‘Why didn’t you tell me all this before?’
‘I didn’t want Beake to hurt you, Mr Hardy, or my pets.’ Pearlie leant forward and patted Rusty, who had his chin resting on her foot. ‘The thing is, if I don’t move fast, it’ll be too late to have him arrested. I’ve been following him and he’s all packed ready to . . .’
‘You’ve been what? Pearlie! If your suspicions are true, this is a very dangerous man.’
‘I know, but he has to be caught, Mr Hardy, before it’s too late.’
‘There’s nothing you can do about him,’ Old Man Lizard said.
‘Oh but there is. I’ve got a plan, you see. You have to believe me, because you’re part of my plan.’
Old Man Lizard sat back on his fruit box and lifted his hands, palms up.
‘But this is important! Darwin could be destroyed!! You have to –’
‘No, Pearlie. I don’t go out. I don’t see people. You know that. What do people call me? Old Man Lizard, right? Well, if that’s what they think of me, why should I help them? Give me a good reason.’
Pearlie was surprised. She had been so caught up in her quest to catch Beake she never thought that Old Man Lizard would not want to help. But he was right. Why should he? She sighed and her shoulders slumped.
‘No, you’re right,’ she said, and stood up. ‘Don’t worry. I’ll find a way, even if you won’t help me.’
Old Man Lizard chuckled. ‘I said I wouldn’t help them. I never said I wouldn’t help you. You are the only person who’s treated me like a normal human, Pearlie Chan. Tell me what you need me to do and I’ll do my best.’
‘You’ll help? Really?’
‘Better tell me what you want quick-smart before I change my mind,’ he said.
Pearlie was elated. ‘I need you to go to the police and tell them everything I’ve told you. They’ll believe you because you’re an adult. And because you’re Thomas Hardy. Everyone talks about how brave you were when you fought in the last war. Your photograph is hanging in the Don Hotel above the bar. The one of you and your aeroplane.’
Old Man Lizard raised his eyebrows. ‘My picture is hanging above the bar?’
Pearlie nodded and grinned. ‘Yep, in pride of place.’
‘All right, Pearlie. I’ll try. But I’m not so sure they won’t think I’m just crazy Old Man Lizard. And anyway, what are you going to do? Will you be careful?’
She stepped up to Old Man Lizard and hugged him without saying anything. He had his arms by his side as if he didn’t know what to do with them. Then he put one arm around her and patted her stiffly on the back.
The first of the sun’s rays were seeping through the cracks of the shack.
‘I have to go!’ Pearlie said. She grabbed Tinto and put him inside his pouch. ‘Bring the police to Lameroo Beach at six o’clock tonight.’
‘But where are you going, Pearlie?’ Old Man Lizard asked.
‘I’ll see you at Lameroo Beach. And remember, six o’clock. The time is really, really important.’ Pearlie turned and ran out of the hut. She had to go back to the Esplanade to spy on Beake.
PEARLIE went back to Beake’s house. She saw movement – a shadow in one of the windows as she squatted behind a bush across the road. Then a light came on.
But Beake didn’t leave his house all day. Pearlie was relieved. She was exhausted. She slept in bursts, always keeping an ear out. Tinto lay tucked in the crook of her arm, fast asleep. He was exhausted too.
Then, as the afternoon sun sank low in the sky, she heard the front door open.
Beake stood on the top step and looked up and down the street. He had his suitcase in one hand and his smaller bag in the other.
He closed the door and went down the steps and out the gate. She quickly gathered up her things, put Tinto into his pouch and watched as Beake walked up along the Esplanade. Then she followed. When he came to Peel Street, he crossed the road and went down the track towards Lameroo Beach and the beach baths.
Yes! she thought. He is going to radio a message. Everything is just as I planned.
At the top of the track she waited, letting him get as far enough ahead as possible. The last thing she wanted was to run into him on the path.
Close to the bottom of the track, she trod more carefully, making sure not to slip or let any loose stones roll. Then she saw Beake by the changing shed. She quickly backtracked until she was out of sight. Then she scrambled down the rocks on the other side of the shed and dropped down to the beach. The tide was high, the waves almost touching her toes. She could see box jellyfish swimming close to the shore, their poisonous tentacles swaying in the current.
