In Lonnie's Shadow by Chrissie Michaels

Author:Chrissie Michaels [Michaels, Chrissie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Literature & Fiction, Genre Fiction, Coming of Age, Teen & Young Adult, historical fiction
Amazon: B00N2WPLBQ
Publisher: Ford Street Publishing
Published: 2014-08-26T04:00:00+00:00

Pearl swiped it away and nestled into his neck.

‘Give us a kiss, yer chump.’

He broke free from her embrace. ‘If you make any more noise we’ll be in real strife.’ Capital P – Carlo wasn’t far wrong. Lonnie forced her to crouch low amongst the bales, praying she would keep quiet. Then he held his breath and waited.

There was a sound of approaching voices, the clunk of the iron lock being removed. The doors creaked open. The disturbed horses were jumpy. The swish of a tail, a mane. A settling pat on the flank. Lonnie wormed his way deeper into the straw.

‘Keep down,’ he whispered, throwing his arm out and muffling Pearl’s mouth with his hand.

He felt what he thought was Pearl’s leg brushing against his own, still playing games. One swift look down told him it wasn’t her leg, but a filthy rat. If Pearl saw it and started screaming the place down they’d be done for. He nudged it out of the way, dislodging a small amount of hay, which floated down and settled onto the shoulder of a startled Mr Crick.

‘Something’s moving in the loft.’

The rat was back again, this time trying to claw its way up Lonnie’s trouser leg. Instinctively he lashed out. His boot connected with the rodent and sent it flying.

As it hit the floor the stable foreman grumbled,

‘Damned rats’re everywhere round here!’ He struck out with his foot. Missed. The rat scuttled between the men and out the door.

Satisfied they had discovered the source of the noise the men went about their business. Lonnie’s nervous heart thumped so loud he was sure it could be heard below by the three men in the world who, tonight of all nights, he least wanted to meet – the boss, his son and the Neanderthal.

‘No one’s been snooping around here, have they?’ questioned Crick senior. The tone of his voice was threatening enough to make even the Neanderthal edgy.

‘I done exactly what you said, Mr Crick, guarded this place day and night since we set up the horses here.’

‘And?’ Crick raised his eyebrows questioningly.

‘Once I caught McGuinness hangin’ around, but

I sent him packing.’

Thomas Crick joined in. ‘McGuinness? What’s he doing sticking his nose around here?’

‘I don’t know why you got him involved in the first place,’ his father snapped back. ‘I should never’ve let you talk me into it.’

Lonnie’s ears were burning as the men moved around below. To his relief Pearl lay motionless, the drink having finally knocked her out.

‘Can you tell ’em apart, sir? Can you tell which is which?’

‘No, you’ve done a fine paint job on them. I can’t tell one from the other. There’s no way anyone else will either, especially in the dark.’ He turned to Thomas.

‘See to a bonus for him. On the understanding he remains quiet, that is.’ There was a veiled threat behind the words.

Everything now made sense to Lonnie.

It seemed like an eternity before he heard the men leave and the padlock secured once more. He peeped down.

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