The Racehorse Who Disappeared

by Clare Balding

  Across the field, the first of the chariots had been attached to a horse, and a man in tracksuit bottoms with no shirt on had climbed into the seat. His legs were out in front of him, either side of the horse’s flanks. He took the reins in his hand and shouted at the horse to move forward, flicking a long whip as he did so. The horse started to trot and then canter.

  ‘G’wan, g’wan, you miserable mule!’ The man cracked the whip hard across the horse’s back and then towards its head. The horse picked up speed as the man yanked on the reins to make it turn to the right.

  Joe and Charlie both winced.

  ‘If this is the warm-up, what will they be like in the race itself? It’s horrifying.’ Joe was now the one to be outraged. ‘We have to stop it.’

  ‘I can’t watch.’ As Charlie turned away, she saw the group of colourfully dressed women making their way towards them. At the head of the group was Granny Pam. Charlie reached down to grab Boris’s collar before he could run forward to greet her.

  ‘Vot, vot! Ready to trot?’ asked Granny Pam. ‘Ze races are about to start!’

  The crowd was swelling as women, men and children made their way through the gap in the hedge and into the field with the chariots. Another horse had been harnessed up and was cantering round the field, and two more were being prepared. All were much more heavily built than Noble Warrior. Most of them had shaved manes, but the hair on their bodies was thick, especially towards the bottom of their legs, where they had long tufts hanging down towards their feet. They had thicker bones than a thoroughbred and would be less likely to be injured by galloping on a road, but it would still be a horrible experience for them.

  Charlie looked back to find Granny Pam, but she had disappeared into the crowd.

  ‘Hello, my little friend, what are you doing here?’

  Charlie felt a presence by her side and a voice that sounded familiar. As she turned to take a proper look, she saw jet-black hair, a hooked nose and a gap-toothed smile.

  ‘You’re here!’

  Charlie flung her arms round the fortune-teller. She had met the descendant of Gypsy Rose Lee in the middle of Epsom Downs on Derby Day. When the fortune-teller had predicted a magical day for Charlie, Charlie had repaid her by telling her that Noble Warrior was the horse to bet on. ‘You were right! We did win the Derby!’

  ‘Oh, don’t you worry, my little friend. I know you did. I got this as a present to myself afterwards.’ She patted her skirt, a beautiful silk patchwork of gold and green. ‘I even picked your colours. Foreteller Ava will never forget the girl with the golden touch.’

  Ava paused and stared into Charlie’s eyes.

  ‘Now, my child, you’d better tell me what you’re doing here. I can see by your face that something is wrong. What is it?’

  Charlie hesitated. She wasn’t sure whether Ava would help her or if the men who took Noble Warrior were friends of hers. The fortune-teller seemed to sense her suspicion.

  ‘You can trust me, my little one. Foreteller Ava never forgets a friend who has done her a good deed. You told me to back your horse and I made a very nice sum that day. I will do anything to repay you.’

  Charlie quickly filled her in on what had happened the night before at Folly Farm and how they had come to Essex in the hope of finding Noble Warrior.

  ‘He’s in there,’ she said, gesturing towards the cattle truck. ‘I have a plan to set him free, but I don’t know if the crowd is going to like it.’

  Ava nodded. ‘Let me talk to some of my friends. I’ll see what can be done.’ She slipped back through the hedge and disappeared.

  ‘Look!’ said Harry, still clutching his bloody nose.

  The whispering man and his grinning friend were pulling down the back ramp of the cattle truck, ready to lead Noble Warrior out.

  ‘What are we going to do?’ asked Caroline. ‘Call the police?’

  Charlie’s pulse was pounding. Within minutes, Noddy would be tied up to a chariot and racing. There was no point in calling the police. They would never get here in time.

  ‘Too late for that. We’re going to have to save him ourselves. We need to work as a team,’ Charlie said, gesturing for Harry, Larry, Caroline and Joe to huddle in to listen to her plan, like the Great Britain hockey team just before the start of the Olympic final.

