Pearlie's Pet Rescue (2 page)

I
still don't trust you, Dulcie McBride, Pearlie thought to herself when Dulcie arrived at Beake's house on Saturday night. But she had to admit that Dulcie did look the part. She was dressed all in black, and her yellow hair – what was left of it – was all tucked up under a beret.

Stepping softly in a crouch and keeping to the shadows, Dulcie joined Reddy and Pearlie. She nodded to them both and said, ‘So you think Beake's a spy?'

‘We KNOW it,' Pearlie said. ‘We even had proof, some photographs, but they didn't turn out.'

‘So we have to get more,' Dulcie said. ‘Or something different.'

‘We need something you can show your dad,' Reddy said. ‘And then he can tell Colonel Mitchell. Then Beake will be arrested . . .'

‘And we'll be heroes!' Dulcie smiled.

‘That's not what this is about,' said Pearlie.

Dulcie flared. ‘Oh? So why don't you tell me what it
is
about, Little Miss Self-sacrifice?' She pushed up to Pearlie. Pearlie stood up straight and stuck out her jaw.

Reddy stepped between them, making shushing noises. ‘Come on, you two. We have a job to do. You can be heroes – or not – later.' He elbowed them apart, and turned them to look at the house.

It was dark, and very still. A masked owl hooted.

The flywire door was banging in the wind. Reddy took out his lucky penknife from his back pocket and went up the steps.

Pearlie whispered, ‘When Nao and me broke in, the door was padlocked on the . . .'

But before she'd finished her sentence, Reddy had it open.

‘How'd you do that so fast?' Dulcie asked admiringly.

‘I didn't,' Reddy said, switching on his torch and folding his penknife away. ‘It was already open.'

‘That's strange,' Pearlie said. ‘Beake would never be so careless. The darkroom's over here.' She led the way across the kitchen. When she passed the cupboard under the sink where she had hidden the last time they snuck in, her body gave a little shudder.

Opening the door to the darkroom, she told Reddy to shine his torch inside.

Pearlie gasped. The room was empty.

Only a broom stood alone in the corner. Gone were the trays of chemicals on the counter, the photographs pegged along the string and the camera equipment. All that was left of Beake was the smell of his pipe tobacco.

Dulcie put her hands on her hips. ‘Huh! I knew it. I bet you made the whole thing up just to get attention. You're such an idiot, Pearlie Chan.'

‘I didn't ma– ' Pearlie began to say.

‘Oh, Beake's real enough,' Reddy said to Dulcie. ‘I seen him with my own eyes. Let's look at the rest of the place.'

Pearlie heard Dulcie make little sounds of protest, but she followed them through the house to the main room. Sure enough, that was empty, too. Beake had gone!

Turning to Reddy, a big smile on her face, Pearlie said, ‘I'm safe.'

Dulcie stamped her foot impatiently. ‘I'm going home to bed.'

But Reddy wasn't smiling.

‘What's the matter?' Pearlie asked.

‘The question is, has Beake left Darwin? Or has he just moved house because he knows we're onto him?'

‘Oh peanuts, I never thought of that,' said Pearlie in a slump again.

‘Ah ha, now this is getting a bit more interesting,' said Dulcie.

‘If anyone knows anything about where Beake's gone, it'd be Mr Spiros,' Reddy said. ‘He knows everything that goes on in this town.'

‘You're right,' said Pearlie. ‘I'm working for him tomorrow, I'll ask him then. Oh, I hope Beake's gone for good.'

‘I hope he's still here. Then we can watch him being arrested,' said Dulcie.

There was the soft pad of footsteps coming through the house and they all turned, alarmed. Reddy flashed his torch in the direction of the sound.

Standing in the beam, head drooped almost to the floor, was a thin red kelpie.

‘Hey, that's Rusty,' Pearlie said. ‘Rusty! Here boy,' she called, patting her leg.

The dog came towards her, barely able to walk, his tail between his legs.

‘Whose dog is he?' asked Dulcie.

