The Mystery of Smugglers Cove (The Mystery Series, Book 1) (19 page)

With Mr Spencer holding her legs, she reached out for the ladder. Everyone held their breath as, with each passing moment, she got closer.

Then, just like that, her waist was through. Because of this, she was able to reach her fingers out and touch the ladder.

Mr Spencer brought Sarah back inside and everyone sighed with relief as she came back into the cabin and sat down. Mr Spencer closed the porthole.

Everyone was silent for a moment as they digested what this information meant. Will had been the one to think of this plan, but even he wasn’t too keen on Sarah attempting it. He voiced his opinion to the others. “I think we should think of another plan.”

Mr Spencer agreed. “It’s too risky.”

“Why? Because I’m a girl?” Sarah said.

“You’re only eight years old,” Joe broke in. “You’re just a baby.”

Sarah shook her head. “Just because I’m eight doesn’t mean I can’t do the same things as you.”

Mr Spencer looked at Sarah. “You were just able to touch the ladder that time. And that isn’t good enough. Once I let go, you will be all on your own. So if you can’t hold onto the ladder, you’ll fall into the sea.”

Joe glanced around the cabin. His eyes came to rest upon the rope that the others had been tied up with. He walked over and picked it up. Holding a piece, he turned to Mr Spencer. “If we were to tie these together, and then tie one end to Sarah, it wouldn’t be so dangerous.”

Mr Spencer nodded and smiled. “That’s an excellent idea. Then if she falls, we’ll be able to pull her back in.”

Joe gave the rope to Mr Spencer and reached for the other pieces. With the others watching on, Mr Spencer tied the small pieces of rope together. He then pulled on it. Satisfied that it would hold, he tied one end around Sarah’s waist.

Suddenly, the boat pitched to one side. Everyone reached out and grabbed onto something as all loose objects tumbled to one side.

“What was that?” Joe asked, surprised.

Mr Spencer got to his feet and made his way to the porthole. He frowned. The others crowded around.

As far as the eye could see, a black mass of angry clouds hung over the sky. Rain thundered down and pelted onto the side of the boat. The wind whipped at Mr Spencer’s hair.

Mr Spencer looked towards the others. “We’ll have to delay the escape. With the rain, that ladder will be wet and slippery. It was tough before, but it will be impossible now.”

“I can still do it,” Sarah said, determined. “What if the storm lasts till we get to
France
?”

“Well,” Mr Spencer replied, “we—”

“Just let me try,” Sarah said. “I know I can do it.”

Mr Spencer looked to the others. “What do you think?”

Will slowly nodded. “The storm could go on for hours.”

“And we do have the rope,” Amy pointed out.

Mr Spencer nodded. “Okay. Now, for this to work, after I grab onto Sarah’s legs, I will need someone to hold onto the rope. Sarah will need every inch she can get, so I will be leaning out as much as I can. And I can’t do two things at once.”

“You can count on us,” Joe said. He looked towards Sarah and quickly explained where the radio room was.

As he did so, Mr Spencer caught sight of a pencil and some paper. Using the pencil, he drew something. He then looked towards Sarah as Joe finished speaking. “I’m drawing you a diagram of the radio. I will circle the switches that you will need to turn on. You’ve seen a radio before, haven’t you?”

Sarah nodded. “Uncle Roland has one.”

“Good. Now, after you have done all that, repeat the phrase mayday and keep switching the frequency until someone answers. Once they do, tell them to contact the police and tell them that crooks will be landing at Toulville. You got that?”

Sarah nodded. “Then what?”

“Turn the radio off and hide somewhere until the police come.”

“Why can’t she come back here and let us out?” Amy said.

Mr Spencer shook his head. “It’s vital that the crooks think that we are locked up here. If they think that the police are waiting for them at Toulville, they will simply go to another port.” He finished drawing and handed the piece of paper to Sarah.

He then walked over to the porthole and opened it again. The storm was still as fierce as before, but at least this would cover up the noise of Sarah moving about on deck.

With the rope around her waist, Sarah started to edge out through the porthole. Mr Spencer grabbed onto her legs. The others held onto the rope.

The rain lashed at Sarah’s face, but this didn’t affect her one bit. She had a job to do, and she was determined to do it. She got closer and closer to the ladder as Mr Spencer leaned farther out.

She managed to touch it with her hand and tried to pull it towards her so she could place both hands on it. The ladder inched closer and closer. Suddenly, the rope started to come apart.

Mr Spencer yelled out. “I’m bringing you back.”

“No!” Sarah reached out and grabbed the ladder firmly with one hand. She kicked her feet, forcing Mr Spencer to let go. He watched in horror as Sarah hung onto the ladder with one hand.

“What’s happening?” the others yelled.

“She’s hanging on by one hand,” Mr Spencer said. He watched as Sarah reached out with her other hand and grabbed the ladder tightly. He sighed with relief. It looked as though things were going to be all right.

