Crash Course by Derek Fee (pdf to ebook reader .txt) 📕

switched off the engines and motioned to both Bill and Doc to replace the canopies.

Kane, David and Morweena made their way down to the jetty.

“That’s as much as we can do right now,” Reg said. “She’s purring like a cat.”

David slapped him on the shoulder. “Good job, get her fuelled up for the qualifying run this afternoon. Don’t fill her to the gills. I want Mark to get some experience handling her when she’s a bit lively.”

“Thanks heaps,” Kane said walking towards the end of the jetty.

“Where do you think you’re off to?” Morweena caught hold of his boiler suit. “I’ve put the race route onto the tablet.” She handed him an iPad with the course plotted on the screen. “Perhaps you’d like to commit it to memory before this afternoon.”

“I’ll do my best.”

“Like to tell me about last night?” She released his orange boiler suit and they moved off together.

“Nothing to tell, a few drinks and a bit of dancing.”

“What about your red-haired friend?”

“She was part of Jackson’s crew.”

“That’s not the way it looked.”

“You’re my teammate, not my mother.”

“I’ve arranged for us to have lunch with Tom.” David linked Morweena’s arm. “A little team affair you could say.”

They walked back along the jetty towards the point where their boat was moored. Many of the crews were still working on their boats but most of the principals had already drifted off to their appointed restaurants for a leisurely lunch. Things would not be greatly different with the Penhalion crew, Bill, Reg and Doc being left to work on the boat while Bell, Kane and the Penhalions wound their way up the hill which led from the little port to the village.

It was a quarter past two when they returned from the small trattoria which David had selected in the side streets which straddled the edge of the precipice directly above the Piccolo Porto.

“What’s the drill?” Kane asked David.

“This is a qualifying race. Rather like a serious practice run. There’s no grid tomorrow so it’s a jolly. You take the boat for a rather leisurely run around the course. Most of the other crews will be watching so we won’t give it anything like full throttle although we will wind the engine up in case there’s any problem we should know about.” He handed them their lifejackets and helmets. “We’ll try out the communications as well on this run to make sure everything is shipshape for tomorrow. I’ll be stationed on the top of the hill during the race so we’ll give the comms a try from there. Don’t forget, Morweena, keep something in reserve.” He patted his daughter on the shoulder.

She took her place beside Kane.

Some of the boats were already moving towards the mouth of the port. Kane turned the ignition and the engines sprang into life. The hull vibrated to the hum.

“Let’s do it,” Kane said into his microphone and Morweena eased the throttle forward.

They moved smoothly into the queue of powerboats heading towards the Bay of Naples. As soon as they rounded the corner of the concrete jetty, the hull heeled as the first wave hit it. Kane looked out into the bay and saw that the wind had picked up whipping the top of the waves into white-capped spray.

“The wind tends to pick up a bit in the afternoon,” Morweena said. “Even when the weather’s good. If you want to do any sightseeing, I suggest that you do it on this trip, there won’t be time tomorrow. Let’s try to enjoy ourselves.”

“Good run,” David called as they pulled into their allotted berth.

Kane removed his helmet and tossed it to Doc.

“Mark.” Tom stood on the edge of the wooden walkway. “A word, please.”

Kane removed his lifejacket and handed it to David. Tom took his arm and began to lead him away from the berth.

“I hope you’re not forgetting what we’re doing here,” Tom said when they were beyond hearing distance.

“If I did, you’d always be there to remind me I suppose.” The two men continued walking up the hill. “You said yourself that this was a shot in the dark. There are thirty drivers out there and it could be any one of them or it might be none of them. You’re not so naive as to think that the bloke who murdered your daughter will wear a guilty look on his face?”

Tom stopped at the brow of the hill and they both looked back towards the assembled boats and crews below.

“The bastard is down there and it’s your job to find him.” There was a determined look in the Yorkshireman’s eyes.

“It’s early days. All we can do for the present is watch and listen. I haven’t exactly been winning friends and influencing people around here. David thinks that I’m a major shit and I’m beginning to feel a little peculiar with all this aggression pointed in my direction. Still, we’ve made a reasonable start. We know that Tardelli uses coke and that Barrett’s a bully. But we’ve a hell of a long road to travel before we land our fish. That is if we ever land him.”

“You’ll find him,” Bell said, staring into Kane’s face. “You’ll find the bastard.”

Chapter Twenty

Kane and Doc sat in the bar of the Sorrento Palace cradling two tall glasses of beer. The large marble-floored room was packed with crew members and mechanics.

“What have you got?” Kane asked.

“So far not much,” Doc said fingering his glass.

“Nobody said it would be easy. Or even successful. You and I know the score. I’ve been on operations that lasted more than a year. Some have lasted long enough for the undercover officer to get married and have a kid. I don’t suppose you’ve stumbled onto any clues lately.”

“I’m still the new boy among the crews. Nobody’s opening up to me, yet.”

Kane drained his glass of beer and called for two more.

Doc raised his eyebrows. “What about the race tomorrow?”

“This far and no further, as my kindly old dad says.” Kane dropped thirty euros onto