‘He used to belong to the Tompkins. They left him behind when they got evacuated,' said Reddy. He felt Rusty's ribs. ‘He mustn't have eaten for days, poor fella.'

‘How could Beake be so cruel?' Pearlie said, kneeling beside Rusty and stroking the dog's mangy fur.

‘It's happening a lot,' said Reddy. ‘And it'll happen more and more. Folks can't take their animals with them when they go.'

Pearlie frowned.

‘I heard the government's ordered people to shoot their pets before they get evacuated.' Dulcie's tone sounded gleeful.

Could Dulcie really be that heartless? Pearlie wondered. Or is she just being awful because she knows how much I love animals?

‘What's going to happen to you now, old fella?' Reddy said, stroking Rusty under the chin.

‘I'm taking him home,' said Pearlie without a moment's hesitation.

‘You've already got that smelly monkey. Are you going to save every pet in Darwin?' said Dulcie.

Pearlie turned her back on Dulcie, leant across and whispered in Rusty's ear. ‘You're going to live with me and Tinto and my chooks.' She rubbed his neck and Rusty licked her face in return.

As they walked out onto the road, Reddy said, ‘I'll be busy helping my uncle for the next few days. When you find out from Mr Spiros about Beake, let me know, won't you, Pearlie?'

Pearlie nodded. ‘Come on, Rusty,' she said to the starving dog.

‘I'll see you around, Reddy,' she heard Dulcie say in an overly sweet voice.

Pearlie didn't wait to hear Reddy's answer. She walked away quickly, leading Rusty home.

Pearlie pushed open the back gate and went into their yard. ‘Hello, little man,' she whispered to Tinto as she unlocked his cage. ‘I got you a new friend. His name is Rusty.'

Tinto climbed onto Pearlie's shoulder, eyeing Rusty suspiciously.

‘Don't worry. You're still my best boy,' she cooed tickling him under the chin.

Tinto pushed his head into Pearlie's neck and made contented beeping sounds.

‘Stay here, Rusty, while I get some food for you.'

Mum and Dad were asleep in bed, unaware that she had been out. She tiptoed quietly around the kitchen, looking for something a dog might like.

She came across a bowl of leftover rice, and as soon as she put it on the ground by the back door, Rusty gulped it down. She got out some old sacks for him to sleep on, gave him a pat, then went inside with Tinto tucked into the crook of her arm.

T
HE
next morning, Pearlie woke up still tired from the adventure of the night before.

Mum was shouting, ‘What's this dog doing in our backyard?'

Oh peanuts, Pearlie thought. I should've left Mum a note about Rusty. ‘Stay here, Tinto,' she said.

Rusty stood on the back step. When he saw Pearlie come into the kitchen he lifted his head and wagged his tail.

‘That's Rusty, Mum. He used to belong to the Tompkins. Nobody's looking after him so I brought him home.'

Mum let out an exasperated sigh. ‘You just can't go bringing home every stray animal you find, Pearlie,' she said. ‘We barely have money to feed ourselves, let alone a dog. I want you to take him back to where you found him.'

‘But Mum, he'll starve to death! And you said I could have a dog if I saved up for one.'

‘You already have Tinto. One pet's enough. Hurry up and get dressed. It's already nine o'clock and you still haven't done your chores. You're becoming so lazy now that you don't have school.' Mum turned to feed Joey.

Pearlie stood staring at Mum's back. It's not fair, she thought. Then she heard Dad calling her from the shop.

She went through the curtains.

‘Your mother's been under a lot of strain lately, Pearlie,' Dad said, not lifting his head from the sewing machine.

The whirr of the motor calmed Pearlie.

‘The war has put everyone on edge, especially now with people being forced to evacuate.' He looked up. ‘I'll talk to her about the dog.'

‘You will? Oh thank you, Daddy.' Pearlie threw her arms around him and they hugged.

‘I made you something,' Dad said, holding up the thing he had been sewing.

