“Hey, you said you know where they are keeping Liam. Where is he?”
The woman shook off Amanda’s hand and said in a low voice, “In a small warehouse behind the gift shop.” She pointed towards the back of the store.
“Come with us.” Amanda reached for the woman’s arm again but she pulled it back.
Cling! Clang! An army of shiny knights on horseback toppled onto the floor. Many of the knights fell off their horses and lost their helmets. With spears and shields scattered everywhere, it looked like the scene of a battlefield. The store clerk rushed over.
“What are you girls doing? Can’t you see the sign not to touch anything?” She bent over to pick up the fallen knights before anyone stepped on them.
The girls decided it was a good opportunity to exit the store. They ran around the back of the shop and noticed a small building.
“Let’s hide from the store clerk in here,” suggested Rylee looking over her shoulder.
The door opened easily. They found themselves in a dark, stuffy room filled with many boxes.
“Could this be the warehouse that woman mentioned?” asked Amanda.
“What is that noise?” asked Leah.
Rupert jumped out of her arms and ran over to a stack of boxes. He started scratching under them and meowing. Amanda heard it too, a low moaning sound.
The door of the warehouse opened.
One of the men they were trying to avoid stormed in. “Here you are. You thought you could hide from us. Instead you walked right into our trap.” He slammed the door behind him. “Tell us where the book is and you won’t be harmed.”
“We don’t know where the stupid book is, you vile lout,” said Rylee. “And what have you done with Liam?”
“You’d like to see him, would you? Well he’ll be pleased to have some company.” The man shoved aside a stack of boxes and opened a small door. Lying on the dirt floor, with his feet and hands bound; lay a gagged Liam, moaning.
“Liam, are you OK?” Amanda ran to him. The man pushed Leah and Rylee in behind her and closed the door. The space was small; Leah and Rylee couldn’t stand up in it. The man tied the girls’ hands behind their back and pulled out old rags to gag them.
“You can stay in here until you decide to tell us where that book is. I’m not convinced you don’t know where it is.”
“My mum will come looking for us,” said Leah.
“Shut up. She will never find you here.” The man tied a rag over Leah’s mouth. “The sooner you tell me, the sooner you can go back to your mummy.” With an evil grin, he backed out of the space. “I’ll be back for your answer after you’ve had time to think about it.”
Soon Amanda’s eyes became accustomed to the dark. She wriggled her fingers but the rope wouldn’t budge. ‘Now what are we going to do?’ She tried not to think of the claustrophobic space and what might happen when the men returned.
She heard scratching, and then something soft and warm brushed past her. Her first thought was of a rat, but then she remembered Rupert might have come in with them. She could make out the shadow of a large cat as he scratched under the door. Then to her amazement, Rupert stood up on his back legs and put his front paws around the doorknob. Amanda couldn’t believe it but Rupert was actually turning the knob. Soon the door burst open letting in a stream of light. She shuffled over to the open door and kicked at the boxes in front of it. When the space became big enough for her small body, she squeezed through into the main warehouse.
Amanda pushed against the front door to the warehouse with her shoulder. It opened easily and she fell out, landing at the feet of the guard who had winked at her.
Chapter 19
“What have we here?” asked the surprised young man as he helped Amanda to her feet and proceeded to remove the gag.
Amanda gasped for air. “My friends… my friends are in there, behind the boxes. Please help me get them out before they…they come back.”
“Before who comes back?” The young man took out a Swiss army knife and cut the ropes binding Amanda’s hands.
“It’s a long story; can I tell you after we get my friends out?”
Just then a frazzled Leah came through the door. Amanda ran to her and removed her gag. “Can you cut her rope as well?”
“My goodness, how many more are in there?”
“Just two more, and a cat.”
They quickly removed Rylee and Liam from the small space and moved the boxes back in front of it.
Leah looked at her watch. “It’s time to get back to the car.”
