Sky Lights (21 page)

‘All right then,’ said Amy, reluctantly.

Jack, Shelley and the two dogs piled into Doug’s car as he started it up. ‘Where to?’ he asked.

‘Follow that star,’ cried Shelley pointing to the bright light that had appeared at the bottom of the driveway. As Doug inched the car forward, the fairy set off down the road, and the carload of investigators followed.

‘I don’t believe this is happening,’ muttered Doug. He was aware of pedestrians turning to stare at his vehicle. People in the streets of Edinburgh had never seen such a sight as a car following a moving light. Those who saw it put it down to a little too much of the Christmas spirit.

Rounding a corner, after almost half an hour’s driving, Doug was suddenly aware of blue flashing lights on a piece of waste ground behind a wire mesh fence. He pulled in behind the fairy, which immediately disappeared. He drove up parallel to the police car and all three of them jumped out, leaving the dogs in the car. Suddenly they were caught in the bright light from the policeman’s torch. It was D.I. Johnston.

‘Well, well, well. And what have we here? If it isn’t Mr Paton and the children from Never Land!’

‘No need to be sarcastic, officer,’ said Jack. ‘Have you found the professor’s car?’

‘Shh!’ said Doug to Jack. ‘Let me deal with this.’

‘And what do you know about that, lad?’ demanded WPC Ferguson. ‘As it happens we were sent to investigate a stolen car, which we believe to be owned by the very professor you were asking about earlier today. One of our officers in a passing patrol car spotted it here in front of this derelict building.’

DI Johnston stepped out of the car. ‘We shall have to detain you, sir, and take you to the station for questioning. You seem to have arrived uninvited at the scene of a crime. Have you any explanation for being in this vicinity? You’ve been acting suspiciously ever since we set eyes on you. You’ve a lot of explaining to do.’

Just then the officer’s mobile unit rang and he turned away to answer it. ‘Yes, sir, will do,’ he said. Turning back to his colleague he said, ‘Well, it’s been confirmed. This is the professor’s car. We’ve been instructed to search the building as soon as backup arrives.’

Suddenly they heard the clatter of a door banging against the wall. Turning towards the commotion they saw four burly figures, carrying firearms, burst through a doorway and set off across the car park towards a black van parked alongside the professor’s car. Behind the first four figures, swaggered a tall man with black ringlets, feathered hat and scarlet coat. He was unmistakeable. ‘Captain Hook!’ gasped Doug, Jack and Shelley. The two officers were rooted to the spot, astounded.

‘Come on, me hearties,’ shouted Skylights, as he led his fearsome band past the group of onlookers. ‘Get in the van.’

‘Stop! Police!’ yelled DI Johnston, coming to his senses. He reached behind for his baton and chased after the pirates.

In the Paton’s car, Nana was barking furiously. Jack opened the door and tried to grab her lead, but she raced past him in pursuit of the pirates. In a few great bounds she caught up with the hapless O’Mullins and sank her teeth into the back of his trousers. He sank to his knees and crawled along, valiantly trying to reach the black van. Nana growled as she grimly held on to the fabric. She shook her head to slow his progress. He called out, ‘MacStarkey! Give me a hand for pity’s sake!’ MacStarkey turned and grabbed O’Mullins by the arms and hauled him upright. His trousers parted from his waist as the big dog tugged.

‘Oh no!’ yelled O’Mullins. ‘I’m losing them.’ There was a ripping sound as the bottom tore out of the trousers. Nana ran back to Jack with the piece of material while MacStarkey pulled open the van door. O’Mullins scrambled in, hands covering his bare bottom trying to preserve his dignity. Skylights reached the door of the van just as DI Johnston caught up with him. He turned and brandished his cutlass at the policeman who backed off. Fitzsmee scrambled in the back, Captain Hook piled in the front, while MacStarkey went to help Skylights.

WPC Ferguson was screaming into her radio, ‘Where’s back up? We need back up!’

MacStarkey held off DI Johnston while Skylights started the engine. The van screeched away with its rear doors flapping. MacStarkey took a flying leap into the back where he was hauled in by O’Mullins and Fitzsmee. The van careered out of the car park.

