by Fiona Foden
“Instead of mooring at the bank, we’ll tie up against another boat. I’ll get as close as possible to the green one, OK? That’s Bella’s. Take the rope, then jump on to her and tie it around the railing as quickly as you can.”
“Sure,” he says. He grabs the rope and is poised, ready to jump. “Just tell me when…”
“Josie?” comes Tyler’s voice from across the water. “What are you doing here?”
Right now, I’m concentrating so hard on guiding Promise in gently alongside Tarragon, I can’t even reply. “Jump!” I yell at Leon.
We’re beside Bella’s boat now, and Leon leaps on to her, quickly tying us up to the railing which runs the length of her gleaming deck. I switch off the engine and breathe out a huge gasp of air. “We’ve done it!” I exclaim.
Leon’s back beside me now, looking impressed. “That was tricky,” he says with a grin.
I’m about to say it was nothing really, because I’ve been handling Promise for as long as I can remember, when Tyler shouts again from his boat. “Josie? What’s going on?”
I throw open my arms as if to say, Where do I start?
“That’s the boat we saw in the yard!” Maggie calls across the water. “It’s not Promise, is it, Josie?”
“Yes, it is,” I yell back.
“We thought it was! But her name—”
“Long story,” I reply with an unsteady smile. I turn to look at Leon, knowing we’ll soon be besieged by boaters, all demanding to hear the whole story. Then, in the distance, I see a girl with her blonde hair in tiny plaits striding along the riverbank. And she’s not alone. “It’s Bella!” I cry. “Leon, look – that’s Bella, and she’s got Murphy with her!”
My best friend stops suddenly at the sound of my voice, then her mouth falls open and a huge grin crashes like a wave across her face. “Josie!” she yells. “What are you doing here? What have you done?”
“You won’t believe it,” I say, vaguely aware of other boaters making their way towards us, obviously desperate to know why I’ve turned up out of the blue, on a boat called Lily-May, with a boy they’ve never seen before. Murphy has seen me too, and pulls away from Bella so suddenly, his lead flies out of her hand. She lets out a cry and charges after him, but he’s running as fast as his little terrier legs can take him, along the path towards Tarragon. Leon turns to me and laughs. “He’s cute. No wonder you’ve missed him.”
“I really have,” I say as Murphy pelts along the riverbank, tongue out, eyes flashing in the sun.
He leaps on board, tail wagging madly as he sprints across Bella’s deck. “Murphy!” I yell. “Come here, boy—” And now he’s jumped across the small gap between Tarragon and Promise – but instead of hurtling straight into my arms, he slips on the deck, his feet scrabbling frantically as he tries to regain his balance. I try to grab him but he kind of spins, slipping off the edge with his lead still on and landing in the river with a yelp and a splash. “Murphy!” I yell, stretching down as far as I can to reach him.
“Oh my God,” Bella cries, jumping on to her boat and hurrying towards us. At first I’m not too worried – Murphy’s a good swimmer – but then I realize that something’s wrong. Although his face is just about out of the water, he’s struggling like crazy and spluttering mouthfuls of river. “Murphy, swim!” I cry, turning to Leon. “I don’t know what’s wrong with him – he can swim really well normally …” I’m aware of urgent voices as other boaters approach, all shouting, telling me what to do. But they all blur into one as Murphy’s head disappears under the water.
I plunge into the river and look around frantically, hoping to glimpse a flash of wet brown fur or a blue plaited lead. There’s a splash as Leon jumps in too. “Murphy!” I scream.
“Can’t you see him?” asks Bella, her face distraught as she peers down at us.
“No,” I shout back, “we’ve churned up all the mud at the bottom so I can’t see anything…”
She leaps in too, calling Murphy’s name as she sweeps her hands through the water.
“Maybe he’s gone under the boat,” Leon suggests, ducking down, but coming up with nothing more than a desolate look on his face. The river is especially deep here. While Leon is tall enough to stand up, Bella and I are having to tread water to keep afloat. A strangled sob escapes from my mouth as Tyler jumps in beside me.
