Seven for a Secret Never to be Told

Mia and Safi were left in the dining room while Mia’s Nan went to call Miss Jaggers. If Bernard Jaggers was dead it would explain the appearance of the token in Safi’s pencil case. A few minutes later Mia’s Nan returned. All the colour had drained from her face. She looked at them.

‘It’s true. Bernie died in his sleep. He hadn’t been well for a while. Mary’s beside herself.’ She pressed her lips together hardly daring to speak. ‘That means Bobby is the only member of the Magpie Club still alive.’ She looked from Mia to Safi. ‘What now?’

‘If we want all these strange things to stop we have to know what happened on the day Tommy Bassett died,’ said Safi. Mia’s Nan nodded.

‘Come on then.’ She turned round and headed for Bobby’s room. Mia and Safi followed.

Mia’s Nan opened the door to Bobby’s room but it was empty. They checked the en suite and the built in wardrobe. The patio windows were still open wide but Bobby was nowhere to be found.

‘Look,’ said Safi. He pointed to the bed. ‘The magpie tokens are gone.’

‘So is his cap. Bobby doesn’t go anywhere unless he’s wearing his cap,’ Mia’s Nan sighed and wearily put her hand to her head. ‘That means he’s left the home. I’m only here an hour and I’ve gone and lost someone.’

‘I think I know where he’ll be heading,’ said Mia. She and Safi looked at each other and said together –

‘…the bather.’

‘Right, my shift’s just ending. I’ll let someone know what’s happened and we’ll go and look for him. Here, meet me by the car, I’ll be out in a minute.’ She handed Mia her car keys and disappeared. Mia and Safi collected their back packs from the dining room and went out to the car.

They were strapped in ready to go a few minutes later when Mia’s Nan opened the car door.

‘Matron’s called the police. They’re sending out some special constables to drive around the area and try to spot him.’ She started the car and drove onto the road.

‘Did you tell them where we think he’s going?’ asked Mia.

‘I’ve just lost one of our residents Mia, I’m not going to make matters worse by telling her about the bather, the Magpie Club and disembodied crying in the night!’

They drove across the roundabout and onto the main road out of the village. On one side there was a patchwork of fields and on the other an estate of large detached houses which gave way to a small row of red brick Victorian terraces.

‘There he is!’ exclaimed Safi. They watched Bobby disappear down a small track on the left between the houses.

‘He’s going across the park to the bather,’ said Mia.

‘We’ll be home in a minute. If he’s heading to the bather we’ll find him,’ said Mia’s Nan. She indicated left and they turned into a narrow lane. The car bumped along a rutted path. Mia’s Nan parked under a walnut tree by the edge of the back field. They quickly got out and ran past the hazel bushes. Bobby had to be found.