Dear Scarlett by Sarah J; Fleur; Coleman Hitchcock Read Free Book Online Page A

aburglar to being a spy.
    He was more like Ellie’s dad than someone that Ellie’s dad would lock up.
    We would just walk on the road, but we have to climb up on to the high pavement to get past the mayoress’s car. I can tell it’s hers because it’s got a tiny flag on the front.
    “What a funny place to park,” says Ellie, stopping to examine the tax disc. “And it’s out of date.”
    I stop to examine the car too. There’s no one in it, just a fur coat, a grey jacket, and thrown carelessly on to the dashboard, a tube of red lipstick. There’s a leaflet for the zoo lying on the seat.
    It’s got a picture of the penguins on it. They look happy, but then the photograph doesn’t show their tiny concrete pool.
    “What do you think about the penguins?”
    “In the zoo?”
    “I mean – it’s wrong, yes? Keeping them like that?”
    “Yes – it’s definitely not right. It’s cruel, but there’s nothing we can do about it. I mean, I suppose we could give our pocket money to the zoo and write to the World Wildlife Fund or something.”
    I suck on a mint humbug. Disgusting. “We coulddo something bigger than that, something really positive. I’m sure there’s a way to change things for the penguins.”
    Ellie pops a bubblegum in her mouth.
    “S’pose so. What’ve you got in mind?”

I Bet David Attenborough’s Never Done This
    It’s dark when I prod Ellie awake.
    â€œAre you ready for this?” I ask.
    â€œTotally,” she says, in a way that doesn’t convince me.
    We slip down the stairs and into the kitchen. I’ve got Dad’s tools in an old shoulder bag and I slip my feet into Mum’s slightly big flowery wellies.
    I’m taking both my parents on this trip but I still feel absolutely terrified.
    We need Syd’s pushchair for the job, but it’s buried under a pile of junk in the hall. Ellie lifts up the badminton set, and a load of marbles skiddleacross the floor.
    We freeze.
    There’s a creak from Mum’s room. I hold my breath as she comes out on to the landing and goes into the bathroom.
    We hear her wash her hands, then without even looking down the stairs, she goes back to bed, shutting the bedroom door behind her.
    I breathe again.
    This time, Ellie pulls the pushchair while I take the blankets off the heap and lay them on the floor, so that anything that escapes will fall silently.

    Outside, there’s a sliver of moon lighting our way. I can see pretty well in the dark, but Ellie’s hopeless and she has to watch the reflective strip on Mum’s wellies to work out where she’s going.
    The footpath seems lumpier by moonlight, and longer, and Syd’s rubbish pushchair weighs a ton.
    By the time we reach the edge of town, there’s a faint glimmer of light over the sea.
    â€œIs that dawn?” asks Ellie.
    â€œSuppose so.”
    â€œI’ve never seen dawn,” she says. “That’s quite exciting.”
    I’m amazed by the things that Ellie finds exciting.
    The white walls of the zoo glow faintly, but otherwise everything’s in a grainy black and white.
    I walk up to the main gate.
    â€œWhy have you stopped?” hisses Ellie. “I’m scared, Scarlett. Suppose someone sees us.”
    â€œDon’t worry, it’ll be fine,” I say, wishing I believed it.
    To our left, there’s an office building with alarms and shiny glass doors, but the door for the general public is just a big padlock and a gate.
    I take Dad’s tools out of my bag and start to fiddle with the padlock.
    â€œWhat are you doing?” she hisses.
    â€œUnlocking it, how else are we supposed to get in?”
    I wriggle the long pick inside the lock, but nothing happens.
    â€œWhat are you doing now?”
    â€œStill trying to unlock it.”
    I try all the picks and the bump key and then a long, hooked thing that’s in a different part of the pouch.
    Ping
.
    â€œI’ve done it! We’re in.”
    But