The Nightingale Girls - By Donna Douglas Page 0,117

a wall by the Pike boys than hurt. Dora listened to her cursing them as she examined her grazed knee.

‘Don’t you let Mum hear you saying words like that,’ she warned as sternly as she could without smiling.

‘Why not? Nanna says them all the time.’

Dora was still trying to think up a suitable reply when the back door crashed open and Rose came flying out of the house, ashen-faced.

‘Come quick!’ she screamed. ‘Our Josie’s gone!’

Chapter Thirty-Seven

THE NEXT FEW minutes were panic stations, as everyone ran around in different directions, all talking at once.

‘She must have slipped out the back way.’

‘Did anyone see her go?’

‘How do you know she’s run away?’

‘I bet she’s just gone down the shops.’

In the middle of it all sat her mother, her face drained of colour.

‘I went up to check on her and she’d gone. She’s taken all her clothes with her.’ Her hand shook as she rubbed her eyes. Dora could tell she was trying hard not to cry in front of the neighbours.

‘We’ll find her, Mum. Don’t worry,’ she said.

Bea came running out of the house. ‘I’ve found a note. It was under her pillow . . .’

Before she could give it to her mother, Alf had snatched it out of her hand. ‘Let me have a look.’ He ripped it open and read it. They all watched in tense silence as his eyes scanned the piece of paper, then handed it over to Rose.

‘She says she thinks we’ll all be better off without her.’ Rose looked up at Dora. ‘Oh, Dor, what can she mean? I know she’s been a bit troublesome lately, but I didn’t know it was this bad . . .’

Her voice trembled and she put her hand over her mouth. Alf came and stood behind her, resting his big paws on her shoulders. ‘We’ll find her,’ he promised. ‘I’ll bring her home to you.’

I bet you were the one who drove her away. Dora stared at him, but he didn’t meet her eye.

‘We should split up into groups and search for her,’ Len Pike suggested. ‘We can cover more ground that way.’

‘Good idea,’ Dora’s brother Peter said. ‘I’ll take the park.’

‘I’ll look in the market,’ said his wife Lily.

‘I’ll go down by the canal,’ Dora said.

‘I’ll come with you.’ She hadn’t realised Nick had come over to her side until she heard his voice behind her.

‘I’ll come too,’ Ruby offered straight away.

‘There’s no need for three of us to go,’ Nick turned to say to her. ‘You’re better off staying here in case Josie comes back.’

Dora saw the narrow-eyed look Ruby gave her, but was too worried about finding her sister to care who went with her.

The traffic seemed more noisy and threatening than usual as they ran down the main road. They vaulted over the low fence and sprinted down the canal path.

‘I should have known,’ Dora said as they ran. ‘I should have known something wasn’t right.’

‘How could you know?’

‘I’m her big sister, I should have been able to see it. She wasn’t herself. But I was so worried about getting to the stupid party, I didn’t think . . .’

‘Leave it,’ Nick said. ‘You’re not doing anyone any good getting yourself in a state. Let’s find her first.’

‘What if we don’t?’

‘Someone will find her. She’s got to be somewhere.’

But what if we’re already too late? Panic made her run through the overgrown grass and weeds on the steep canal bank. She screamed out Josie’s name over and over again, her voice echoing around the factory buildings that edged the narrow ribbon of green, fetid water.

Suddenly Nick grabbed her arm, pulling her back. Dora took one glance at his grim expression and her stomach plummeted.

Turning slowly, she saw what he was looking at. A red shape, arms outstretched, floating face down in the canal.

She recognised Josie’s favourite red coat, the one she would never be parted from.

‘Josie!’ The scream was torn from Dora’s throat. She heard Nick call her name, but was already hurtling down the bank, slipping and slithering on the damp grass. She reached the tow path and, without thinking, pulled off her shoes and dived in.

The water was dark and murky, choked with thick weeds and foul-smelling mud. Dora ploughed through it and grabbed for the coat. Her hand closed around an empty sleeve.

‘Josie!’ She gulped in a mouthful of foul water. The sour, metallic taste made her gag. She could hear Nick calling to her from the bank and tried to make her