‘Now do you believe us about the pirates?’ demanded Shelley as DI Johnston radioed in with a description of the van.

‘Pirates, my foot!’ said WPC Ferguson. ‘It’s just these yobs from the schemes dressed up. That’s what it is.’

Doug grabbed Nana’s lead and she dropped the pirate’s trousers. She lifted her huge head in the air and listened. Then she shot off across the car park towards the open doorway hauling Doug unceremoniously behind her. Jack let Buster out of the car and he and Shelley followed Doug into the building.

‘There’s something bothering me about those kids,’ said WPC Ferguson. ‘But I can’t put my finger on it.’

‘Stop, get back here,’ yelled D.I. Johnston. ‘You can’t go in there. That’s a crime scene.’ But it was too late. Doug and the children had disappeared into the dark building. The police officers could only follow.

The great dog guided them through the maze of corridors, down into the basement and straight to the doors of the old autopsy suite. ‘What is it, Nana? Is someone here?’ asked Shelley. Nana reared up against the door scratching it and whining softly.

By now the two officers had caught up. ‘Step back, sir. This is a crime scene.’ WPC Ferguson said, holding up her hand to bar his way.

‘Don’t be ridiculous!’ replied Doug. ‘I’ve had enough of this official mumbo jumbo business. Help me get this door open or I’m going to get on to the press.’

‘Now, now, sir! There’s no need to take that attitude. It’s just that procedures have to…..’

‘Poppycock! Are you going to help us get this door open or what?’ shouted Doug. Jack and Shelley exchanged disbelieving glances. Was this Jack’s calm father who never got ruffled? Nana turned on the officers and began barking fiercely.

‘All right!’ DI Johnston finally agreed. He took his baton and battered the door lock several times. Within minutes, the door swung open. By the time the lights were found and switched on, Nana had crossed the floor, gone through the plastic curtains and was showering Professor Dante and Wendy with sloppy doggie kisses.

Doug and WPC Johnston undid the tape that bound them. ‘Are you all right?’ asked Doug when they were able to stand.

‘We’re fine,’ said the professor. ‘Although we didn’t think anyone would ever find us in this derelict and desolate place. Who are you? And how did you get Nana?’

‘It’s a long story,’ said Jack. ‘It’s a very long story. Did these pirates hurt you Wendy? We’ve met their sort before.’

‘They threatened us a lot, but they didn’t really hurt us, apart from tying us up,’ added Wendy. ‘From what they said though, I think they are planning to hurt Hook.’

‘Let’s get out of here, and we can talk back at our house. We’ll explain what we know so far, and you can tell us your story,’ said Doug.

The police officers escorted them all outside where the backup team were securing the site of the kidnapping. ‘If it’s all right with you, officers, we have a hot meal waiting for everyone back at our house. Surely the formalities can wait till tomorrow. The professor and his daughter have been through enough today,’ Doug said.

The two police officers agreed that the Dantes were the victims of this crime and were free to go home for the night providing they reported to the police station the next morning. While the back up team went off in search of the pirates, (although they were sure they were local youths dressed up) DI Johnston and WPC Ferguson agreed to give the professor and Wendy a lift back to the Patons’ house.

As soon as their passengers got out of the car, and were out of earshot, WPC Ferguson turned to her partner. ‘Something’s been bothering me and I’ve just figured out what it is,’ she said. ‘In the car park back there, I shone my torch straight at the two kids. And neither of them had a shadow. Is that weird or what?’

‘You must be imagining things. All normal people have shadows.’

‘That’s my point exactly. There has been nothing normal about this case since the start. This is going to be one tough report to write. And it’s not over yet.’

Meanwhile round the Patons’ table everybody tucked into steaming bowls of lentil soup prepared by Amy and Beth; all except for the professor that is.

‘I’ll pass on the soup, if you don’t mind, but a sandwich would be great,’ he said.

‘What’s the matter with you, Dad? You normally love soup,’ said Wendy.

‘Not any more. Well, not tonight anyway,’ said John Dante.

