Go to the police … Go to the police …
On and on they rang. Theo shook his head. Try as he might, he couldn’t get over the feeling that he was being really, really stupid. Here he was in the park at five minutes to seven – and all alone … How much longer should he wait? It looked like Angela wasn’t coming. Maybe she never had any intention of turning up. Maybe she’d just send her brother and his friends … And what if Tom and the others did turn up? Theo wouldn’t know any of them from Adam. He could easily end up in the same predicament as Ricky before he had time to blink.
Theo checked his position again. He should be safe where he was. He was crouched down behind an oak tree on a slope leading down to the fenced-off stream. At the first sign of anything suspicious he’d leg it down the slope, hop over the fence and he’d race down the shallow stream towards the woods. He’d move so fast, Tom and his friends wouldn’t see him for the water spray!
Theo frowned down at his watch. He’d give her until a quarter past seven. After that … Hang on! That man over there … Could he be Angela’s brother? They looked quite similar. Theo crouched even lower. Had she betrayed him?
‘Come on, Angela,’ he muttered.
Where was she?
As if the thought summoned the person, Angela turned into the park and started walking down the path towards the children’s playground. Theo froze. He didn’t dare risk showing himself. Not until he knew she had come alone. He looked around again to see if anyone was watching her or acting suspiciously. There were plenty of people in the park, children and adults. It was hard to tell who was with whom.
Angela was getting closer … In a couple of minutes she would draw level with his hidden position behind the tree. Theo stood up slowly, careful to still keep himself hidden. A tall, slim man with dark hair and wearing a T-shirt and faded jeans turned into the park and immediately raced towards Angela. The man called out to her and she spun around. The moment she saw him, they launched into a fierce argument. Theo was too far away to hear all they were saying but they were obviously both very angry. Theo moved further into the shadow of the tree.
‘Gotcha!’ A vice-like hand descended on Theo’s shoulder, the fingers digging into his flesh like talons.
Theo jumped out of his skin. He turned and the world was filled with the bearded face of a stranger. A stranger whose eyes burned into Theo with angry satisfaction. Theo’s whole body felt like it was being held together with paperclips. Only the stranger’s hand on his shoulder kept him upright and on his feet. He’d been set up. Angela had betrayed him …
‘What d’you think you’re doing – skulking about, hiding behind trees? I’ve been watching you. I want to know what you’re up to.’
Theo hardly heard a word. The only sound in the world was that of his heart racing at light speed. The only sight was the stranger’s angry glare. Theo felt the stranger’s moist breath whisper over his face. It smelled of fresh coffee and stale cigarettes. Theo opened and closed his mouth like a fish out of water. The stranger drew back slightly and frowned.
‘Are you all right?’ he asked.
Slowly the world stopped crazily rocking. Theo blinked, then blinked again.
The stranger’s words replayed in his mind. Theo took in more of the stranger’s appearance now. He was the parkkeeper! It wasn’t just his uniform that gave it away – the badge on his lapel which said PARKKEEPER was another big clue!
‘What’s the matter? Are you ill?’ asked the parkkeeper.
Theo nodded. It wasn’t a lie. The churning in his stomach was only just beginning to slow down.
‘What’re you doing?’ asked the parkkeeper.
‘Waiting for someone,’ breathed Theo. He shrugged out of the parkkeeper’s grasp.
‘What were you going to do? Leap out at them?’
Theo didn’t answer. The parkkeeper took a step back.
‘Look, are you OK? I didn’t mean to scare you. I thought you were one of those yobbo boys who’s been jumping out at people from behind trees – upsetting people, scaring them half to death,’ the parkkeeper sniffed indignantly.
‘Well, I wasn’t doing that,’ said Theo. ‘You’re the one who frightened me.’
‘Hhmm! Well, I’ll let you off – this once,’ said the parkkeeper.
‘You can’t let me off if I wasn’t doing anything in the first place,’ Theo pointed out.
The parkkeeper was in the wrong but he couldn’t bring himself to apologize to a kid. He was a typical grown-up, Theo fumed.
