Ghost of a Chance (10 page)

Wednesday 22 December, night

The boat hire man’s shed was firmly shut but that didn’t stop Thomas Croft. He untied the largest of the boats and jumped in.

‘We’re coming, too,’ said Ling softly.

The man paused. ‘You’ve done enough. I’ve got the will and my parents’ house is mine.’ He looked out to sea. ‘But I still failed my sister. I let her drown. I just need to go out and say…sorry.’

‘We’re coming with you.’ Ling stood defiantly, her face lit by the moonlight.

Thomas Croft hesitated and then nodded briefly. He moved over in the boat and one by one the others climbed in.

It was a bigger boat than they had hired before, with a small outboard motor. Thomas
pulled at the cord but the motor was sullen and wouldn’t turn over. ‘Give us a look,’ said E.D. He took the torch out of his backpack and Angus held it while E.D. pumped the petrol bulb and pulled the choke out, then reefed at the cord again. The motor roared and he pushed the choke in. ‘Where to?’ he asked.

Thomas pointed. ‘Take it in that direction. I’m trying to remember exactly where it was.’

The boat chugged away from the jetty, and E.D. steered it forward.

‘Mr Croft?’ said Gabby, hesitantly. ‘Do you believe in the Collaratta Curse?’

Thomas Croft was silent for a moment. Then he looked at Gabby. ‘We found the rest of the gold the night that Elizabeth and Sebastian died. The gold fell into the sea again but the curse was already on us.’

‘The Isle of Many is so big,’ Ling said. ‘Did he make you dig everywhere?’

Thomas nodded and looked away over to the horizon. ‘Not everywhere, but it seemed like it.’ He sat up straight and grabbed E.D.’s shoulder. ‘Stop here.’

E.D. cut the motor and the boat slowed, bobbing up and down in the swell.

No one spoke as Thomas looked around. He
seemed to be struggling with his thoughts; his face twisting from sad to angry to scared.

Hannah looked at Angus. He glanced at her and shrugged. It had suddenly struck him that they were in the middle of the sea, late at night, with a man they didn’t know, with the wind beginning to rise and clouds moving in across the moon. ‘Perhaps we—’

‘What time is it?’ Hannah said sharply.

Angus looked at his watch. ‘10.46.’

‘Ling!’ said Gabby.

Ling was falling, slumping over with her head close to the side of the boat. Angus reached out and caught her. ‘Ling! What’s going on?’

She looked up at him with eyes that seemed to stare right through him. ‘Elizabeth,’ she whispered.

‘Mr Croft!’ said Gabby loudly. ‘Are you okay?’

Thomas Croft was bent over, hugging himself, rocking on the seat. As they watched, he lifted his head and stared at the sky. The sea heaved and the boat swivelled, making Gabby scream and clutch at her seat.

‘What’s happening?’ yelled Hannah. ‘E.D., do something!’

‘Like what?’ E.D. shouted. The wind whipped his hair.

‘Get us out of here!’

E.D. turned to the motor but this time he wasn’t so lucky; the motor refused to start. ‘It won’t go!’ he shouted. ‘We could try rowing.’ He knelt on the deck, feeling for an oar.

‘Beth!’

The sound of Thomas Croft screaming out that one word made everyone else freeze.

‘Beth!’ Thomas leaned over the side of the boat, swishing his arms through the water.

‘What is he
doing
?’ screamed Gabby. ‘Has he gone mad?’

‘He’s looking for something,’ said Angus, still holding Ling. ‘Or someone.’

‘Beth!’ Thomas yelled again. ‘I had her! I felt her hand. Then I let her go.’

‘No,’ said Ling quietly. She struggled up, leaning against Angus. ‘No,’ she said more firmly, ‘you didn’t have Elizabeth.’

Thomas Croft pulled his arms out of the water and clutched the side of the boat. ‘It was the gold,’ he shouted to Ling. ‘The cursed gold. We were rowing back to the cottage. The gold was in the bottom of the boat. The storm was here.’

‘The storm is here
now,’
shouted E.D.

‘The wind, the howling horrible wind. And the thunder. The sky knew. We had the gold and we shouldn’t have had it! It’s cursed! Even Sebastian knew that and he was only eight!’ Thomas squeezed his eyes shut then opened them, tears spilling down his cheeks. ‘I knew the gold was causing the storm. I threw the gold into the water but not all of it. It wasn’t enough. Mr Jamison was so angry. He knocked Beth and she fell overboard. I watched her fall! And Sebastian was gone—the sea took him away. But I had Beth! I felt her hand. But I wouldn’t go in—I didn’t know how to swim. I was scared of drowning.’

‘Thomas!’ screamed Ling, her voice loud even above the crashing and smashing of the angry waves against the hull. She struggled over to the man and leaned over the edge of the boat. ‘Don’t feel bad. Elizabeth forgives you.’

‘How do you know?’ Thomas yelled. ‘How do I know?’

The boat lurched as a wave hit it. ‘Ling!’ shouted Angus but suddenly Ling wasn’t there. Only Thomas was at the edge of the boat. Angus moved across the boat. ‘Where’s Ling?’

