Riding the Storm Read Online Free PDF Page A

it from happening.’
    ‘Doctor Richards is exploring all avenues. But she says we must be prepared for the worst.’
    Feeling helpless in the face of this news, that night Ryan punched his pillow, unable to sleep, and felt incipient tears stinging the back of his throat. The following morning he awoke in the early hours as he always did, except he was plagued with a pounding headache, his eyes were streaming and he was feeling as if he’d picked up a summer flu.
    ‘Go back to bed, son,’ his father said. ‘You look awful and you’ll be no good to me or to Sprite today. I’ll phone Melia andget her to come out instead.’ And, before his son could raise any further objections, Peter reached for his phone and called her. She was a pleasant but ordinary girl who helped out at the stables and also rode track work for them. Nothing was too much trouble and she loved the animals, always anxious to please. An early riser like most horsewomen, she didn’t seem to mind being called at such an early hour – still the middle of the night to most people.
    ‘Love to help out, Mr Lanigan. Give me ten to get in and out of the shower and I’ll be there.’
    ‘Good girl, that,’ Peter remarked when he came off the phone. ‘Always willing to fit in.’
    ‘Only because she’s sweet on you.’ Ryan reached for the box of tissues and grabbed a handful before sneezing into them.
    ‘Bed,’ his father ordered, ignoring that last remark. ‘I’ll make breakfast for all of us when I get home.’
     
    At the beach, Harry was already hidden behind a rock, waiting for the two men and their horses to arrive. With any luck this job could be wrapped up today and he could head south to claim his reward. With what he had planned, he wouldn’t get more than one chance and it would have to look right – the horse must be blamed. He had a few anxious moments as they were later than usual, but eventually he saw the two horses coming through the dunes to the beach. This time there was a girl riding the mare. He waited a while to see if the boy turned up which would mean he’d have to abandon his plans for today: he couldn’t keep an eye on three people at the same time. But he saw Peter gesticulate, instructing the girl to ride off up the beach while he himself led the big grey into the sea.
    This morning, even the weather was on Harry’s side. A wind had got up, muffling sound, and the sea was quite choppy. The girl was an unknown factor in the equation; he could only hope she would keep riding on up the beach and wouldn’t look back until she returned.
    As the girl disappeared into the distance, Harry ran swiftly towards Peter, who was leading the horse into the sea. Wearing only a pair of Hawaiian-patterned board shorts, he hoped to be taken for a tourist enjoying an early-morning swim.
    ‘G’day, mate.’ Peter smiled as Harry approached him. ‘You’re up bright an’ early.’
    Those were the last words he said in this life. Before he had time to register any alarm, a fist came at him, delivering a knock-out punch to the jaw. He collapsed without so much as a murmur, and Harry caught him to make sure he was still breathing before holding his head under the water until no more bubbles came to the surface. There must be no suspicious marks or any evidence of an attack. His victim must appear to have been knocked out by the horse and swept off his feet to drown in the sea.
    Spooked by this turn of events and the stranger among them, the big grey lurched out of the water and went to stand on the beach, shivering and regarding them. The animal sensed that something was terribly wrong.
    While he was making quite sure his victim’s lungs were filling with water, Harry turned to look back up the beach to check that the other rider wasn’t on her way back. This was the tricky part. He couldn’t afford any witnesses. If the girl happened to see what he’d done and he had to dispose of hertoo, it would cause complications. It was