Where Peacocks Scream

by Valerie Mendes

  “Hello!… Aren’t you Ralph’s young lad?”

  “Yes, sir.” Daniel’s heart banged to be let out. “My name’s Daniel. We met last year.”

  “That’s right, I remember. Well, now, Danny, this is very cloak and dagger. What can I do for you?”

  Daniel took a deep breath. “You can ask the police to run a check on Frank Jasper.”

  Purple Nose threw back his head and guffawed. “Why on earth would I do that? We’re just about to sign a contract—”

  “I know… I heard what he said about his plans to buy the island. The thing is—” Daniel bit his lip, feeling foolish.

  “The thing is what? Have you been watching too many James Bond films?”

  Daniel’s face flamed hot with indignation. “No, sir. That is… well, I did go to see Skyfall. I thought it was wicked.”

  “So you are playing cops and robbers!”

  “No, sir. This is not a game. I wish I were. I think Jasper may be a con man. You don’t know who you’re dealing with.”

  Purple Nose’s face darkened. “You can’t make accusations like that and expect me to take you seriously. Not without proof.”

  “I have proof,” Daniel said wildly. “I found things in his room—”

  “What kind of things?”

  “Three different passports. Three different photographs of three different men. Except they’re not different. If you look closely, you can see that each of the faces is Jasper’s.”

  Purple Nose frowned. “Does your father know about this?”

  “No. I didn’t want to say anything. I shouldn’t have been in Jasper’s room in the first place. Dad would have been furious. The thing is, I hoped Jasper would disappear and leave us alone. Now it looks as if he’s planning to stay for ever.”

  Purple Nose glanced at his chauffeur who’d raised his arm and tapped at his wristwatch. “Look, I’m late for another appointment.”

  “Please.” Daniel tried not to shout. “Don’t ignore me. I’ll do anything you ask. Just check him out.”

  Purple Nose turned to face him. “Can you get hold of those passports? I need solid proof to show the authorities. I don’t want to be accused of wasting their time.”

  “I’ll try.” Daniel gasped with relief. “I’ll do my best… When—”

  “Here’s the plan.” Purple Nose leaned forward. “I’ll ask Jasper to have Sunday lunch with me tomorrow in Oxford… We’ll talk about the deal, but I won’t have the contract with me. Get hold of the passports while he’s out. On Monday, you can hand them over to me.”

  “Fine.” Excitement pumped through Daniel’s veins. “My school’s on Bardwell Road. Can you meet me outside the main entrance at lunchtime?” He felt as if he’d run into Oxford and back without taking breath. “I’m not messing you about. This is serious.”

  “Indeed it is. There’s a lot of money involved. I certainly wouldn’t want to take a single penny of it from Jasper if he’s earned it in some disreputable deal. At the brewery we pride ourselves on being squeaky clean.”

  “I know. Mum and Dad are always on the watch for shady customers. Guys who might be dealing in drugs.” Daniel swallowed, suddenly filled with a gush of pride at how hard his parents worked. “They wouldn’t want anything to ruin the reputation of The Riverside.”

  Purple Nose reached an arm through the window. He shook Daniel’s hand.

  “Thanks, Danny. Even if nothing comes of this, I’m sure you mean well.” A faint smile lit his face. “When you leave school, if you ever want a job with the brewery, you only have to ask. Young lads with real calibre and initiative… We’re always on the look-out for the best in town.”

  Second Thoughts

  Daniel watched the Bentley glide away.

  Then he darted back to the bushes and to Joshua.

  “Any luck?”

  “Well, at least he listened to me and he’s giving me a chance. He wants to see those passports. I’ve got to hand them over to him on Monday outside school.”

  “Which means—”

  “Getting back into Jasper’s room. Purple Nose is going to ask Jasper to have lunch with him tomorrow, so the coast will be clear. I’m praying I’ll find the envelope in the same place, stuck behind the painting.”

  “What if it’s not there? What if he takes the passports with him? What if he’s noticed the envelope’s been opened? What happens then?”

