Jungle Tangle by Debbie Thomas

Author:Debbie Thomas
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mercier Press

The biggest thrill came at 1.04. ‘The front door!’ whispered Perdita, staring through the binoculars. ‘A man’s coming out. He’s wearing a cowboy hat. He’s looking round. He’s got bandages on his hands. He’s – oh, going in again.’

Lunch was granadilla (orange fruits from a tree) and Digestives (brown biscuits from a packet).

‘Well, this is a lark,’ said Grandma a few hours later. ‘I’m bitten to death, I’m crawlin’ with creepies, I’ve got the runs, the shakes, the sweats. We’re never goin’ to spot a crime at this rate. ’Ere, Chess – come and fan me face, would you?’

‘Chester!’ cried Abbie. ‘Of course! He could slip into the hotel and poke about. He looks like a hairy leaf.’

‘Over my dead body,’ said Grandma. ‘I’m not lettin’ ’im out of me–’

But he’d already shot off through the undergrowth.

‘Chess,’ Grandma hissed, ‘come back!’

‘Too late!’ cried Perdita.

Coriander said nothing – or rather her mouth didn’t. But her brown eyes wailed reproach.

‘Oh no,’ Abbie mumbled. ‘What have I done?’

‘Only sent me best friend in the world to ’is doom!’ cried Grandma.

Abbie bit her cheek. She should have known Chess would jump at the chance to help. And now Klench might catch him, put him on a lead and charge customers a fortune to watch him clean windows.

‘Perhaps he return weeth my Carmen,’ said Fernando hopefully.

‘And ’ow precisely would ’e carry ’er?’ Grandma snapped.

Coriander stood up. ‘I can’t sit here waiting.’ She gave a little sob. ‘I’ll go and get dinner.’

‘Me too,’ said Perdita. Glaring at Abbie, they headed into the forest.

‘Mine’s a Big Mac,’ muttered Grandma as they disappeared.

They sat in silence. Grandma turned her back on Abbie and made leaf hats for Fernando. Abbie stared through the binoculars, swallowing down tears.

There was a rustle behind. ‘Chess?’ She wheeled round.

But it was only Perdita staggering out of the trees with an armful of papayas. Coriander stumbled behind her with an armful of … what? It looked like a giant woodlouse: a brown dome of overlapping segments.

‘Any sign of Chester?’ asked Perdita. Abbie shook her head miserably. Perdita dropped the papayas.

Coriander put the ball down gently. She was humming softly, a tune of fat grubs and cosy burrows. Slowly it unrolled into a pointy, jointy–

‘Armadillo!’ breathed Abbie. Two eyes blinked. Two ears wiggled. The creature uncurled to the length of a cat. ‘He’s beautiful!’

‘He’s brill,’ said Perdita fiercely. ‘I’ve named him Brillo. We found him in a trap. Set by Klench, I bet.’ She bent down and stroked the creature’s ears. ‘It’s OK, Brillo. You’re safe with us.’

‘So Klench is smugglin’ animals again,’ said Grandma.

Coriander sucked in her breath. ‘The brute. But at least he won’t get this one.’

‘Doesn’t need to,’ muttered Grandma. ‘’E’s got somethin’ better to smuggle now. My Ches–’

‘–ter!’ cried Abbie. A hairy ball rolled onto her shoe. She snatched him up and drenched him in kisses. ‘Thank goodness!’ Tears ran down her cheeks. ‘I’m so sorry.’

Chester leapt onto Grandma. ‘I was beside meself, ducks.’

Then Coriander. ‘Don’t ever run off again, sweetie.’

Then Perdita.

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