Johnny Swanson
Page 17
Now he wanted to go home. After all the bravado and exhilaration that had buoyed him up through the journey so far, Johnny was at last struck by the madness of this whole adventure. He was only a boy. He was in unfamiliar territory, and he didn’t really know what he was looking for. He might meet a murderer: that Welshman on the phone had already threatened him. Why had he ever come up with the idea of trying to investigate Craig-y-Nos on his own? Hutch should never have allowed him to set off in the first place. You could tell that he wasn’t used to looking after children. His mother would never have let him go.
His mother. That was why he was doing it. Johnny might be afraid; he might long to go back to Stambleton; but he knew that if he did, someone else could die. Winnie was in real danger. He was facing a risk – but her fate looked certain. Johnny imagined what would happen if he failed to find Mrs Langford. Although he was staring at columns of figures on the railway timetable, all he could see was the hangman putting a noose round his mother’s neck. He couldn’t get the image out of his mind. He knew he had to carry on.
When the little train came in, Johnny watched to see which carriage the nurses chose and then got into the other one. He was all alone. As the train rattled along, the scenery grew ever greener and more dramatic, with waterfalls gushing down rocky hills. Occasionally Johnny caught a glimpse of a mighty building nestling halfway up the valley. Part of it was made of sparkling glass, the rest of solid brown-grey stone. It had two towers: one tall and pointed with big white clock-faces on every side, and a stout square one with battlements on top, like a castle in a history book. Although it was early afternoon, the winter light was already fading, and the building looked sinister in the gloom. It must be Craig-y-Nos.
Chapter 34
AT CRAIG-Y-NOS
Penwyllt station was high on a windswept hill. There was no sign of the castle now, nor of any people apart from the station master and the group of nurses who had just got off the train. A cart was waiting to take them to Craig-y-Nos. Johnny buttoned up his coat, pulled down the big woolly hat that Hutch had insisted on lending him to keep warm, and followed the cart down the hill. The road twisted in huge loops, and Johnny managed to keep up by running in a straight line, taking short cuts through the bushes, ducking down so that he wouldn’t be seen. He stayed outside the gates of the castle, watching as the cart turned into a courtyard and drew to a halt alongside a fountain in the shape of a golden bird. The driver helped the nurses climb down, and they ran inside, too busy with their bags and their gossip to notice a little boy in the shadows.
Close up, the castle looked friendlier than it had from a distance. As well as the two big towers there were smaller turrets, sloping roofs, and all sorts of outbuildings joined together with walls and arches. The windows were wide, not at all like the arrow-slits Johnny had expected (and even hoped for). They made the place look more like a country house than a fortress. Through the glass, Johnny could see that the rooms had electric lights, and warm fires in the grates. He walked round the outside and looked out across the valley. At the back of the castle the ground fell away steeply, and Johnny could hear rushing water down below. There must be a river at the bottom. It was almost dark now. Nurses were wheeling beds and chairs inside from the gardens. Even in early January they believed in exposing their patients to fresh air whenever they could. The beds seemed rather short. The chairs were small. All at once Johnny realized that Craig-y-Nos was a children’s hospital. He was going to find it easier to blend in than he had expected.
Nevertheless, he was careful. He crouched in a corner of the courtyard, waiting for the nurses’ chatter to die away before risking going inside. He saw a child shuffling along in the shadow of the wall. Like him, she was trying not to be seen, but his eyes were drawn towards her at once because of her shoes. They were far too big for her and the laces were undone, so she couldn’t help making a clattering, dragging noise as she crossed the stone path to a back door. She wore a heavy coat over her pyjamas. That was the wrong size too. Its sleeves hung down past her hands, and the pockets were bulging. Johnny guessed that she’d been up to no good – that she’d borrowed someone else’s clothes to sneak outside from one of the wards, and wouldn’t want to be caught as she found her way back in. He followed several paces behind her, hoping that she would lead the way through parts of the building where no one would spot him either.
