Read Online Ponies at Owls' Wood by Scilla James - Free Book Online

wanted her to ring the police. Why was life so difficult, and how could she do the right thing by everyone at once? She thought about Charley and Delia, and realised that if she failed to help them and the worst happened, she’d never be able to forgive herself. On the other hand, if Jess was murdered by Pete she’d never forgive herself either.
    She sat on her bed with her knees clutched tightly to her chest, thinking and wondering. After five minutes, she decided: she’d ring the police anonymously, and that way Jess couldn’t possibly be blamed. She grabbed her mobile and, checking that her bedroom door was safely closed, she got the number of the police station in Mettlesham from the phone book. She dialled.
    â€˜Mettlesham Police Service desk. Can I help you?’
    A woman’s voice, and she sounded cross before Hannah had even said anything.
    Hannah’s voice faltered. ‘I’m ringing about some ponies in Owls’ Wood,’ she said.
    There was a groan from the woman at the other end.
    â€˜Not another one,’ she said. ‘May I ask how old you are?’
    â€˜What?’ asked Hannah. What had her age got to do with it?
    â€˜12,’ she replied.
    â€˜Well,’ said the woman impatiently, ‘we’ve had several reports about this and they’ve all turned out to be nothing. Our officers have attended the property and have been assured by the owner of High Farm, Mr Peter Bawden, that there are no ponies at that property other than one that belongs to him. If you want to help the police you can stop wasting our time, and speak to your parents about your concerns. If they are convinced, they can ring this number.’
    â€˜But …’ Hannah was going to go on and say that she’d actually seen the ponies. She’d thought she could do this without mentioning Jess or anyone else, just say that she’d found them when she was walking in the wood, but the policewoman had put the phone down.
    Hannah felt close to tears. Grownups were hopeless. Someone of 12 should be taken seriously, not cut off before she’d had a chance to speak. And there was no point in telling her father. She was sure he’d just tell her to stay away from the whole thing; he was busy and his interest in animals was zero. No, she’d tried for her friend Charley’s sake, and now she would go it alone with Jess. Once they’d got the ponies into her field where they could all be seen, the police would have to listen. Nine ponies would be evidence – Hannah could see the strength of Jess’s argument.
    Hannah was afraid for Delia, but then she thought about Polly. Was she safe? There was still no lock on the gate. I’ll die if anything happens to Polly, she thought. She couldn’t stop her imagination from running overtime. Horse meat. Who could possibly think about eating it? But she knew that people did. They had to get the ponies out.
    Her mind went round in circles as she tried to imagine the rescue and how they would manage it, until eventually, curled up and as miserable as she could ever remember feeling, she went off to sleep.

    In the morning she woke with new determination. Her fears for Polly were reinforced by worry about Delia, and she knew that however frightened she was of Pete, she and Jess needed to work out the details of their plan.
    â€˜Dad, you must get the lock for the field,’ she reminded her father for the twentieth time since hearing about Delia, ‘a really big padlock that no one can open.’
    â€˜Don’t worry pet. I promise I’ll get hold of a lock.’ Her father looked as if he might remember, although he was in his usual early morning state. ‘I’m hoping your mother will ring tonight. That would be good, wouldn’t it?’
    â€˜Yes,’ said Hannah. ‘I suppose so. I do want to talk to her but she just talks about the choir. She doesn’t even ask what we’re eating.