  ‘Right. Once the kidnappers have got Noddy out, Harry and Larry, I need you to cause that diversion we talked about. I don’t care what you do – just make sure the whole crowd is looking at you. Mum, when everyone’s distracted, you jump into the truck. If the kidnappers think someone is stealing it, they’ll follow you. Then Joe and I will grab Noddy. Timing is everything, so you need to wait for the signal and then we all move together. Got it?’ Charlie finished her directions.

  ‘Righto, captain!’ said Larry.

  For a moment, Charlie thought her brother was making fun of her again, but he wasn’t. His face was deadly serious. Everyone understood their role and they were all ready to help. Charlie felt a surge of pride in her family. This was their chance to save Noble Warrior and they all knew it would probably be their only one.

  The kidnappers had moved the last chariot closer to the cattle truck.

  ‘We haven’t got long,’ Charlie whispered urgently. She still had one person she needed to talk to and the best team member to help her with that mission was right by her feet. ‘Go on, boy – go and find Granny Pam! Find her!’

  Boris sniffed the air for a second and then darted forward, his tail wagging so hard it seemed to act as a propeller. Charlie ran behind him and, thirty seconds later, Boris was jumping up at the skirt of Granny Pam.

  ‘I’m so sorry, madam,’ said Charlie, bending down to grab his collar. ‘My dog has a mind of his own.’

  ‘Don’t vorry. He is a pretty little thing,’ replied Granny Pam, leaning down to pat his head.

  In the five seconds that their heads were together, bent over Boris, Charlie gave the final instructions she needed to deliver. As Granny Pam stood up, she smiled and spread her arms.

  ‘Let zee GAMES begin!’

  Chapter 12

  The field was now full of activity. Horses were galloping in different directions, their drivers trying to turn them at high speed. One chariot flipped over and a group of men ran forward to help the driver set it upright again. The two kidnappers had disappeared inside the cattle truck, and Charlie could hear shouting and kicking from inside. She and Joe kept their distance, worried that they might be recognized.

  The kidnappers were backing Noble Warrior down the ramp. He was sweating and showing the whites of his eyes. Every time he tried to throw his head in the air, the grinning man tugged down on a rope. Charlie saw that he had tied the short rope in a loop round Noble Warrior’s top lip to make a twitch and was holding a stick that he could twist to make the rope tighter. She’d seen the device before, but only used sparingly and gently to calm a horse down if its coat was being clipped. The pain seemed to numb Noble Warrior into complete submission. They led him towards the chariot and backed him into the harness.

  ‘Clip him in,’ said the grinning man, as his partner attached the straps that would fix Noble Warrior into place.

  As he threw the strap across his back, Noble Warrior lashed out with his back legs and the whispering man fell over.

  ‘You idiot, Luca!’ shouted the grinning man, as he jabbed down on the stick and twisted it tighter. ‘I told you we should ’ave taken the stupid pony too.’

  ‘I thought that was just a story to get the papers interested,’ replied Luca. ‘I didn’t realize this one really was crazy.’

  ‘Come on, boys,’ muttered Charlie. ‘We need to get going.’

  Right on cue, a loud yell rang out. At the far end of the field, a circle had formed round two figures who were fighting each other. It was Harry and Larry. Granny Pam had given the boys a crash course in stage combat, showing them how to make a fake fight look convincing. Larry was dancing around his brother, pretending to throw punches, while H
arry flung his head back as if he had been hit. Red liquid started to pour from the corner of his mouth. Charlie grinned. No one watching would know that Harry had bitten down on a capsule of fake blood slipped to him by Granny Pam. It looked completely real. Everyone had turned to watch, led by Granny Pam, who was goading the boys and shouting her encouragement.

  It was time for Phase Two of the plan.

  Using the cattle truck as cover, Caroline, Joe and Charlie made their way carefully towards the chariot. As they reached the back ramp, Charlie gave the second signal.

  ‘Go on, Boris, go!’

  Boris ran forward, barking at the grinning man who was holding Noble Warrior’s head. He nipped at his heels and grabbed the back of his trouser leg, pulling as hard as he could. At the same time, Caroline jumped into the cattle truck’s cab. She found the key in the ignition and turned it. The engine rumbled loudly as it started to roll forward.

  ‘Oi! Stop there!’

  Luca had got back to his feet and was trying to sound the alarm, but he still couldn’t raise his voice above a whisper. He chased after the truck, waving.