Sarah gave a slight smile as she climbed up the wet, slippery ladder. Things had been touch and go for a few moments, but now she was fine.

Reaching the deck, she brushed her wet hair out of her face and looked around. It was hard to see much with the rain lashing everywhere, but at least she knew the direction of the radio room.

She hung onto the railing as the boat pitched to and fro and the wind blew at her hair. The storm hadn’t subsided at all and was still fierce, but at least she knew that none of the crewmembers would be out in this wild weather.

After reaching the bridge, she could just make out the radio room and the wheelhouse. Both of the doors were shut, so she didn’t know if there was anyone inside. Just as she was about to head towards them, the door to the radio room opened and a crewmember walked out. He hurriedly went into the wheelhouse.

Now was her chance. She didn’t know how long he would be away for, but with her fingers getting colder by the second she stayed out in the wild weather, she had to take the risk.

Sarah hurried to the door and went to open it. It was hard work because of the wind blowing against it, but she finally managed to open the door. After entering, the wind slammed the door shut. She sat down at the desk where the radio was.

She took out the diagram that Mr Spencer had given her, which luckily hadn’t got wet, and switched on the dials. After putting the earpiece on, she started saying mayday repeatedly. No one answered. She switched the frequency and tried again. No luck.

She repeated this process for two or so minutes before, finally, a person answered. “Hello? Is anyone there?”

Sarah’s heart leapt for joy. “I need you to contact the police. Crooks are landing at Toulville—”

“Hold on there a moment, young girl. This isn’t a joke, is it?”

“No. You’ve got to believe me. My friends and I are being held captive aboard a fishing boat bound for
France
.” She pleaded with the voice. “Please contact Inspector Price.”

“Inspector who?”

“Inspector Price. He lives in Edgeworth. Just tell him that Mr Spencer says that the crooks that he’s searching for will be landing at Toulville in a short while.”

“You sure this isn’t a joke? It’s after
midnight
here and I don’t want—”

“Just do it, please. If…” Sarah paused as she heard voices. She glanced over and saw the door handle turn. Her heart caught in her throat. She froze with fear as the door opened.

A voice called out and the door half shut. The crewmember began talking with another fellow.

“What’s going on?” the voice asked from the radio.

“I’ve got to go.” Sarah whipped off the headphones, turned off the radio, and glanced around.

As the two men continued talking, she searched desperately for a way out. But there was none. The room was small and only contained the desk, radio, and a small bunk bed. She rushed over to the bed and tried to see if she could fit underneath it. But she couldn’t.

She could hear the men saying their goodbyes, so she rushed towards the only other place that she could think of. The desk was quite large and, maybe, just maybe, if she pressed herself up against the wall, the man wouldn’t notice her. She crawled underneath just as the door opened and the man entered.

The man made his way to the desk, pulled the chair out, and sat down. He was so close that if Sarah reached her hands out, she would have been able to touch the man’s legs.

Sarah stayed as quiet as a mouse. She was frightened beyond belief. She knew that if she was discovered in the radio room, Constable Howard would no longer head to Toulville and the police might never catch them.

The fate of everyone rested upon Sarah’s shoulders. She could either become a hero and be the one that caught the crooks, or be the one that helped them escape. She closed her eyes as the man fiddled with the controls of the radio and, for a moment or two, she wondered if he would notice that the frequency was different. But he didn’t.

Sarah tuned out as the man began speaking to someone. But, as she heard the other person talking, her eyes shot wide open. She listened intently. She wasn’t interested in the conversation, which appeared to be about the weather, she was only interested in the voice of the other person. She was sure that she had heard the thick cockney accent before. But it couldn’t be someone who was on the boat, and yet it had to be a crook. But that meant that one of the crooks had stayed behind.

Sarah frowned. It just didn’t make sense why someone would stay behind.

The man turned off the radio and headed over to the small bed. Sarah heard the bed creak as the man lay down.

Sarah attempted to lie down, but it was difficult, not to mention uncomfortable. Instead, she stayed where she was. There was no way she could try to leave the room while the man was still there.

Resigned to the fact that it was going to be a long few hours, she stretched out as best as she could. She hoped that when the vessel entered the harbour at Toulville, the police would be waiting, but there was no guarantee that the fellow she had spoken to had taken her seriously. And, even if he had, it was after
midnight
, so it could be any number of hours before Inspector Price found out about them. Had she taken the risk all for nothing? Would she ever see her parents again? Or would she be a prisoner forever?

~

Down below in the small cabin, the others rested. No one spoke because there simply wasn’t anything to say.

Joe gazed out of the small porthole and watched as the storm died down. He had no idea if Sarah had managed to make contact with the police, but he assumed that she hadn’t been captured. If she had, the crooks would have brought her back to the cabin, which they hadn’t.

Time slowly passed. As the lights of the coast came into view, Joe had no idea what was going to happen next. He glanced towards Mr Spencer. “Do you think she made it?”