Magic Puppy: Cloud Capers (6 page)

‘It will have fierce pale eyes and extra-long sharp teeth,’ Storm whined nervously.

Jessica looked at the German shepherd again. ‘It doesn’t look like that. I think it’s OK.’

Storm crawled forward with his belly close to the ground and his tail between his legs. He peered through the drooping branches at the big dog and Jessica saw him gradually relax.

‘You are right. I am mistaken this time. But if Shadow finds me, he
will
use his magic to hunt me down.’

Jessica felt a surge of protectiveness. She bent down and picked Storm up as he crept out from under the bush. She could feel his little heart beating fast against her fingers. ‘I hope that horrible Shadow never finds you and then you can come home with me and stay forever!’

Storm looked up at her. ‘One day, I must return to my own world to help
my mother and become leader of the Moon-claw pack. Do you understand that, Jessica?’ he yapped gently.

Jessica nodded, but she didn’t want to think about that right now. ‘You’ve had a nasty scare. Let’s go back to the camper and spend some quiet time together,’ she said, changing the subject.

Storm reached up to lick her chin. ‘I would like that,’ he barked.

Jessica carried Storm to the car park. As they came in sight of their camper, the door opened and a girl peered out. After a quick look around, she climbed down and hurried away.

‘That was Gayle. What’s she doing in our camper?’ Jessica wondered.

Storm frowned. ‘I do not know.’

‘Maybe Mum came back to fetch
something and Gayle was chatting to her,’ Jessica said, knowing how Gayle was always careful to be on her best behaviour around adults.

But when she went inside, she saw that the camper was empty.

Storm stood with his head on one side.

‘What is it?’ Jessica asked him.

‘Something is different…’ Tiny gold sparks began twinkling in Storm’s fur and his wet brown nose began to glow like a gold nugget. With a triumphant woof he jumped up on to the back seat and began rooting about behind a cushion. A moment later, he emerged holding something in his mouth.

It was a gold necklace with a blue, heart-shaped stone.

Jessica recognized it. ‘That’s Gayle’s new necklace. She must have put it there. But why?’

‘I think I know why!’ Storm barked and then he pricked up his ears. ‘Someone is coming!’ He picked up the necklace and dashed out of the open door with it in his mouth.

Puzzled, Jessica followed hard on his heels. ‘Storm? What’s going on? Where are you go–’ she started to ask and then stopped herself quickly as she saw Gayle and her mum standing there.

Mrs Young was wearing a frilly blue dress and high heels. She had one arm round Gayle, who was dabbing at her eyes with a tissue.

‘I want a word with you, young lady!’ Mrs Young said at once. ‘Gayle’s lost her
new necklace and she thinks that you might know something about it!’

‘Me?’ Jessica said, almost speechless.

Gayle grinned slyly. ‘Don’t try and look innocent,’ she sniffled. ‘I know you took it.’

Jessica couldn’t believe her ears. ‘I couldn’t care less about your stupid necklace. I didn’t take it!’ she burst out.

‘Huh! You would say that!’ Gayle sneered. ‘I bet you’ve hidden it inside the camper. Come on, Mum, let’s go inside and look for it.’

‘Now wait just a minute!’ said a deep voice behind them.

‘Dad!’ Jessica gave a cry of relief as her dad stepped forward.

‘I heard all that,’ he said. ‘And I can assure you that my daughter’s no thief.
If Jessica says she didn’t take the necklace, I believe her.’

Mrs Young gave him a charming smile. Her teeth were very white against her bright-pink lipstick. ‘In that case, you won’t mind if we come into your camper and have a look.’

‘I certainly do mind! Gayle’s probably dropped that necklace somewhere. I suggest you go and look for it, before you come here making wild
accusations,’ Mr Tennant said calmly.

‘Well! If that’s your attitude,’ Mrs Young said indignantly, drawing herself up. ‘You haven’t heard the last of this, I assure you. Come along, Gayle.’

Gayle looked as if she was about to protest, but she turned and hurried after her.

As Mrs Young stalked towards her motorhome in her high heels, she suddenly stopped. ‘What’s that glinting in the grass?’ she said, bending down to pick something up. She turned to Gayle. ‘It’s your necklace! You must have dropped it, just like Mr Tennant said.’

‘But I don’t get it! I put it under… I mean… I… um… didn’t…’ Gayle stammered in confusion.

‘You’ve made me look a complete
idiot!’ Mrs Young fumed, marching Gayle up the steps of the RV. ‘What have you been up to? And you’d better tell me the truth, or you’ll be grounded!’