  Meanwhile, the grinning man was busy trying to deal with Boris. He kicked at him, but couldn’t free his leg without letting go of the twitch he had put around Noble Warrior’s muzzle.

  Noble Warrior threw back his head and then reared, pulling the chariot up into the air. As his front legs came down, they caught the grinning man on the side of his head. He fell to the ground, knocked out cold, and Boris jumped on to his chest, growling.

  ‘Good boy!’ said Charlie. ‘You keep him there.’

  Joe went straight to Noble Warrior’s head to release the twitch, which was dangling from his top lip.

  ‘You poor lad, you don’t need that any more.’ Joe was speaking softly, cradling Noble Warrior’s head in his arms. ‘I’m so sorry, my boy. You don’t deserve this. It’s OK. You’re safe now. I promise you’re safe now.’

  Charlie moved fast to undo the clips and detach Noble Warrior from the harness.

  ‘You’d better get him out of here before our friend wakes up.’ She gestured towards the grinning man, who was starting to stir, and gave Joe a leg-up on to Noble Warrior’s back.

  ‘Good boy, Noddy,’ she said, giving him a kiss on the nose. ‘Now get out of here.’

  She looked up at Joe. ‘Don’t stop for anyone. I’ll text you when it’s safe to come back.’

  Joe grabbed the reins, which were far too long, and gave Noble Warrior a gentle squeeze on the tummy. He took off at a gallop, thundered across the field and jumped the hedge. In less than a minute, he was out of sight. The crowd who had been watching Harry and Larry fighting all turned round.

  ‘Who was that? Pegasus?’ exclaimed one man.

  ‘What price is he for King of the Road?’ asked another.

  Their clamour was interrupted by a rumble of a different kind.

  Like an avalanche moving towards them, a grey-and-blue cattle truck thundered slowly but surely down the field, its ramp dragging behind it. Caroline sat at the wheel, beeping the horn. Alongside the truck, a man was running and jumping up at the passenger door, but he couldn’t get a grip and kept falling back. He looked like a demented kangaroo.

  As he got closer, his whispering voice could finally be heard.

  ‘Stop, thief! She’s trying to steal my truck!’

  Most of the onlookers scattered in panic, but one had her wits about her. Granny Pam moved deftly to one side, stuck out her right foot and in one smooth move brought the whispering man crashing to the ground. She sat heavily on his stomach, squeezing the wind from his chest.

  ‘I don’t think that truck is yours to be claiming, young man. And, if it’s a THIEF you’re after, you should just look in the mirror.’

  She produced a pair of handcuffs and a set of leg shackles from beneath her long skirts. ‘These should do the trick,’ she said, as she tossed the leg shackles to Larry and attached the handcuffs herself.

  ‘Er, Granny,’ murmured Larry. ‘Your accent! I think you’ve blown your cover.’

  Granny Pam looked up to find herself faced by the crowd of women.

  ‘Sorry, darlings,’ she beamed at her colourfully dressed friends. ‘It’s true that I’m not quite what I seemed to be, but this man stole my granddaughter’s horse. He HAD to be stopped.’

  For a moment, the women stood stony-faced. Then they started whooping and cheering.

  Granny Pam leaped to her feet and bowed as if taking a curtain call.

  ‘I haven’t had such a standing ovation since I gave my Lady Bracknell,’ she beamed. ‘STILL got it, boys. STILL got it.’

  Further up the field, Boris had his front paws on the grinning man’s chest and was growling with the ferocity of a dog four times his size. Charlie grabbed the leather straps from the chariot and started tying them round the man’s legs to prevent him running away, but he suddenly sat up, swiping Boris aside and grabbing Charlie’s arm.

  ‘You’ve made a big mistake, little lady,’ he hissed into her face. ‘Meet my friends.’

  Charlie looked round in horror. There were at least twenty men in a circle around her. They either had vests on or were completely bare-chested, so she could see their muscles.

  ‘Well done, lads, just in time,’ said the grinning man. ‘This pathetic l’il girl was trying to tie me up. She’s stolen me ’orse and now she’s trying to make a fool of me. You know what to do.’

  ‘They do indeed,’ said a female voice from behind them. ‘But these are my friends, not yours. Get to it, boys.’