‘Just watch yourself,’ said the parkkeeper.
And off he marched. Theo glared after him. Then he remembered. Angela! Theo turned around. Angela and the man she’d been arguing with had gone …
Chapter Thirteen
The No-show
THEO PUSHED AGAINST the front door. It closed with a click that had him holding his breath. It was almost eight. He was meant to be home by seven at the very latest. So much for all his plans. So much for finding out where Ricky was being held and devising a plan to rescue him. Theo’s head was spinning. He just wanted to lie down for a while, clear his head and think about what he should do next. Anxiously, he looked towards the living room. Nothing. Theo tiptoed to the stairs, then stopped. What should he do now? Tiptoe or charge? The stairs creaked horribly. If he tiptoed he was bound to get caught. But he’d get caught for sure if he charged. Theo sighed. He was going to get caught, no matter how he went up the stairs, so he might as well get it over with. Theo started walking upstairs normally. Charging required too much energy and tiptoeing required too much effort. He’d barely got his foot on the third stair when his mum and dad flew out of the living room.
‘Where on earth have you been?’ Dad raged.
‘I went to the park,’ Theo said.
‘Until nearly nine o’clock? We were worried sick.’
Theo glanced down at his watch. It was five to eight not ‘nearly nine’, but Theo prudently decided not to argue.
‘Sorry …’ he began.
‘Sorry! Sorry! Is that all you have to say?’ Mum asked.
‘I didn’t realize it was so late.’ Theo tried to explain.
He got no further. A policeman with wispy brown hair and a short, neat beard came out of the living room. Theo stared. What had happened? Why was the policeman here?
‘As I was saying, Mr and Mrs Mosley, when children disappear, nine times out of ten there’s a perfectly reasonable, logical explanation!’ said the policeman.
‘I’m sorry. We seem to have wasted your time,’ Dad said grittily.
‘No trouble. I’m just glad Theo turned up safe and sound,’ said the policeman.
Theo’s breath caught in his throat. The policeman was there because of him.
Dad escorted the policeman to the front door.
‘I’ll radio it in that your son has been found,’ the policeman said.
‘Yes. Thank you,’ said Dad. ‘I’m sorry you were called out unnecessarily.’
‘That’s OK. Good night.’ The policeman opened the door and cast Theo a sympathetic glance before shutting the door behind him. Theo looked at his mum and dad. They glared back at him. It was like standing at the edge of an erupting volcano. Theo’s whole body was burning up.
‘Where’s your watch?’ Dad asked, his dark eyes glinting like chips of granite.
Reluctantly, Theo held out his left wrist.
‘You had your watch on and you didn’t know what time it was?’ said Dad.
‘I … I didn’t look at it,’ Theo replied.
‘Theo, how could you be so thoughtless?’ Mum asked. ‘Ricky’s disappeared and you’ve seen what his mum is going through. How could you put us through the same thing?’
Mum’s voice was quiet and sad. Somehow that was worse than her yelling at him.
‘What were you doing in the park?’ Dad asked.
‘I … I was just thinking. I was trying to help Ricky.’ And that was the truth, even if it wasn’t the whole truth.
&nbs
p; ‘Trying to help Ricky – how?’ said Dad.
Theo struggled to find the right words. What was he supposed to say? I went to meet a girl in my class called Angela, because her brother is holding Ricky against his will, only she disappeared before I had the chance to speak to her. Maybe that’s exactly what he should say. Get it all out into the open. He had to think of Ricky.
Just as Theo opened his mouth, the phone rang. Still frowning at Theo, Dad walked across the hall to answer it.
‘Hello?’
Dad’s frown deepened as he listened. Theo took a step down the stairs. Was it something about Ricky?
‘I’m afraid he’s busy at the moment … It is rather late to be phoning my son …’ Dad said tersely.
Theo stepped forward again. He instinctively knew who was at the other end of the phone.
‘It’s someone called Angela. This is the third time she’s called in five minutes. She says it’s important,’ Dad said.
