Murder Between the Tides by Campling Michael

Author:Campling Michael [Michael, Campling]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Shadowstone Books
Published: 2020-07-09T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 19

After a fitful night, Dan was glad when the alarm on his phone sounded at seven. He silenced it, then promptly fell asleep, dreaming of the tide racing toward him. His legs heavy, he clambered onto an outcrop of rock, but the sea still surged over his shoes. Searching for an escape, he looked up to the cliffs towering above him. There was no path, no escape route. But there, standing on the very brink of the cliff, stood a dark figure. A man. Dan called up to the man, asking for help, but his voice was drowned out by the waves. And a moment later, the man stepped forward and fell, tumbling through the void, his piercing cry of despair carried by the wind.

Dan woke, gasping for air, his mouth dry and his head throbbing. He rubbed his eyes, but he could still hear the keening wail from his dream. “Bloody seagulls,” he mumbled. “Don’t they ever stop?”

He checked the time on his phone and saw that he’d missed a message from Alan: he wanted to talk as soon as possible. Dan sent a quick reply, arranging to meet Alan in the lobby in half an hour. Make that an hour, he thought, changing the text. Then he pressed send and flopped back against his pillows. He needed a moment to regain his equilibrium, then he needed a hot shower and some breakfast before he met with Alan.

Dan replaced his phone on the bedside table. Roz’s book still lay beside his watch, and thinking of Roz, he plucked the book from the table and flicked through the pages.

The pictures were beautifully drawn, and the story was simple but engaging. Led by Freddie the fox, the cast of forest animals planned a picnic. On the way, they encountered a stream that they could only cross with the help of Olly the otter. After that, they became lost in the woods, but Pippa, a pied wagtail, flew ahead and found the right path. Freddie managed to get his feet stuck in a patch of deep mud, but Timothy the toad used his strong legs to pull him free. Nelly the newt showed them how to wriggle under a gate that barred their way, and finally they found the picnic spot they wanted.

Of course, Freddie had forgotten the picnic rug, but they all decided that they preferred to sit on the soft grass in the sunshine, and they had a wonderful time. Until, that is, a weasel appeared, emerging from his secluded castle on the hilltop. Named King Hurlnot, the cruel weasel owned the land they’d wandered onto, and he chased them off, wielding a fearsome stick that looked more like a club. Working together, Freddie and his friends escaped unhurt, and they decided to have their picnic closer to home. At this point, Freddie remembered where he’d put the picnic rug, and they had a great time after all. The next time they went on an adventure, they decided, they’d be more careful where they chose.

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