The Great Ice-Cream Heist (5 page)

Jamie paused. The man was smiling now. ‘It's your birthday, is it, son?'

‘Yeah.'

‘What star sign are you?'

‘Star sign?'

‘Yes, you know, Gemini, Leo, Taurus. If it's your birthday today, which one are you?'

‘What's the lucky one, where people give you what you want when you ask nicely? I'm that one.'

The man laughed. ‘OK. You're on. Who am I to ruin your birthday? Come round to the door.'

Jamie grabbed Eva's arm and rushed her towards the side. It was already open to get a breeze going through on this hot morning. The man stood in the doorway.

‘I'm Brian,' he said. ‘Don't tell anyone I let you do this. I'd lose my job.'

‘Brian,' Jamie said solemnly, ‘I'm Jamie and that's Eva and we will take this to our graves. Won't we, Eva?'

Eva nodded.

Brian stood aside to let them get in. The inside of the van smelled like sugar and milk, with a hint of engine oil. Eva felt herself shiver, though she wasn't sure if that was from excitement or from the freezer she was resting against.

‘What do I do?' Jamie asked.

‘Well, it's very technical,' Brian said. ‘It takes years as an apprentice and lots of training and practice. See that handle?' He pointed to the ice-cream machine. ‘Pull it down. Put something underneath to catch the ice cream.'

Jamie grabbed the cone that Brian held out. He put it under the nozzle then pulled down. Ice cream shot out in whirls of creamy gloop. The cone filled up, and up, until it spilled over the sides and on to Jamie's fingers. The stream kept on coming. Jamie tried to catch it with his arm, but it glooped everywhere.

‘I told you it was an art form,' Brian said. He leaned over and flipped up the handle. He turned to Eva. ‘Think you can do a better job?'

She nodded.

She was much more gentle. She eased the handle down and let the stream fall smoothly into the cone. When it was full, she flipped up the handle and her cone finished in a stiff point.

‘Beautiful,' Brian said. ‘Flake?'

She nodded and he popped a flake into the top.

Jamie sucked the ice cream off his arm and stuffed the cone into his mouth. Eva took a few licks of hers. It was cool and delicious and tasted like summer. Jamie's was gone in a few mouthfuls. He tipped up the wafer point to get the last of it to run down his throat.

‘One more go?' he asked hopefully.

Brian shrugged. ‘As it's your birthday. And you could do with the practice.'

Jamie didn't take a cone this time. Instead he moved quickly. He dipped his head and twisted his neck so that his mouth was under the nozzle.

‘Oi!' Brian said, and reached out quickly.

Not quick enough.

Jamie pulled the nozzle down as far as it would go. His face seemed to explode in a burst of cream. It overran his mouth, slid on to his chin and cheeks and puddled in his dimples.

Brian grabbed him by the shoulder and hoisted him away. Ice cream poured on to the floor. Eva pushed the handle up and scurried after Brian, who held Jamie aloft like a stray cat. ‘Out!' he yelled.

He dropped Jamie on the floor outside the van. He sprawled on the grass. Eva followed more gingerly.

‘Sorry,' she said to Brian. ‘Thanks for letting us have a go.'

‘
You
can come back,' he said. ‘But that one is barred. Give some people an inch and they'll take a mile, do you know that?'

Jamie leaned against Eva, wiping ice cream from his eyes and nose. His mouth was clamped closed and his cheeks were puffed out with all the frozen cream he could keep in there. He was trying not to laugh.

Finally he swallowed it all down. ‘Ow!' He clutched the side of his head. ‘Ice-cream headache. Still, that was worth it, wasn't it? That was fun!'

It had been fun.

But she had been away from the lodge for too long. The sun was high in the sky now, and people were sitting on the grass, eating their packed lunches.

Dad would be on his way to the lodge to collect her and she was here with Jamie instead.

Dad wouldn't care that she'd been having fun.

He wouldn't be happy at all.

Chapter 8

‘I should go back,' Eva said urgently. If she rushed, maybe Dad wouldn't find out that she'd left the lodge.

Jamie shrugged. He sauntered back towards the swings.

‘You should come with me,' Eva continued. ‘I have to go right now. Will you come with me?'

‘No. Maybe tomorrow, if I feel like it. But if I go back now, I'll just get a row. It's the holidays. They should give me a break.'

‘But I have to go back,' Eva said. ‘My dad will be worried.'

‘Will he? Why?'

‘He just will.'

‘OK, but I want one more go on the swings. I'll see you tomorrow.' He grinned at her. His eyes were a mix of browns and yellows, like a cat in sunshine.

She had no choice. She had to go back by herself.

The sun was right above her, shortening all the shadows. Her own shadow was right beneath her, a dark body walking upside down – touching hers on the soles of her feet. A second Eva. It made her feel uncomfortable.

She turned up the drive towards the lodge.

Oh.

Dad was there already.

She was too late.

He sat on the steps outside the lodge. He held his head in his hands. Sally stood by him. As Sally reached out to touch his shoulder, he pulled away violently.

This looked bad.

‘Dad!' Eva called.

His head lifted. His face looked pale and drawn, even at this distance.

Eva broke into a trot. ‘Dad!'

Dad got to his feet slowly, as though he was ten years older than he'd been that morning.

He walked towards her. Sally hovered at his side, ready to hold him if he needed it.

‘Eva.' He swayed slightly, but kept moving. ‘Eva!'

When she got close, it was easy to see how frightened he was. His skin was clammy, despite the warm breeze. His hands were shaking as they reached for her.

