‘There is one way around it,’ he said, suddenly looking up at them. ‘We could produce the wolf.’
Milly was puzzled. ‘What do you mean . . . produce the wolf? You yourself have just told us there was no wolf.’
‘Yeah, but I’ve been thinking. A mate of mine has an old dog,’ Seebold said excitedly. ‘He’s a bit doddery and grey, but he’s the right size and shape. I reckon he could fool them.’
‘Don’t be so ridiculous!’ Lena snapped. ‘People aren’t stupid. They’ll know the difference between some old mutt and a wolf.’
‘But don’t you see?’ Seebold said, rising to his feet. ‘People won’t believe me if I simply say there was no wolf, but if I can produce it and say it ran away, it’ll be fine.’
Milly shook her head. ‘No, it won’t work. How would it know to come here? It’s too much of a coincidence if it suddenly turns up.’
‘Ah yes,’ said Seebold, beaming, ‘but what if we caught it out in the wilds somewhere . . .’
Lena looked thoughtful but Milly’s heart sank. If they ‘found’ the wolf, everybody would start asking questions and she was no good at lying. She glanced at Seebold, who was becoming more and more animated at the idea. Much as she wanted to help, she couldn’t do this. ‘Count me out,’ she said. ‘I’m not lying to the police.’
‘You won’t have to,’ said Lena with a sudden change of heart. ‘Look, Seebold is right. If he gets on to his mate, he can arrange to borrow the dog. Then first thing in the morning, when he goes looking for it, he’ll “find it”,’ she added, making quote marks in the air, ‘and bring it back here in a cage. What’s wrong with that?’
‘You can’t be serious,’ said Milly. ‘It’s crazy.’
‘It’s the only answer,’ Seebold said resolutely. He reached for the petty cash box then picked up the telephone. ‘Don’t go away,’ he said as he dialled a number. ‘I might need you both.’
Milly hadn’t counted on being asked to get up at the crack of dawn. She set her alarm for four-thirty and was dressed and ready half an hour later. Having crept out of the house, she waited on Marine Parade for Seebold’s lorry.
It was a wonderful, bright morning. Across the road on the beach, the gulls were gathering, waiting for the first fishing boats to land their catch. Milly leaned against the walled enclosure of a house and yawned. This was a crazy scheme, but if it worked Seebold would be in the clear. If it didn’t . . . She shuddered. That scenario didn’t bear thinking about. She paced up and down, but it wasn’t long before she heard the rumble of Seebold’s lorry.
‘Good, you made it,’ he cried as Lena opened the passenger door and gave her half-sister a hand to get in.
‘I must be mad to do this,’ Milly grumbled half-heartedly.
‘You and me both,’ said Lena, but they exchanged an excited grin.
They drove to the north of Shoreham and entered Mill Lane. It was beautiful up there. They drove past miles of chalk grassland, famed as a habitat for the Adonis Blue butterfly, and for the yellow horseshoe vetch plant. Years before, it had been the place of windmills, hence the name, but they were long gone. The views near the top were fabulous, with Lancing College in the distance, the River Adur just below them, and Shoreham Airport in between. A low plane flew overhead ready to land.
Just off the Steyning Road, close by Eringham Farm, they spotted another lorry waiting by the side of the road. The two girls stayed in the cab while Seebold got out to talk with his friend. Milly saw a brown envelope exchange hands, and then the other man opened the cab door and a mangy-looking dog jumped down. The two men shook hands and parted then Seebold brought the dog, which was on a leash, over to his lorry. Lena climbed out to help him lift it onto the back and into the cage. The dog seemed unperturbed by all the fuss and lay down for a sleep.
Milly got out of the cab to have a look at it. ‘He’s massive.’
‘Danny says his mother was an Alsatian and his father an Irish wolfhound,’ said Seebold.
‘That’ll account for his shaggy coat,’ said Lena, ‘but he doesn’t look much like a wolf.’
‘Beggars can’t be choosers,’ Seebold said crisply. He rubbed his chin. ‘It’s too clean. If it’s supposedly been on the loose for two days, it’s too clean.’
‘You’ve got enough on your plate trying to convince people that poor old dog is a wolf,’ Milly said bleakly.
‘Thanks for that vote of confidence,’ Seebold said sarcastically, and Milly felt awful until Lena said, ‘You’re right. It is too clean.’
They stood looking at the dog, each lost in his or her own thoughts, then they all climbed back into the cab. Seebold drove the lorry towards the river. The girls were wondering what he was up to but neither of them spoke. Seebold stopped the lorry and got out again. Putting the dog back on the leash, he took it from the cage, and walked towards the river bank. ‘There’s an old tin can in the back of the lorry,’ he called out. ‘Can one of you bring it down here? If someone keeps holds of his lead, I can slosh some of that muddy water over it.’
Seebold walked off to the river, looking for an accessible slope, and Milly and Lena were heading over to him when they heard some ducks quacking. The dog let out a deep throaty bark and all at once took off, dragging the reluctant Seebold with him.
Milly and Lena watched helplessly as the pair of them hurtled down a gentle slope towards the water, Seebold shouting, ‘Whoa, stop. Come back you, stupid mutt.’
Then Seebold slipped on the mud. His legs seemed to go every which way, and a second or two later he was on his bottom, with the dog still dragging him towards the water’s edge.
‘Aaaaggh.’
Seebold tried to find his feet, but the dog was on a mission. Three ducks took to the air and flew away from them, and by now the dog was in the water, still barking. As Seebold slid on the mud for a second time, he landed with his rear end in the water. Milly and Lena burst out laughing.
The dog calmly lapped at the water as Seebold staggered to his feet once again. ‘It’s not bloody funny,’ he snapped. ‘I’m soaked to the skin.’ Milly and Lena struggled to control themselves but it was hopeless.
Lena waved something in the air. ‘Do you still want this can?’ she called, and that started them off again.
As Seebold squelched slowly up the slippery slope, Milly saw something that made her blood run cold. About a hundred yards up the river, a swan, its neck outstretched, was advancing on the muddy pair. ‘Seebold,’ she cried, ‘get out of there as quick as you can. There’s a cob following you. There must be a nest nearby.’
Seebold looked behind him and did his best to hurry. ‘You two get into the cab,’ he shouted. Milly and Lena didn’t need telling twice.
‘How’s he going to get the dog in the back?’ Lena asked anxiously.
‘I don’t know,’ said Milly. Her heart was already thumping and her mouth had gone dry.
They kept the cab door open and watched anxiously in the rear-view mirror and the wing mirrors. ‘Come on, come on,’ Milly whispered.
At last Seebold burst from the undergrowth, dragging the dog with him. He raced to the lorry and the three of them hauled the animal into the cab. Seebold climbed in after him and closed the door, seconds before the angry swan hurled itself towards him. Seebold, out of breath and panting hard, put his head onto the steering wheel. ‘That was close. That thing weighs a ton.’
The dog had scrambled up from the footwell and began jumping up at the window, its barking reverberating noisily around the cab. The swan was still outside on the road, hissing angrily and with its wings outstretched. Eventually it folded its wings and waggled its tail indignantly as it turned around. It was with a sense of relief that Milly watched it waddle back to the river bank, but when it reached the grass verge, it began to hiss again,
‘Now what?’ Milly said quietly, peering out at the scene, but the other two were preoccupied. Seebold still had his head on the steering wheel and Lena was doing her best to push the dog’s wet paws from her lap.