  Daniel frowned, his excitement seeping away. “Haven’t a clue,” he said. “Everything depends on those faces in disguise.”

  That evening Daniel wandered down to the boatyard, worrying about whether his plan would work, wanting to get away from The Riverside, trying not to imagine a barbecue this time next year when his precious island would be unrecognisable, the marvellous wild paradise gone for ever.

  He saw Phil and Chloe sitting in their garden outside their bungalow, and waved. Chloe waved back, but Daniel noticed she looked pale and miserable. Phil muttered something to her. He stood up, abruptly flinging away his chair, and stomped indoors.

  That’s not like Phil… What’s up?

  Chloe beckoned. Daniel ran to sit beside her. She looked like she’d been crying.

  “Hi, Chloe. What’s wrong?”

  “The usual stuff, but now it’s even worse.” She wiped her face on the long sleeve of her cotton blouse. She was wearing clothes Daniel hadn’t seen before. He couldn’t remember when he’d last heard her play the violin.

  “Tell me.”

  “Stephen’s been offered a job running an art gallery in Edinburgh. Mum wants him to accept – she says it’s a very prestigious post and it would be a step up in his career. She wants to go with him.”

  Daniel’s heart sank. “It can’t possibly mean—”

  “Oh, yes, it can. They want me to go with them.”

  “Honestly, Chloe! They’re the limit!”

  “I don’t want to go one bit. I want to stay here with Dad. It’s bad enough living on Boars Hill. Scotland will feel like the other side of the world. I’ll only get to see Dad three times a year in the holidays if I’m lucky… And I can’t stand Stephen. He makes my flesh crawl. God, Dan… ” Chloe started to cry. “What am I going to do?”

  “Stay and fight.” Instinctively, Daniel took Chloe’s hand.

  Chloe looked at him through wet lashes. “I feel like running away. Just until they’ve gone to Scotland and forgotten about me. Then I’ll slink back here to Dad and the boatyard.”

  “I feel like running away too,” Daniel said. “But it won’t solve anything. Adults always find you and drag you back to where they want you to belong.”

  “I belong here.” Chloe’s voice was thick with tears. “I’ve grown roots here. Everything and everyone I love are here. My Dad, my school… ” she blushed. “My friends… You.”

  “So don’t let it happen.” Daniel’s heart thudded. He could hardly bear the thought of losing her. “Tell your mum what you really feel. Tell her she can’t drag you off. To hell with Stephen and his arty-farty career. This is your life and your future.”

  Chloe dried her eyes. Their blueness seemed to have darkened.

  “You’re right, Dan, I know you are… And I’ve got to make my stand now, haven’t I, before it’s too late.”

  Daniel pretended to work in his room all Sunday morning, hoping Jasper would leave, desperate to hear his footsteps thudding down the stairs.

  But the man had breakfast in bed and then seemed to fall asleep again. An hour later, he took a long bath. Then he went back to his room where he jabbered into his mobile and rustled newspapers for hours until Daniel was jumping up and down with impatience.

  Finally, at fifteen minutes to one, Jasper left, closing his door behind him.

  Moments later, Mum bustled upstairs with one of the maids, s
aying she planned to give the room a ‘proper turn-out’. Frank had told her he’d be staying at The Riverside for another six months.

  Daniel gasped with rage and exasperation. He flung himself out to the island, where he hurled the metal chairs back into their clumps. He checked the woods to make sure no damage had been done by any of the guests.

  Over at the boatyard, there were no signs of Phil or Chloe. Daniel clenched his fists, dreading to hear Phil tell him that Chloe had left for Edinburgh, praying it wouldn’t come to that.

  Two hours later, he slunk back to his room, hoping nobody had spotted him. The landing smelt of furniture polish and disinfectant. But the cleaning seemed to have finished.

  Daniel glanced at his watch. Three o’clock. It was now or never. Jasper’s lunch with Purple Nose might already have ended. Even now, he might be driving back to The Riverside in his silver Mercedes, singing his song of triumph and almost-signed ownership.

