Free Riddle Gully Runaway by Jen Banyard Page B

paused. ‘What’s that?’
    â€˜On your way out, if you happen to see any cash that looks like it needs a good home, it’d help if you were to relocate it with us. It might stop tongues slipping if the boss asks questions. Know what I mean?’
    Benson jammed his earphones back in. ‘Yeah,’ he said. ‘I do.’

CHAPTER FOURTEEN
    The moment the train hissed to a halt at Maloola, Pollo jumped down. Will shoved Shorn Connery’s rear end and they soon had him on solid ground, sniffing the salty air of the seaside town. They scurried along the narrow gap between train and fence until they were close to the platform. As soon as the coast was clear, they scrambled their way up and fell into step with the other passengers. They would have blended right in if they hadn’t been accompanied by a sheep.
    As they wove through the crowd in the station building, Will kept his eyes on the chequered linoleum floor and dropped back several paces. With a bit of luck, if someone from art school were to spot him, they might not connect him to the girl trying to control the excited ram. Will felt the blood pulsing in his temples at thevery thought of it. He’d be as red as a chilli pepper by now. Knowing this, he blushed even more.
    â€˜Will! Will Hopkins!’ Pollo’s voice squawked through the air. ‘Why are you all the way back there? Come up here and help me, quick!’
    He cranked up his line of sight to see Pollo slithering on the concourse — a newspaper kiosk to one side of her and a flower stall to the other. She was leaning back on Shorn Connery’s rope as the sheep, his hooves doing wheelies on the smooth floor, drove full-tilt for the stall, eager to wrap his hairy lips around its juicy spring display.
    People edged past sideways, giving them dirty looks. As Will looked on, aghast, Pollo’s feet slid from under her. Slowly but surely, Shorn Connery was dragging her — on her backside and gripping his lead — toward the fragrant bouquets in their bright buckets.
    Baa-aa-ah!
The few people in the station not already staring at them turned around.
    â€˜You! Get that animal out of here!’ The stationmaster was striding toward them. ‘Go on! Skedaddle!’
    Will sprang forward and tugged on the rope with Pollo. They stemmed Shorn Connery’s charge with his snout millimetres away from a bunch of daffodils. They hauled him to the exit, his hooves leaving fourdeep gouges in the linoleum, and hurried away from the station.
    At the war memorial overlooking the grey ocean near the edge of town, they found a bench where the grass grew long around the nearby trees. Shorn Connery set about mowing it, while Will and Pollo flopped down, looking out at the white-tops being whipped up by the stiff breeze.
    â€˜Do you think anyone saw you?’ asked Pollo.
    â€˜Pollo, everyone in the whole station saw me!’ cried Will.
    â€˜I mean, anyone who knows you weren’t meant to be coming into Maloola today, dummy — like a teacher from your art school.’
    â€˜I don’t think so,’ muttered Will.
    â€˜That’s good. I wouldn’t have wanted there to be a scene.’
    Will shook his head. Pollo’s idea of a scene clearly differed from his.
    â€˜So … to Benson?’ he said.
    â€˜And his old self,’ said Pollo.
    â€˜Where the heck do we start looking?’
    â€˜Where would you go if you were him?’
    â€˜Definitely the bakery first,’ said Will. ‘And thenGame Zone, maybe.’ He frowned. ‘But what if he’s just gone on home?’
    â€˜If he wanted to go home, as his uncle claims, he wouldn’t have hitched a ride down this way,’ said Pollo. ‘He would have caught a train to Two Wells and changed trains up to the city. All the big trucks take the route that bypasses Two Wells. It’s possible, I guess, he jumped off the sheep truck along the highway somewhere and