The Ben Hope Collection: 6 BOOK SET. Scott Mariani
Чтение книги онлайн.

Читать онлайн книгу The Ben Hope Collection: 6 BOOK SET - Scott Mariani страница 125

Название: The Ben Hope Collection: 6 BOOK SET

Автор: Scott Mariani

Издательство: HarperCollins

Жанр: Приключения: прочее

Серия:

isbn: 9780007491704

isbn:

СКАЧАТЬ sheets. The shed was a rough workshop filled with battered farm equipment and racks of tools. A young curly-haired man was working on an old Fiat Strada, clattering around under the bonnet.

      Ben walked round to the open doorway. ‘Ciao,’ he said. ‘I’m Steve.’

      The young man turned. He was a younger version of Gino Rossi, about nineteen or twenty.

      Ben pointed at the car. ‘Problems?’ he asked in Italian.

      ‘Ciao, Steve. Sandro.’ Sandro grinned and waggled a spark-plug wrench to show the foreigner. ‘Changing the plugs, that’s all. I’m selling her, and I want her to go well.’ He finished tightening up the plugs, replaced the caps and slammed the rusty bonnet shut, then walked around to the open door and fired up the engine. Ben listened. There were no unhealthy rattles and the exhaust note was clean. No gaskets gone, not sucking air. No blue smoke.

      ‘How much are you asking?’ he said.

      Sandro wiped his hands on his jeans. ‘She’s old, but good. Say a thousand and a half.’

      Ben took cash from his pocket. ‘Is she ready for a run right now?’ he asked.

      He drove quietly out of the farmyard and up the rutted drive, then turned right to follow the winding country road back the way they’d come. The yellowed reflectors of the old Strada picked out the lopsided road-signs and the landmarks he remembered from earlier. He passed the forest where they’d dumped the farm truck, and wished he had a weapon.

      He hated going back to Arno’s place. It was tactically sloppy and possibly dangerous. But it was the only way. He bitterly regretted not having pressed the old man to say more about where he’d hidden the letter. He was making too many mistakes. Was the damn thing even worth finding? Maybe not, he thought, but clutching at straws was his only option right now. He had to hope he was clutching at the right one.

      It was half past midnight by the time he found Arno’s villa. The front gates were set back from the road, across a neat border. He slowed. The driveway and gardens were lit up with the swirling lights of police cars and two fire engines.

      As he swore and accelerated past the gates he looked past the vehicles at the house.

      It wasn’t there any more. Hardly a wall was still standing. The villa was a levelled mess of blackened rubble and smoking timber, the collapsed roof lying like the twisted spine of a giant carcass, tiles and charred woodwork and smashed windows scattered over a wide circle.

      The fire had obviously raged a long time. The crews were calling it a night, packing up their equipment. There was nothing left worth saving.

      Ben drove on, thinking about the options left open now. Either the blaze in the study had spread, or someone had made sure the place was thoroughly torched. It was more likely to be the latter. Whoever they were, these people liked their tracks to be covered. And fire was the best cleanser.

      After a kilometre or so he turned into the farm entrance and followed the bumping, stony lane as far as the deserted yard where they’d stolen the truck earlier that day. Other than the shattered barn, there was no visible trace of what had happened there.

      Конец ознакомительного фрагмента.

      Текст предоставлен ООО «ЛитРес».

      Прочитайте эту книгу целиком, купив полную легальную версию на ЛитРес.

      Безопасно оплатить книгу можно банковской картой Visa, MasterCard, Maestro, со счета мобильного телефона, с платежного терминала, в салоне МТС или Связной, через PayPal, WebMoney, Яндекс.Деньги, QIWI Кошелек, бонусными картами или другим удобным Вам способом.