  Daniel found the key to Jasper’s door and slipped it in the lock.

  The envelope was not behind the painting.

  Daniel swore under his breath.

  Now what?

  He hung the painting back on the wall. He didn’t have time to open the suitcases and check through Jasper’s clothes. Had Jasper noticed the envelope had been opened, or was he just playing safe and moving the package around as a matter of course? If it was the latter, might he have found another piece of furniture and stuck it onto that?

  The wardrobe was too heavy for Daniel to move. He longed to have Joshua with him to help, but even if he texted him now and he arrived within minutes, Daniel couldn’t risk waiting for him.

  Whatever he decided to do, he must act alone – and fast.

  He flew around the room like a flapping bird, running his fingers over everything: the sides of the bed, the back of the headboard, the bedside table, the table underneath the window.

  And finally the rocking-chair.

  He turned it upside down.

  Underneath its seat lay the same white envelope.

  Daniel almost burst into tears of relief. In a trice, he’d whipped it off and slipped it in his pocket. Everything else in the room was in its proper place. He zipped out and across the landing, back into his room.

  Where he froze.

  Supposing Jasper checked the rocking-chair the moment he walked in? What if he noticed the envelope was missing? If Daniel handed the passports to Purple Nose tomorrow, he’d want to keep them. What if Jasper guessed Daniel had stolen the envelope and started asking questions? Purple Nose might be able to get rid of Jasper by cancelling the business deal – but what if Jasper came after Daniel, seeking revenge?

  There was only one solution.

  Daniel had to get the passports photographed and copied. The only person he knew who had the technical equipment to do that in the flash of an eye was Joshua.

  Stuffing the envelope into his jacket pocket, he sped downstairs and flung himself on his bike.

  “Where are you off to?” Mum was in the yard, dealing with a bag of rubbish.

  “Just going to ask Joshua about some homework. I need to borrow a book.”

  “Will you be long?”

  “No more than half an hour. Back in time for tea.”

  “Good thinking, Sherlock.” Joshua beckoned Daniel into the kitchen. “And well found. You’d have looked a right twit if you’d had to face Purple Nose tomorrow with nothing to show him.”

  “You can say that again.” Daniel slid the package out of his pocket. “Quick, before your Auntie Ruth gets home… We’ll have to steam this envelope open again. I hope it’ll stand the strain. And then we’ll need your miraculous mobile that does everything except make coffee.”

  Five minutes later, he laid the passports out on Joshua’s bed. Ten minutes later, Joshua had taken the photographs and printed them on a piece of paper. Daniel folded it carefully and put it in his pocket, along with the freshly sealed envelope.

  “Thanks, Watson. What would I do without you?”

  “I can’t imagine.” Joshua’s forehead crinkled with worry. “You’d better get home before Jasper does. I shan’t sleep easy until I know those passports are back where he left them. Will you text me?”

  “Sure.” Daniel turned to leave. Then he remembered. “Could you lend me a book? History, geography, anything… I told Mum I’d come to borrow one.”

  But as he cycled into the car park, his heart sank.

  The silver Mercedes was already parked next to Dad’s new Ford.

  Daniel shot through the door of The Riverside. Jasper sat on his own at a table by the window, a pot of coffee and a file of papers at his elbow, jabbing angrily at a calculator.

  Daniel clenched his fists and decided to risk it.

  He took the stairs three at a time, reached the landing and opened Jasper’s door. He lifted the rocking-chair and jammed the envelope back into position. Luckily, the patches of glue were still damp enough for the envelope to cling to it. Nobody could possibly have noticed it had been disturbed.

  He breathed a sigh of relief and straightened his back… and the door opened.

  “What the hell are you doing in my room?”

  Jasper seemed to fill the tiny space under the eaves. His face was flushed; his eyes blood-shot, as if he’d drunk a lot of wine at lunch.

  Daniel gulped and flailed. For a moment his mind went completely blank. Then he invented something brilliant.

