The Christmas of Adventure

©2015 June E.

Philip, Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann are excited at the prospect of spending their first Christmas together, but by Christmas Eve all their plans lie in ruins. Things get even worse when a severe snowstorm brings the country to a standstill and leaves Bill snowbound, hundreds of miles away. Forced to fend for themselves in Bill's remote moorland cottage, rumours abound of a strange and terrifying creature lurking in the woods nearby... and with a ruthless thief on the loose, striking at night and stealing birds from the local Sanctuary, the scene is set for a frightening and perilous adventure. Can they stop the thief before it's too late? Or will Kiki be the robber's next victim?

Chapter 20: 'Now you'll have to eat your words, Philip Mannering.'

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After about half an hour, Harry returned to the office where the four children were waiting for him.

'Now then, I can see that you are all tired and hungry,' he said. 'You need some proper food inside you. Are you quite dry now, Jack and Dinah?'

'Yes, thank you,' answered Jack.

'Then hop into the car, the lot of you. I'll take you to Betty for some hot food, and then I'll drive you home.'

'What about guarding the fence?' asked Jack.

'Don't you worry about the fence – I've mended it securely. And PC Batty will no doubt be back soon enough.'

After a short and rather bumpy ride they arrived at Betty's, and the four tired children poured out of the car and into the cafe. The log fire was roaring and the warmth was welcome. Betty came bustling out of the kitchen and Harry whispered something into her ear. Her eyes opened wide in astonishment and alarm, but then to her great credit she did not tax the cold, exhausted children with questions about their afternoon adventure.

'Sit yourselves down here next to the fire,' she ordered. 'I'll be back in a minute.'

Sure enough, within a minute she returned bearing a large tray on which were four steaming bowls of creamy vegetable soup. Then she fetched a loaf of newly baked bread and carved off huge slices, putting a large plateful in the middle of the table. Next to this she placed a dish of fresh butter.

'Now tuck in, all of you,' she insisted. 'I'll see to the next course.'

The soup was hot and tasty, and the bread was beautifully fresh and warm.

'I'm starting to feel much better,' said Dinah, as she slathered her hunk of bread with some delicious, golden butter. 'I've never tasted anything as good as this.'

The four soup bowls were soon empty. Betty reappeared, nodding approvingly when she saw the empty bowls. She took away the bowls, and moments later she returned laden with huge platefuls of bacon and eggs, one for each of them. Then she placed a large jug of hot cocoa on the table, and gave each of them a mug.

'Once you've had that you'll feel quite back to normal,' she said in a motherly tone. 'When you've finished Harry will drive you home. My advice is – a hot bath for each of you, and then an early night.'

The children tucked into their bacon and eggs with enthusiasm. Soon there were four empty plates and the children felt warm, full and contented. Dinah sat back in her chair and stretched her aching limbs. Jack rubbed his eyes and wished for his bed, hoping that Harry would appear to drive them home. Lucy-Ann yawned idly, already half asleep due to the large meal and the warm fire. Philip drained the last dregs from his mug of cocoa and wiped his mouth contentedly.

All of a sudden, Dinah jumped to her feet, her eyes shining in triumph.

'The camera!' she exclaimed, looking at Philip. She started feeling around in her coat pocket.

'What about it?' asked Philip lazily.

'I took a picture of the creature! It will be on the camera! Now you'll have to eat your words, Philip Mannering,' said a gleeful Dinah.

'I'm not eating another thing, I'm absolutely stuffed,' said Philip, though he knew full well what Dinah meant.

'Oh shut up, you idiot!' she snapped, crossly. 'You know what I mean.'

Dinah continued scrabbling about in her coat pockets getting increasingly cross and frustrated.

'I can't find it! It's gone! It was in this pocket,' she said, pointing to a deep pocket in the front of her coat.

'I took the picture...' she continued, frowning as she tried to remember. 'The creature looked round when the camera clicked... I put the camera back in this pocket... but did I fasten the button before we ran away?'

Dinah's face started to redden.

'I don't think you rebuttoned the pocket,' said Jack. 'After all, we were pretty scared at the time.'

'Then the camera must have fallen out of my pocket when we were running!' exclaimed Dinah, full of frustration. 'Oh, why wasn't I more careful! Now I've lost the evidence.'

Philip took pity on her.

'Don't worry Dinah,' he said. 'Perhaps PC Batty will find the camera on his way through the forest. Hang about, look – here he comes now!'

PC Batty was passing the window, in deep conversation with Harry.

Moments later, PC Batty and Harry appeared at the door. Betty beckoned them in.

'Shut that door, do – you're letting the cold air in,' fussed Betty.

'How about a cup of tea, then, Betty my dear,' said PC Batty in a familiar tone.

Betty bustled off to get it. PC Batty approached the table where the children were sitting.

'I say, sir – did you find any clues about the bird thief when you were in the forest?' asked Jack.

'And did you see the creature?' asked Dinah, hoping against hope that he would say yes.

'No to both questions,' said PC Batty, secretly relieved that he hadn't met any kind of creature in the forest. 'A wild goose chase, that's what it was. There were no clues about the sanctuary intruder – not even any footprints. A wild goose chase, and no mistake.'

'But there was a clear track of footprints – we saw them!' exclaimed Jack. 'We followed them as far as the stream.'

'I didn't see any footprints apart from your own,' said PC Batty sternly. 'The snow was very disturbed, all trampled and kicked about – but no other footprints. Perhaps you children walked all over the intruder's tracks without realising it.'

'We did not,' protested Dinah in an indignant tone.

Just at the moment Betty appeared with a steaming mug of tea, much to the policeman's delight.

'Ooohh, that's just what I need after a wasted afternoon tramping about in the snow,' he said pointedly. 'I'm fair perished with cold.'

He took a big slurp from the mug and settled back in his chair, oblivious to the disappointment on the faces of the four children.

Suddenly PC Batty sat up.

'There's just one thing,' he began. 'Did any of you children lose a camera?'

'Oh yes!' exclaimed Dinah, beaming with delight. 'I dropped it when I was running. And it's got a photograph of the creature on it.'

PC Batty stood up and approached their table. Then he put his hand into the pocket of his tunic and pulled out a grubby handkerchief.

'I'm afraid your photograph won't come out, miss,' he said.

Dinah looked at him questioningly. Then, to her dismay, he shook out the contents of his handkerchief onto the table. Fragments of twisted metal cascaded onto the tablecloth.

'I found your camera, miss,' said PC Batty. 'It was lying on a rock, smashed to bits. Looks to me like it's been stamped on. Any pictures on that camera will have been totally destroyed.'

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