BooksBarbecue
Back The Scarlet Dress Save as PDF
Chapters (84)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. Friday
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. Saturday
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. 45
  50. 46
  51. 47
  52. 48
  53. Sunday
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. One Week Later
  77. 71
  78. Afterwards
  79. 72
  80. Acknowledgments
  81. Reading Group Questions
  82. More from Louise Douglas
  83. About the Author
  84. About Boldwood Books

‘You know that tin, the one we put in the cave? I need you to fetch it and bring it to me so I have it for my special date tonight.’

‘Why?’ Marnie asked.

Something in a different part of the caravan moved. Marnie felt it, a vibration. Alice glanced back towards the bedroom door. She held a finger to her lips. ‘I’ll tell you tomorrow,’ she whispered. ‘It’s our secret. Remember?’

* * *

Marnie was brought back to the present by a tap on her arm. It was a woman whose dog she used to train, a nice woman, fair hair pulled back in a messy bun, a sun-worn face, small, hairy terrier in her arms. Smiles, chit-chat. ‘We’ll all be like drowned rats by lunchtime.’ The woman laughed and nuzzled her face into the dog’s neck.

Then she went away and Marnie was stricken with the uncomfortable feeling she always had when she remembered one particular aspect of the day that Alice disappeared. It was the Quality Street tin. Marnie had promised Alice she’d fetch it from the cave and bring it to the caravan. She’d headed off towards the beach but before she’d even reached the exit to the holiday park, Mrs deVillars had accosted her in a panic.

‘Marnie! Where’s your father?’

Marnie had shrugged. ‘I don’t know.’

‘That dog of his has got into Pets’ Corner and killed a guinea pig.’

‘Trip Hazard?’

‘Yes!’

‘He killed a guinea pig?’

‘Yes! The little black one. Ragged it, then ran off with it.’

Tears were spilling from Mrs deVillars’ eyes. Marnie was horrified. She didn’t know what she should do.

‘Where’s Trip now?’ she asked.

‘Out in the fields. Will you go and look for your dad, Marnie? Find him for me. That dog needs to be kept under control. I can’t have it running around like this. Imagine if one of the children had seen! Imagine!’

So Marnie had gone to try to find her father in the funfair. The Rolling Stones had been booming out of the loudspeakers but her father wasn’t there, and then she’d gone over to the caretaker’s cottage, but he wasn’t there either. Then, because she was worried about what would happen if she didn’t catch Trip and put him somewhere safe, she’d gone traipsing over the fields to find the little dog herself.