The door closed firmly and silence fell. Jessica guessed that Gayle was getting a really severe telling-off. She turned back to her dad. ‘Thanks for sticking up for me, Dad.’

‘No problem,’ he said, giving her shoulder a squeeze. ‘You haven’t got a mean bone in your body, Jessica Tennant. But it was a good thing we got back here in time.’

Just as her dad went into the van, Storm came out from underneath the camper and lolloped up to Jessica.

‘Thanks, Storm. That was a brilliant
idea to drop Gayle’s necklace over by the RV. It really turned the tables on her!’

‘You are welcome, Jessica. I do not think she will be making any more trouble,’ he yapped happily.

Chapter
EIGHT

Jessica woke up early on Sunday morning. Pale lemon sunlight was just pushing through the crack in the camper’s curtains.

Storm was lying next to her. He wagged his little tail as she stroked him, and snuggled back under a fold of the warm duvet with a contented sigh.

Jessica felt wide awake. Leaving Storm
lying there, she carefully climbed over him and dressed in shorts and a T-shirt. After boiling the kettle, she took her mum and dad a cup of tea in bed.

‘Thanks, love. You’re an early bird today!’ Mr Tennant sat up looking sleepy-eyed and with his hair all tousled. ‘You’re not making breakfast too, are you?’ he asked hopefully.

Jessica took the hint. ‘Eggs on toast?’

By the time they were clearing away the cups and plates, the other High Flyers had arrived. Kim had bad news.

‘It’s going to be another no-fly day,’ she announced. ‘So the winning times have been worked out from Friday’s and Saturday’s flights. We’re in second place. The Cloud Racers are first.’

Mr Tennant nodded. ‘Ah well, that’s how it goes,’ he said good-naturedly. ‘It’s a shame we won’t get a chance for another flight. But there’ll still be a balloon tether before we pack away for good.’

‘That’s when the balloons are roped to the ground and just hover a few
centimetres in the air. No balloon monsters high in the sky to scare you today then,’ Jessica explained in a whisper to Storm.

Outside in the enclosure, cars and trailers had drawn up and the grass was already covered with acres of brightly coloured nylon. Jessica could see that The Cloud Racers’ basket lay on its side. The burners were going and the huge black wolf face was almost fully inflated.

She and Storm were standing with her mum and dad when Gayle’s parents hurried up to them. Mrs Young was holding Mikey’s hand.

‘Have you seen Gayle?’ Mr Young asked Jessica.

Jessica shook her head, puzzled. ‘No,
I haven’t seen her since yesterday.’

She noticed that Mrs Young looked different and then realized why. Gayle’s mum was in jeans and a crumpled T-shirt and she wasn’t wearing make-up. Her eyes looked puffy as if she’d been crying.

‘Is something wrong?’ Mrs Tennant asked her gently.

‘It’s Gayle. She’s missing,’ Mrs Young said in a wobbly voice. ‘We had a bit of a row about this necklace business. I thought at first that she’d gone off somewhere sulking by herself – she’s done it before. But it’s been over an hour now and I’m starting to get really worried.’

‘I’ll help you look for her,’ Jessica offered at once.

‘That’s very nice of you, especially after the way Gayle behaved,’ Mr Young said.

‘Anyone can make a mistake,’ Jessica said generously.

‘Let’s all spread out and look around,’ Mr Tennant suggested.

‘Good idea. I’ll look over here,’ Jessica said, walking off with Storm. She
waited until her mum and dad had gone in opposite directions and then turned to Storm. ‘Do you think you can pick up Gayle’s scent?’ she asked.

‘I will try,’ Storm woofed.

Scampering over to the Youngs’ RV, he began nosing about in the grass.

Jessica followed him and watched as he worked his way back and forth. Moments later, his head came up. ‘This way,’ he yapped triumphantly.

Jessica ran after him as he headed towards the line of tethered balloons. The Cloud Racers’ huge black balloon and basket were floating a few centimetres above the ground. Two of the club members were
standing with their backs to the balloon.

Jessica caught a sudden movement from the corner of her eye. A slim figure suddenly dashed out from behind a van and quick as a flash scrambled unseen into the huge basket.

‘It’s Gayle!’ Jessica gasped, rushing forward with Storm at her heels.

As she ran up to the balloon, she saw Gayle lean over, unhook a guy rope and drop it to the ground. The basket wobbled and tipped at a crazy angle.

The two club members turned. They realized what was happening and quickly grabbed a rope each, but the balloon began to rise slowly as Gayle unhooked another rope and threw it down.