The Jaguar Read Online Free PDF Page A

Katie, who seemed to have already departed for the office, must have signed for it. She checked the London postmark then turned it over to discover a cartoon version of her own features smiling back at her. A shining orb to her left and a pair of sunglasses provided the holiday touches. Katie, indeed: she was a fine artist. Laura tore into the package and scanned the contents. There was the job offer and also a personal note on scented writing paper from Culjinder, telling her that Marcus would be in touch after the weekend. Finally, there was an expedition kit list; a range of travel items long enough to leave Laura worried about both her bank balance and her fitness. Rucksack, boots, walking poles, full waterproofs: she gave up trying to tally the cost, but it was obvious from the list that, whatever her role, it was going to be hands on.
    She lounged on a sofa with her drink and studied the contents of the package again. Laura knew it had been written and posted in haste, but still she felt cheated. She wanted to know exactly when she would start and what she would be doing. Come to think of it, she didn’t even know where she’d be working. The original brief had said: must be flexible about working irregular hours and over weekends, and willing to travel overseas, if necessary at short notice . Certainly, there seemed no question of her moving to London. Laura felt impatient and still more than slightly nervous. She would need to give in her notice. Doubtless, Simon had already spread the news at the office.
    Only one thing for it - she decided to go shopping. Half an hour later she was rooting around an outdoor equipment store, trying on lightweight travel trousers and sunhats. Nothing seemed to fit, or maybe it did, but she just didn’t like the style. She settled eventually on a new pair of sunglasses - not unlike those that Katie had drawn - and decided she would be wearing these when her flatmate returned that evening. She let the steep slope of Park Street carry her down from Bristol’s main university district towards the city’s central square. Slipping into a favourite wooden booth in an old-fashioned café near the base of the hill, she pulled out her phone and paused momentarily to consider how she would broach her sudden change of career to her father. Then she gave up and lost herself to cappuccino and a small electrical storm of excited messages from curious friends.
    Chapter Five
    Riviera Maya
    Marcus almost tumbled down the aircraft steps. He had slept heavily for most of the flight in the relative comfort of business class, after a long week of rushed preparations. His drowsiness - combined with a struggle to prevent his voluminous hand-baggage escaping - had left him more than a little light-headed. Then there were the three glasses of wine that had induced his torpor in the first place. Never mind, he consoled himself. He had pre-booked a taxi from Cancun airport to his hotel, and the others wouldn’t be arriving for another day. There’d be plenty of time to sort everything out.
    As he was driven south down the long coastal highway, past an endless procession of grand entrances to jungle and palm-enfolded beach resorts, Marcus tried, unsuccessfully, to focus his mind on the task ahead. His chore was not helped by the stream of broken English from the determinedly cheerful taxi driver. Marcus half listened and mumbled the occasional “ Si ” out of a deeply engrained sense of good manners.
    The squat, semi-bald, somewhat intimidating local smiled gleefully through a list of what should have been complaints. The car swerved as he stuck a broken finger up to the driving mirror for Marcus to examine, simultaneously lifting his other hand from the steering wheel to demonstrate how it had occurred. It swerved again, this time somewhat alarmingly, as the driver waved the same finger at a passing gas station to highlight the scandalous cost of fuel. Eventually the car