Lotti was to grow to love Frank very much, but in that moment he was terrifying. Even in the darkness, she saw his eyes glint.

“There’s a policeman after us,” she admitted.

“A policeman?” Frank growled.

“We haven’t done anything wrong!” said Lotti. “Not really.”

“Where is he?” demanded Frank.

“Somewhere between here and Anfield Lock. Our friend’s going to tell us when the coast is clear.”

“Frank,” said Jim. “They’re Nathan’s kids.”

Something passed between the two brothers, a secret understanding.

“Right,” grunted Frank. “Charlie, you can explain later. For now, stay here. Jim, take the nipper, keep him quiet. You two, don’t make a noise. We’ll go ahead. If the copper sees us coming out, he’ll assume there’s no one in the tunnel.”

“And if he asks, we’ll tell him we ain’t seen no one,” said Jim. “That’ll send him on his way.”

The Secret Starling was gone within seconds. Ben and Lotti resumed their position on the roof.

“Are you all right?” Lotti whispered.

“Yes,” he said. “It was just a shock, you know? Hearing them talk about Nathan like that. And seeing that little starling he painted for them. It was like …”

“Like having a bit of Nathan back.” Lotti’s hand went to Papa’s ring, on its string around her neck. “I know.”

“Wasn’t it lucky though, to run into the Starling?” she whispered. “Imagine if it had been another boat! We’d have had to move, wouldn’t we?”

Ben cursed. “Oh no …”

“What is it?”

“There is another boat.”

Lotti turned to look, and sure enough, there it was, blocking the light to the tunnel, its navigation light growing brighter and its engine louder as it came toward them. She turned back to Ben, eyes wide with fear.

“Ahoy ahead!” called a man’s voice. “Everything all right there?”

“Propeller jammed, but it’s all right now!” Ben called back. Then, shakily, to Lotti, “What do we do?”

“I don’t know!”

“Move it, will you?” the voice shouted. “I’ve got a cargo of blinking chickens and they’re doing my head in.”

In a daze, Ben rolled off the roof and fired the engine.

“Go slowly,” urged Lotti. “Go very, very slowly.”

With their hearts in their mouths, they chugged toward the tunnel exit. Lotti squeezed her eyes shut. She would not think about her uncle, she would not, or the lad from Home Farm and his gun. She would think of nice things, of snuggling with Federico, of the garden at Armande …

The air warmed up, she could feel light on her eyelids …

“Can you see Skinner?” she breathed.

Ben began to laugh.

“Open your eyes, Lotti. You’ve never seen anything like it.”