Eva held him tight. Willing him to be OK.

He stepped back, out of her arms. ‘You left. People saw you leave after that boy. That McIntyre boy.'

Eva felt herself redden. ‘Yes. He was upset. I had to –'

‘You
had
to stay here. I told you. I made it clear, didn't I? You weren't to leave until me or your gran came to collect you.'

‘I'm sorry, I wasn't –'

‘You weren't what? You weren't listening? You weren't interested?' His voice got louder with every word.

Sally stepped closer. She was frowning, looking from Eva to Dad, then back again. ‘Martin,' she said, laying her hand on Dad's arm. ‘Martin, are you OK? Do you need a minute?'

He shrugged her off. He looked as though he were going to say something, but instead he drew a clipped breath and held up his hands.

‘OK,' Sally said slowly. ‘OK. She's back safe and sound. That's the main thing.' Sally turned to look directly at Eva. ‘Your dad's right. You shouldn't leave here while you're in our care. Do you understand that?'

Eva nodded. She felt her cheeks flare. Of course she knew – she just hadn't been thinking when she did it.

‘Eva . . .' Sally paused and glanced at Dad again. ‘How much do you know about Jamie?'

‘Not much,' she answered.

‘His life's a bit tricky. Melanie told me a few things. I won't go into it. You seem to be a very sensible girl. But, the thing is, it would be better if you rubbed off on Jamie, not the other way round.'

‘What do you mean?'

Dad stepped between Sally and Eva. He put his hand heavily on Eva's shoulder and held her tight. ‘That's enough,' he said to Sally. ‘Stop it. My daughter is not some pawn for your social worker, or a babysitter for that boy. She's been through enough. What she needs is security. Her family. Me. She won't be having anything more to do with him. Not here, not at home, nowhere.'

He turned his back on Sally. ‘We're going home,' he said to Eva. ‘And you'll not be seeing that boy again. Is that understood?' He strode down the drive. The shaking had left his hands. They were pulled into tight fists.

‘Jamie wouldn't hurt me,' Eva said, trying her best to keep up with Dad's long strides.

‘He has already. He made you leave, didn't he? You'd have done as I said if he hadn't interfered. You'd have been safe.'

I
was
safe
, Eva wished she could say.
I was having fun
. Brian and the ice cream seemed like it had happened to someone else. The shadow girl.

‘I don't want you to see him again. Am I making myself clear?'

He was.

Eva didn't know what to say to make him change his mind. She nodded carefully, answering the last question only.

Chapter 9

That night, Eva dreamed of a snowy silence and Dad walking across ice. She tried to struggle awake more than once, but the dream kept sucking her back. It was harsh and cold. Finally she forced her eyes open and lay in the darkness, tangled in her sheets.

In her dream, Dad had been walking away from her.

And that's how it felt in real life too.

Eva kicked off her covers.

It wasn't fair, Eva thought. Dad didn't know Jamie. He had never even spoken to him.

It wasn't fair.

The thought twirled and swirled in Eva's mind like a snowstorm.
Dad wasn't fair.

She must have gone back to sleep, because the next thing she knew she was woken by a sound that she couldn't place. The light in her room was milky, the colours all different shades of grey. It was still early, really early in the morning.

The sound came again. It was a muffled thud and it came from outside. Eva pushed herself out of bed and peeked through the curtains.

She swallowed a squeal.

A trainer hovered just outside the window pane. It was attached to a long pole, she realised. The pole swung and the trainer bashed against the glass again. She scrabbled with the window catch and pushed it open.

‘Morning!' Jamie said. He was hanging out of his own bedroom window, the pole and the trainer gripped tightly in his hands.

Eva rubbed her eyes.

‘I thought you might be awake. I had a feeling.'

‘Of course I'm awake,' Eva snapped. ‘That's what happens when people throw shoes at your window.'

Jamie laughed. ‘What are you doing?'

‘Nothing. Sleeping.'

‘Do you want to see something funny?'

‘Now?'

‘Yes, now. Can you come out?'

Eva yawned and stretched. The pale morning sun was warm on her skin.

‘I can't,' she said. She wasn't even supposed to be talking to Jamie. ‘Dad said . . .' She paused. He was smiling so warmly that she couldn't tell him what Dad had said – that they were banned from being friends. She was never, never, to spend time with him. Jamie was a bad influence. A bad apple. A bad boy.

He waved the trainer at her again. His gold-brown eyes looked eager.

‘Dad said . . .' she tried again.

‘Is your dad awake?' Jamie interrupted.

‘No. What time is it?'

‘Six thirty. In the morning,' Jamie added helpfully.

Dad wouldn't be awake for half an hour. Eva thought about her dream.
It wasn't fair
.

‘Will we be long?' Eva asked.

‘Ten minutes. Tops. Promise.'

‘Are you sure?'

‘Meet me out front.'

The trainer was reeled in, and Jamie's head disappeared.

Eva pulled on a pair of jeans and threw a cardie over her nightie. Her sandals were waiting neatly beside her chair.

On the landing, she paused. She shouldn't go out. Not without telling Dad.

Eva held the banister, not sure which way she should go.

There was no chance that Dad would let her go out. He would send her back to her room and lock the door and the windows. He would stop her going to the lodge. He'd stop her going anywhere ever again.

That seemed to decide it for her legs. They took her down to the front door. She pulled off the chain, turned the key, drew the bolt and stepped outside.

Jamie was already waiting by the front gate.

She pulled the door closed behind her as gently as she could so as not to wake Dad.