He tracked her from one corridor to another, past dormitories and treatment rooms, a laboratory, workshops and a kitchen. Through half-open doors he caught glimpses of nurses busying about their work, and he knew that sooner or later he was bound to be discovered, but he wanted to see as much of the hospital as he could before then, if only so that he could plan his route to make a quick getaway if he had to.
A sudden cry and a crash behind him made him instinctively spin round. Someone had dropped some plates. There was uproar in the kitchen, but the corridor was empty. He was safe. He hadn’t been seen. He turned back again. The girl had been startled by the smash as well, and she too had looked in the direction of the noise. Now she was staring at Johnny through her round glasses.
‘Who are you?’ she asked.
Johnny reached into his pocket for the J. W. Morgan envelope, ready with his explanation.
The girl interrupted: ‘I’ve seen you before somewhere …’
As she spoke, Johnny recognized her too. ‘Olwen?’ he asked. ‘What are you doing here? I’m Johnny. Johnny Swanson. You came to my school in Stambleton. I tried to find you …’
Olwen’s words came out in a rush of excited surprise. ‘You were nice to me there. You were the only one. Have you seen my family? Are they here too? I’ve been so worried. They don’t tell us anything in this place, you know. We might as well be in prison. We’re not allowed letters or anything like that. I’ve been hoping for so long that Mam and Dad would come to get me. Oh, what a relief that you’re here now. There’s nothing wrong with me, you know. My uncle should never have put me in here.’
Johnny was panicking. It was clear that Olwen didn’t know that her parents and sister were dead; even if she’d imagined the worst, she was frantically clinging to the idea that all was well. He knew he would have to tell her what had happened, but he couldn’t find a way to begin. He tried first to explain that he hadn’t come to Craig-y-Nos for her.
‘I didn’t even know you were here,’ he said. ‘I’m looking for someone else. But, Olwen, I have got some news.’
‘About my family? You know how they are?’
‘Yes,’ he said, realizing instantly that he had accidentally given her hope.
‘Are they coming for me? Have they sent you with a message?’
He stuttered something unintelligible, and was saved by the sound of footsteps. Olwen grabbed his arm and tugged him down some stone stairs. ‘In here,’ she whispered urgently, opening the door to a dark windowless room that smelled of antiseptic and damp. It was full of boxes, like Hutch’s stockroom. Dismantled beds and bits and pieces of medical equipment were propped against the walls.
‘No one will find us,’ she said. ‘They’re all too scared to come in. Even some of the nurses think there’s a ghost down here.’ Olwen was giggling. ‘They say it’s where Madame Patti was laid to rest after she died.’ She put on a dramatic voice: ‘They embalmed the body on this very table.’
There was just enough light for Johnny to see Olwen hoisting herself up onto a marble slab in the middle of the room. She sat there with her feet swinging in mid air. ‘Close the door,’ she said. Johnny did, and they were suddenly in total darkness. One of Olwen’s shoes fell off. Johnny gasped in fright.
Olwen laughed. ‘Don’t be silly. There’s nothing to be scared of. I don’t believe in ghosts – and even if they do exist, I think I’d like to meet one. I’d ask what it’s like being dead. Wouldn’t you?’
Johnny was glad Olwen couldn’t see his face in the darkness. He hated hearing her talk so casually about death when he had such bad news for her.
‘Were you running away?’
‘No, though I’d love to if I had anywhere to go. It was my turn to go down to the bins to see if there was any left-over food. I’ve got some stale cake here, and a bit of cheese rind if you want it.’
Johnny could hear her digging into her coat pocket. ‘Stop it, Olwen,’ he said. ‘Be quiet for a minute. This is no time for messing about with cake. I’ve got something serious to say.’
Olwen’s tone changed. ‘Is it the baby? They took her to the sanatorium, you know. Mam promised they would make her better.’
Johnny took a deep breath. Even in the darkness he could tell that Olwen had guessed part of the truth and didn’t dare ask the question that was really on her mind. He forced himself to answer.
