The Fox of Richmond Park

by Kate Dreyer

  ‘Yes. I wouldn’t have minded, but they sent my brother off somewhere else. I doubt I’ll ever see him again.’

  ‘Oh, I’m so sorry,’ Vince said, realising now why he looked so sullen. He tried to imagine himself being carted around in boxes, made to live inside a cage where he could barely run. Or Rita, stuck in one place, unable able to see anything except what was in front of her. ‘But at least you have those females for company I suppose,’ Vince added.

  ‘Pfft.’ The lion shook his mane. ‘Idiots. All three of them. It’s ridiculous. The humans put me in here, no doubt expecting me to… Well, you know… with these dull, fatuous creatures. Honestly, I’ve had more enjoyable conversations with the flies on my dung.’

  ‘That’s… unfortunate,’ Vince commiserated. ‘But the humans seem to think a lot of you. There are pictures of you everywhere. Even in the city. Did you know?’

  ‘Of course I don’t know. Can’t you see this?’ Ajadi slammed his huge paw against the mesh. Vince and the others flinched as the rattle echoed through the zoo. ‘What the humans think and what the humans do are two very different things.’

  ‘Ajadi, don’t be a grump. He’s trying to be nice,’ Penelope said.

  ‘It’s okay. You’re right. It makes no sense,’ Vince said.

  Laurie spoke from behind the fence. ‘Maybe we should get going, Vince? Ajadi probably doesn’t want us bothering him all night.’

  ‘Oh, stay if you like, it’s no fur off my mane. I’m sorry if I’ve not been as exciting or interesting as you were expecting.’ Ajadi sighed.

  ‘Don’t be ridiculous, you’re the first lion we’ve ever met! There was no way you could have disappointed us,’ Vince said. ‘But Laurie’s right, we should let you sleep.’

  ‘Fair enough. Where did you say you were going again?’

  ‘Not sure. Perhaps I’ll stay in Regent’s Park. It seems nice enough. Or maybe in Hammersmith, where Laurie’s from.’

  ‘You don’t sound convinced.’

  Vince shrugged and explained about his grandparents’ park.

  ‘Listen,’ Ajadi began, ‘I may be the most disappointing lion in the world, and I know practically nothing about anything outside this cage, but will you take one piece of advice?’

  ‘Of course.’

  Ajadi moved his face towards the mesh, so close that Vince could feel the damp heat escaping the lion’s jaws. Ajadi’s expression changed to one of fierce resolve, but his tone was laced with sadness. ‘Never stop looking for your park. Never. If you know it exists, then it does.’

  ‘But how—’

  ‘I have lived my whole life in these cages – I was born in one, and I’ll die in one – but I know there’s a place out there somewhere where I am meant to be. Somewhere with no walls, where I can chase and kill my own food, and lie in the hot sun. I know this place is far away – don’t ask me how – but if I had any opportunity at all, I’d get out of here and run east. I’d run as far as I could. I would never make it, but I could at least die knowing I tried.’

  ‘East? You think that’s where you’re from?’ Vince said.

  ‘I know it is. Like I said, don’t ask me how. The humans gave me a name from this place, but that’s all I know of it. Except what I see when I sleep, and what I feel pulling at my heart when I am awake. It is a constant ache in my chest. An emptiness that will never be filled by anything the humans can give me in here. Do you feel the same about your park?’

  Vince thought for a second. Did he? After leaving the allotments, he’d certainly felt something driving him northwards. And when Laurie had suggested that maybe his park didn’t exist, he’d refused to accept it. He’d considered going back to Hammersmith if they failed, but was that what he really wanted? He imagined them huddled in the corner of a dank, empty shop, munching on scraps of greasy chicken meat.

  Do I feel the same as Ajadi?

  Vince opened his mouth and the words tumbled out. ‘I think so, yes.’

  ‘Then go and find it.’

  Vince looked over his shoulder at Laurie, then turned back to the lion and gave the smallest of nods.

  ‘Right, well, I’ll get off to bed then. Nice to meet you all.’ With a whip of his tail, Ajadi turned to leave.

  ‘Thank you. You’ve helped more than you know,’ Vince said. ‘It was truly an honour to meet you.’

  ‘If you say so. You’re welcome,’ Ajadi muttered as he sauntered away across the enclosure.

