‘You’ll have to find some excuse to get them out, so that you can have a proper look,’ said Mabel decidedly. ‘Are you going to tell Felix?’

‘No,’ said Roz, ‘I don’t see the point. It’s not as though he can do anything to help.’

‘Well, he might be able to think of a way to get them out the loft so that you can search for it properly,’ said Mabel, ‘because I’ll be darned if I can think of a good enough excuse.’

‘Me neither,’ Roz admitted. ‘Perhaps it would be a good idea to run it past Felix.’

Having already taken the things from the market back to Callum, Roz had made an excuse that she wanted to get some fresh air. Lilith and Suzie had exchanged knowing glances but neither had objected, so Roz had met Mabel and the two were heading down to Albert Dock to find Felix. Roz scanned the area looking to see if she could spot her friend, but all the men were wearing similar clothing – dark jackets, trousers and caps. It was like looking for a needle in a haystack, until she spotted Coconut, who was the only dapple-grey horse there. She went to point him out to Mabel, but judging by the smile on her face, Mabel had already seen him.

They took great care crossing the busy quayside, which was hectic with men transferring goods down from the ships, whilst others loaded them onto the back of lorries or carts. The noise was tremendous with people shouting orders, trying to make themselves heard above the sound of engines and seagulls, as well as each other. As they neared Coconut, they heard a cry from above. Looking up, Roz gasped as she saw Felix standing on top of a pile of sacks which were being craned from the ship to the quay. As the driver carefully rested the pallet onto the ground, Felix unhooked the crane and gave the driver the thumbs up, signalling that the load was free.

He grinned at the girls who were both looking awestruck. ‘I want your job!’ cried Mabel. ‘You get to work with Coconut and ride on the biggest swing I ever saw!’

‘It’s not all fun and games,’ said Felix, seconds before a warning cry came from further down the dock. Turning, they saw a load which was being craned off one of the ships break free from its ropes and crash down onto the people below. Within moments dozens of dockers, including Felix, had run to the scene.

‘Did you see what happened?’ Roz asked Mabel, who had been facing the right direction when the cry went up.

‘Kind of – it looked as though one of the ropes snapped. No one was riding it like Felix, thank goodness, although there were a few men guiding it down when it went.’

Roz grimaced. ‘I hope they’re alright.’