  “Mum and one of the maids,” he gabbled, “they’ve just finished cleaning your room.” He gestured towards a small bowl of flowers on the desk. “They asked me to give you these. I hope you like them.”

  “Hmm.” Jasper’s shoulders slumped. He glared at Daniel, slid his jacket off and threw it on the bed. The smell of sweat and aftershave rose into the air. “Well, now you’ve delivered them, you can get the hell out of here… Vamoose sharpish. That bastard from the brewery has asked me to come up with a more detailed business plan. It’s going to take me hours of slaving over a hot calculator. So if you don’t mind, Danny-boy, I have more profitable things to look at than a bunch of yellow pansies.”

  Daniel crashed into his room and closed the door.

  His hands shaking with fear and loathing, he sent Joshua a text.

  “Mission accomplished, Watson, but only just! Very narrow squeak. See you tomorrow.”

  A Moonlight Flit

  Daniel stood outside the school gates, staring down the road.

  His eyes felt sore.

  He couldn’t wait much longer. He was supposed to be getting ready for PE – and Mr Roberts was a stickler for punctuality. “Why take extra trouble to be late when with very little effort you can be on time?” was a favourite question he always roared at the stragglers.

  Part of Daniel wanted to forget all about Jasper, pretend he’d never met the man. Part of him was terrified of taking proof of his suspicions any further. Part of him wanted shot of the man, more than anything.

  He gritted his teeth and held his ground.

  A Bentley purred towards him, glittering in the sun.

  Daniel dashed towards it as it came to a halt. Purple Nose slid the window down.

  “Good afternoon, Danny. Most kind of you to wait for me.”

  “Afternoon, sir.” Daniel scrabbled in his pocket. He pulled out the folded piece of paper. “I managed to photograph the passports for you. I thought it might be dangerous to remove them from Jasper’s room in case he discovered they were missing.”

  He pushed the piece of paper into Purple Nose’s hand.

  “Good lad.” Frowning, Purple Nose glanced at the photographs. “Great Scot! It is the same man… I don’t like the look of these one bit… We’ll definitely run a check on him.” He met Daniel’s eyes. “Most grateful, lad. Never would have cottoned onto th
is without your help. Guys like Jasper are dab hands at covering their tracks.”

  “What will happen now?” Daniel’s voice shook with relief and hope.

  “We’ll make sure we’ve got our facts right. If we have, if there’s the slightest doubt about Jasper – or whatever his real name is – we’ll kill the deal. Can’t be having with even a whiff of scandal.”

  “Great. I’ll be glad to see the back of him.” Daniel glanced at his watch. “I’m sorry, sir, but I’m late for PE.”

  “Of course. Off you go and strengthen those muscles of yours.” Purple Nose sat back against the gleaming upholstery. “Oh, and Danny… ”

  “Yes, sir?”

  “Take good care of yourself. Guys like Jasper can be unpredictable and dangerous. He was desperate to buy that island. Can’t think why. Developing the land would have cost him a fortune. But he got quite stroppy yesterday when I asked him to come up with some more details. He doesn’t like to be out-manoeuvred. I suspect he’s got a foul temper when he’s fired up. Watch your back.”

  Daniel cycled home, dreading what he might find.

  The Riverside was quiet – but then it often was on a Monday night. By early evening a fine rain had begun to fall.

  Mum shivered. “Almost time to light the first autumn fires, Ralph,” Daniel heard her say. “There’s plenty of wood in the shed.”

  Daniel did his homework, ate supper, watched television, listened for the Mercedes, and waited for Jasper to return. At ten o’clock he went to bed, still listening and waiting. Finally, lulled by the sound of heavy rain in the trees, he fell asleep.

  Next morning in the bathroom he noticed that Jasper’s toilet bag had vanished. He dashed upstairs and peered out of his window at the car park. There was no sign of the Mercedes either. He frowned and turned to walk out to the landing. As he did so, he heard a crash.

  Mum was standing in Jasper’s room, the contents of the breakfast tray all over the bed. “God Almighty! Frank’s vanished! He’s done a moonlight flit.”