The Adventures of Stunt Boy and His Amazing Wonder Dog Blindfold by Lollie Barr Page B

Chesterley’s, that’s for sure,’ he said, his hand starting to dig into my shoulder so it hurt a bit. ‘I’ve been working here for twenty-eight years and to suggest that I’d be disloyal when your dad is lying in a hospital in a coma . . . well, I’m shocked. You and I used to be best mates, Stunt. Alongside your dad, I taught you everything you know about bikes. I can’t believe you’d think I was responsible for your dad’s accident.’
    I looked into his eyes, the left one being blue and the right being green, to see if I could detect a lie. His eyes were a bit watery and he looked kind of troubled.
    I didn’t know what to say because I was angry at Lefty Blue Eye; plus I just didn’t know who to trust anymore, so I roughly pushed his hand off my shoulder.
    â€˜Whatever,’ I said as I ducked past him and made a run for it. When I got to my dad’s office, I barged straight on in, just like Ginger Styles had barged into our caravan yesterday. I shouldn’t have to knock. It was my dad’s office, and my dad had never made me knock once in my entire life.
    Ginger Styles was sitting in my dad’s chair, looking as if she felt all kinds of comfortable there, and Jem was sitting opposite her.
    â€˜Stunt Boy, have a seat,’ Ginger Styles said. ‘I wanted to have a word with you. Your sister and I were just getting to the bottom of why you two felt the need to open a letter addressed to me. Dropping tuna on the letter was a dead giveaway, never mind finding Blindfold’s dog hairs. There was even a flea crawling around! You need to give that dog a flea bath!’
    â€˜Because, Ginger Styles, your name is Styles not Stoked,’ I said angry as hell, and not taking her up on the invitation to sit down. Ginger Styles did not have the authority to make me sit down! ‘Why shouldn’t we know what is going on in our very own family’s circus? I’m glad I opened the envelope because now we know exactly what you’re up to!’
    â€˜Which is?’ said Ginger Styles, her eyebrows arching.
    â€˜You’re trying to take over my family’s circus while Dad is in hospital. First you got yourself promoted from front of house to manager, now you’re trying to buy our circus right from under Dad’s nose! You probably want to change the name to Styles Stunt Circus!’
    â€˜I’m buying the circus right from under your dad’s nose, am I?’ said Ginger Styles, her voice suddenly all shaky. ‘I have been working night and day to try and save this circus and all I get is accusations from you. I have nothing but admiration for your dad and I hate to see him in hospital like this.’
    Jem looked really upset.
    â€˜I’m not trying to buy Stoked. I tried personally to borrow money from the bank so they wouldn’t close us down,’ she continued. ‘I’ve tried to be kind to you and your sister and all I get is attitude. Anyway, it’s too late now. I can’t raise the kind of funds we need and your relatives won’t help. They want to sell up and put you both in boarding school. I’ve been trying to keep it from you kids, so as not to worry you. You’ve got enough to worry about.’
    Then Ginger Styles started crying. Big lady cries, with little snorts coming out of her nose and tears messing up her mascara.
    I felt really bad because I had made Ginger Styles cry by saying that she was trying to pinch our family’s circus from beneath Dad’s nose. Maybe I was wrong and she was really trying to help.
    Jem walked behind the desk and put her arms around Ginger Styles. ‘I’m sorry, Ginger.’
    I was a bit sorry too.
    â€˜I’m sorry I failed you kids and your dad. I did my . . . my . . . best,’ said Ginger, snuffling her wet snot into Jem’s blonde hair. I could see it glistening, which made me feel a bit sick. ‘Stoked is like family