  A lump formed in Vince’s throat. He’d been so excited to meet the lion, the signs around the city making him out to be important in some way, but the zoo confused him. If the humans loved lions so much, why had they taken him away from his brother? Kept him in this small enclosure with three females he detested?

  ‘Penelope?’ Vince asked. ‘Is it right what Arthur said, that there aren’t many lions?’

  ‘Yep. That’s why Ajadi’s here. To keep him safe and encourage him to father some cubs.’

  Vince shook his head. ‘So, they don’t care if he’s happy? They just want more lions?’

  ‘Oh, they do care. They want to make more lions, and Ajadi’s happiness depends on that. It’s just hard for them to understand what he feels. A lot of the animals here are very happy.’

  ‘Oh.’ Vince thought better of arguing, since he’d known about the zoo for all of an hour and Penelope was clearly more understanding of the humans’ intentions. Perhaps that came from her unique position of being fed by them, despite being the only animal here that could leave.

  If the humans really cared, then the animals would be free. Isn’t a shorter, happier life better than a longer, miserable one? I bet Ajadi would think so.

  ‘So, you’re looking for a park…’ Penelope said.

  ‘Yes, maybe you can help us?’ Vince explained about his grandparents’ park, and how he wasn’t sure that Regent’s Park was the one.

  ‘Well, if Regent’s Park ain’t what you’re after, then I might know a place. It’s north. About as north as you can get, really, before you’re not in London anymore. Straight up.’

  ‘What’s it like?’

  ‘I’ve never been, so don’t take my word for it, but I know a crow what lives there. It’s bigger than this place, from the sounds of it. Not far, either. Big lakes, a ton of trees. Loads of foxes. Right up your alley, I reckon. Won’t be hard to find.’

  A shiver of excitement passed over him. This could be it.

  ‘And it’s straight north from here?’ Vince asked.

  ‘Yup. As the crow flies. Literally.’

  Don’t get your hopes up. Don’t get your hopes up.

  Vince couldn’t help grinning at Rita, who hopped from foot to foot on the railing, a smile spread across her black beak.

  ‘Looks like that’s our next stop then, after we take this one back home.’ Laurie smiled down at Arthur, who was grinning from ear to ear, then looked back up to Penelope. ‘Are there really no other hedgehogs anywhere?’

  Penelope shook her head. ‘Not in London. Regent’s Park was the only place.’

  ‘Um, actually, I’ve been thinking…’ Arthur squeaked. ‘About what the lion said.’

  ‘Oh?’ Laurie cocked her head.

  ‘I’d like to go with you. If you don’t mind, of course. Every night I see the same hedge, the same patch of grass… It’s as bad as being in a cage, like Ajadi. If I am the last hedgehog, I’d at least like to see as much of the world as I can.’

  Laurie looked at Vince. ‘What d’you reckon? Room for one more?’

  If Arthur felt something similar to him and Ajadi, and wanted to see what else lay beyond the hedges and roads that had kept him prisoner his whole life, then Vince couldn’t bear to leave him. The little hedgehog had had a taste of freedom, and his appetite would only grow. If he didn’t go with them now he might eventually leave some other time, without any help. If his reaction to the car was anything to go by, he wouldn’t last very long without them. He might have been impatient, but Vince still had a conscience.
‘Sure,’ Vince said, ‘and it’ll be useful to have an expert worm hunter on the team.’

  Arthur grinned.

  ‘I always knew there was a little explorer in you.’ Penelope bent her long legs to give the small hedgehog a friendly nudge with her beak.

  ‘Right then,’ Laurie said. ‘North? Are you coming too, Penelope?’

  ‘I’ll tag along, make sure you get there okay,’ Penelope replied.

  ‘What’s this park called?’ Rita said, as the group set off towards the north edge of the zoo.

  ‘Hampstead Heath,’ Penelope said.

  ‘Hampstead Heath,’ Vince said to himself, a smile stretching across his snout.

  12

  After leaving the zoo through the north fence, Penelope led the way towards Hampstead Heath from the air, with Rita keeping Arthur company on the ground. Vince and Laurie ambled behind.

  Laurie hadn’t said anything about their new destination, so he assumed that she still wanted to head back to Hammersmith whenever they found it. Part of him was happy to avoid the subject, but he’d definitely felt something between them earlier, when she’d trodden on Arthur, and since she hadn’t recoiled when he’d touched her, he also assumed she felt it too. That was two too many assumptions for him, but there was one thing he was sure of: he wanted her to stay.

