‘I don’t know who it was.They didn’t give a name.But what they did say was pretty bad.’
‘Quick, ring 1471,’ said Stan.‘We need to know who that was, and fast, before someone else phones.Then you’d better tell us what it was all about.’
Jess snatched the telephone and dialled, listened carefully and then pressed the ‘end call’ button, putting the handset on the table thoughtfully.
‘Well?’asked Leo.
‘The caller withheld their number,’ she said, ‘so now, tell us why you look as if you’ve seen a ghost.’
‘It was probably just one of those crank calls.Nothing to make a big deal about.’
‘Leo, just tell us what they said, lad, and let us all decide if it’s serious, eh?’said Harry, turning off the music abruptly.
There was a pause, while Leo appeared to be thinking how to word his answer.After a moment, he sighed and said, ‘I couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman, they were all muffled.’
‘Like on the old films, where they used to crumple a handkerchief and talk through it?’said Stan excitedly.
Leo nodded.‘Yes, strange as it might seem, that’s just what it did sound like.A husky, gruff kind of voice.But it was what the person said that was the weirdest thing, and I want you to stay calm when I tell you this bit, especially you, Jess.’
‘Me?Why me?’
‘Because… well… they seemed to be threatening all of us, but particularly George.’
‘Threatening us with what?’asked Stan, seeing that Jess was speechless with fear.
‘Nothing specific, just “danger”.’
‘Oh just “danger”, that’s all right then,’ snapped Jess.‘What did they say about George?What are they threatening to do to him?If anyone tries to hurt George, I’ll kill them.’
‘I told you, nothing definite.The voice just said that if we didn’t give up on the bookshop and café, we would all suffer, and “the kid will be the first to get it”, I think those were the exact words.Oh, and we’re not to tell the police, apparently.It must be a prank call.’
‘Prank call?You’re kidding, surely?Let’s get on to the police right now, son,’ said Harry, reaching for the phone.‘I’ll do it.’
‘No!’Jess stood up and grabbed the handset, putting it behind her back.‘If George is in danger, we’ve got to think.I’m not doing anything to make things worse than they already are.’Stan looked over at Mab and she nodded in agreement but alarm bells started ringing in his head as he noticed how deathly pale she was.She seemed to be trying to speak but no words came out, and all of a sudden, Mab’s legs crumpled.
‘Quick, catch her!’shouted Nina, and Stan leapt to break Mab’s fall, scooping her up just as she was about to hit the ground.There was pandemonium as he carried Mab to her bedroom and laid her gently on the bed.Nina had run for a cool flannel and immediately began to sponge Mab’s forehead, murmuring soothingly as she worked.The rest of them waited in anxious silence until eventually, Mab half sat up, only to be gently pushed back down by Leo, who was holding a glass of water.
‘Relax, sweetheart, you need to rest for a while.You were out cold for a few minutes there,’ he said, trying to sound as if blacking out was quite normal but only succeeding in panicking Mab.
‘W… what happened?Did I faint?I don’t think I’ve ever fainted in my life,’ Mab mumbled, yawning hugely and trying to focus on Leo’s concerned face.
‘Therewasthat time in school assembly, Mabel,’ said Jess, smoothing Mab’s hair back.‘You know, when you won the prize for best poem in sixth form, and you fell off the stage going to collect it.The head thought you were drunk.Don’t you remember?’
‘Does anything hurt, Mab?’asked Stan, secretly appalled at the clammy grey look of his sister’s face.
‘I had a really bad pain in my back but it’s going off now.’Her eyes were closing as she spoke.
‘Look, Mab needs to sleep, and so do the rest of us,’ said Stan, trying to shoo them all out of the room.‘Let’s all go to bed, and in the morning, we’ll have a breakfast meeting, and discuss all the problems in one go, OK?I’ll pop in again in a few minutes, Mab, and check that you’re set up for the night.’
George had been asleep for hours, but Stan could see that Jess was itching to go and check on him.The phone call had shaken her badly.
‘Stan, what do you really think?’she asked, clutching his hand.‘Is George in any danger?Because if he is, I’ll ring the police myself.Or will that make it worse?’
‘I’ll tell you what I think, love,’ said Stan, wrapping his arms around Jess and kissing the top of her head, ‘I reckon someone’s trying to unnerve us.They know we’re rattled, what with all the problems Leo’s had already, and this is just another way of stopping us in our tracks.’
‘So you think it’s OK to do nothing for tonight?Really?I’m so tired, Stan, but I won’t sleep a wink if I think George isn’t safe.’
‘Tell you what, I’ll sleep out here on the sofa tonight, shall I?Then if you need me in the night, for a cuddle… or anything… well, I’ll be handy.No harm will come to either of you with me here, I promise.’
