Edie wrapped the mackintosh tightly around her, so that nobody could see she was still in her nightdress underneath. Any time someone spotted her or Gus, they shook them warmly by the hand.
“We’re all very proud of you for saving the train like that,” said Reverend Greaves.
“That we are,” agreed Mr Hodges, the butcher. “Mind and send your aunt to see me. Reckon I might have a nice bit of steak tucked away. Dinner for heroes, is steak.”
“Thank you,” said Edie. But she didn’t feel like a hero. Not any more. All she could think about was the airman. Surely they ought to have told someone about him straight away. By now, he could be halfway to Maidbridge. He could have slipped away on to the moors where nobody could ever track him down. Worse still, he could be making plans to blow up a railway bridge… But if he was going to do that, why would he have helped them save the train?
Her head was pounding and her stomach felt worse. She knew the longer they left it to raise the alarm, the more trouble there would be in the end. Yet all she could think about was how brave and kind the airman had been.
Beside her, Gus looked pale and sick. He was biting his lip.
“What are we going to do?” she whispered. “We ought to say something.”
“Shut up, can’t you?” Gus hissed. They were only standing a few feet away from Captain Crowther who had gathered together some of the Home Guard. Len Snigson was leaning against a tree, smoking the stubby end of a cigarette.
“Listen up, men,” the colonel boomed. “It appears a number of bodies have been found amongst the wreckage.” He nodded his head towards the burnt-out shell of the cockpit in a clearing on the other side of the trees.
Edie could see Reverend Greaves with his head bowed saying a prayer.
“Serves them right! Sizzled like German sausage.” Len Snigson laughed, taking a long draw on his cigarette.
Edie shuddered again. What a horrible man he was.
“Put that thing out and stand up properly. You’re on duty now,” barked Colonel Crowther.
Len sighed and rolled his eyeballs, but he did as he was told.
“At least one of the blighters must have escaped,” said Mr Hodges. “Billy down on his barge reckons he saw a parachute floating in the canal.”
“And there’s bits of white silk on the edge of the railway too,” panted Donny Snigson, skidding to a stop and saluting the colonel. He was bright red in the face and looked as though he might have run the whole way down the tracks from Boar’s Head Farm so as not to miss the excitement.
Edie’s tummy turned cartwheels.
The colonel bore down on her and Gus. “Parachute, eh?” he said. “Is that what you used to stop the train?”
“Yes,” said Edie and Gus at the same time.
“We found it caught in the thorn trees,” said Gus.
“We cut it into strips,” explained Edie. They were gabbling so fast they were talking over each other.
“Hmm,” said the colonel. Edie felt a huge sense of relief. She was almost dizzy. She knew what was coming next. He would ask them if they had seen anyone. This was their chance to explain about the airman and how they hadn’t had time to mention it sooner, what with all the shock and drama of saving the train.
But the colonel didn’t ask them any more questions at all. “Good, good,” he said, and shook their hands as if he was working the pump in his garden. “Well done again, youngsters. Quick thinking.” Then he turned away and began to organize his men. “We need to be calm and thorough.”
It was Len Snigson who spoke next. “If I find any Jerry airmen, I’ll skin ’em alive,” he said. “Then I’ll hang ’em by their necks from the railway bridge.”
From the way he narrowed his eyes, Edie had no doubt it was true.
“Don’t suppose you saw anyone?” He spun round and stared at Edie and Gus.
Edie knew this was the moment that she ought to tell the truth. But all she could see were Len Snigson’s little sharp teeth as he snarled like a terrier about to catch a rat. Her German … she had begun to think of him like that … her German had saved her life. And if Len Snigson found him, he would skin him alive.
“No,” she said quietly. “We didn’t see anyone.”
“Not a soul,” said Gus.
And that was it. The lie was told.
Chapter Fifteen
A Bad Day
Edie’s head felt hot and fuggy. Her feet were freezing cold.
The last thing she remembered was coming back to Three Chimneys in the little post cart and Aunt Roberta and Uncle Peter congratulating them for saving the train.
“Not that I approve of you playing around on the railway tracks or being out and about at the crack of dawn,” said Aunt Roberta sternly. But she handed them both a steaming mug of cocoa, and, for a moment, her hand rested gently on the top of Edie’s head. “Thank goodness you’re safe. Oh, thank goodness,” she sighed.
Edie looked up at her and managed to smile.
She felt Aunt Roberta’s love settling on her like a warm blanket. How could I ever have thought she didn’t care for me? wondered Edie. But she couldn’t drink the cocoa, even though there was probably a full week’s ration of sugar in it. She couldn’t even lift the mug. Her hands were shaking too much and her arms seemed like lead.
“Bed for you, young lady,” ordered Aunt Roberta. “You’ve caught a chill. Not to mention all the excitement.”
“Excitement?” said Edie, clinging to Aunt Roberta’s arm. “It wasn’t exciting, it was terrible.”
Her head sank into her soft white pillow. She couldn’t even remember coming upstairs, although
