Page 73 of The Summer Island Swap
‘Nine o’clock, as usual, after a night in the Games Room. He settled on his favourite branch, at the back on the left. The one he likes swinging on.’
‘Did the door look forced open this morning?’ I asked.
‘It’s not that kind of lock,’ said Jackie.
‘Ah yes. It’s a large, heavy bolt.’
She nodded. ‘We’ve never needed to bother with anything else because this is a private island and the only visitors we have are into conservation and would only want the best for him.’
Rick stopped walking up and down. ‘Until recently. Oh my God…’ He rushed upstairs and came back with his laptop. He sat on the sofa and logged in. We stood behind as he went onto Facebook and typed in Jason Elliot.
‘What are you doing?’ I asked.
‘Following a hunch,’ he said, his voice tinged with anger.
Jason’s page came up. He scrolled down. First up was a photo taken last night – of a grinning Jason holding Chatty firmly in his arms.
Chatty was baring his teeth and cowering.
33
Rick’s laptop fell onto the sofa as he stood up. Barefoot, he strode outside towards the pool, across decking and damp morning grass.
‘Rick, just wait!’ called Jackie.
But he walked straight up to Jason’s beach hut. He rapped on it loudly. He tried again, this time using his whole fist.
‘All right, all right,’ called a tired voice. Jason appeared with tousled hair, wearing nothing but his shorts from last night. ‘Rick, do you know what time it is? I feel as if I’ve only just gone to bed.’
‘Where’s the monkey?’ asked Rick, face the colour of the nearby flame tree flowers.
Jason scratched his head and then a sheepish look came over his face. ‘Look, mate…’
‘Don’t call me mate,’ he said in a measured voice. ‘You broke into one of the animal enclosures. You scared one of our animals.’
‘Scared?’ Jason snorted. ‘He was grinning. We reckoned that was a trick you taught him, right?’
‘That wasn’t grinning, you imbecile,’ said Rick.
I put a hand on his arm but he shook me off.
‘He was frightened to death – baring his teeth, that’s what monkeys do in situations like that. He was ready to fight for his life if he had to.’
Steve came out of his hut, rubbing his bare belly. ‘What’s going on?’
‘Where’s the monkey?’ I asked.
Steve screwed up his eyes in the sunshine that promptly disappeared behind a rare cloud. ‘Ah yes. That. Sorry guys.’ He cleared his throat. ‘No harm meant. Although he was probably glad to get out of his cage. We were just having a laugh.’
‘A laugh? Chatty’s blind. He must have wondered what the hell was happening.’ Rick moved forwards. ‘Is he in your hut, Jason?’
‘Blind?’ Jason gaped, as did Steve. ‘Mate, sorry, we had no idea… it was dark… look, we put him back in his cage straight afterwards. He was only out for a few minutes.’
Steve shook his head. ‘Jeez, I mean… we’d never have touched the little chap if we’d known he couldn’t see.’
Rick threw his hands in the air. ‘He’s not a pet. You shouldn’t have touched him at all, sight or no sight. He’s not in his enclosure this morning. Did you lock it afterwards?’
Jason and Steve looked at each other.