Four of us are flailing about in the river now, while Maggie, Phil, and Tyler’s dad all shout instructions and encouragement from the riverbank. Then, above all of those voices, one rings out the clearest: “He’s here!”
I turn to Leon. “You’ve found him? Is he—”
“Look,” he says, lifting up my sodden, trembling dog, who’s making the strangest spluttering noise I’ve ever heard.
“Murphy!” Bella and I cry in unison.
I swim through the water towards Leon. “Is he breathing? Is he OK?”
“I don’t know … he was right under the water. His lead must have got tangled up in something.” Holding Murphy high above the water, Leon wades to the bank.
“Here,” Tyler’s dad says, “pass him up to me.” Murphy lets out a small yelp of pain as Leon hands him over. I’m trembling as I scramble out of the water, and Bella is ghostly pale.
“Oh, you poor loves,” Maggie exclaims as I reach out to take Murphy from Tyler’s dad.
“Maybe he’s just in shock,” someone murmurs.
“Is he all right?” Bella asks, shivering at my side.
“I don’t know,” I whisper, looking around at the distraught faces as everyone gathers around. All I do know is that, if I hadn’t decided to take Promise, none of this would have happened…
Hot tears stream down my face as I look down at my Murphy, a limp, wet bundle in my arms.
“What’s going on?” It’s Charlie’s voice I hear first, then Kate’s, as they’re told by too many people, all in a rush, what’s just happened. Someone calls the local vet on their mobile. Bella, Leon, Tyler and I are all lined up on the long wooden bench in Tarragon’s living area, wet-haired and wrapped in an assortment of brightly coloured blankets. Maggie has clicked into looking-after-everyone mode and is busy making tea. Murphy, who’s tucked into a blanket nest of his own on my lap, isn’t doing much. While he’s still breathing at least, I can tell something is very wrong.
“The vet will be able to help him, love,” Maggie says, giving him a concerned look.
“Yes, I know,” I murmur, glancing up as Charlie hurries down the steps, laden with bags of shopping, followed by Kate.
“Josie, are you all right?” Kate cries.
I nod. “Look at Murphy. I don’t know what’s wrong with him…”
Crouching down beside me, Kate gently lifts my dog from my lap and on to a cushion on the floor. Leon’s hand grips mine as Murphy just lies there, making a feeble attempt to lick a front leg.
“I think he might have broken something,” Charlie says.
“The vet’s expecting him now,” adds Kate.
“But how…?” I start, my eyes welling up again as I look at Leon.
“I’ll take him,” Charlie says firmly. “You lot need to put on some dry clothes.”
“Bella has plenty of things you can wear,” Kate cuts in. “Tyler, I think you should go home and get changed, and, er…” She glances quizzically at Leon.
“This is my friend Leon,” I murmur.
Kate smiles. “I’m sure we can find you some dry things for you too.”
“Oh, I’m OK,” he protests with a shake of his head.
“No you’re not,” Kate says firmly. “I know it’s summer, but you’re not sitting around soaking wet – you’ll catch a chill.”
“Charlie,” I say, “I want to come to the vet’s with you. I need to be with Murphy.”
He places a hand on my arm. “No, you stay here and get warmed up. Tell Kate ever
ything that’s happened. All we’ve had so far is a load of confused gabbling out there…” He nods towards the window. Out on the riverbank, a few of the boaters are still standing together in clusters, discussing the afternoon’s events. And to think, we used to say that nothing ever happened around here…
Reluctantly, I hand Murphy, still wrapped in a blanket, to Charlie. He gives me a reassuring smile before carrying my dog up the steps and on to dry land. Moments later, I hear his rattly truck starting up and driving away. “I’d better go,” Tyler says reluctantly, getting up from the bench. “Good luck with everything, Josie.”
I muster a weak smile. “Thanks.”
Squeezing on to the bench beside me, Kate puts an arm around my shoulders. “So, tell me everything that’s happened…”
I pause, deciding there’s no point in hiding anything from her. So I tell her about Leon and me and our mission, how we were nearly discovered hiding in the cabin on Promise, and how I decided there was only one thing we could do – to bring my boat home.
