Michaela carried the tray of coffees and a glass of lemonade to the table. They were in the airport lounge waiting for the plane to board.
‘Where’s Caro?’ she asked Trisha.
‘Over there checking out the cute guy,’ Trisha replied.
Michaela tracked across the room until she found the teenaged girl, standing on the viewing platform chatting to a boy of about the same age. She smiled and sat down. ‘You okay?’ she asked her girlfriend.
Trisha grinned at her. ‘Hell yeah,’ she said. ‘It is going to be summer where we’re going isn’t it?’
Michaela rolled her eyes. ‘No regrets then?’
Trisha shook a headful of wild curls. ‘Not even one. I think Mom might even have been kind of relieved when I told her what Caro and I were planning to do.’ She shrugged. ‘Didn’t offer any objections anyway. Even though Caro’s not sixteen for a month or so.’
Michaela looked out the window at the girl again. Caro looked good. Like she’d been sleeping well. Like she had nothing to worry about anymore.’
‘I’m glad,’ Michaela said. ‘I’m glad it worked out all round.’ She reached over the table and tugged on a stray curl. ‘Thanks,’ she said.
Trisha looked surprised. ‘Thanks for what? It should be me thanking you, that’s for shit sure.’
Michaela shook her head. ‘Thanks for getting into trouble and dragging me over here to sort it out,’ she said, a sly smile stretching over her face.
Trisha grinned. ‘Cheeky bitch.’
The loudspeakers announced their boarding call and Caro wandered back in.
‘Are you ready?’ Michaela asked her.
Caro laughed. ‘Am I ever. That guy I was talking to says he has his holidays in Nelson every summer. He’s offered to teach me to surf.’ She looked at Michaela. ‘Nelson is where we’re going isn’t it?’
Michaela pulled a face and nodded. ‘Surfing?’ she said and picking up her bag and the newspaper she’d bought earlier, followed the other two towards the plane. Once they were settled in their seats, she took out the newspaper and opened it to the headline that had snagged her attention.
‘HALLOWEEN PRANK? DOGMAN SPOTTED AGAIN.’