‘I’m sorry, Olwen. Your sister died. I know that the doctors did everything in their power, but she was desperately ill. They couldn’t save her.’
He waited for Olwen to ask more. He wanted her to prompt him to talk about her parents, but there was silence. ‘I’m sorry. I’m really sorry,’ he said. He was trying to speak normally, but his voice came out in breathy croaks. Olwen still didn’t say anything, and Johnny knew he had to carry on. He swallowed hard. ‘It’s not just the baby,’ he said. ‘It’s your mother and father.’
‘Have they come to collect me? If the baby’s dead, they don’t need to spend all their time looking after her any more, do they? They can take me home now, can’t they?’
‘No, Olwen. They can’t come.’
‘Are they ill too? Is Dad still bad?’
‘No, it’s not that …’ Johnny could tell he was making a mess of it, taking far too long to break the news, and dangling another moment of false hope. In the end he had to accept that there was no easy way to say it. ‘Oh, Olwen, I’m so sorry. They died too.’
If he’d expected anything, he’d been prepared for tears; but Olwen was suddenly angry. ‘No they’re not. Don’t lie. They’re not,’ she shouted. ‘Someone would have told me.’
Johnny fumbled in the darkness for her hand. ‘Please, Olwen, believe me. It is true. I’ve seen their graves. They both had TB, and they both died in the sanatorium at Emberley. I’m sure someone would have told you if they could, but I don’t think anyone knew where to find you.’
‘But you did.’
‘No I didn’t, Olwen. I tried to tell you before. I came here for another reason. Something really important.’ He knew at once that it was the wrong thing to say.
Olwen snatched her hand away. ‘Really important? How? My family are dead. What could be more important than that?’ She was sniffing now. She must be crying.
‘Important to me, I meant. And to my mother.’ It seemed wrong to be changing the subject, but he wanted to explain. His words started tumbling out. ‘There’s someone here who might be able to save my mother’s life. It’s Mrs Langford. The old doctor’s wife from Stambleton. Do you know her? Is she here? She might be calling herself Mrs Morgan.’
He could tell that Olwen wasn’t really listening. She was sobbing quite loudly now. He wanted to comfort her, but didn’t know how. He fumbled in the dark, trying to put his arm round her, but they both pulled away, startled at the sound of brisk footsteps on the stairs.
‘We’ve been here too long! They’re looking for me,’ Olwen gasped through her tears as she slipped down from the table.
‘Please, don’t say that I’m here,’ Johnny whispered back, fearing Olwen might tell on him in revenge for his bad news. He stumbled into a pile of boxes and curled up behind them, hoping that nothing would show if someone came looking.
The door swung open and the light from the stairway flung a huge silhouette of a nurse across the back wall. The points of her starched headdress looked like horns on an angry bull in the contorted image.
A fierce voice boomed out. ‘Here you are! I might have known. You come out from there, young lady! This time you’ve gone too far!’ Johnny heard Olwen sobbing as the furious nurse dragged her from under the table. ‘I’ve had enough of you and your disobedience. Now stand up and stop that stupid crying!’
Through a gap in the boxes Johnny saw the nurse shaking Olwen, tearing off her overcoat and rummaging through its pockets.
‘What’s this? Cake! Cheese! Have you been thieving again?’
‘No, not stealing. It doesn’t belong to anyone. It’s rubbish.’
‘As if you don’t get enough for nothing! You’d better watch your step, my girl, or you’ll get thrown out. And then where will you be? That uncle of yours doesn’t want you back, you know. If you ask me he’s dumped you here, living off charity. Can’t say that I blame him. Nobody would want you, you nasty, deceitful little madam!’
Johnny wished he could defend Olwen. He wanted to jump out and tell the nurse about Olwen’s parents, and how she’d only just found out that she was all alone in the world. But he had to stay quiet. The nurse wasn’t looking for him, and with luck she wouldn’t spot his hiding place. But it hurt to hear Olwen under attack.