“Oh, Josie,” she says, shaking her head.
“It was the right thing to do, though,” Bella insists. “You couldn’t just let Bill McIntyre get away with what he did.”
“OK, Bella,” Kate says, shooting her an annoyed look. I glance at Leon, then drop my gaze to the floor. All of us have pulled off our sodden shoes or sandals, and little puddles of river water have formed on the wooden floorboards.
“You don’t think we should have done it, do you?” I ask Kate as Maggie hands around more mugs of sweet tea.
“No,” Kate says firmly. “No, I don’t. I can understand why you did – I can only imagine how furious you were when you found out what that man had done. But, you have to understand, you just can’t take things into your own hands like that.” She fixes me with a concerned gaze.
“I know,” I mutter.
She frowns and glances at Leon. “Whose idea was this, anyway?”
“Mine,” I say quickly. “Honestly – Leon just wanted to come with me.”
“Well,” Kate says, “that man could have attacked you or anything. Can you imagine the kind of situation the two of you could’ve found yourselves in? And what your mum will say when she finds out?” Her expression softens as she wipes a tendril of wet hair from my face.
“I should call her,” I say glumly, fishing my phone from my pocket. But of course, it’s waterlogged. No sign of life at all. “I guess yours is broken too,” I add, looking at Leon.
He takes it from the pocket of his drenched jeans, along with his small black leather wallet and Swiss Army knife. “Yeah, but it might dry out,” he says with a shrug.
“I don’t hold out much hope,” Kate says briskly, jumping up from the bench. “Girls – go and get changed in Bella’s cabin. Leon, you can use mine and Charlie’s – it’s opposite Bella’s. If you look in the wooden trunk, you’ll find some T-shirts and shorts of my husband’s. Can’t promise they’ll fit you or be your style, but now’s not the time to worry about that.”
With a murmured thanks, he does as she says, glancing back at me with a wry smile. “Still,” he says, pushing open the door to Kate and Charlie’s cabin, “at least you’ve got your boat back.”
“Yeah.” I muster a smile, knowing I’ll feel a whole lot better when Charlie comes back from the vet’s.
“I’ll phone your mum, Josie,” Kate calls through as Bella and I start to peel off our wet T-shirts and shorts in her cabin.
“OK,” I reply. I glance at Bella, trying not to think about what Mum’s reaction will be. And, although I try my hardest to listen as Kate makes the call up on Tarragon’s deck, I still can’t make out the words.
“Your mum’s new boss is bringing her here as soon as he can,” Kate announces as Bella and I join her outside.
“You mean Vince?” I glance at Leon, who’s already decked out in Charlie’s huge tie-dyed shorts and an oversized T-shirt in wild psychedelic colours. In any other situation, I’d burst out laughing.
“Yes,” Kate replies, “and I should warn you, Josie – she sounded a bit upset, to say the least.” With that, she disappears back down into the cabin. Soon, delicious spicy smells start to drift up from the kitchen.
As the day starts to cool and the shadows lengthen, Bella, Leon and I stay out on deck. None of us feels like talking much. There’s still no sign of Charlie, and Mum could be ages yet. “She’ll understand when you explain everything,” Bella says firmly.
“Well, I hope so.”
“Of course she will,” Leon adds. Although he throws me a reassuring look, this time, I’m not so sure he’s right.
In the meantime, all we can do is wait.
By the time Mum arrives, looking pale and shocked with Vince and Ryan at her side, any explanations have completely flown out of my head. Her eyes are wide and sore-looking, her mouth tense and down-turned.
“So, Helen,” Kate says quickly, greeting her with a hug, “this is a bit of a … situation, isn’t it?”
“It sure is.” Mum turns to me. “Josie,” she starts, “I know the two of you might have thought you were doing the right thing …”
I inhale deeply, waiting for a massive telling-off.
“… but there’s going to be so much trouble about this,” she goes on, perching on the deck beside me. “You can’t just take a boat like that, even if you believe she’s ours.”
“I know, but—”
“You’ve really messed up this time,” Ryan announces, shaking his head.