By the faint glow of moonlight that shone through the racing clouds, Angus saw a shape in the water. ‘Ling!’ he screamed and stood to jump into the sea. But he wasn’t quick enough; someone pushed him back and jumped in first. The sea broiled and Angus scrambled onto his knees.

‘Where is she?’ screamed Gabby. ‘I’m going

in.’

‘Wait!’ yelled Hannah. ‘It’s okay. Thomas has her.’

She pointed at the white-capped waves. Two heads were bobbing up and down, and as they watched, Thomas pulled Ling across to the boat. Angus and E.D. hauled her up and Gabby covered her with her jacket. Thomas pulled himself back into the boat and sat there dripping, staring at Ling.

Ling smiled weakly.

‘What is it?’ said Gabby. She was suddenly aware that she didn’t need to shout any more. The storm was calming down, the crashing waves around them settling. The moonlight grew brighter.

‘When we were in the water, we saw what happened to Elizabeth.’ Ling put her hand out to touch the man’s arm. ‘Thomas didn’t have

Elizabeth’s hand; he had Ronald Jamison’s. Mr Jamison pushed Elizabeth away from the boat so that Thomas would rescue him.’

‘I’m so sorry, Beth.’ Thomas was crying. ‘So sorry.’

The sea heaved once and then settled. Within minutes, the wind had stopped and the clouds had drifted from the moon. The storm was over.

‘But, Mr Croft,’ said E.D., ‘you saved Ling. You saved her life. You might not have known how to swim then, but you do now.’

‘Yes,’ said Thomas. ‘I can swim now.’ He looked at Ling. ‘Beth?’

Ling smiled and closed her eyes. ‘She’s gone.’

E.D. woke early the next morning. He turned over on his back and relived the events of the night before. After the sea had calmed, he’d found the oars. Gabby had helped him row the boat back towards shore as Angus held Ling and Hannah sat next to a quiet Thomas Croft. After they had gone a hundred metres, the clouds disappeared altogether and the boat was awash with moonlight. E.D. put down the oars and started the motor. They’d made it to the jetty without mishap.

Angelo and Mira were waiting for them on the beach and at first E.D. hadn’t recognised Mira. She stood so straight and she was smiling.
‘Buon ragazzo,
good boy,’ she had said to him. ‘It is finished.’

Angelo had been the one to keep Mrs Dalrymple from calling a search party. He’d also rung for an ambulance that had arrived a short time later to ferry Ronald Jamison to the Beachport Hospital. Angelo had done well. ‘I told Mrs Dalrymple we were having a party for you last night,’ he grinned. ‘A fish and chip spectacular.’

E.D. sighed. If only. What wouldn’t he give for a steaming bundle of fish and chips right now for breakfast! He stretched and sat up, wondering why he felt so awake. A distant noise rumbled. He clambered over to the window and looked out. On the beach, two motorbikes careered, leaving deep tracks in the sand. They swerved wildly to avoid someone walking near the water’s edge, and disappeared around the bay.

‘Hey, Angus!’ E.D. shook his friend until he woke. ‘Check that out. It’s Thomas Croft.’ E.D. pulled at Angus until he fell out of bed. ‘Come on, let’s go and see him.’

‘Get the girls,’ said Angus from the floor.

By the time Angus got up, dressed as carefully as he could with his sore arm, and was at the door, the girls were waiting. They ran quietly down the hall, out through the back door of Spray Cottage, and down to the beach.

Thomas turned at the sound of their footsteps. ‘Hello,’ he said smiling. ‘It’s the mystery solvers.’

‘You look different,’ said E.D., tipping his head sideways.

Thomas raised his hands in the air. ‘I feel different; I feel free.’

‘After all these years,’ said Ling.

Thomas swept her up and spun her around with him until she started laughing. He plonked her down and went for E.D.

‘Hey,’ said E.D., running backwards out of the way. ‘I’m cool.’

‘We’re all free,’ yelled Thomas. ‘Ronald Jamison won’t be bothering us any more. Elizabeth is peaceful. And you.’ He stopped in front of Ling again.

‘And me,’ said Ling. ‘I’m fine.’

‘You’re going today?’ Thomas asked.

Ling nodded. ‘After breakfast. Are you?’

Thomas turned to face the clear blue early
morning sea. ‘No. I’m going to stay for a while. I’m going to get rid of the bad memories and replace them with good ones.’

‘Right then,’ E.D. said, wiping his hands on his jeans. ‘We’d better hurry.’

‘Hurry—why?’ said Gabby.

‘What for?’ said Angus.

‘In case breakfast runs out! Can you imagine travelling all the way back home on an empty stomach?’

‘You are unbelievable, E.D.,’ said Gabby.

E.D. grinned, then reached forward and gave Gabby a kiss on the cheek.

‘E.D.!’ she squealed. ‘What was that for?’

‘Didn’t promise I’d never do it again.’

E.D. ran back to the cottage with Gabby hot on his heels.