Colin in Racing Colours by Merv Lambert

Author:Merv Lambert
Language: eng
Format: epub, pdf
Tags: childrens fiction, grand national, jockey, horse, London Blitz, AUK Kids, creepy crawley
ISBN: 9781849896764
Publisher: Andrews UK Limited 2011
Published: 2011-09-14T00:00:00+00:00

Saving John Scorbo

It was Sammy’s fault really. Or perhaps it was M’s. Colin was opening his special book at the page where he had left the phoenix bookmark. Either of them could have nudged his arm. The bookmark moved onto the next page and the red phoenix on it glowed once. Suddenly Olivia, Colin, Sammy and M found themselves transported to a place that looked familiar. Colin instinctively looked at what he and Olivia were wearing. Oh, the same as before!

Olivia clapped her hands in delight. Sammy woofed happily. M just turned his head in all directions. Yes, he knew this place.

“Colin, we’re at Aintree again. I think we’ve come back to see your grandad.”

“Good,” replied Colin cautiously. Then he frowned. “Of course I’ll be overjoyed to see him again, but the bookmark usually has a reason for our visits. Normally something has to be put right. Maybe Grandad’s in trouble.”

Olivia tugged the sleeve of Colin’s long coat. “Somebody seems to want to talk to you,” she said, pointing at a small man in a shabby brown overcoat. He was wordlessly waving at Colin and beckoning to him.

Colin was worried. “I wonder what he wants. I’d better go and ask him.”

He went up to the man, who cowered back into the doorway of a small shop.

“Well,” asked Colin, “what do you want?”

“I…I…see you’ve escaped,” he gasped.

“Escaped?” Colin was amazed.

“Yeah, from Creepy Crawley.”

“Who’s that?” asked Olivia, who had strolled up with Sammy on a lead and M, who was not, but who was looking here and there eagerly and somewhat aggressively. Was he expecting trouble?

The small man shook his head in surprise. “What? Everyone around here knows about him, and everyone steers clear of him too. Your fella not told you about him then?”

Colin held up a hand to stop the flow of words from this agitated stranger. “Just a minute. Do you know where this Crawley is? I believe I have some business with him.” The bookmark pulsed in agreement.

“And he’ll have something nasty in mind for you now that you’ve escaped.”

“Can you take us to him now?” Colin insisted. “It’s very important.”

“Oh yeah? O.K., but I’m not going in there with you. Last time I saw him he gave me a good kicking.”

“What’s your name then?” asked Olivia.

“Jonty. Jonty Smallwood. I used to be a jockey until he, Crawley that is, got his hooks into me. Threatened me and my family, if I didn’t fix races I was in. I had to send my wife and kids back to Ireland. They’re safer there. He’s got a hold on me because of some of the dodgy things I’ve had to do for him. He says I owe him money, but I don’t. He owes me for all the jobs I do for him. How did you escape?”

“Never mind about that. I need to see him right now,” urged Colin.

“O.K.” said Jonty. “He’ll be in what he calls his office down there, but you know that, don’t you?”

Jonty was pointing down a side-street at a three storey building.

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