Tinto was growing agitated in his pouch and wanted to get out.
‘Not now,’ Pearlie whispered, bringing Tinto up to her face and holding him still. ‘Be a good boy, please.’
Pearlie leaned on the wall of the changing shed and poked her head carefully around the corner.
Beake was just on the other side, only a short distance away. He had his back to her and was kneeling like last time, unpacking things from his bag. Out came the radio transmitter. Then one of the small notebooks and a pencil. He used the kite as an antenna and strung it through the branches of a tree. After setting it up, he sat down, opened the notebook, and started sending a message.
Beep beeeep bip beep bip bip beeeep.
Pearlie looked up the path. She could only see as far as the bend. She listened out for Old Man Lizard and the police. It must be six o’clock by now, she thought, looking at the setting sun. Where are they? Did Old Man Lizard forget? Was he too scared to go into town?
The messaging seemed to go on for a long time. But then the beeping suddenly stopped. Pearlie crouched there, listening. She could hear Beake packing up!
Oh no. It will soon be too late and Beake will get away. Where are you, Thomas Hardy? Please come. Please come now.
But the precious seconds ticked by and there was still no sign of Old Man Lizard or the police.
In desperation, Pearlie tried to think of a way to stall Beake. She looked down at Tinto. He felt so tiny in her arms. But he was a fighter and he hated Beake as much as she did. Every time he was close to the spy he wanted to attack him. I have to risk it, she thought. It’s the only way. Before lowering Tinto to the ground she hugged and kissed him.
‘I love you, little man,’ she said. ‘Now go get him!’
As soon as she released Tinto, he ran straight around the corner of the shed.
The next thing Pearlie heard were screams and curses. ‘Bloody monkey. Where did you come from? Owww . . . Eeee . . .’
Pearlie watched Tinto as he leapt onto Beake’s back, then onto his head, scratching and biting his face. When Beake tried to grab him, Tinto escaped onto an overhanging branch, then jumped down again onto the spy’s shoulder. He was as fast as a cobra.
Pearlie looked up the track to see if anyone was coming. But there was still no sign of Old Man Lizard, and the beach was empty.
She could see Tinto was tiring. He couldn’t keep this up for much longer. Beake would kill him if someone didn’t arrive soon!
Frantically she looked about for some kind of weapon. At her feet were pieces of driftwood that had washed up onto the beach. Pearlie chose one shaped like a cricket bat and crouched again behind the shed. She whistled for Tinto to come to her, hoping, praying that he would obey.
Then she heard Beake cry out, ‘Come back with that notebook!’
Within moments, Tinto was there at her feet. She waited as Beake’s stumbling footsteps came closer and closer. Then she stepped out and swung the bat with all her might.
Pearlie’s timing was perfect. She hit the spy full-force right in the stomach.
Beake doubled over, winded from the blow, and stumbled forward and past her. Quickly dropping the piece of wood, Pearlie took a step and gave the spy a huge shove. He tripped and fell into the incoming tide face-first.
Worse than the scratches from Tinto’s claws, worse than th
e blow to his stomach, were the box jellyfish tentacles that immediately wrapped around Beake’s arms and legs. He cried out in excruciating pain, floundering to get out of the water.
Then Pearlie heard shouting. A male voice called, ‘Hurry. She’s over here!’
She felt an arm go around her and looked up and into the face of Old Man Lizard.
‘Sorry we’re a bit late,’ he said. ‘You didn’t tell me where the police station was and I got lost.’
Pearlie felt faint. ‘I thought you wouldn’t come. I thought . . .’ She leaned her head against him. It was all too much.
Two policemen dragged Beake onto the sand and laid him down. He was groaning in agony. His face, arms and legs were covered with red lashes from the poisonous box jellyfish barbs.
‘There’s something we gotta do to stop the pain,’ one of the policemen said to Old Man Lizard. ‘You better take the girl away.’
Old Man Lizard grinned as he led Pearlie up the beach.
‘What’s he going to do to him?’ she asked.