It was a lovely pouch made from a patchwork of leftover fabric and it had a long shoulder strap. But it was rather small. She couldn't fit a book inside it, maybe just a snack or two. Pearlie wondered what it was for.

‘I made it for you to carry Tinto around in,' Dad said. ‘Then your hands will be free to carry other things.'

Pearlie looked at her father. ‘Oh, Daddy. I love it. And I know Tinto will, too. Thank you.'

Pearlie went to her bedroom. Tinto was in the cot playing with Joey's toy trucks. ‘Look, my little one,' she said, opening the top of the pouch and showing Tinto.

At first when Pearlie put him inside, Tinto wanted to climb straight out. But Pearlie stroked and talked softly to him.

It didn't take long. He was a fast learner. Soon Tinto grew used to being carried around on her hip.

‘And now we're off to see Mr Spiros,' Pearlie said as she got dressed. She put the pouch over her head and across her shoulder with Tinto inside. How cute he looks, she thought, with his little head poking out the top and two tiny hands holding onto the sides.

‘Tinto, let's just pray that Beake has left Darwin for good.'

Pearlie walked up to Mr Spiros's shop but stopped in the doorway. Strange, she thought. The place was in a mess. Unless Mr Spiros was rearranging the shelves, he always kept it neat and tidy. Something was wrong.

‘Mr Spiros!' Pearlie called as she walked through the shop to the living quarters at the back. She heard Mr Spiros's younger children in one of the upstairs rooms. They were both crying. And there was the voice of Mrs Spirou, trying to comfort them.

A man's voice came from the yard. It sounded stilted and strange. That can't be Mr Spiros, Pearlie thought. She slowly pushed open the back door.

The rifle in Mr Spiros's hands was the first thing Pearlie saw. The next was Goliath, sitting at Mr Spiros's feet looking up at him with trusting brown eyes.

In a flash, Pearlie realised what was about to happen. The rifle was pointed at Goliath's head!

Sick with horror, she rushed forward screaming, ‘No!' and pushed the barrel of the rifle away just as Mr Spiros pulled the trigger.

The bullet struck the fence. Goliath ran for shelter under the back porch, tail between his little legs.

‘You could have been killed!' Mr Spiros yelled. ‘Go home, Pearlie!'

Pearlie was too shocked to speak. She saw tears in Mr Spiros's eyes.

Goliath peeped out from between the slats, whimpering and shaking in fear.

‘We are being evacuated,' Mr Spiros said with a sigh. ‘And we're not allowed to take Goliath with us so . . .' He looked towards the upstairs window. Pearlie followed his gaze. The two children and Mrs Spirou were watching them.

‘I'll look after him,' Pearlie said in desperation. ‘Goliath knows me. I'll take good care of him.'

‘It's not that simple, Pearlie,' Mr Spiros replied.

‘But I know how to take care of dogs. I've watched you do it and I'm looking after the Tompkins' dog, Rusty, because that horrible man Beake let him almost starve to death.'

Mr Spiros shook his head and laid a hand on her shoulder. ‘Soon everyone will be forced to leave Darwin – you too. A Japanese attack might happen any day. Eventually only those people who are in the army or running essential services like the post office will be able to stay. Do you understand what I am saying, Pearlie?'

Pearlie shook her head. She stared at Mr Spiros but her mind had gone out of focus.

‘You have a kind heart, Pearlie,' Mr Spiros said gently, ‘but it is much kinder on Goliath if I do this now.'

Goliath crawled out from under the porch wagging his tail, not sensing the danger he was in. When Tinto saw him, the monkey jumped to the ground. They were good friends and began playing their favourite game of pounce and chasey. They somersaulted and tumbled over each other.

‘Pearlie!' Mr Spiros boomed. ‘Take Tinto and go!'

Pearlie scooped Tinto up in her arms, trembling. She paused, then ran through the shop and out into the hot humid air, brushing her tears away furiously. ‘No, no, no . . .' she kept repeating. She wanted to get as far away from there as possible.

