The Christmas of Adventure

©2015 June E.

Philip, Dinah, Jack and Lucy-Ann are excited at the prospect of spending their first Christmas together, but by Christmas Eve all their plans lie in ruins. Things get even worse when a severe snowstorm brings the country to a standstill and leaves Bill snowbound, hundreds of miles away. Forced to fend for themselves in Bill's remote moorland cottage, rumours abound of a strange and terrifying creature lurking in the woods nearby... and with a ruthless thief on the loose, striking at night and stealing birds from the local Sanctuary, the scene is set for a frightening and perilous adventure. Can they stop the thief before it's too late? Or will Kiki be the robber's next victim?

Chapter 33: 'I know who the Midnight Man is!'

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When Dinah came round she found herself back on her bed with Bill's anxious face peering down at her.

'You gave me quite a fright, young lady,' he said gently. 'What on earth were you doing out of bed?'

Then Dinah remembered.

'Oh Bill, I'm so confused,' she whispered hoarsely. 'You see, the Midnight Man's picture is in my book!'

'Nonsense,' said Bill briskly. 'You must have had a nightmare, that's all.'

'Yes, I did have a nightmare,' agreed Dinah. 'But I saw his picture after I woke up.'

Bill picked up Dinah's book from the floor.

'I presume this is the book you mean?' he said.

Dinah nodded. The book was still lying open at the same page. She hardly dared look.

'Why Dinah, this page is about Siberia in Russia. This picture isn't the Midnight Man, it's just a man wearing traditional Siberian costume, that's all. Look, he's got a long coat made of reindeer fur, with the traditional large hood. Reindeer fur is essential or they would literally die of cold; the temperature is often well below freezing.'

'But... but... that's exactly what the Midnight Man looks like!' said Dinah, looking that the picture more closely. 'Why, even the fur is exactly the same colour.'

'Oh Dinah, you must be imagining things!' protested Bill.

'I'm not imagining things, I'm really not! And I can prove it!'

For Dinah had remembered the piece of fur she had found on the trunk of the oak tree – it was still in her coat pocket!

'Bill, please fetch the coat I was wearing yesterday,' she croaked, her voice still barely audible. 'It's the red one on the hook by the front door.'

Bill brought the coat and handed it to her. Dinah slipped her hand into the pocket and pulled out a large tuft of light brown fur. That got Bill's attention! He examined the fur closely and after a few minutes he said, 'Well, it doesn't look like the fur of any native British animal, and it is very much like the colour of reindeer fur – I have seen reindeer many times on my travels. But how would someone in Moorland village manage to get hold of a Russian reindeer fur coat?'

Dinah was feeling tired now, and her head ached again. She lay back against her pillow. Something was nagging at her brain, but she couldn't think what it was. She started to doze again, and half-asleep, all sorts of strange images whirled around in her head... reindeers galloping through Moorland woods, Mrs Grouch pouring tea out of a fancy teapot, Kiki flapping and squawking.

Suddenly Dinah was wide awake. What had Kiki been squawking in her dream? Was it 'blow your nose?' No, it wasn't that... then she remembered! 'It's right under your nose! It's right under your nose!' At last the pieces of the puzzle fell into place.

'I know who the Midnight Man is!' she whispered urgently, everything tumbling out at once. 'I know who's been to Siberia, and who's fascinated by birds. It's Burt Grouch!

At first Bill was dismissive.

'Really, Dinah, you can't go around accusing respectable people,' he scolded. 'Mrs Grouch has worked for me for years, and she is a very honest lady. And she can't bear animals, particularly birds. There's no way she would allow Burt to keep pets, especially not stolen ones – it's out of the question.'

Bill's words gave Dinah pause for thought. No doubt he was correct to assert that Mrs Grouch would not allow animals in her house. But she was sure that the Midnight Man's fur coat and hood was a traditional Siberian reindeer pelt costume – the pictures were identical. And Burt had travelled to Siberia during his days as a sailor and he had brought back souvenirs, Mrs Grouch herself had told them so. Perhaps he brought back a Siberian reindeer fur coat! Dinah was sure that Burt was the person responsible for the bird-stealing. She wished she didn't feel so ill, and could think more clearly. But her head ached, her brain felt woolly, and she was getting tired.

Bill was still examining the tuft of brown fur that Dinah had found.

'Tell me again – where did you find this?' he asked.

'Caught on the bark of an oak tree,' she answered wearily.

'But where – where was the tree?' persisted Bill.

'In Moorland wood,' answered Dinah, her eyes closing now. 'We found a secret place in the woods, with an old hut. You have to climb a rope ladder in an oak tree to get there, and that was the tree where I found the fur. I think the hut is where Burt Grouch keeps the stolen birds.'

Bill looked worried.

'But the others have gone to Moorland woods today,' he said slowly.

'I didn't know that,' said Dinah in a hoarse whisper. 'Oh Bill, they'll have gone to explore the hut! But I didn't tell them about the fur, so they have no idea that the hut is the Midnight Man's lair. Bill, what if they're in danger?'

Dinah was already halfway out of bed, reaching for her clothes on unsteady feet.

'Ok, calm down,' said Bill in a firm voice. 'Get back into bed, you're not going anywhere, and certainly not out to Moorland wood. Don't forget there are three of them, and they will stick together and look out for each other. I agree that they may have stumbled into a tricky situation, and I had better go and find them. I'm going to leave you here with Kiki – will you be alright?'

Dinah nodded, and Bill went downstairs to fetch Kiki.

'Now both of you stay here,' said Bill on his return. 'Don't try to do anything, and above all don't go outdoors – you're not well enough, and you mustn't leave Kiki alone until the bird thief is caught.'

'Who's a naughty boy then?' squawked Kiki.

'That,' said Bill slowly, 'is precisely what I intend to find out.'

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