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Back The Ringmaster Save as PDF
Chapters (73)
  1. Cover
  2. The Ringmaster
  3. Contents
  4. Prologue
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. 49
  54. 50
  55. 51
  56. 52
  57. 53
  58. 54
  59. 55
  60. 56
  61. 57
  62. 58
  63. 59
  64. 60
  65. 61
  66. 62
  67. 63
  68. 64
  69. 65
  70. 66
  71. Epilogue
  72. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  73. Copyright

‘Why thank you, kind sir,’ Maggie replied. I could only guess at the theatrics, as I wasn’t going to grace it with a glance.

‘Always a pleasure,’ he said and then I heard the gentle chuckling recede.

I turned back to see Maggie looking at me with the kind of amused expression that made you want to forcibly wipe it off.

‘That was entertaining, I didn’t know they provided a floor show here.’

‘Ah, shut ya face.’ I took a slug of what was left of my wine, and then headed off to the bathroom.

38

The cellphone rang while I was back, once again, in the Sanctum’s bathrooms, trying to blot with wet toilet paper the wine spilled on my top, but succeeding only in leaving a little white paper trail where I’d dabbed, in turn, drawing more attention to my chest.

‘Hello?’

‘Samantha? It’s Mum.’

Oh, crap. With everything that had been happening, I’d forgotten to ring the olds and let them know what was going on. After the Mataura fiasco, and associated ladled-on guilt, I had promised to call more often and keep them in the loop, especially when things got interesting. They must have seen the news, figured out it was me and Mum was ringing to give me one of her little speeches again.

‘Hi, Mum. Gosh, I was just about to ring you guys.’ I cringed and slapped my forehead as I realised it was 11 p.m. and no sane person would be ringing their parents at that hour. There was a long pause and I braced myself for the onslaught.

‘Sam, it’s about your Dad.’ The cold knot re-formed in the pit of my stomach.

‘What’s happened?’

‘It looks like he’ll be okay, but he’s had a bit of a turn. We’re at the hospital in Invercargill.’ My mind sprinted through all the options to get myself down there. After three glasses of wine, driving was out of the question, even though the call had sobered me up in an instant. I was sure to be legally under the limit, but I knew my liver’s tolerances, and I wouldn’t be safe behind the wheel. I could get someone to take me. But who? Maggie had been drinking as well and, like me, always erred on the side of caution. It was a two-and-a-half to three-hour drive and a big ask to impose on a friend. There wouldn’t be any buses or flights until the morning.

‘I’ll try and get there as soon as I can,’ I said, my brain still calculating the logistics.