/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgEBLAEsAAD/4SP8RXhpZgAATU0AKgAAAAgABwESAAMAAAABAAEAAAEaAAUA AAABAAAAYgEbAAUAAAABAAAAagEoAAMAAAABAAIAAAExAAIAAAAcAAAAcgEyAAIAAAAUAAAAjodp AAQAAAABAAAApAAAANAALcbAAAAnEAAtxsAAACcQQWRvYmUgUGhvdG9zaG9wIENTMyBXaW5kb3dz ADIwMTM6MTA6MjEgMTM6NDM6NDcAAAAAA6ABAAMAAAAB//8AAKACAAQAAAABAAAB9KADAAQAAAAB AAAC8AAAAAAAAAAGAQMAAwAAAAEABgAAARoABQAAAAEAAAEeARsABQAAAAEAAAEmASgAAwAAAAEA AgAAAgEABAAAAAEAAAEuAgIABAAAAAEAACLGAAAAAAAAAEgAAAABAAAASAAAAAH/2P/gABBKRklG AAECAABIAEgAAP/tAAxBZG9iZV9DTQAC/+4ADkFkb2JlAGSAAAAAAf/bAIQADAgICAkIDAkJDBEL CgsRFQ8MDA8VGBMTFRMTGBEMDAwMDAwRDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAENCwsN Dg0QDg4QFA4ODhQUDg4ODhQRDAwMDAwREQwMDAwMDBEMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwMDAwM DAwM/8AAEQgAoABqAwEiAAIRAQMRAf/dAAQAB//EAT8AAAEFAQEBAQEBAAAAAAAAAAMAAQIEBQYH CAkKCwEAAQUBAQEBAQEAAAAAAAAAAQACAwQFBgcICQoLEAABBAEDAgQCBQcGCAUDDDMBAAIRAwQh EjEFQVFhEyJxgTIGFJGhsUIjJBVSwWIzNHKC0UMHJZJT8OHxY3M1FqKygyZEk1RkRcKjdDYX0lXi ZfKzhMPTdePzRieUpIW0lcTU5PSltcXV5fVWZnaGlqa2xtbm9jdHV2d3h5ent8fX5/cRAAICAQIE BAMEBQYHBwYFNQEAAhEDITESBEFRYXEiEwUygZEUobFCI8FS0fAzJGLhcoKSQ1MVY3M08SUGFqKy gwcmNcLSRJNUoxdkRVU2dGXi8rOEw9N14/NGlKSFtJXE1OT0pbXF1eX1VmZ2hpamtsbW5vYnN0dX Z3eHl6e3x//aAAwDAQACEQMRAD8A2X4ebmPO72VGNpdp/KjT3e1yPX00VVloJIMEk8mFqbWy0gTP Pmi+lLRIKxhEHR0TnlVbDs4z8QdoM8hQOJ3AWwcY6kCexUfQiYGk+CXDSRm8XHdieA5TDFJkkANH JPZbT8URqPghub9ndW70LbG+55dSA9zNjf0e2pwe6yy57/Tq9uyv+dtenxgDIDun3zWjljBrLXe6 PpBztrw1or/n3ulm3Yzc39J9D/riHX0+uwNe0loc3cG2NNVkTpNV/pubv+kz+QrVtfWX+mDhuNTb q7sxhJtL+chuIwse119GDS30vV9T0szrV/qXbMX7YtSuvIsrbba11T7PeajMtB9zWWan9Iz6Fimn hhEWNfqgZ5Dcj6OMOntbq2CREkFrhr/KZubu096cYjY4jTstk4z3awTHxKg/FkaAz2UExVkfYkZr 3LkNxGkj2n4ccoN+D74cYEaA695Wu+kgxq2NFAU736t04mOyrXRXe4d3AyMcVPZZWwH02kHSZH57 e3ud++m9LH/ep4ng8/6X+t/4ItjJxWg66eLvJZ/2Vv8Aon/T3d/vT7X+56X/0Oj+smbdR9Xc7Ix3 2Y91fobLGEse3ddSx+17Tu+g/auYsz/rFh9Mwet19WvfVmPuYym17nAOpc9n6Vl7rGXVW+k/8z2L ovrbH/NfqA1MfZ5J/wDDFK4zJ6RfR9Xen9cdketRkX2UNw3hxbWQ66dnv2urv+yu9fZ6Kpcv8n1L r4DERoiNHJXqHFxfq/k/qu79YusdWv6x0urBybcJnUsPEeKq7HtY2zIe9subWfzdzf5a0LOm/Wbp PTeqZef1R+QGYjxSGWXbm2hzP01frBuz2bm72OWB9ZL3dW6v0W2mMZ3UMLCDQwaVOsutr/RBp3ba