Theo stepped forward, reaching out for the receiver.
‘We want to see you when you’ve finished,’ Dad said, before handing it over.
Theo waited until his mum and dad went back into the living room before lifting the receiver to his ear.
‘What happened?’ Theo hissed.
‘I tried to sneak out but Tom came after me.’ Angela’s voice was so low that Theo had to strain to hear it. ‘He insisted on taking me home.’
Theo checked. His mum and dad weren’t listening. Even so, he turned his back to the living room and lowered his voice.
‘What about Ricky? D’you know where he is?’
There was a noticeable pause before Angela answered.
‘No. I don’t know where he is now, but I do know where he’ll be tomorrow night. With your help, we can get him away from Robbie and no one will get hurt.’
Theo took a quick glance around to make sure that he was still alone.
‘Why should I believe you? Why don’t I just tell Mum and Dad what I already know about you and your brother and Robbie and all the others?’
‘Because you don’t have any proof,’ Angela replied immediately. ‘Because it’d be my word against yours. And the moment another grown-up gets involved, you’d never see Ricky alive again – Robbie will make sure of that. Is that what you want?’
Theo clenched his free hand, totally frustrated that he could do nothing else.
‘A-Are you still there?’ The quiver in Angela’s voice revealed that she wasn’t quite as in control as Theo had first thought.
‘Yes, I’m still here,’ Theo replied. ‘So where will Ricky be tomorrow night?’
‘I’ll tell you when I see you,’ Angela said at last. ‘I’ll meet you outside the park at the main entrance.’
Theo understood at once. What he didn’t know, he couldn’t tell anyone else.
‘But you’ll really help me get Ricky away from your brother’s friends?’ Theo asked.
‘I said so, didn’t I?’ Angela snapped.
‘Then I’ll see you at school tomorrow morning,’ said Theo.
‘After school,’ Angela contradicted.
‘What d’you mean …? Hello?’
The continuous purr of the telephone line was the only answer. Angela had hung up on him.
‘Theo?’
Theo spun around at the sound of his mum’s voice. Had she heard …? No, her expression was still the same as before the phone call. He followed her into the living room.
‘I’m sorry I was late home, Mum and Dad,’ Theo said quickly. ‘I didn’t mean to worry you.’
‘Well, you did,’ said Dad, still not placated.
‘I know. I won’t do it again,’ Theo said. ‘I promise.’
‘Hhmm! I want you home straight after school every night this week. Is that clear?’ said Mum.
But Theo was meant to meet Angela after school the next day …
‘Theo, answer your mother,’ Dad ordered.
‘It’s clear,’ Theo mumbled, his fingers discreetly crossed at his sides.
‘D’you want something to eat?’ Mum asked reluctantly. She was still angry with him but she was always, always worried that he hadn’t eaten enough – no matter what time of the day or night!
Theo shook his head.
‘… the hunt for Richard Burridge. This report from Julia Bartless.’
Instantly all eyes turned towards the TV screen. The image switched from the newscaster to a black woman reporter. Theo’s mouth dropped open. He pointed at the block of flats behind the reporter.
‘That’s …’
‘I’m standing outside the flats where Ricky Burridge lives with his mother,’ the reporter began. ‘Ricky, aged twelve, disappeared three days ago.’
Ricky’s photograph filled the screen.
‘Police are very concerned about Ricky and are mounting a house-to-house investigation in the area, but they admit that hope and time are running out,’ the reporter concluded.
The newsreader in the news studio appeared again on the left-hand side of the TV screen with the reporter on the right. The newsreader asked the reporter, ‘Have you had a chance to speak to Ricky’s mother yet?’
Julia Bartless shook her head. ‘Mrs Burridge was too upset to speak to us and is currently being comforted by relatives.’
‘Do the police have any clues at all?’ asked the newscaster.
‘Not as yet, but as one policewoman told me, they’re going to intensify their search until Ricky is found.’
Theo’s stomach churned. His blood roared throughout his body. It was horrible – worse than horrible. Ricky’s mum had to be going through hell. Theo remembered what she’d looked like on Friday morning and now more days had gone past. Theo’s mum came over to him and put an arm around his shoulders.