‘I said stop that stupid grizzling!’ The arm of the giant shadow rose and swung. There was the unmistakable sound of flesh striking flesh. ‘Now, what have you got to say for yourself?’
Olwen sobbed and started to speak. ‘It’s my mam and dad. And my sister—’ she began, but the nurse was in no mood to listen.
‘I don’t want excuses. You’ve been here long enough to get over homesickness. Stop that snivelling and tell me where you got this food.’
Olwen was shaking with tears as the nurse slapped at the thin fabric of her pyjamas.
‘You’ve been rooting through the dustbins, haven’t you? You’re just a greedy, stinking animal. No better than a pig.’
Olwen’s next breath, caught up in tears and snot, came out as a noisy snort.
The nurse held the coat in the air. ‘And what about this? It looks like Dr Howell’s. Did you take it from the staff cloakroom? You know you’re not allowed to go in there.’
Olwen sniffed. The nurse picked one shoe up off the floor and wrenched the other from Olwen’s foot.
‘You’re coming with me to take these things back straight away. And since you like delving in dirt so much, you can spend the rest of the day scrubbing the outside toilets. You can start with the boys’. You’ll miss all the fun and games tonight, you nasty, scheming, ungrateful child!’
Olwen tried to speak, then bowed her head and left the room. The nurse followed her and slammed the door behind them, shutting Johnny in the dark again.
Chapter 35
THE THEATRE
Johnny was furious with himself for saying nothing while Olwen was being attacked by the nurse. He made a silent promise that he would try to sort out Olwen’s predicament as soon as he’d completed his own mission. Then he waited until there was no sound from the other side of the door, and crept out into the corridor to search for Mrs Langford.
He could hear the angry nurse again, shouting somewhere in the distance. There were other noises too. He knew that only luck had stopped him being discovered already. After seeing how the nurse had treated Olwen, he doubted whether anyone would give him a chance to explain why he was there. Every time he turned a corner, he dreaded walking into a potential captor. Each creak and footfall was amplified in the part of his mind where terror lived.
Then, all at once, he found himself in a corridor with a dead end. He could hear footsteps: brisk, feminine footsteps, closing in behind him. Someone was coming, and there was no way out. Panicking, he rehearsed his cover story: how he was there to find a Mrs J. W. Morgan – how he had brought her an important message that he had promised to deliver in private and in person. As the clicking of high-heeled shoes grew nearer, he flattened his body against the wall.
Except it wasn’t a wall. He was leaning on a pair of double doors that slow
ly began to give way under the pressure of his back. The footsteps were getting nearer, so he allowed himself to slip through into the dark unknown on the other side.
His eyes started adjusting. He could tell that this was a huge space, like the assembly hall at school. Then the doors opened again, swiftly and deliberately this time, and he squashed himself behind one of them as somebody came in. With the clunk of a heavy switch, there was a blast of light that blinded him for an instant. He blinked, then sneaked a look round the side of the door, trying to keep himself out of sight. With the lights on, the hall was transformed into a glorious theatre. Its blue walls and ivory ceiling were heavy with golden images of angels and harps. The flat curtain across the wide stage was decorated with a gigantic painting of a warrior queen in a chariot pulled through the clouds by two white horses. At first Johnny was stunned; then he remembered what Hutch had told him: a famous opera singer had built a theatre as part of this grand house before it became a sanatorium.
A woman was shuffling between rows and rows of chairs, setting down a sheet of paper on each seat. Johnny recognized her straight away. He had known that upswept hair, the long graceful neck and those elegant movements all his life. It was Marie Langford. He couldn’t believe his luck and ran towards her. ‘Mrs Langford!’ he cried. ‘I’ve found you.’
She looked at him with horror and disbelief. ‘Johnny?’ she gasped. ‘What on earth are you doing here?’
‘I had to find you, Mrs Langford. You must help me. Mrs Langford, it’s awful. They think my mother killed your husband. She’s in prison, Mrs Langford. She might die!’ He hugged her tightly, burying his face in the rough tweed of her suit.