Aluredian 43
I
trudged towards the house; I could
see its faint silhouette framed by the
sinking sun. The trees were crooked
old men judging me. The wind howled
like voices shouting at me "Thief! Thief!"
I kept my head down and carried on. I
was halfway up the hill when there was a
loud snap behind me. Had I been found
out? Had Caroline and James caught
wind of my betrayal? Had someone
called the police? I slowly turned to see a
black figure standing just a few feet from
me.
"Fight mate?" I was relieved to hear the
sound of Darren's deep voice.
"Darren?" I couldn't understand what he
was doing here.
"Guy thought you migh' need 'elp." I
knew this meant he thought I was going
to chicken out.
"Come on then." I said hastily. "We are
losing time."
When we got to the house, it had grown
darker, and the only light that I could see
came from that of the burglar alarm.
I felt a pang of guilt in my chest. Was I
really going to steal from my friends?
Once again my thoughts were interrupted
by Darren's gruff voice.
"D'you say there's a spare key?" I
nodded, led him through James' nicely
kept garden, lifted up a flowerpot holding
a couple of immaculate tulips, and
retrieved the key. I then hesitated around
the door handle, only to find myself
standing in the kitchen a few minutes
later. A framed portrait of Caroline stood
in the windowsill. She was smiling,
happy, and it hit me that she didn't know
I was in her house, that she thought I
was still just her friend, not a criminal …
"You look upstairs, I'll check down here."
I said abruptly.
"Wha'?" Darren said, "Guy said you knew
where 't is." He was now staring at me
intently.
"Uh … no … All I know is that it is in this
house." My voice wavered as I spoke -
did he know I was lying? Fortunately,
Darren obediently plodded up the stairs.
When I saw his thick brown boots
disappear onto the next floor, I rushed
into the living room. James had once
mentioned that his safe was in there. I
searched for about an hour, dismissing
any shouts from Darren asking if I'd found
anything. A floorboard creaked beneath
my feet - again I flinched at the loud
sound. Then I realised, this house was
fairly modern, why then did the
floorboards … floorboard … creak, for
this was the only one that made a sound
in the whole house.
I knelt down. I got hold of the carpet and
pulled it back to reveal the wood beneath.
I lifted one board, then another, then
another, and sure enough a large metal
box had been concealed underneath.
I lifted it out. There was a pin code.
I typed in birthdays, anniversaries, even
number plates, but I had no luck.
Finally I remembered them laughing and
joking … I typed in 1409. They had got
married on the 14th of September last
year. Click. The lock opened and I
grabbed the broach. I stuffed it in my
pocket and returned the safe
underground.
"Any luck?" I shouted up to my
accomplice.
"Nah! You?"
"No, it's nearly dawn. Maybe we should
get going?" I replied.
"Guy said you ain't to come back wivout
it," he said. "He sai' 'e'll kill you 'e will."
My stomach jumped at the sound of
Guy's name, although I didn't have much
time to think about what to do. I saw
headlights on the driveway. I ran.
Bryony House A2
The Triple Cross
by Lydia Smith
Pippa Byrne A2