“Thanks for all of your help – sir,” stammered Amanda. She wasn’t sure how to address a guard of the Queen’s castle. “Don’t tell anyone you saw us - please.”
The guard smiled and winked at her again. “Your secret is safe with me. Stay out of trouble now.”
The foursome arrived at the car at the same time as Mrs. Anderson.
Leah looked at Rylee, “We did it in thirty minutes, didn’t we?”
They high-fived.
“And who is this young man,” asked Leah’s mom.
Liam looked pale, his hair a mess and his clothes dusty from lying on the dirt floor. He managed a faint smile.
“He’s a friend of Rylee’s, Mum. Can we give him a ride into town?”
“Of course. The more the merrier. Where’s the cat?”
As if he heard, Rupert appeared out of nowhere, jumped into the open car and waited for everyone else to get in before settling on Leah’s lap. She snuggled him close and whispered, “You are the hero of the day, my love.”
After dropping Liam and Rylee off at the Guildford Tube station, the weary travelers arrived home. Mr. Anderson met them at the door with news that he was to be in the sailboat race on the weekend, and he needed to go to the Isle of Wight immediately to get ready.
“You go ahead, luv. We will be over to watch the race on Saturday.” Mrs. Anderson gave her husband a kiss on the cheek.
He picked up his duffle bag and said, “See you girls in a couple of days. Enjoy your trip into town tomorrow.”
***
Amanda, Leah and her Mom arrived at the tube station the following cool and drizzly morning. Amanda giggled every time she saw the sign, MIND THE GAP written in large, white letters, behind a yellow line on the floor at the edge of the platform. A large arrow pointed to the space between the edge of the platform and the door of the subway car.
“What’s so funny?” asked Leah.
“LOL. It just sounds weird - mind the gap.”
“I think you’re weird. LOL.” Leah laughed and hooked her arm around Amanda’s as they entered the crowded car.
They were soon in the busy streets of downtown London. Amanda was getting used to the British accents, looking the opposite way before crossing the street and seeing old brick buildings.
Entering a large intersection, Amanda stood mesmerized as tons of traffic, red double-decker buses and black taxi cabs sped around the traffic circle. Tall buildings covered in brightly coloured digital billboards, that changed quickly from one ad to the next, surrounded her.
“Welcome to Piccadilly Circus,” said Leah’s mom.
“A circus?”
“In this case it means a round open space at a street junction.”
“I think it means it’s a circus because there are always so many people here,” said Leah with a grin.
“Will we go on a double-decker bus sometime?” asked Amanda.
“Sure, we can catch one right here. It will take us past some of the sights and we can get off at a lovely tea room.”
Amanda loved the ride on the bus and in spite of a light rain, insisted on sitting on top. She took pictures of all the sights they passed. She thought she saw the older woman who had led them to the trap, cross the street. But, there were many women with grey hair, round glasses and beige trench coats; so she dismissed the thought.
Mrs. Anderson came up from downstairs and announced that it was time to get off the bus. The bus
dropped them off in front of a white building with turquoise tables and chairs in front. The sign above the door said:
THE DISH RAN AWAY WITH THE SPOON
“OMG! This is adorable!” Amanda read the sandwich board outside, “Come in and treat your Mum to a delicious choice of cupcakes. I guess we will be treating you, Mrs. Anderson.”
Inside, the tea shop was warm and cozy. The walls were lined with a collection of old and interesting teapots. Amanda loved the one in the shape of a thatched roof house, and another in the shape of a dragon. The glass display case featured an amazing assortment of cupcakes. Although it was difficult, Amanda decided on a vanilla cupcake with mile-high lime green, swirly icing topped with pink and red sprinkles. It looked too good to eat. She took a picture of it before biting in.
“This is so good. I may have to have another one.”
The tea arrived covered in a bright pink knitted tea cozy that looked like a toque.
“This will sure keep the tea warm,” Amanda said as she poured tea into a dainty teacup. She looked up and saw the woman in the trench coat staring in the window right at them. A chill went through her.
