A Sister's War by Molly Green (the reading strategies book txt) 📕

Slightly flushed, Angela handed him the piece of paper. He quickly read it.

‘Let’s see,’ he said. ‘Margaret wrote this letter to Miss Dummitt who at the time was in the White Hart. As Margaret wasn’t in the cabin Angela went to the pub and gave it to Miss Dummitt.’ He paused. ‘Is that right?’

‘That’s right, Constable,’ Dora said.

‘I didn’t know how long Margaret had been gone,’ Angela said eagerly. ‘So I told the others and then Ronnie phoned the police.’

Michael Scott nodded. ‘I’ve arranged a search party,’ he said, ‘so they’ll be here in a few minutes. Meanwhile, you must all keep calm.’

‘I’d like to help search for her,’ Ronnie said immediately.

‘No, not tonight,’ Constable Scott said. ‘If we don’t have any luck we may need all of you in the morning.’

‘You don’t think—’ May started, but the constable put up his hand.

‘I don’t think anything at the moment,’ he said. ‘Anything’s possible, but I can assure you we’ll find her.’ He cocked his head at the sound of footsteps. ‘Ah, that sounds like someone.’

Not letting anyone see, Ronnie crossed her fingers tightly, praying it was Margaret. But a minute later they heard male voices.

‘I’d better go.’ Constable Scott rose to his feet. He glanced at Dora. ‘Obviously, I’ll let you know when we have some news. I’ll phone the pub if I can’t get here myself. Someone from there will come and tell you.’

‘Thank you,’ Dora said. ‘We’re not goin’ nowhere.’

Constable Scott’s eyes lingered on Ronnie. ‘Thank you for reporting this,’ he said. ‘I’ll do my best to keep you in the picture.’ With that he was gone.

‘You three best get ter the butty,’ Dora said. ‘We can’t do nothin’ more here ’less we hear otherwise.’

‘What do you think, then?’ May said, when the three of them were back in Penelope. ‘She could just be enjoying a bit of peace on her own. Angela can be quite hard to take at the best of times.’

‘I don’t think it’s that,’ Ronnie said. ‘It’s ages now since Angela saw her. And I’m going to help look for her.’

‘You’ll do nothing of the kind,’ Jessica said. ‘I’m the eldest and what I say goes if Dora’s not around.’

‘Sorry, but I’ve made up my mind.’ Ronnie slipped on her raincoat. She wound a scarf around her neck.

‘Then I’m coming with you,’ May said, taking off her pyjama jacket and pulling on a thick jumper, then a second one, and finally her coat.

‘Oh, very well, then,’ Jessica said firmly. ‘We’ll split up. That’ll give us more chance to find her. And bring torches.’

The three girls gathered on the towpath and moments later Dora and Sally joined them. For once, Dora didn’t even stop to light her pipe.

‘She’s a silly girl goin’ off on her own at this time o’ night,’ she said, popping her lips as though she were actually pulling on the stem of her pipe. ‘I just hope she in’t fallen in the cut. The cold water wouldn’t take long to kill her.’

Ronnie shuddered. Dora was voicing her worst thoughts.

‘Anyway, we’ll go in pairs,’ Dora said. ‘We don’t want no more worry with another of yous missing.’ She looked at Ronnie. ‘You go with Jess along the cut that way’ – she pointed – ‘and May goes with Sally the opposite way.’

‘What about you, Miss Dummitt?’ Sally said.

‘I know these parts,’ Dora said. ‘I’ll be on my own – away from the cut.’

‘Where’s Angela?’ Jessica demanded.

‘Stayin’ here. Said it were police work.’ Dora’s lip curled. ‘She’s right, in a way, but that attitude don’t help Margaret.’ She popped her lips again. ‘Right, let’s be off. Keep quiet so’s yer can listen fer any noise.’

Ronnie and Jessica set off, Ronnie’s heart thudding in her ears. After some minutes the numbing cold penetrated her raincoat and her two thick jumpers, but she forced herself to ignore it. The air smelt stale along the canal and several times she almost called out in fright when something brushed against her trousers. She shone her torch but as far as she could make out, it was only bits from the overhanging branches, blown by the wind onto the towpath.

‘Listen!’ Jessica hissed. She cocked her ear. ‘Can you hear something?’

Ronnie stood still, hardly daring to breathe. A groaning sound, then a whimper.

‘It sounds like some animal in pain,’ she said, dreading the sight of an injured creature.

‘That’s what I thought,’ Jessica said. ‘Well, we can’t do anything about it.’

‘We can’t leave it to die in agony,’ Ronnie muttered.

‘We’re trying to find Margaret,’ Jessica reminded her. ‘Let’s concentrate on that.’

‘I’m going to have a look,’ Ronnie said. ‘You go on. I’ll catch you up.’

‘No, Dora said we have to stick together. Come on, Ronnie.’ Jessica’s tone was an order.

‘I’ll only be five minutes, I promise.’

Jessica shrugged. ‘Up to you. You’ll be the one to explain to Dora. But mind it’s no more than five minutes.’

Ronnie crept towards the sound, not wanting to frighten the creature. The moaning became louder. It sounded like a large animal. Maybe a dog. She tried to remember how Mr Lincoln dealt with a wounded animal who was terrified. He kept his voice calm and soothing. She called out softly.

‘Hello, boy. Don’t be frightened. I’m going to find you and help you. Where are you?’

And then she stood paralysed. A voice answered her – thin and despairing.

‘Help, someone! Oh, please help!’

Chapter Seventeen

Ronnie stood rooted. And then she gathered her wits and half ran, half stumbled, towards that desperate-sounding voice, praying it was Margaret.

‘Margaret, it’s me, Ronnie. Where are you?’

An owl hooted in the eerie silence. She tried again.

‘Margaret! Where are you?’

‘Someone, help! Please help me!’

It sounded further away than before.

‘Shout again!’ Ronnie belted out, cupping her cold ears.

But there was nothing.

Almost crying with frustration, Ronnie climbed up a gentle slope away from the towpath towards where she judged was the village. If only she could hear the others. Tell them she’d heard someone. But it was