‘Well,’ said Old Man Lizard, smiling, ‘they’re peeing on him. It’s supposed to get rid of the pain.’
Pearlie covered her mouth and giggled.
Pearlie showed the policemen Beake’s bag. And the notebook that Tinto had stolen.
‘Blimey,’ one of them said, flipping through the pages. ‘It’s full of codes.’ He looked up at Pearlie. ‘You say this belongs to that man?’
She nodded. ‘His name is Ron Beake and he’s a spy for the Japanese.’ How good she felt saying those words. At last they would believe her. ‘Are you going to arrest him?’
‘You betcha,’ the policeman said, taking a pair of handcuffs off his belt.
Pearlie beamed in triumph. She had waited so long for this moment. Now, at last, Beake was going to get what he deserved.
‘How I wish Nao and Reddy were here to see this. They would be so proud of us, wouldn’t they Tinto?’ she said, hugging her brave little monkey. She rubbed her chin against the top of his head. ‘And now Nao’s dad is in the clear. He won’t be called a spy any more.’
Tinto held onto her finger and squeezed it.
‘I have something that belongs to you,’ Old Man Lizard said. ‘We found it in Beake’s bag.’ He dropped the object into Pearlie’s hand.
‘My bracelet!’ she cried.
Pearlie stood at the bottom of the track watching Beake being taken up on a stretcher to the ambulance. His face was grey with pain but he scowled at her as they passed.
‘Wait,’ she said, catching the stretcher-bearer’s arm. She looked straight into Beake’s cold eyes. ‘What were you doing with my dress?’
Beake frowned. ‘What dress?’
‘The one you stole from my house.’
The spy snarled. ‘I was gonna get a sniffer dog to track you down. Tie up all loose ends.’
Pearlie shivered.
‘Come on,’ Old Man Lizard said. ‘It’s over. You don’t have to worry about him anymore.’
He took Pearlie’s hand and led her away from Beake. Then together they walked up the path.
PEARLIE was so tired she barely heard the words the policemen were saying to her. She yawned and rubbed her eyes.
‘Better get you off to bed,’ Policeman Sandy said. ‘We’ve only got a cell to offer you, just a few planks of wood and a blanket. But it looks to me, my girl, that you’d sleep anywhere right now.’
Pearlie agreed.
Old Man Lizard had taken her to the police station where she was to stay until they found a way of reuniting her with her family in Perth.
‘Mr Hardy,’ Pearlie asked, sleepily, as he turned to leave the cell they had put her up in.
Old Man Lizard stopped.
‘Where did they take Beake?’ She wanted to make extra sure that he was safely locked away. Only then would she be able to sleep soundly.
‘He’s under army guard in the hospital,’ Old Man Lizard replied.
She nodded, satisfied.
‘Why don’t you call me Tom,’ he said.
‘What?’
‘Call me Tom, instead of Mr Hardy.’
‘All right.’ Pearlie smiled. ‘Kiss all the animals goodnight for me . . . Tom,’ she said.
Old Man Lizard stepped up to the bunk and kissed the top of her head.
As soon as he left, Pearlie fell into a deep sleep. She didn’t even feel Tinto snuggle down under the blanket and curl up against her tummy.
It was a long sleep, a winter bear kind of sleep where nightmares stay away.
The next morning Pearlie opened her eyes to see Tinto looking down at her. He had something in his hands. Something that was brown and shiny with wriggling legs.
‘Oh peanuts, Tinto!’ Pearlie cried and grabbed the little monkey before he could run away. She prized the cockroach from his hand. She’d read that cockroaches carried diseases that were deadly to monkeys. She threw the insect out the window and cuddled Tinto, who was protesting angrily.
‘Come on, little man. I’ll get you something nicer to eat than an old cockroach. Then we’re going to see Grey Ears.’ She looked out through the bars of the window at the bright blue sky. ‘It’s going to be a beautiful day, I can tell.’
Policeman Sandy was at the counter when Pearlie came into the front office. When he saw her he grinned. ‘Well, here’s our local hero. Everybody’s talking about Pearlie Chan who caught the spy,’ he said.
