"Lee Edgar - The Andromeda Trial" - читать интересную книгу автора (Edgar Lee)

door. As she skipped down the corridor in her short summer dress, a door marked тАЬ Dr J
CarreroтАЭ opened and out came a woman in her early thirties with dusky skin and curly
black hair. тАШYou have-a finished for the day?тАЩ
Cassi slipped her arm round the older womanтАЩs shoulders. тАШItтАЩs our wedding
anniversary. Mike says heтАЩll leave me for another woman if I donтАЩt get home on time
tonight.тАЩ
Juanita laughed. тАШHeтАЩll not do that. He is-a loving you too much.тАЩ
тАШHow has Andi been today?тАЩ
The white-coated biophysicist smirked. тАШWe are-a changing the nappies four times
today.тАЩ She grinned. тАШBut it has been good practice for the students.тАЩ
тАШIтАЩll take her out of your way then.тАЩ Cassi stooped down to pick up her eight-month-
old baby. тАШSo youтАЩve been a naughty girl for Auntie Juanita, have you?тАЩ
The childтАЩs face broke into a grin at the sight of her mother, and baby-speak
commenced in an unbroken chain as Cassi kissed her cheek and forehead.
тАШMike sent you a message on the fax,тАЩ said Juanita. тАШHe says can you pick up Maggie
on the way home?тАЩ
тАШIs he going to be late?тАЩ
тАШI donтАЩt think so.тАЩ She looked at the paper. тАШHe is mentioning something about a
helicopter.тАЩ
тАШHelicopter?тАЩ Cassi frowned. тАШWhat does he need a helicopter for, tonight of all
nights?тАЩ
Juanita shrugged her ignorance.
тАШSet a date with Bob yet?тАЩ asked Cassi as she pulled on AndiтАЩs jacket.
тАШFour weeks. Would Maggie like to be bridesmaid?тАЩ
Cassi thought of her twelve-year-old step-daughter, the only child of MikeтАЩs first
marriage which had ended so tragically. тАШIтАЩm sure she would. Do you want me to ask
her?тАЩ
тАШWould you mind?тАЩ
тАШNot at all.тАШ She looked at her watch. тАШBetter fly. I want to miss the rush hour. The
Rotterdam by-pass is not a good place to be at five oтАЩclock.тАЩ
тАШDonтАЩt forget Maggie,тАЩ Juanita called after her in the corridor. Cassi waved her
acknowledgement and so did Andi.

THE fourtrack pulled into the gathering traffic smoothly and roared down the A15
motorway and into the Oude Maas Tunnel. Two-point-nine litres of turbo-diesel engine
kept Cassi in the fast lane as she headed alongside the disused oil terminals which
once were the life-line for Europoort harbour and the Maas estuary. Now, the area was
one big space port, just two kilometres from the conveniently-situated Hoek van
Holland. In ten minutes, she was pulling off the motorway into Dordrecht where she
collected Maggie from outside the school.
She pulled back out into the stream of traffic. тАШRehearsals go all right?тАЩ
тАШTerrific,тАЩ said the grinning twelve-year-old as they turned under the railway bridge
and drove along the long narrow road toward Mookhoek. тАШWeтАЩve got a dress rehearsal next
Tuesday.тАЩ
тАШLooking forward to the show?тАЩ
тАШIтАЩve got butterflies about it. Sometimes, I wish I hadnтАЩt volunteered.тАЩ
Cassi laughed pleasantly. тАШItтАЩll be all right on the night.тАЩ
After Mookhoek, they turned left beside the stream and then over the bridge just
short of Strijensas. The farm at the end of the somewhat secluded drive, no longer used
for its original purpose, seemed to greet them as they pulled into the yard and parked