‘Your dad and I can’t watch you every single second of the day so we just have to trust you to be careful and sensible,’ she said.
Theo nodded, searching desperately for something to say.
‘Ricky will turn up all right, I know he will,’ he said at last.
Mum smiled faintly.
‘Let’s hope so, Theo,’ Dad sighed. ‘Let’s hope so.’
And in that moment, Theo’s mind was made up. He was going to meet Angela after school tomorrow and deal with the consequences afterwards.
But later, as Theo cleaned his teeth, he couldn’t get a phrase out of his head. It kept repeating like a song he couldn’t get out of his mind.
Fools rush in …
Chapter Fourteen
The Escape
22:55 hrs Monday, 19th May
I HATE HIM. HATE, HATE, HATE him! When I got home from school today, they were all in our house. I’d barely got my key out of the front door when Robbie said he was going to lock me in my room. And Tom let him. Tom looked down at the ground, at the walls, at his shoes – anywhere but at me. Scott and Dylan didn’t say a word either. No one stuck up for me. There was no one on my side. Tom asked Robbie if locking me in my room was ‘really necessary’.
Really necessary! I think it’s just as well I didn’t tell Tom about Theo and what happened at school today. He’d have run straight to Robbie. It’s as if he’s afraid to think for himself unless Robbie tells him when and how.
I told Robbie I was meant to be meeting someone in the park. D’you know what he said?
‘Tough! You’ll stay in and do as you’re told.’
And then he had the extra nerve to tell me that I couldn’t go to school tomorrow.
‘We’ve got something lined up for tomorrow evening and we can’t risk anything or anyone lousing it up for us,’ he told me.
‘How does my going to school louse things up for you?’ I asked.
‘You’re not going to school tomorrow and that’s final,’ Robbie replied.
And all the time, Tom said nothing. I was so furious I threw a tantrum on the bed and beat up my pillow. How could Tom let Robbie do that to me? How could he?
I racked my brains all evening to think of
some way of getting out of my room without any of them downstairs finding out. I finally had to sneak out of my bedroom window, across the flat roof and down the drainpipe. I was positive that at any moment, I’d feel Robbie’s fingers digging into my arms.
I HATE HIM!
I scraped practically all the skin off my knees and there’s hardly any left on the palms of my hands either. But I got out. Only, Tom caught up with me in the park before I’d a chance to talk to Theo. Tom was furious. And he said that Scott and especially Robbie were spitting nails! I just hope Theo didn’t see us. Theo doesn’t trust me as it is. Goodness only knows what he would’ve thought if he saw Tom with me. I had to beg Tom to at least let me phone my friend to let him know why I didn’t show up. I refused to budge until he agreed.
When we got home, you should’ve heard Robbie’s language. I’m surprised the air around his head didn’t turn bright blue. Tom hustled me straight to my bedroom, even though Robbie wanted to question me. For once Tom stood up for me. That happens so rarely – no wonder I’m writing it in my diary.
Tom sneaked me the telephone directory and let me use his mobile phone. I got through half the Mosleys in the book before I reached Theo’s house. I think I got to him just in time. I hope I managed to convince him not to do anything stupid.
When the other sharks had left, Tom tried to tell me not to worry. I asked him what was going on.
‘Nothing that concerns you. But after tomorrow we’ll be on easy street. We’ll have money enough to last us the rest of our lives. I’ll be able to look after you properly, without social workers sticking their noses into our business every five seconds.’
My heart sank at that.
‘Tom, I don’t know what you’re up to, but whatever it is that Robbie wants you to do, don’t do it. You’re going to get into trouble. I can feel it.’
‘Don’t talk wet,’ Tom laughed.
‘What about Ricky?’ I asked. I could feel the tears pricking at my eyes then.
‘I don’t want to talk about … about the boy,’ Tom said icily. ‘After tomorrow he’ll be fine.’
‘But how d’you know that? How d’you know …?’