bP5va5dBl/V7P6L9XeuuyupW9RF+NDPUbY3YWF25zTddkfzm9SHwqlpmIRxR0F1cDHikfX++5/Tf rBm2/V/q2Pbk2uzcdjb8bIL3G0Mc+uq5gt+k30Xbf/YhdP8AVq23J6Fg35L3XXPrcX22OLnOPqWN 9zne76LV5pdhW4nTsDqLHE09TryKrI7PrtfS+r+pdS2iz+xYvRvqiQfqx03T/BO4/wCMtTM3y7dQ nm+D2iYADiy3p0qEoSj/AI0HK671DOo+uXT8SnKtqxrDh76GWOax2+0ss3VNO13qN+miDOzv/HDO C7Kt+yC0zjeo70w0YvrfzM7Nu79Isr641Nyvrlh4TzDMqvEpc4fSb6lj6/UZz7mbkPpvS29L+vrO m1Pdcyp1ra7HgbyX4dtnv2+3d+k2p8RoPouhwe1dDi+7zFV/45xMq87rnXR1Pqdefbi19Pq+0tx6 7HsbsPqOZTX6L62sc2ql36V+/fYj5fX+q5H1Uovbk2VZdGf9mtyK3Fj7GCl97PU9Pbu+k1v/AFve qv1PrDfq/wDWKdZ6eyf8zKVYsI+qT3DQftVoHxGK/d/1SPZsmIMzEwiBiyYxAAaxjPH6o23Luo/W Doo6fnZOc/NxuoUNyPQscXNLDsfbQ/1d+21rLGbLqkbKs69l/WvL6Th9QuxmuueKGi14Y1rK/W27 Kv6v5qbH+rXW+rU9Pt6lkVDpzaKm0w6bG45DXMprqrqrb6tjNjfUuf8A9ubFWysHJ6l9eMvDpyX4 Vlt9uy+sOJbsq9Q6Vvqf7mt9P+cTQYGRquIb91vHjsn0nJDHkM5Rj6B6o+3xR/S4IvR4nTeqYWJf X1XMOba97X0ucbHFrA0tfX+nDXN9R37ihuo/cZ/mqxhdKyOm4BxcrKfnWOtdYMi1r2kBzWM9Meq+ 53s2bvp/4RR9J3gfu/8AA1Q4z94uxX71en5f3Wpxji4uIfN83D6e382//9HrerdOPVun5PTQ8Uev 6Y9XabAPTsZfOwOr9u2v/SLnG/UavMa2mv6wV5NGOSRRSz1BVvP6R1dLcuyuh1jvz/T+mr31zy7M b6tbankjJsposIkEtDH3WNE/vuoZv/4NVel/VfJx+o9B6t02ksxm4tV3Usj1BO97HWZDPSe71Ntl b9mylnpKhgEuD5qsnhdOBlHGT7nBZJiDGNcUY/vy+X91P1r6o4efmYdVXVKsB+Ni1YmPiWBr7iKi 91drdt+PZvf6m721p8L6lvxzl49/W/Wfm4tmKKbGODgbCxwt9K7Je5+30Xfmrl8fDxeofV3qvV82 bc1mTjxcSf8ADOb68t+i5z/V/wDSa18a85f1o+rOXaS+63Dxi97tSXN+2VOsc93uc5/pqUA6epfL HMRMRksQ4r9MfmhH3dHdu+q2L/zYp+rl+bWLq7Ddj5Tmhp3m11nsxnW737mXWY385/hFpdJwqui9 Jxem3ZDH+g1zW3OioPlzrfayx5+j6n7y5365bR9Zvq/uEneyJA0/WalD/GgyaenyA4+tkRIB7VeK aQZcIJ0IssAxyn7cTPTKZZDp8so8TqZv1cq6t9Y8Tq9WfUHYn2dxxmAWlwx3+r/OV2/o987f5tSp 6DiXfW9/XsfqtNrmP9V+DXtc4D0vsZ32MuP9b+aXPZQ+qGN0LqmR9V32G14oxMmwmwEVX2+5jfXb X/OtosY5T6V9VMuPq31XpFBG9rbepXixrYa97N22t7t39FdkU7KWe9ifEV1J7fRdRETeQw0OGIlC MdOHjlGf95PlfUmoX2npfWqMfCySZx3v4YXep6G6m0NyKWO/mvUWlk/VLBv6Hj9Dxuo1stFxyn3k Nsda51b6y5mOy1uxnpn2bXfzVSwOpfVjoWP9c8Do9VBGFksrNjC9xdLvX3RY79Iz+ZrRbKsbpX1/ pbjM214GIfRadYazCvfq4+56O+zIZZCIiOYmoHNG4xj8npjxf1nr8ZmPiUYnSn5NT78WiqgVlzW2 PLGhu5uPvdb79u9c/wBT+pZzuqZWZX1YY1uTYbfRFZNjBAGmzIrt+h/JXMMwsS36pW9XsD3Z56i2 o3vcS4h1TLn7 СКАЧАТЬ