boy I know. Big, dirty nappy every time I saw him. And d’you know what?”
Beth became so serious for a moment, she stopped Pete enjoying the picture in his head of Mr Milligan wearing one of Jenny’s Pampers.
“He never helped me. Not once. And I asked him and asked him. Feartie.” Beth’s blue eyes were solemn and pleading. “Will you help me? Please?” Her eyes fixed on Pete as she crawled back through the door into her own cupboard, the shoebox clutched to her chest.
“Help you with what? Wait!” Pete called, but the door at the end of the tunnel was already shut. “And was Jamie not just a baby? How could he have helped you? Beth ?”
Pete cocked his head to listen for movement. Nothing, although Pete could still make out his knuckles, white and alien-looking in the slip of light seeping through a crack at the bottom of the connecting door. And then the light went out.
The tunnel door wouldn’t budge no matter how hard Pete shoved against it.
“She’s gone,” he said, his voice hollow as it bounced back to him through the darkness.
Chapter 16
Pete was busy de-cobwebbing himself as he backed out the cupboard, checking in case there were any creepy-crawly visitors up the back of his jeans. That’s why he trod on Mr Milligan’s shiny brogues without realising.
“Watch your feet there, son,” said Dad.
“Sorry.”
“No bother, sir.” Mr Milligan dismissed Pete’s apology with a flap of his hand. Dad didn’t though. He held Pete away from his boss at arm’s length.
“What on earth you been up to in there? You’re filthy!”
“Exploring.” Pete pointed into the dark space he’d just left. “It leads through to next door. There’s a tunnel…”
“Pete…” Although Dad wore a smile when he rolled his eyes at Mr Milligan, Pete could tell he was irritated. “First it’s crying through the wall, now it’s secret tunnels. Like Colditz. Be telling me there’s zombies next. Or ghosts.”
Dad was gesturing for Mr Milligan to ignore Pete and walk ahead towards the front door. “I’ve shown him the bomb site so he knows there’s nothing on the other side of the wall any more.”
“Ah, but there was a tunnel, Steve.”
Instead of joining Dad, Mr Milligan turned back toPete then strode into the cupboard. Stooping almost immediately, he beckoned Pete to join him. Dad too.
“No idea why it was built like this,” he called back, “but I know there’s a link door between the houses.”
When Mr Milligan dropped to his haunches, Pete heard his knees crack the same way Papa Smeaton’s did after too much weeding in his allotment.
“Never actually been through it myself, but it’s bally there.” Mr Milligan’s voice filled the cupboard. When he shuffled forwards a few steps his coat swept the floor. “Too feart,” he called back. “And now I’m too old and too big. But your explorer’s right,” he called back to Dad. “There’s a way through into next door.”
“Not any more, Jamie.” Pete could tell Dad was trying not to sound impatient. His phone was ringing. “Need to find this place a light bulb. And there’s my mother again. Three times she’s rung. Been meaning to call her back all day.”
“Always call your mother back, she’s the only one you’ve got, Steve. On you go.” Mr Milligan had to lean on Pete’s shoulder so he could turn and face Dad without losing his balance in the narrow space of the cupboard. “Pete can see me out.”
Mr Milligan waited till Dad disappeared into the kitchen with his phone.
“Have you met her?” he whispered, with a nod towards the house that couldn’t be there any more. But before Pete could answer, Mr Milligan dropped his head to his chest. “Poor, poor Beth,” he sighed.
Pete gasped. His skin was prickling.
“She was killed in the house?” His own whisper echoed back to him.
Instead of answering, Mr Milligan spread his arms until he could touch both walls and began to ease himself out into the
Beth became so serious for a moment, she stopped Pete enjoying the picture in his head of Mr Milligan wearing one of Jenny’s Pampers.
“He never helped me. Not once. And I asked him and asked him. Feartie.” Beth’s blue eyes were solemn and pleading. “Will you help me? Please?” Her eyes fixed on Pete as she crawled back through the door into her own cupboard, the shoebox clutched to her chest.
“Help you with what? Wait!” Pete called, but the door at the end of the tunnel was already shut. “And was Jamie not just a baby? How could he have helped you? Beth ?”
Pete cocked his head to listen for movement. Nothing, although Pete could still make out his knuckles, white and alien-looking in the slip of light seeping through a crack at the bottom of the connecting door. And then the light went out.
The tunnel door wouldn’t budge no matter how hard Pete shoved against it.
“She’s gone,” he said, his voice hollow as it bounced back to him through the darkness.
Chapter 16
Pete was busy de-cobwebbing himself as he backed out the cupboard, checking in case there were any creepy-crawly visitors up the back of his jeans. That’s why he trod on Mr Milligan’s shiny brogues without realising.
“Watch your feet there, son,” said Dad.
“Sorry.”
“No bother, sir.” Mr Milligan dismissed Pete’s apology with a flap of his hand. Dad didn’t though. He held Pete away from his boss at arm’s length.
“What on earth you been up to in there? You’re filthy!”
“Exploring.” Pete pointed into the dark space he’d just left. “It leads through to next door. There’s a tunnel…”
“Pete…” Although Dad wore a smile when he rolled his eyes at Mr Milligan, Pete could tell he was irritated. “First it’s crying through the wall, now it’s secret tunnels. Like Colditz. Be telling me there’s zombies next. Or ghosts.”
Dad was gesturing for Mr Milligan to ignore Pete and walk ahead towards the front door. “I’ve shown him the bomb site so he knows there’s nothing on the other side of the wall any more.”
“Ah, but there was a tunnel, Steve.”
Instead of joining Dad, Mr Milligan turned back toPete then strode into the cupboard. Stooping almost immediately, he beckoned Pete to join him. Dad too.
“No idea why it was built like this,” he called back, “but I know there’s a link door between the houses.”
When Mr Milligan dropped to his haunches, Pete heard his knees crack the same way Papa Smeaton’s did after too much weeding in his allotment.
“Never actually been through it myself, but it’s bally there.” Mr Milligan’s voice filled the cupboard. When he shuffled forwards a few steps his coat swept the floor. “Too feart,” he called back. “And now I’m too old and too big. But your explorer’s right,” he called back to Dad. “There’s a way through into next door.”
“Not any more, Jamie.” Pete could tell Dad was trying not to sound impatient. His phone was ringing. “Need to find this place a light bulb. And there’s my mother again. Three times she’s rung. Been meaning to call her back all day.”
“Always call your mother back, she’s the only one you’ve got, Steve. On you go.” Mr Milligan had to lean on Pete’s shoulder so he could turn and face Dad without losing his balance in the narrow space of the cupboard. “Pete can see me out.”
Mr Milligan waited till Dad disappeared into the kitchen with his phone.
“Have you met her?” he whispered, with a nod towards the house that couldn’t be there any more. But before Pete could answer, Mr Milligan dropped his head to his chest. “Poor, poor Beth,” he sighed.
Pete gasped. His skin was prickling.
“She was killed in the house?” His own whisper echoed back to him.
Instead of answering, Mr Milligan spread his arms until he could touch both walls and began to ease himself out into the
Similar Books