Pearlie smiled back shyly. ‘Tinto’s a hero too,’ she said. ‘Do you have some fruit I can give him? He’s very hungry.’
Policeman Sandy leaned over, pulled out his desk drawer and produced a banana.
‘That’s Tinto’s favourite, thanks!’ Pearlie peeled the banana and broke off a piece for Tinto. Then she ate the rest herself. She was starving.
‘I’ll make some enquiries today about your mum and dad,’ Policeman Sandy said. ‘There won’t be any more ships leaving Darwin, so the only way out is by train or truck to the south.’
‘South? But Perth’s in the west,’ Pearlie said, confused.
Policeman Sandy patted Pearlie’s shoulder. ‘We’ll get you to your parents. Don’t you worry about that.’
‘Can Tinto come with me?’
‘I’m sure he can,’ the policeman replied.
Pearlie turned as the door of the police station opened and Hazel walked in. ‘You want to see me, Constable?’ Hazel said. ‘It better be quick cos I’m meeting my boyfriend out of town.’
‘Your boyfriend’s been arrested,’ Policeman Sandy said.
Pearlie looked away, embarrassed. She didn’t know what Hazel would think of her dobbing her boyfriend in to the police.
‘Arrested! But what has he done?’
At that moment Tinto ran across the counter and jumped onto Hazel’s shoulder in greeting.
Hazel turned and saw Pearlie. She looked at the policeman, then she looked back at Pearlie and her expression changed. ‘What has she been telling you? You don’t believe a little girl, do you?’
Pearlie felt her face get hot. She didn’t want Hazel to hate her. And she especially didn’t want the policeman to think that Hazel was mixed up with Beake’s spying.
‘She’s a very brave little girl,’ Policeman Sandy said. ‘And there’s no doubt that Ron Beake is a spy. We caught him in the act.’
Pearlie stepped forward. ‘But Hazel’s not. She didn’t do anything. She didn’t know –’
‘It’s all right, Pearlie,’ Policeman Sandy said. ‘We just want to question Hazel as she might have some information about Beake that we won’t get from him.’ He fished into his pocket and pulled out some silver coins, which he placed in Pearlie’s hand. ‘Go get yourself some breakfast. Then when you’re done come back here and we’ll talk some more, all right?’
As Hazel went through the door to the rear of the station, she looked back at Pearlie with storm clouds in her eyes.
Pearlie was starving, but first she needed to see if Grey Ears was all right.
When she reached Reddy’s house, she was filled with dismay. It had been broken into. The front door was hanging by a single hinge and there were clothes and furniture strewn around the front yard. Soldiers, she thought. Hazel had told her once that they went around looting because they were bored. Pearlie couldn’t understand how they could do such a thing.
She ran around to the back with her heart in her throat. What if they’d stolen Grey Ears? Or hurt her?
To her relief, there was the donkey standing in the pig pen. Grey Ears turned and stretched her neck over the fence, greeting her with a long eee ore and a stomp of her hooves.
As they headed back to the centre of town, she glanced down to the wharf and out across the harbour. The ships looked like toys sitting there quietly in the sparkling sea. She was surprised to see how many there were now – too many to count.
Most of the shops were boarded up but there were still a few cafes open. She could only think of one thing as she walked down the street – fried eggs and bacon. Or fried eggs and sausages . . . two eggs and four sausages and a glass of pineapple juice. Was that too greedy? She could already smell them.
‘I’m going to have a feast this morning,’ she said to Grey Ears, who was trotting beside her. Tinto was sitting on the donkey’s neck having a lovely ride. Pearlie remembered Policeman Sandy’s words. A very brave little girl. A feast for a hero. That’s me, she thought with a smile.
She remembered a time when she wasn’t daring at all. When Nao had to talk her into going on the simplest of adventures. How she longed to tell her best friend about this adventure. One day I will, she promised herself. I will see Nao again.
Pearlie reached Mitchell Street and was about to turn the corner when she heard the drone of aeroplanes in the sky. She shielded her eyes from the glare of the sun and looked up. They were like a flock of silver birds glinting in the brightest blue sky.
Pearlie the Spy Page 4
