Ten minutes later, after Emily had splashed her face hurriedly, they were in Constance’s little car, with Emily squashed into the narrow space at the back, and heading out of the city.
‘We ought to have told someone where we’re going,’ Emily shouted above the noise of the engine. ‘We ought to have some sort of back up.’
As they chugged up the hill, they saw several men going from house to house, knocking on doors and talking to the occupants.
‘Looks as if the search is still going on round here,’ Josh remarked. ‘Do you want to stop and tell someone where we’re going?’
‘Trip – I think we should.’
‘Pull over, Josh, and I’ll speak to one of them . . . Oh, there’s Ben. He works in our grinding shop . . .’
Almost before the vehicle stopped, Trip leapt out and ran towards one of the men, who was just about to approach another house.
‘Ben – Ben, wait a minute. I need a word.’
‘Why, Mr Trippet. What is it? Has t’little lass been found?’
‘Sorry, no, but my brother-in-law, Josh, has thought of a place out in the country where Mick might have taken her.’
‘Want me to come along?’
Trip hesitated. It was a tempting offer; Ben was tall, broad shouldered and strong. ‘I wish you could, but I don’t think we can fit you in the car.’
Ben looked at it for a moment and then said, ‘I could ride on that there luggage thing at the back, if he drives steady.’
‘Are you sure?’
‘If Mick Dugdale’s there, you’re going to need a bit of brawn. Meaning no disrespect, sir.’
‘None taken, Ben. Come along, we’ll see what we can do.’
‘Wait a minute, I’ll just tell my mate what’s happening, so he can finish off this row of houses.’
When Emily and Josh heard what was proposed, Emily said at once, ‘Oh no you don’t, Ben. Trip and I can squeeze in the back and you sit beside Josh.’ She clambered out. ‘You get in, Trip, and I’ll sit on your knee. No arguing.’
And no one did. They set off again, Constance’s little car struggling up the hills with the extra weight.
‘Where are we headed?’
‘Out of town somewhere up the Baslow Road, where Mick Dugdale used to run bare-knuckle fights,’ Josh explained. ‘Trouble is, I only went there the once and I’m not sure if I can remember where it is exactly.’
Beside him, Ben chuckled. ‘But I can. I know it well, though I thought it was Steve’s hideout. But don’t you tell my missus. She’ll box my ears.’ The image of a little woman, however fiery, boxing the ears of the big man brought a smile to all of them.
‘It was Steve’s place – still is, probably,’ Josh said. ‘That’s why we thought Mick might take her there – a place no one would think of looking.’
They travelled a few miles in silence until Ben said suddenly, ‘I reckon it’s round this next corner. Turn left down a narrow lane and then . . . Aye, there it is, down the slope of that field on the left.’ The car jolted down the rough track. ‘Pull up here, Josh, on t’side of t’road. We don’t want the sound of the car to alert him if he is there.’
They left the car on the grass verge and walked into the field and down the slope.
‘You stay back, Emily.’ But Emily shook her head and walked on. ‘If Lucy is here, Trip, I need to be with you.’
Trip sighed, but said no more. Silent now, they tiptoed towards the barn door and listened. Josh tried the door, but it was locked. Quietly, he said, ‘I’m going to walk round the back. If Mick is here, he will have parked his vehicle out of sight from the road. That’s what he did before.’
Ben nodded in agreement. ‘You go with him, Trip – just in case. I’ll stay here with your missus.’
A few minutes later Trip and Josh returned, shaking their heads. ‘Nothing round there and no way in, either. I don’t think he’s here.’
‘Let’s just hope the lass is.’
Ben rattled the door. ‘Thank goodness t’isn’t a solid barn door. This won’t take much breaking down. Not for me, but a little lass’d never open it.’
Emily sniffed. ‘He’s good at locking folks in places,’ she murmured. Thank goodness he hadn’t set fire to this one, if Lucy was here.
Ben smashed a hole in the flimsy timber of the door and tore away the panels, making a hole big enough for them all to step through. Inside, the barn was dark and gloomy and it took a moment for their eyes to become accustomed to the dimness. They listened for a moment, but there was no sound.
‘Lucy, are you here? Don’t be frightened, darling. It’s Aunty Emily.’
They listened again and heard a scuffle and then whimpering.
‘Lucy – is that you? Where are you? We can’t see—’
‘Up there.’ Josh pointed. ‘In the hayloft. But there’s no ladder.’
‘Yes, there is. Over there by the wall,’ Trip said. ‘Help me carry it, Josh.’
Together the two men fetched the ladder and leaned it up against the edge of the hayloft. ‘I’ll go up,’ Trip said. ‘She knows me.’
As he stepped onto the floor of the loft and looked around him, he saw the figure of a small girl huddled in the far corner with a gag over her mouth and a rope around her wrist, tethering her to an iron ring in the wall. He hurried across and squatted down in front of her. ‘It’s all right, Lucy. We’ll take you home to your mam. Don’t cry, sweetheart. You’re safe now.’
He slid the gag from her mouth, so that it lay loosely around her neck. At once, her sobs were louder. Speaking reassuringly to her, he struggled to untie the thick rope. ‘We’ll soon have you out of here.’
Her wrists were red and raw where she’d struggled against the bonds. At last she was free and she threw herself against Trip, clinging to him and weeping loudly.
‘There, there,’ he tried to comfort her as he picked her up and carried her to the top of the ladder. He set her down, but she was unsteady, her legs weak from being forced to sit for several hours.
‘Josh,’ Trip shouted down, ‘can you come up the ladder and help her down?’
‘S’all right, Mr Trippet,’ Ben shouted before Josh could make a move. ‘I can carry her down.’ Without waiting for a reply, he started up the ladder. Stepping onto the floor of the loft, he said, ‘Now, me little lass, you’ve got to be very brave, ’cos we’ve got to get you down from here. Can you climb onto my back, put your arms around my neck and hang on very tightly?’ He squatted down and Lucy did as he asked.
‘Now, you must hold on tight, lass. Can you do that?’
Trip watched anxiously. If the girl were to let go halfway down the ladder . . . ‘Wait a minute, Ben. Let’s use that rope to tie her on. It’ll be safer.’
He fetched the rope and looped it around her back and under her arms and then under Ben’s arms, tying it in front of the man’s chest. ‘There, that should do it.’
As Ben stepped carefully onto the top of the ladder and turned round to begin his descent, Lucy found herself dangling in mid-air. Sobbing with fear now, she almost throttled Ben, her arms clinging tightly around his neck. But the big man did not complain. He could put up with a few moments’ discomfort if it got this little girl to safety. After what seemed like an agonizingly long time, his foot touched the ground and eager hands untied the rope around his chest and Lucy was lifted from his back. She clung to Emily and sobbed against her shoulder. Emily held her tightly and tried to soothe her wails.
As soon as Trip had climbed down the ladder, he said, ‘Come on, let’s get out of here before—’
He hadn’t finished speaking before they heard a noise at the broken doorway. They turned to see Mick Dugdale climbing though the hole. He straightened up and faced them, grinning.
‘Well, well, well, four rats in my trap. Emily and even Josh. What a catch!’
Ben took a step towards him, his fists clenched, but Trip caught his arm and said quietly, ‘No, Ben. He’s got a gun.’