Free Crowns and Codebreakers by Elen Caldecott Page B

caught Dad’s eye. Dad speared a piece of food and ate it.
    ‘Your mother,’ Mum said quietly.
    ‘What? What about her?’ Dad said.
    Minnie shook more salt on to her food and chewed in silence.
    ‘Calm down. I was just going to say that I don’t think your mother is settling in well.’
    ‘She’s overwhelmed, that is all,’ Dad said. The tines of his fork grated across the china plate.
    ‘Yes. I am agreeing with you, Joseph. We are in agreement.’
    ‘Are we?’
    ‘We are. I wonder if we can find something for her to do in the day? Perhaps a club or an activity.’
    ‘You want her out of the house?’
    ‘No! I want her to make friends, meet people.’
    ‘She can help around the flat. She’d like that.’
    ‘She’s not a maid! She’s our guest.’
    ‘Guest?’
    They stared at each other. Minnie had never seen Mum and Dad like this. Usually they moved and laughed together. They never snapped like dry twigs.
    ‘You should go to bed too, Minnie,’ Mum said finally.
    Minnie didn’t argue. She was happy to get out of there.
    In the bedroom, Minnie didn’t want to turn on the light. She didn’t want to wake Gran. She could see the lump of Gran’s body under the covers, the weird head on the window sill with Gran’s wig balanced on top. The room smelled different now, of spice and flowers – Gran’s body mist.
    Home felt funny.
    Outside felt dangerous.
    And Jimmy had done nothing to help them.

Chapter Fifteen
    Minnie didn’t sleep well. Gran snored a little bit, but it wasn’t that. It was the snappy, crotchety way that Mum and Dad had talked to each other. They were never, ever like that. As she lay in the dark staring up at the chewing-gum grey ceiling, Minnie knew the criminals were to blame. Gran didn’t feel safe, so she couldn’t feel comfortable. And because Gran wasn’t comfortable, Mum and Dad were arguing. Well, no criminal gang was going to upset her gran and get away with it.
    She had to talk to Piotr.
    She got up early on Tuesday morning and dressed quietly. At the kitchen table, she swallowed her cereal almost in one gulp, rinsed the bowl and left a note for Mum and Dad.
    Outside, the market traders were beginning to set up: carts rumbled into position, awnings swayed into place,goods arrived from vans and car boots. Most people had a friendly ‘Morning!’ for her as she walked through.
    Piotr lived in the same block of flats as Andrew, at the far end of Marsh Road, beyond the market. She took the lift up to the fifth floor and rapped on his front door.
    Piotr’s mum answered. She was carrying his little sister, Kasia. ‘Good morning, Minnie,’ she said. The ‘r’ in the middle of ‘morning’ rolled like trolley wheels on cobbles in Mrs Domek’s Polish accent. ‘Piotr is awake, I think. Go through.’
    Piotr was, but he was still in his Superman pyjamas. His room was small, but less crammed with furniture than hers, so it felt bigger. He sat on his bed. She could see the comic he’d been reading tucked beneath the duvet like a teddy.
    ‘What’s up?’ he asked.
    ‘Mum and Dad,’ she said simply. ‘We have to find out what’s going on to save Mum and Dad.’
    ‘What do you mean?’
    ‘They’re sniping at each other worse than me and Andrew. Worse than me and Sylvie!’
    Piotr recoiled. ‘That’s bad. What do you need us to do?’
    ‘Did you get to the railway station yesterday? Was there a Left Luggage place? Are we on the right track?’
    ‘Yes, yes and I think so.’
    ‘Good. I think my family are depending on it.’

    The railway station was at the top of the town. The tracks climbed up over arches, then ran behind the main shopping street until they reached the platforms of the old sandstone building. Trains shuttled past regularly, pushing through the air on their clattering journeys.
    At 2.30 p.m., Flora was already there, waiting at the passenger drop-off point outside the main doors. She was wearing a pale lemon top with pale brown trousers. Minnie