  The men stepped forward and lifted the grinning man to his feet. Then they continued to wrap the leather straps round his legs, up his body, all the way to his neck. For the first time since she had met him, Charlie noticed that his grin had disappeared.

  ‘I told you I wouldn’t let you down,’ said the female voice again. It was Ava! ‘Now let’s take him back to his good-for-nothing pal and we’ll work out what to do with the pair of them.’

  Charlie and Boris led the group down the field with the men carrying the kidnapper, now wrapped up like a mummy, above their heads until they dropped him next to Luca, the whispering man. The crowd, which had seemed so intimidating when they had first arrived, started to clap and cheer, and Johnny, the man they’d seen breaking himself out of chains, lifted Charlie up and swung her round.

  Charlie took a massive intake of breath and let it out slowly. Then she smiled. It had worked. Her plan had actually worked! She shook her head to relieve the slight feeling of dizziness. She knew she had to say something.

  ‘Thank you all so much for your help. These two men stole my horse. They beat him and scared him and they were trying to bully him into racing against your horses. This isn’t the way to treat a horse or any other animal.’ Charlie gestured at the chariots and their drivers. ‘You don’t need to be cruel. You don’t need those long whips and you certainly don’t need to gallop on the main road. I understand racing and I know what you love about it, but it doesn’t have to be like this.’

  Ava moved forward and took her hand.

  ‘She’s right, lads. We ought to be thinking to the future and not always behaving like we did in the past. We’ve always been close to our animals, working together to survive, and we should respect them and cherish them because of that.’

  A few of the older men started to grumble, but the young children looked eager and interested. However, their discussion was interrupted by the sound of sirens.

  ‘It’s the rozzers!’ shouted the man who’d been chalking up the betting on a blackboard. ‘Scram!’

  The crowd scattered in all directions and the drivers with their chariots trotted away down the lanes. By the time a police car with lights flashing and sirens blaring screeched into the field, only Charlie, Caroline, Granny Pam, Harry, Larry and Ava were left, along with the two kidnappers.

  The front doors of the car opened. Chief Inspector Bronks got out of the passenger side and her brother, Sergeant Bronks
, got out of the driver’s side.

  ‘I told you it was no right turn at those lights!’ shouted the Chief Inspector.

  ‘We’re in a police car, you fool. We can do what we like!’

  ‘Don’t you talk to me like that. I’m your superior officer!’

  ‘You’re also my sister, more’s the pity, and if I can’t tell you you’re off your rocker then nobody can.’

  Bill Bass slowly got out of the back of the car. Caroline ran forward to hug him.

  ‘Darling! What on earth are you doing here?’

  ‘These two came back to the farm a couple of hours after you’d left. I told them what you’d all worked out about Essex and the illegal racing. They jumped back in the car with me and roared straight over here. I’ve never driven so fast in my life,’ said Bill, rubbing his ears. ‘They never stop talking either. They bicker more than Harry and Larry!’

  Chief Inspector Bronks surveyed the scene.

  ‘Where’s the horse?’ she asked, looking confused.

  ‘Joe rode him away,’ replied Charlie. ‘I’ll tell him it’s safe to come back.’ She borrowed Larry’s phone and sent Joe a text:

  Coast clear. Police here.

  ‘I don’t know how we’re going to get Noddy home, though,’ added Charlie. ‘We can’t use the cattle truck because it’s got no headlights.’

  ‘Don’t worry,’ said Bill. ‘I called Alex Williams from the car. He’s sending his horsebox. It won’t be far behind us.’

  ‘Thanks, Dad. Did he say how Polly was doing?’

  ‘No change yet. But when she hears we’ve found Noddy, that’ll cheer her up.’ Bill patted his daughter on the head. ‘And well done, my love. I’m proud of you. I’m proud of all of you.’

  Charlie hugged her father.

  ‘Where are the boys?’ asked Bill.

  ‘I’ve no idea,’ replied Charlie. ‘They were here a second ago.’

  ‘They’re in the police car,’ said Granny Pam. She saw the look of horror on Bill’s face and quickly added, ‘Don’t worry, they’re not going to do anything BAD. I told them there’d be a first-aid kit in there.’