Читать книгу THE RUBY REDFORT COLLECTION: 1-3: Look into My Eyes; Take Your Last Breath; Catch Your Death - Lauren Child - Страница 41

…when she heard a voice, or rather voices.

‘We better go and talk to the old lady, get her to co-operate if you know what I mean.’

Oh I know what you mean, said Mrs Digby to herself. She sat back in her chair and waited for the inevitable. The door was opened and in walked two men, the one with the nice face who she had met before and another much bigger man, almost a giant, who she hadn’t had the pleasure of meeting yet. There was no sign of the woman with the high-pitched scream.

The nice looking man seemed to be in charge – at least he did most of the talking.

Mrs Digby stood there with her hands on her hips. ‘What is this? Kidnap-an-old-person-week?’ She wasn’t taking captivity lying down. The Digbys had always fought tooth and nail, no matter what the odds.

‘All we want you to do,’ said the man, ‘is call your employers and tell them that you are safe and sound in Miami.’

She folded her arms.

‘And why would I tell them that, when it is perfectly obvious to me that I am not?’

‘Well,’ suggested the man softly, ‘why don’t you just say that you are?’

‘Because that would make me a liar and I ain’t no liar.’ Mrs Digby pursed her lips.

‘Well,’ said the man, ‘cross your fingers behind your back and pretend that you are.’

Mrs Digby sighed heavily. ‘And just what am I doing in Miami?’

‘Perhaps you are playing a game of blackjack, perhaps you have friends there.’

‘And what if I’m not in Miami, what if I’m being held at gunpoint in a warehouse, what are you going to do then?’

‘Then,’ said the other man, the one with the big hands and the silver rings which looked a little bit like knuckle dusters, ‘then perhaps you are gonna wish you was in Miami playing blackjack.’

‘OK, OK, I get the picture, tough guy.’ Mrs Digby picked up the phone, praying Ruby might have skipped school – if Ruby heard her voice she would know in a moment that something was up. Ruby was one smart cookie. Mrs Digby dialled the number – but no one answered.

‘So leave a message,’ hissed the tough guy.

Mrs Digby glanced at his silver rings and decided she would do as she was told.

‘They won’t ever believe you, you know,’ she said. ‘You can force me to say a whole lotta mumbo jumbo on an answerphone but the Redforts know me inside out – they’ll know I was made to do it. It just won’t ring true, they know I have no cousin Ernie – believe you me, you all are gonna be stitched up like a pack of kippers.’ Mrs Digby was defiant as ever but her captors merely laughed.

‘Don’t wait too long to be rescued, old lady – you might pass your sell-by date.’