Chapter 11
The phone rang at eight o'clock in the morning. Mum picked Sam up and walked into the hall. Dad switched on the loudspeaker on the phone and picked it up.
"Yes?"
"Good morning, Mr Parnell. Have you got the money?"
"I'm picking it up this morning. I want to speak to Ella."
"Well, you can't. Get the money. I'll ring you at lunchtime." There was a click and the phone went dead.
Mum came back in, still carrying Sam, who had been crying. Fin decided to say nothing about last night, although Sam was still very upset. His eyes were closed as if he didn't want to see anything outside his own thoughts.
"Was that...? asked Mum in a quiet voice.
"Yes," said Dad. "Fin and I'll go into Newquay now. You'd better stay here with Sam."
"Take care, darling," she said to Fin. Then, looking at her husband, she said: "Peter? Take care."
"I will." They stared at each other for a few moments then he turned and picked up the car keys. "Right, Fin. Let's go."
They didn't speak much in the car. Fin was tired and Dad was very nervous. They couldn't find a parking space near the bank, so Dad stopped on a double yellow line.
"You stay with the car," he said. "If anybody asks, tell them your little brother's got lost and your dad's looking for him."
Fin thought of last night but said nothing. Dad walked off towards the bank. Then Fin saw a figure he knew coming slowly up the road. It was the tramp from last night. He was begging.
Fin knew this might be his only chance to find out more about the tramp. He took some money out of his pocket and waited.
"Any spare change, mate?" the tramp asked Fin.
"Where do you live?" asked Fin. "Here in Newquay?"
"I don't live anywhere special," he said, looking at the money. He didn't want to talk, and Fin couldn't think of any more questions. He gave him the money and the tramp walked on.
"Not a good idea," said a voice behind him. It was a policeman.
"What's not a good idea?" asked Fin, thinking about the car.
"Giving money to tramps like Francis Kelman."
"You know him? Does he live in Newquay?"
"He used to. That's how I know his name. But not now. He's never in one place for long now."
The policeman walked on, but at least Fin now knew something about the tramp. He got back into the car just as Dad arrived.
Mum was waiting nervously in the hall.
"That boy phoned again. Where were you?" she asked Dad.
"There was a lot of traffic. What did he say?" Before she could answer, the phone rang again. Dad picked it up.
"You're late," said the voice. "I want to speak to your son”.
"Well, you can't!" said Dad angrily. "It's me or nobody!"
"Then it's nobody. Bye." And the phone went dead.
“Peter!" cried Mum. "You stupid man! You stupid, stupid man!" Fin had never seen his mother so angry with his father. He thought she was going to hit him.
The phone rang again. Mum and Dad turned to Fin. He picked it up.
"What do you want?" asked Fin.
"I want you to do exactly what I say. Otherwise she dies. Have you got the money?"
"Yes."
"Have you counted it?"
"My father has."
"Well, put it in a nice big bag. And get two mobile phones from your mum and dad, or perhaps you've got one. Switch them both on. What's the number of your father's mobile?"
Dad wrote it down and Fin read it out.
"OK. Then walk down the lane towards the village and wait until the phone rings. And don't try anything stupid or the girl dies. There are lots of us watching."
"What about Ella? Where will we find her?"
"You'll find out later. Now start walking!"
Suddenly Fin heard a voice behind him. A strange dreamy voice. A voice he knew yet hardly recognized. Sam's voice.
"There's a storm coming. Going to catch it."
"Who's that?" shouted the kidnapper. Fin gasped at the sudden change in the kidnapper's voice. It suddenly sounded very worried, more than a bit frightened.
"Who the hell's that?"
Sam's eyes got wider when he heard the voice. He spoke again. "Going to jump up into the sky and catch the storm before it catches me." And he ran off down the hall to the front door.
"It's only my little brother," said Fin.
"Well, tell him to shut up!" screamed the voice nervously. "And get yourself out of the house!" The phone went dead.
Dad gave him the two mobile phones and the bag with the money.
"Be careful, darling," said Mum. "No risks. Don't try to fight them. Do what they say," said Dad.
As Fin walked through the garden he turned and kissed Sam.
"Wish me luck," he said, wondering why the little boy's words had frightened the kidnapper so much.