I glare at him in silence.
“But…” His mouth curls into a smile. “It’s kind of amazing too. I mean, I’d never have imagined you’d dare to do something like this.”
“This wasn’t a dare, was it?” Mum asks sharply.
“No,” I cry. “I mean, it wasn’t just that. Lily-May really is Promise, can’t you see?”
Her expression softens and she reaches forward to squeeze my hand. “Show me, then.”
I do just that, stepping from Bella’s boat on to Promise’s deck. As the door is still locked, Mum, Ryan and I have to clamber down through the big square hatch. We peer into each cabin in turn, and I’m relieved that I stored my tin away under my bed. Now’s not the time to surprise Mum with that.
She makes her way through to the living area, where the three of us stand speechless for a moment, as if no one quite knows what to do next. “I can’t believe he did that to us,” Mum says softly, sounding all choked up.
“He conned us out of our home,” Ryan adds, putting a protective arm around her shoulders.
“I know,” Mum says, turning to me. “I’m still angry, Josie, but I have to say, you’ve been very brave.”
“Does this mean we’re moving back to the river?” I ask hesitantly. Now it’s a real possibility, I’m not sure I want to, after all.
She shakes her head, causing a tendril of fair hair to escape from its clip. “It’s not that simple, love. Even assuming we can prove this boat is Promise, there’s still my job and the flat, and you’re both enrolled at a new school…”
“There’s my job, too,” Ryan cuts in. “We can’t just give up on everything, can we? What would Vince think if you just left, Mum, after his last chef walked out?”
“Not leaving us, are you?” comes Vince’s deep, throaty voice as, with some difficulty, he manages to squeeze himself down through the hatch.
“No, I’m not saying that,” Mum says quickly.
He smiles kindly, scanning the room, checking out our kitchen and all its perfectly designed cupboards and seats. “Well, I hope not,” he says, “although I can see that this must’ve been a lovely place to live. Like being on holiday all the time, huh?” He chuckles kindly.
“Erm … sort of,” Mum laughs.
“Not so sure about the chemical loo, though,” he adds with a grin. Now Bella and Leon h
ave joined us, too. Our old living room is starting to feel a little crowded.
Vince has sidled up beside me. “I heard about Chantelle and Gemma’s little prank in the restaurant,” he murmurs.
“Did you?” I croak.
He nods. “Your mum told me. I’m really sorry, Josie. I’ve had a stern word with Chantelle, and we’ll make sure you’re not out of pocket.”
“Don’t worry about it, Vince,” Mum says quickly. “You’ve been kind enough to drive me all the way here today. That’s enough—” She stops abruptly, and we all flinch at the sound of an urgent male voice outside.
“Look – there she is!”
“Who’s that?” Vince asks over the sound of an approaching engine.
Leon peers through a window. “There’s a boat coming with two men on it…”
“Quick,” Mum says, “let’s get out.” One by one, we hoist ourselves up through the hatch, and jump from Promise to Tarragon as the boat approaches.
It’s Bill, and another younger man. His son, maybe. Both look furious. “What’ll we do?” I cry.
“I don’t know, Josie…” Mum grips my hand tightly.
“I’ll get him,” Ryan says, clearly trying to sound bolder than he feels.
“No,” Mum snaps. “You’ll only make things worse.”
The air is filled with the whine of their engine and a rich diesel smell. “Pull up alongside the boat behind,” Bill commands from the flimsy-looking motorized dinghy. The younger man expertly guides in the boat, allowing Bill to leap across an ageing navy blue narrowboat and on to the bank, where he quickly secures their rope around a bollard.
Both men storm on to Tarragon and glare at us. “What are you doing?” Kate barks, marching right up to them with a ladle in her hand. “This is my boat. Get off or I’ll call the police.”
“Oh, I don’t think you will,” Bill snaps, pushing past her and stepping on to Promise. “This boat’s mine. I’ve restored her. She was a wreck when you brought her in.”
“Yes,” Mum counters, looking fiercer than I’ve ever seen her, “and you said she was going straight to the scrapyard.”
