Ellie followed as best as she could. When she reached the spot where she’d last seen Ferdinand she stood still, casting about for a clue.

“Did you see a little dog here a moment ago?” she asked a man who was reading a leaflet he’d taken from a nearby table. He shook his head. Ellie was trembling. She was afraid she might cry again, and told herself sternly not to. Ferdinand was okay. He didn’t look at all hurt, and he was somewhere nearby. All she had to do was find him. Though where he’d got that bone from she dreaded to think. Maybe he’d stolen it from one of the kitchens attached to the cafés.

Sophie caught up with Ellie and grabbed her arm. “Have you lost him again?”

“Yes. He was running along just here, but then I couldn’t see which way he went. It was a bone he was carrying!”

A girl about Sophie’s age, who was nearby, looking at the boats, swivelled round to speak to Ellie. “Are you talking about that dog that just ran past?”

Ellie and Sophie looked at her eagerly. “Yes!” said Ellie. “Did you see him?”

The girl laughed. “I certainly did. He was so cute, trotting along with a bone in his mouth. Is he yours?”

“Yes,” said Ellie to avoid time-wasting explanations. “Which way did he go?”

“That’s easy,” said the girl, looking even more amused. “He was trotting past the boats when something attracted his attention. He seemed to suddenly change his mind and darted up the gangplank.”

“Which gangplank?” said Sophie, looking at both the large vessels that were tied up to the harbour wall.

The girl pointed at the one shaped like a fishing boat. “He went on that one,” she said. “And I’m not totally sure, but I don’t think he’s come back off it yet.”

“We’ve got him!” said Sophie gleefully.

They made their way swiftly to the boat’s gangplank, but were pulled up short by a slim gate that barred their way. Ellie could see that it would have been easy enough for Ferdinand to slip between the bars, but for them it would be impossible. To make matters worse, a notice had been hung over the gate. NO ENTRY, it said in red letters. There didn’t seem to be anyone in charge to ask for help. Ellie rattled the gate in frustration.

“I thought you were supposed to be allowed on these boats,” she said. “People are going on and off the other one.”

“Don’t worry,” said Sophie, putting a restraining hand on Ellie’s arm. “I’ll go and find someone to help us. You stay here and watch in case he comes back off. We’ve got him cornered now. It’s just a matter of time.” She disappeared at a jog, and Ellie settled down to wait. She glanced at her watch and got a shock. She had assumed it was about four o’clock, but it was just after five. Angel might be wanting to go home, and she would certainly be wondering where Ellie had got to with her dog!

Ellie looked around for Sophie, but there was no sign of her. This was dreadful. She needed to take Ferdinand back to his mistress now! She rattled the gate again, and then noticed something. The gate wasn’t actually locked. She’d thought it was because of the notice, but actually it was simply latched. She could open it, walk through and search the boat for Ferdinand – if no one noticed her, that was. She looked around, but there didn’t seem to be anyone in charge. And there was still no sign of Sophie. Quickly, before she could falter, Ellie opened the gate, sidled through and closed it behind her. There was no going back now!

She made her way up the gangplank towards the boat, expecting a shout to come from behind her at any moment, telling her to come back. But the shout never came. In a moment she was at the boat, and she swiftly jumped down off the gangplank and into the wheelhouse at the stern. Although it was securely tied up, when she landed, the boat dipped and rose again with her added weight. She stumbled at the unexpected movement. She’d almost forgotten it was actually floating.

It was a lovely boat. She could imagine sunbathing on the deck, while some handsome film star steered them towards the sunset, but this was no time for daydreaming. She needed to find Ferdinand…and fast! She went down a step, so she could see into the cabin. There he was! But he wasn’t alone. Ellie stared at the person he was with. For a few moments she couldn’t take it all in, and the person seemed to be having difficulty taking Ellie in too.

“Ferdinand!”

Angel Makepiece’s little dog was sitting at the feet of a woman…a woman Ellie recognized. She was holding his collar, and looking at his tag…which was the very thing Ellie had tried to do with her dog in the park not so long ago. There was no sign of her little dogs though; Snappit and Beastly must have been left at home, as Ferdinand should have been.

