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But really, what else could it be? What else could those tomen have in common?

Perhaps it was time to leave Maple Drive, before the worst happened I’d believed that Jack and Holly were my friends, that they would take care of me until Daisy, Oliver and the children came home But now I knew they were just as likely to turn ehog food I’d eaten

I could hide out in another neighbourhood, I supposed One where no one knewlooked after right now But then hoould I knohen my people came home?

The other alternative aiting in the back garden at nuht there theto eat there – I’d spent all of last night looking, and turned up nothing Even the erbread arden

So, stay and wait for o and hope to find food but risk being alone forever?

This was not a good choice for a dog to have

I stared across the road at Holly’s house again Obviously I couldn’t risk sneaking in there again now, especially not while Mrs Teht, once Holly was in bed, I h the cat flap for soive me away

Oh, as I kidding? Perdita would be first in the line to send me to the pound

My gaze travelled to the house next door Kathleen The house where I had first tasted gingerbread Was that really only yesterday? It felt like an age already And even longer since I’d last eaten

Kathleen had been kind Maybe she would let ain

It et into Kathleen’s house and eat a piece of gingerbread by the time the sun went down, then I’d leave Maple Drive and seek my fortune elsewhere

I bobbed my head and, decision made, trotted across the road to number 10, where I sat and stared up at the door

The proble I could bark, or whine, I supposed, but that ht draw undue attention from Holly next door I didn’t even know if Kathleen was inside, or if she’d gone out

Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind me, and jumped round to check Jack! He was still on the pavement, and hadn’t spotted me yet, so I dived into the bush under the sill at the front of Kathleen’s house There, nestled in the relative warmth of the leaves and soil, I hid and watched Jack as he approached Holly’s front door

Oneseen – plus there was no chance of getting gingerbread from Kathleen if I left now

I huffed a sign, and hunkered down, resting my snout on my paws

See to do but wait until Kathleen opened her door

My eyes started to close, itching with tiredness after arden Maybe I could risk just a little snooze, before I made a final decision about my destiny

The buzzing sound that had drawn her out of sleep wouldn’t go away Daisy blinked in the dark of the bedroom, hemmed in by the heavy curtains around the bed, and finally realised what the noise was

Her phone

The ferry!

Fu device on her bedside table, Daisy whacked Oliver on the shoulder until he woke up too If they were calling to say they had space on the last ferry hoet a move on – and quick! The bedside clock told her it was already 630 So, 530 UK time And it felt it Thank God the twins had decided to sleep in, for once

‘Hello?’ she said, her voice scratchy ‘I mean, bonjour?’

‘Mrs McCawley’ Daisy’s spirits sank She knew that voice She recognised it from the information desk at the ferry Henri ‘This is just a courtesy call to let you know that unfortunately no spaces have beco’s ferry We do hope that you will travel with us another time, and if we can be of any assistance—’

‘You called , to tell round out Surely the man had a personal vendetta

‘Co lists Successful or not’ The man’s smarmy voice made Daisy’s skin crawl ‘Noould you like e on another occasion? I could put you through to our bookings line …’

‘No,’ Daisy snapped ‘You can’t Because it’s six thirty in theon Christmas Eve and I don’t believe for ato make my life miserable’