Chapter 20
After polishing off three cupcakes and two cups of tea, Amanda left the tea shop with Leah and her mother. They meandered down the cobblestone street and came upon a store called
The March Hare Bookshop
“Can we go in here?” asked Amanda.
“Why don’t you girls look in the bookshop while I pick up something at the tailor’s?” said Mrs. Anderson.
The bright, clean store had all sorts of books lined up neatly on wooden shelves. Many were behind locked glass doors. ‘Nothing like Uncle Charlie’s bookstore,’ thought Amanda. She noticed most of the books were for children.
“May I be of assistance,” asked a grandmotherly woman behind the counter.
“Are these all old books?” asked Amanda.
“Yes, this is a vintage bookstore. I collect old children’s books and sell them. Some are over one hundred years old.”
“Where do you get them?”
“I find them in various places. I visit old homes, antique sales, and boot sales. Sometimes people bring them to me.”
“What’s a boot sale?” Amanda envisioned many boots for sale, but couldn’t understand where books fit in.
Leah jumped in, “A boot sale is when people sell stuff from the boot of their car, or the trunk as you call it.”
Amanda thought that was funny. “Are these books expensive?”
“Oh yes, some are over one hundred pounds,” replied the storekeeper. “I have to be careful that they are authentic, as there are some clever book forgers around these days.”
“Do you have any Vicky and Alice books?” asked Amanda.
“Not at the moment, but I am expecting some soon. Did you know those books were written for Queen Victoria’s daughters? How do you know about them?”
“My great aunt had some in her book collection in Canada. She would let me read them when I visited. I also bought one on the Isle of Wight last week. We saw the set at Osborne House too, but one was missing.”
The woman turned pale. “One was missing? That’s not a good sign.”
Someone walked into the store. Amanda had a feeling she knew who it was. She turned to meet the eyes of the woman in the trench coat.
“Hello, Gloria. Do you have any books for me today?” asked the shopkeeper.
“Not today, I’m afraid. I’ve had a spot of bad luck lately. The old man who I was supposed to meet with the books, didn’t show up and now I am being pursued by a couple of thugs.”
“What do they want from you, Gloria?”
“They think I have the missing novel from Osborne House. I’m not sure why they want it so badly, but they are willing to pay me a large sum of money for it.”
“These young ladies were just talking about the missing Vicky and Alice book.”
Gloria glared at Amanda and Leah with steely eyes. “I think they know where it is. They are friends with the old man and his waster nephew.”
“These men might be the book forgers the police have been looking for. Gloria, how did you ever get caught up with them?”
“You know I need the money badly.” Gloria tugged at the strands of grey hair that escaped her bun. “I’m in a right mess, aren’t I?”
Just then, Leah’s mother stuck her head in the door. “Ready to go, girls?”
“Where are we going next?” asked Amanda as they got back on to the bus.
“Next stop - the London Eye,” announced Mrs. Anderson.
Amanda thought about the conversation in the bookstore. She felt sorry for the older lady called Gloria. ‘No wonder she looks so miserable all the time. Were those two guys really book forgers? Did they take old books and copy them to look like they were old and then sell them for lots of money?’
She looked out the bus window and lost all thoughts of Gloria and book forgers when she saw a giant Ferris wheel at the side of the river.
“Are we going on that?”
“Oh, yes,” answered Leah as they got off the bus. “That’s the London Eye. It will be loads of fun. Come on, let’s get in line.”
When they got closer to the enormous Ferris wheel, Amanda noticed space age-like capsules moving around the wheel. She counted thirty-two of them. When it was their turn to enter a capsule, Amanda thought the wheel would stop. But it didn’t, and she had to take an extra big step to get on. The spacious, glass enclosed pod held about two dozen people and everyone got a good view. Some people sat in the middle on a wooden bench.