The next hour passed swiftly as they tried to piece together the story from their different experiences. The professor and Wendy were amazed to hear that they had been rescued by distant, previously unknown, relatives.

‘How did you come to find us anyway?’ asked Wendy. ‘And how come Nana was with you?’

‘We have a confession to make,’ said Jack sheepishly. ‘We went to your house and brought some things back here…….including Nana.’

‘Thank goodness you did or who knows what would have happened to us,’ said the professor. ‘We have you to thank entirely.’

‘Well all’s well that ends well,’ said Amy.

‘But it’s not the end yet, is it? There’s still the mystery of Captain Hook,’ said Jack. ‘What’s going on with these pirates? I have a feeling this story is far from over!’

That night, before going to bed, Amy lay on her stomach reading a flyer describing all the attractions on offer at the Winter Wonderland Festival in town, while her mother sewed the toe of her shadow on to her sock. ‘Are you sure this is going to work, Mum?’

‘Well, it’s how Peter got his shadow back in the original book. Just finishing off.’ She cut the thread and laid down the needle and scissors. ‘Up you get and let’s see.’

Amy jumped up and instantly the shadow pooled below her. Beth switched on a light at the side of the room and Amy’s shadow appeared on the far wall. Everything was behaving as it should.

‘Tell Jack and Shelley to come down and I’ll do theirs next.’

‘And what about Peter’s?’ asked Amy. ‘You know he’s a bit shy about letting the adults see him.’

‘Maybe Shelley could do Peter’s,’ suggested Beth. ‘She can watch while I sew on Jack’s.’

‘No, no. I’ll do it, I’ll do Peter’s,’ said Amy.

When Beth had finished with Jack and Shelley, Amy took the sewing kit upstairs and reattached Peter’s shadow.

‘What are you going to do now, Peter?’ she asked. ‘Will you go back to Never Land?’

‘Not yet. I think I’ll have a look round Edinburgh before I go. There’s something afoot with these pirates and I want to know what they’re up to.’

‘We definitely saw Captain Hook at the old hospital,’ said Jack. ‘He escaped with the pirates just before we found the professor and Wendy.’

‘Wendy? You found Wendy?’ said Peter excitedly.

‘Yes, but she’s not your Wendy,’ explained Amy, once again. Peter had a hard time with the concept of another Wendy. ‘She’s our cousin so she’s a distant relative of your Wendy. She’s the one that Nana belongs to.’

‘Oh yes, I remember now,’ said Peter, distracted again. ‘Well I’ll definitely stay in Edinburgh for a day or two as I’d like to meet the new Wendy. And I must find this Captain Hook imposter. One Captain Hook was enough, thank you very much. We don’t need another one.’

‘I hope we’ll be able to visit Never Land again. There’s so much to see and do. We only had a glimpse of all its wonderful creatures,’ said Amy wistfully as she cut the thread with the scissors. ‘That’s you fixed Peter, all done.’

‘Are the lost boys still in Never Land? You always had the lost boys with you on your adventures, didn’t you?’ asked Shelley.

‘Yes,’ said Peter. ‘But most of them were on holiday when you visited.’

‘Oh, where do they go on holiday?’ asked Jack,

‘They don’t
go
anywhere; they just change their role in the world. They become what they are not. It’s complicated.’ Peter was not in the mood to expand on this as he jumped up, tried out some poses to check his shadow was in working order, and then opened the window. ‘Thank you, Amy. I am perfect again.’

‘What do you mean? About the lost boys?’ persisted Amy. ‘Do they become like different people or maybe animals or what?’

‘Maybe,’ said Peter, not really paying attention.

‘I think I saw one. I was sure I saw a bird with a boy’s face. That must have been one. I must’ve seen a lost boy. Wow.’ Amy was clearly impressed with her deduction though Peter’s mind was somewhere else entirely. Two bright lights appeared beside him and whispered in his ear.

‘Time to go,’ he said. ‘But don’t worry my young friends, you’ll see Peter Pan again. I’m off to find that gang of pirates. My little spies know exactly where they are.’

The children watched from the window as Peter and the two fairies flew off across the sky looking exactly like a great aeroplane with lights on the wingtips.