  But what if he was wrong and she didn’t share his feelings? Had he exaggerated it in his head? Best to wait until he was sure, and if he was going to be humiliated, he’d rather the others weren’t around.

  Instead, Vince turned his ears to Rita as she chatted to Arthur about their recent travels. He laughed along, despite not being part of the conversation. Anything to avoid talking to Laurie, who was walking so close to him he could feel the swish of her tail on his back legs. Laurie, being Laurie, saw right through him.

  There was a brief lull in Rita’s chatter and Laurie didn’t waste any time. ‘I suppose after what Ajadi said you definitely won’t be coming back to Hammersmith?’

  There was no getting away from it, and the truth was all he had.

  ‘Actually, I was hoping you might stay.’

  ‘At the park?’ Laurie said, with a hint of sadness in her voice.

  ‘Well, with us. Wherever we end up.’

  ‘Us?’ Laurie cocked her head and smiled.

  ‘Me and Rita,’ Vince replied, then added quickly, ‘And Arthur, of course.’

  Laurie looked down between her paws. ‘I can’t leave Socks. He’s my best friend. He’s the only friend I’ve ever had.’

  ‘Until now.’ Vince smiled at her, but she didn’t return it. ‘I can understand. I only left Richmond Park because there was nothing there for me anymore. My parents are dead and Sophie—’

  ‘Who’s Sophie?’

  Vince had forgotten that the topic hadn’t arisen before. He stuttered, unsure how to answer, but Laurie interjected with a laugh. ‘She was your mate, right?’

  ‘Yeah. We fell out, though. It was stupid and she’s with someone else now. But that’s not important. We weren’t right for each other,’ Vince said.

  Laurie gave a small nod. Vince sighed. He’d wondered if he’d ever find another mate, but never imagined he’d have to compete for a vixen’s heart with a house cat. He faced forward, avoiding her eyes. There was no way he could say what he wanted to say if he caught even a glimpse of them. He took a deep breath and the words tumbled into the air. ‘If you decide to go back home – if it’s what you really want – then I won’t stop you, but I like you, Laurie. A lot. And I’d really love it if you stayed.’

  He forced his head to turn and face her, his stomach dropping when he saw the sadness in her eyes. He dreaded her next words.

  ‘I can’t,’ she said, ‘I’m sorry,’ before quickening her pace to join Arthur and Rita up ahead.

  Vince was left alone, staring, as she joined in with the end of a joke, her tail shaking along with her chuckles.

  *

  To Sophie’s surprise, Edward was already awake when the four foxes arrived at the lake. He looked less than happy about it, though, shaking his head wearily at the rabbit in front of him.

  ‘I am listening to you, but I’m telling you it was that hawk,’ Edward said. ‘You know, the one from last year? He comes back every year to try his luck hunting here. I’ll send one of my team to keep watch for the next few mornings and evenings.’

  The rabbit frowned. ‘Okay, but several of us saw what happened and it didn’t look like a hawk. It was white. Like an owl.’

  Edward smiled. ‘You know the owls aren’t allowed to hunt rabbits. Of course, we can’t rule out a non-resident owl. Either way, one of my team will sort it, okay?’

  ‘Thank you, Edward,’ the rabbit said, before hopping away.

  Sophie would bet a week’s rats that it was no hawk. It had to be Kara. She obviously didn’t do Edward’s dirty work for free. Not that Sophie expected her to, but it was good to know what Edward’s end of the bargain was.

  A few other deer slept close by, which made her anxious, but she had to hold it together. She’d never stood up to Edward like this before, but she’d watched Vince do it enough times to know that the deer’s bark was worse than his bite, and he was usually too proud to call for help, especially against a bunch of vermin like them. Plus, Jake was with her, and if things got really heated, she could run. Besides, she only wanted to ask him some questions.

  Blake and Bailey held back as she marched up to Edward, Jake by her side. Her voice quivered as she began to speak, but she thought of Vince and pushed through her fear. ‘Good evening, Edward. We’ve got some visitors to see you, and something alarming has come to our attention.’

  ‘Get back to the cemetery, fox. Whatever it is can wait until morning.’