Amanda asked a woman with a small child if she wanted to stand nearer the window. The woman said, “Thank you very much, but I have vertigo. I was told if I stay in the middle, it wouldn’t affect me. I can see quite well from here.”
As the wheel continued to turn slowly and smoothly, the capsule moved higher up and Amanda beheld a spectacular view of London.
“There’s London Bridge,” pointed Leah.
“Oh, and I see Tower Bridge,” said Amanda.
“Can you see St. Paul’s Cathedral over there?” mentioned Mrs. Anderson. “You can stride around to get different views of London if you like.”
The little child left his mother’s side and squealed, “There’s Big Ben, Mummy!”
The higher they got, the farther they could see. Amanda moved from one side of the glass bubble to the other so she could see as much as possible. She felt as if she was on the top of the world. The boats on the river looked like little toy boats. Cars and buses on the bridges looked like Matchbox toys.
The morning clouds had drifted away making it a clear day. When they got to the very top, Mrs. Anderson put her arm around Amanda and pointed in the distance, “If you look over there, you will see Windsor Castle.”
Amanda was amazed. She couldn’t believe she could see that far. “How high up are we?”
“I believe the London Eye is 442 feet tall.”
After thirty minutes they neared the ground. Amanda couldn’t take it all in. She wished they could go around again. Then, on the street below, she spotted a girl with a bright pink Mohawk, tall black boots and a tight leather skirt, holding onto an old man with a bandage around his head. A young man with spiky hair and arms covered in tattoos clutched the old man’s other side. Not far behind, two men in black suits and sunglasses dodged pedestrians.
Chapter 21
Amanda closed her eyes tightly and then looked again. Yup, she saw right, Rylee and Liam dragged Uncle Charlie down the street with the villains in close pursuit. She grabbed Leah’s hand and pulled her out of the pod while it still moved.
“We’ve got to help Rylee and Liam.”
“Wha - What?” asked a confused Leah.
“Those men are chasing Rylee and Liam, and Uncle Charlie. We’ve got to do something - fast.”
“Stop those men!” shouted Amanda as she sprinted down the crowded street. “Stop those two men in black suits.”
People stopped and stared at her. There were many men in black suits on the street.
Amanda didn’t see the trash can in front of her and smashed right into it. It toppled over spilling garbage everywhere. Leah slipped on a rotten apple.
“Yuk!” She picked herself up and brushed rubbish off her jeans. “I wish you would watch were you were going, Amanda.”
Amanda kept running. She lost sight of the men. At an intersection, she barely slowed down, looked left, right and then left before putting one foot on the pavement.
“Amanda! Watch out!” shouted Leah as she grabbed her friend’s arm and pulled her back onto the sidewalk. A bright red MINI Cooper zoomed by barely missing Amanda.
“What are you doing? You almost got yourself killed.” Leah was shaking as she held onto Amanda.
“I- I just didn’t want those two men to get away?”
“Do you mean these two men?”
The girls turned around to see who was talking. A young man with two angry men in black suits stood behind them. Handcuffed, those guys weren’t going anywhere.
“We’ve been looking for these blokes for some time. Thanks for leading us to them.”
“How did we do that?” asked Leah. “And who are you?”
Amanda recognized the young man as the guard at Windsor Castle.
“I’m Detective Inspector Sean Collins, Metropolitan Police, Crimes Investigation Division.” He displayed his badge for proof.
“I thought you were a Queen’s Guard?”
“I was, yesterday, while I was working undercover.”
Just then Rylee and Liam arrived with Uncle Charlie in tow.
“Thanks to your friends here, we’ve been able to track these two rogues and finally apprehend them. They’re off to the nick now.”
A police car screamed around the corner and parked on the sidewalk. A large crowd gathered to watch the two men being placed into the back of the car, glowering at Amanda and Leah.
“What is going on?” asked a disheveled Mrs. Anderson as she arrived on the scene, out of breath. “And why do you smell like rubbish?” She turned her nose up at Leah.
Amanda in England: The Missing Novel Page 6