The woman looked at Ellie as if she couldn’t quite believe she was there. “You seem to have lost your dog,” she said at last. “He caught sight of me and came rushing up the gangplank.”

“I expect he recognized you,” said Ellie faintly. “Like I did.” Relief at finding Ferdinand safe and unharmed jostled with the shock of seeing him with Snappit and Beastly’s owner. “We met at the park,” she explained. But it was obvious that the woman had recognized her too.

“I remember,” said the woman. “This is your boss’s dog, isn’t it?”

Ellie nodded. “I work for Heart…”

“The magazine,” the woman finished for her. “Yes. And I’m sorry I had to rush off that last time. I did feel I was being a bit rude but…”

“I thought it was a bit odd,” said Ellie truthfully. “But then I wondered…you see…I think you know Charlie Daniels!” she gabbled before she could stop herself. “And you didn’t want me to find out.”

Just then someone else appeared through an inner door. It was a boy who looked a bit older than Ellie. He was in time to hear what she’d said and laughed. The woman looked urgently at him, but the same time as she said, “No,” he said, “Yes.”

The woman looked cross. She turned to the boy. “Don’t, Daniel,” she said.

“It’s all right,” he said. “It doesn’t matter any more.”

Ellie looked from one to the other, but neither of them seemed tempted to elaborate. Finding Ferdinand safe and, bizarrely, with the very woman she’d been hoping to meet in the park, she felt reckless, and didn’t care if they thought her rude to pursue the subject.

“I found out that Charlie Daniels used to have two dogs,” she told the boy. “They were called Snippit and Snappit.”

The boy looked very startled for a moment, then recovered himself and smiled. “And your point is…?” he said.

“Well,” said Ellie. “Maybe Snippit died. If so, I’m sorry, but you still have Snappit, don’t you? Ferdinand used to play with him and Beastly until…”

The boat rocked again and Ellie wondered if it might be Sophie. But it wasn’t her. It was a man, wearing a badge that showed he worked for Replica Boats Inc. He seemed both worried and annoyed.

He looked at the woman. “I do apologize. I know you didn’t want to be disturbed. I’ll remove this young lady and her dog immediately.”

“NO!”

They all stared at Ellie. “I’m sorry,” she said to the woman and the boy called Daniel. “I will go in a minute, and I’m sorry about the dog, and disturbing you and everything…” Her voice faltered for a moment and then she went stubbornly on. “I didn’t know you were going to be here…but you are…and I’ve been looking for Charlie Daniels for so long. I’ve tried the publisher, the agent…trawled through thousands of websites…I went to a bookshop and the library. And I’d wanted to talk to you in the park,” she said accusingly to the woman. “But you stopped coming, and so I had to give up. I had worked so hard at it…”

“And you’ve done so well!” said Daniel. “Really. You have.”

The woman put her hand on his sleeve but he shook her off gently. “It’s okay, Mum,” he said. “Really. It’s all right. I don’t mind now.” He smiled at the man who had offered to remove Ellie. “She can stay,” he said, and looked at his mother. “Can’t she?” His mother looked exasperated, but then she smiled at her son and nodded slightly.

“What about the dog?”

“I’ll take the dog.”

Everyone turned to where Sophie was standing in the doorway. She had come on board much more quietly than Ellie or the man, and no one had heard her. “Give him to me, Ellie. I’ll take Ferdinand back. After all, I owe you.” She looked at the official. “It’s my fault he’s here, so if you need to escort me off the premises go ahead.”

Ellie picked up Ferdinand’s lead and handed him over to Sophie. She smiled at Ellie. “Don’t worry,” she said. “I won’t say a word to anyone…about anything. You’ve obviously got stuff to do here. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Sophie!” Ellie wondered what on earth Sophie would say to Angel. No doubt Ellie would find out later, and it wasn’t something she was looking forward to. She hoped Sophie wouldn’t get into too much trouble.

When Sophie and the official had gone Ellie stood in the cabin of the boat, wondering what to say next. The woman stood up and went over to close the door. It was suddenly very quiet.

“So,” said Daniel with an amused expression on his face. “Tell us exactly what you know, and how you know it, and I’ll tell you if you’re right.”