‘Alice-Miranda, wake up.’ Mrs Howard gently shook the child. Her eyelids fluttered open and she wondered if she was dreaming. ‘Miss Pepper needs to speak with you.’

‘Miss Pepper?’ Alice-Miranda rolled over and looked at the clock beside her bed. It was just after 7 am.

‘It must be important for her to be calling at this hour,’ said Mrs Howard as she passed Alice-Miranda her dressing-gown.

The child jammed her feet into her slippers and tiptoed out of the room with Mrs Howard. When they reached the sitting room, Howie passed Alice-Miranda the telephone.

‘Hello Miss Pepper,’ the girl spoke into the handset. ‘What do you mean he’s gone?’ Alice-Miranda’s eyes were now wide open. ‘I’ll check the stables and call you straight back.’

‘Who’s gone, dear?’ Mrs Howard asked.

‘Bonaparte!’ Alice-Miranda replied. ‘Miss Pepper was allowed to go home from the hospital late yesterday afternoon. After the show Wally took Bonaparte back to Chesterfield Downs and Miss Pepper said that she checked on the horses herself last night. But this morning Bonaparte was gone.’

‘You know what a little fiend he is, dear. He’s probably just escaped and decided to come home.’ Mrs Howard placed her hand reassuringly on Alice-Miranda’s shoulder.

‘I hope so,’ said Alice-Miranda anxiously. ‘We have to find him. Rockstar won’t run a step without him at the track this afternoon. They’ve become inseparable.’

Alice-Miranda raced out the back door. In the velvety half-light of morning she could see the outline of several horses in the paddock beside the stables, but none of them looked like Bonaparte.

She entered the building and was greeted by a soft nicker.

‘Is that you, Bonaparte?’ she called, a warm sense of relief flooding her. But as she got closer she realised that it wasn’t Bonaparte at all. It was Susannah’s pony, Buttercup. Alice-Miranda ran from stall to stall, hauling herself up to check each one, but Bonaparte was nowhere to be found.

The door to the flat upstairs opened and Billy Boots emerged.

‘What are you doing up so early, miss? I’d have thought everyone would be having a sleep-in after last night,’ he asked as he bounded down the stairs.

‘Bonaparte’s gone,’ Alice-Miranda said.

‘But he never came home. Remember, Wally took him back to Chesterfield Downs.’ Billy frowned at her, wondering if she might be sleepwalking.

‘I mean he’s gone from Chesterfield Downs,’ Alice-Miranda said. ‘Miss Pepper telephoned just a little while ago. His stall door was open and he was gone.’

Billy gulped. ‘Oh.’

‘You don’t think . . .’ Alice-Miranda began.

‘It’s not likely. It’s not his thing, livestock,’ said Billy.

‘Did you speak to Constable Derby yesterday?’ Alice-Miranda asked the lad.

‘Yes, he knows what’s going on,’ Billy said grimly.

She was thinking about Bonaparte and wondering where on earth he could possibly be.

‘I need to phone Miss Pepper and let her know that Bony’s not here,’ Alice-Miranda said. She remembered there was an ancient wall phone in the tack room and immediately went to make the call.

Evelyn Pepper answered and told Alice-Miranda that she had sent all of her lads off in different directions to check that Bonaparte hadn’t decided to take a wander around the farm.

‘What are you going to do?’ Billy asked Alice-Miranda when she hung up the telephone.

‘I’ll get Millie, and we’ll go out on Chops and Stumps to look for the little monster. I know he’s clever but I didn’t imagine he could open the bolt on his own and escape. That pony!’ She shook her head. ‘What about you?’

‘I’m going down to the station. Constable Derby should start getting some phone calls this morning. I guess we’ll just have to wait until Fern gives us the sign and then Constable Derby can make his move,’ Billy explained.

‘Well, be careful,’ the girl said seriously. ‘That Alf’s a brute. It sounds like he could be dangerous.’

‘I can handle Alf,’ said Billy. ‘He’s not dangerous; he’s just a boofhead who thought he could make some extra cash on the side. He didn’t expect me to ever stand up to him. We’ve just got to get the timing right. I can get Chops and old Stumpy ready for you. But you might want to put some proper clothes on.’

Alice-Miranda realised she was still in her gown and slippers. ‘Thanks, I’ll go and get Millie.’ She scurried off to wake her friend.