He was evidently going to check up on his boys.

James cursed. It was a race now. He had to get back into his room before Codrose found it empty. He tore across the roof and threw himself in through the skylight. He pulled the floorboards out of his way and dived into the hole. He didn’t waste time putting them back behind him. He could return and do that later, for now the important thing was to get back into bed.

He pictured Codrose and the fat man; they would start on the floors below and work their way up, opening all the boys’ doors on the way.

How long did that give him?

Not long enough.

He squirmed back along the crawl space, up into the washroom. He checked the corridor. No sign of Codrose yet, thank God. He ducked back into the lavatory and quickly replaced the floorboards and tiles. Then he cautiously returned to the washroom door. This time he could hear voices outside and people moving around. He eased the door back a crack, just wide enough to look one way down the corridor. He saw Codrose with the fat man and the Dame, Miss Winfrith Drinkell.

Miss Drinkell, who helped Codrose to run the house, was a tired-looking, middle-aged lady who always seemed disappointed by something. Probably by having to work with Cecil Codrose.

The three of them were just entering one of the boys’ rooms. As soon as they were in, James shot out and managed to duck through his door a moment before he heard the search party emerging from the other room.

James tore off his shirt, kicked it under the bed and dived under his covers just as he heard a short brisk knock and the click of the door as Codrose came in.

The light snapped on and James stirred, blinking, trying to appear groggy and confused.

‘Sir?’ he said.

‘Have you heard anything tonight, Bond?’ asked Codrose, glancing suspiciously around the room. ‘Any boys up and about?’

‘No, sir. I’ve been asleep, sir.’

The fat man waddled into the room and stared at James.

‘Do I know you?’ he said.

‘I don’t think so, sir,’ said James.

‘Sorry to disturb you, James,’ said the Dame. ‘There’s been some trouble tonight.’

Codrose sniffed, then turned out the light and slammed the door.

James slumped back on to his pillow, exhausted and relieved.

He’d got away with it, but he wondered if the other members of the Danger Society had been so lucky. And if one of them had been caught, would he keep his mouth shut?

3

The Fourth of June

‘How long ago was this?’

‘Last Thursday.’

‘And you’ve kept quiet about it all this time?’

‘I couldn’t risk talking about it. I didn’t want to involve anyone else. I had to be sure I was in the clear.’

‘And are you in the clear?’

James shrugged. It was the fourth of June and he was in his room with his friend Pritpal Nandra. The morning had started like any other morning – early school, breakfast and then chapel – but now the boys had returned to their rooms to change because the rest of the day was a holiday.