Page 55 of She Saw What He Did

‘Your mummy and daddy bought it for you, didn’t they?’

Sam nodded.

‘You give me the box and I’ll give you the balloons and these.’

He pulled a bag of jelly babies from his pocket.

‘I don’t have my box,’ said Sam. ‘It’s at home and I wouldn’t give it to you. It’s my favourite treasure box.’

‘I don’t believe you,’ said the clown.

The menacing voice behind the smiling clown face was chilling but Sam didn’t seem to sense any danger and Daphne was grateful.

‘I only want to borrow it. I’ll give it back to you,’ he said.

Daphne saw his hand move inside his jacket.

‘Do you have the box?’ asked Daphne.

Sam shook her head and began to look tearful. Daphne struggled to remember what toys Sam had taken out with her.

‘Mummy wouldn’t let me bring it,’ said Sam.

Daphne then remembered.

‘She doesn’t have it,’ she said. ‘Her mother wouldn’t let her take it to nursery.’

From his smiling clown face, Daphne couldn’t tell if he was angry or not. She couldn’t take her eyes off him.

‘Get out of the car,’ he said.

Daphne hurried from the car and pulled Sam out of the back seat. They both watched as the clown climbed into the back and began searching through Sam’s little holdall.

‘What’s he doing?’ asked Sam.

‘Hiding sweets so you can find them later,’ said Daphne.

Please don’t let her see the gun, Daphne prayed.

A car whizzed by, but Daphne didn’t have time to wave it down.

The clown slammed the car door and walked to the boot, swearing as he did so.

‘You shouldn’t say words like that,’ Sam said.

‘Where’s the box?’ he asked gruffly.

‘In my bedroom,’ said Sam, putting her hands on her hips. ‘You can’t have it.’

Daphne saw sweat run down the man’s neck.

‘I want you both to get into the Fiesta. She’s to go in the back seat and you in the front.’

He nods at Sam and hands her a bag of jelly babies.

‘My mummy said I shouldn’t take sweets from strangers,’ Sam said.

‘It’s okay,’ he lied, ‘I’m a friend of your mummy’s.’

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