  ‘But look, intruders!’ She waved a paw at Blake and Bailey. ‘Aren’t you going to trample their skulls? Don’t you want to know why they’re here?’

  Edward sighed. ‘Not particularly, but I suppose you’re going to tell me anyway?’

  ‘It seems Kara promised them a home,’ Sophie said.

  ‘Is that all? Yes, Kara may have done that. You know, you aren’t aware of everything that goes on around here, so there’s no reason to get all worked up every time a new resident arrives. There’s plenty of room.’

  ‘On the contrary. I don’t give a flying squirrel who lives here. It’s just that we haven’t had new residents from outside in seasons, so naturally I was interested to know how they managed to wangle an invitation. As it turns out, you sent them to kill Vince,’ Sophie said flatly.

  Edward’s eyes grew wide, but his voice was calm. ‘That’s not strictly true.’

  ‘Don’t split hairs!’ Sophie barked. ‘You didn’t send Kara to give Vince a message like we asked, you sent her to hire a pack of murderers.’

  ‘Okay, okay, you’ve got me.’ Edward shrugged. ‘What difference does it make to you?’

  ‘He was our friend, you runt.’

  Edward’s face contorted into a frown as he turned to Jake. ‘Are you really going to let her speak to me like that?’

  Jake opened his mouth to respond but Sophie cut him off. ‘But the question, Edward, is what difference does it make to you? Because from my point of view, the answer seems to be none.’

  ‘Well, I weeded out a bad apple from the foxes, so there’s that. Makes a bit of room for our new arrivals.’ Edward smiled.

  ‘We don’t want to stay here anyway,’ Bailey said from behind Sophie.

  ‘Then, by all means, please leave. The fewer of you the better.’

  ‘Stop avoiding the question. Vince was already gone; you could have left him alone. Was it just for fun? For your own amusement? Because I never had you down as gratuitously cruel, Edward. Strict, yes, but you always have your reasons, don’t you?’

  ‘You know me so well, Sophie. It’s just a shame you don’t know Jake as well as you thought?’

  ‘What?’ Sophie said.

  ‘Edward, please…’ Jake said.
r />   Sophie looked at her mate. His pleading eyes were fixed on Edward. ‘What is he talking about, Jake?’

  Edward carried on. ‘I’m simply saying, perhaps someone else wanted Vince dead too. Someone who wanted to make sure he never came back, someone who was scared his vixen might stray to her old flame…’

  ‘That’s not true!’ Jake said.

  Edward ignored Jake and spoke directly to Sophie. ‘You know how jealous he is. You know how much he hates… sorry… hated Vince.’

  ‘Shut up,’ Sophie said.

  ‘I don’t hate Vince,’ Jake said.

  ‘No? Oh, perhaps I’m getting confused. But I’m sure I remember something… During one of our little chats, wasn’t it? But there have been so many now, haven’t there? It really is hard to keep track. What was it you said, again, Jake? That you didn’t particularly want himbackhere?’

  ‘I… You’re twisting my words…’

  ‘Am I?’ Edward cocked his head.

  Jake’s eyes were wide and wet. ‘Sophie, it wasn’t like that, I promise. Please don’t listen to him…’

  Sophie took a step back, away from Jake, shaking her head in bewilderment. ‘Twisting your words? So, you did say something, then? And how many chats have you had? What have you been talking about?’

  Before Jake could reply, Edward replied with a smirk. ‘Oh, just business. Jake kindly volunteered himself for Park Watch duties. Surveillance, mostly.’

  ‘No…’ Sophie dragged her gaze from Edward to Jake, who could only stare at the floor. ‘Tell me he’s lying, Jake.’

  Jake squeezed his eyes closed. ‘I’m so sorry, Sophie.’ He looked up at her and blinked. Tears welled in his eyes. ‘I promise I didn’t mean for any of this to happen. I only wanted to make you happy, to send a message to Vince, and then to keep you safe, but it… It got out of control… I’m so sorry.’

  Something had felt wrong when he’d convinced her not to go and see Edward, but she never imagined he was working for him. ‘You spied on us? Oh, Mother Nature, you were the one who told Edward about Alice? You lied to my face! How could you?’

  ‘I only agreed because I know how much Vince meant to you. I never wanted him dead, I swear. I wanted you to be happy again and I thought it would be okay… It was only temporary… But then Alice… He blackmailed me. He threatened to hurt you…’