ one shouted and raised his arms as if expecting a chorus of agreement. Some of the diners laughed, others kept eating.
    ‘Has anyone ever seen so