Then she heard the rifle shot.

She stopped in the middle of the street and closed her eyes, holding Tinto close to her chest. Her body felt as if it was made of melting ice. She began to fall but someone caught her.

It was Eleni, Mr Spiros's eldest daughter. ‘What's wrong, Pearlie?' she asked.

‘Your dad . . . he . . . Goliath . . .' were the only words she could push out between sobs.

Eleni sighed. ‘It's over, then. I couldn't stay home to watch . . .'

Pearlie nodded. ‘I hate the war.'

‘Frankie and me . . . we were getting married,' Eleni said softly, as if she was talking to herself. ‘Now I have to leave and he has to stay. I don't know when I'll see him again.' Tears began to run down her cheeks in rivulets of grey eye make-up. ‘Ha, look at me crying like a baby. And in public, too.' She brought out a handkerchief and wiped her cheeks.

Suddenly Pearlie's mind focused like a newly sharpened pencil. She remembered what she needed to ask Mr Spiros. ‘Eleni, you know that man Beake?' she said.

‘Yeah, I never liked him. He was creepy. Glad he left.'

‘You mean left Darwin?' Pearlie said. She could feel the muscles in her body relax.

‘I heard he left on a boat to Singapore. Good riddance is all I can say.'

‘Oh, thank you, thank you,' Pearlie cried and threw her arms around Eleni.

‘What's this all about?' Eleni asked.

‘You've given me the best news ever!' Pearlie replied.

‘You're a good kid, Pearlie. Look after yourself . . . and stay safe.'

Pearlie sat on the back step with Tinto sleeping on her lap. Rusty lay twitching and snoring beside her. She was watching the Girls peck about the yard and thinking of Goliath. Poor little Goliath. I'm
never
going to leave Darwin, she thought. I don't care what the government says. And that's when an idea began to swell inside her.

Later that day, Pearlie was at the kitchen table surrounded by coloured pencils and paper. She lay her pencil down and stood up. ‘What do you think Tinto?' Pearlie said, holding out one of the signs she'd made.

LEAVING DARWIN?
NEED SOMEONE TO LOOK AFTER YOUR PET?
THEN PEARLIE CHAN CAN DO THE JOB.
PEARLIE'S PET RESCUE
(Cavenagh Street, Chinatown)

Tinto blinked twice, then went up to the sign to sniff at it.

Pearlie grinned. ‘And if people leave me money to feed their pets, then Mum won't mind. It'll be like a job. And I'll get Reddy to help as well.'

She called out to Rusty, ‘What do you think, boy?'

Rusty lifted his head lazily and thumped his tail. With all the good food Pearlie was feeding him, the kelpie was gaining his strength. Even his coat was beginning to get a lovely chestnut sheen.

‘Come on, Tinto, into the pouch you go. It's time to put these up around town.'

As she was attaching her first sign to a telegraph pole using drawing pins, Reddy strolled up to her.

‘What ya doing?' he asked.

She excitedly handed him one of the notices to read.

When he didn't say anything, Pearlie looked at him. ‘What's the matter?'

‘Just thinkin',' he said.

She frowned.

‘Well, what's going to happen to the pets you save when
you
get evacuated,' he said.

‘I'm never going to leave Darwin,' Pearlie said, her temper flaring. She wanted Reddy to like the idea as much as she did.

Reddy shrugged. ‘You won't have a choice,' he said. ‘Once people get the order, they gotta go, like it or not.'

Pearlie could feel that she was about to cry. ‘Goliath . . . he's . . .' She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. ‘He's dead. Mr Spiros killed him because they're being evacuated and they can't take him with them. It was horrible . . .' She turned away.

‘Geez,' Reddy said, putting his hand to his forehead.

Pearlie tapped a drawing pin into each corner of the notice. ‘That's why I'm gonna save as many pets as I can. Besides, you don't know anything. My dad will never leave the shop. People always need clothes made – even in war,' she said. ‘I thought you were my friend, Reddy Hart.'