Evan and Elle Read Free Page B

here.”
    “There you are, that’s what I’ve been saying,” Evansthe-Meat said triumphantly.
    Everyone looked up as the door was suddenly flung open. A young man came in, his sandy hair windswept and his freckled cheeks glowing from the wind.
    “Well, if it isn’t young Bryn,” Charlie Hopkins exclaimed. He turned to the other men. “You know my daughter’s boy, don’t you? He’s just joined the fire brigade. I told him now we’ll have to call him Bryn-the-Bell.”
    “Where’s the fire then, boyo?” Barry-the-Bucket called, chuckling loudly.
    “Don’t just stand there. Come and have a pint,” Charlie began, lifting his arm to slap his grandson on the back.
    The young man shook him off. “Not now,
Taid
. I need a telephone. I’ve got to call the station right away. There’s a fire on the mountain!”

Chapter 4
    Instantly the pub emptied out, the occupants scrambling up the steep mountain track in their polished Sunday boots.
    “It’s Rhodri’s cottage!” Evans-the-Meat shouted. “What’s the betting those bloody English people left the gas on?”
    Flames were already consuming the cottage, shooting out through shattered windows and the partially collapsed roof. Sparks shot into a clear night sky.
    “What a sight. This is better than Guy Fawkes night!” Barry-the-Bucket exclaimed.
    “The fire brigade better get here in a hurry or the whole mountain will go up.” Farmer Owens glanced nervously at his meadows full of sheep.
    “All right everybody, not too close,” Evan yelled overthe roar of the flames and the excited shouts of the men. “Keep well away from the track so that the fire engine can get up here. Come on. Move over, please.” He ushered the spectators to one side.
    “Shouldn’t we see if we can start putting it out, Mr. Evans?” Farmer Owens asked. “I’ve got spades at my place . . .”
    Evan hesitated. There was a real danger of the whole hillside going up, but he didn’t want to risk putting inexperienced people in harm’s way.
    “Let me get to it.” Bryn pushed past Evan. “Don’t worry. I’m trained to do this kind of thing, Constable Evans.” He was halfway down the path when he called. “They’ve got a tap here with a hose on it, Constable Evans. Now let’s just hope they haven’t turned the water off.”
    A feeble stream of water came out of the hose. Evan didn’t believe it could possibly do any good against the raging inferno a few yards away, but Bryn stood there, steadfastly wetting down the ground around the cottage until the sound of a siren echoed up the pass, then the fire engine lurched up the track. It was followed by a tanker whose powerful hoses rapidly extinguished the blaze.
    “At least it didn’t spread.” A gray-haired fireman came over to Evan as the men dragged their hoses away from the ruined cottage. “Thanks for keeping the crowd back.” He held out his hand. “Geraint Jones. I’m the head of this mob. You must be Constable Evans.”
    “That’s right.” Evan shook the offered hand. “We were lucky you got here in such a hurry. And we were lucky young Bryn happened to be up here visiting his grandmother.He stopped it from spreading until you got here.”
    Captain Jones nodded. “He’s a good lad. A bit too keen, but then I expect I was too at his age.” He tapped Evan on the arm. “I imagine you’ll want to notify your chaps about this, won’t you? Definitely a suspicious fire.”
    “You think it was deliberately set?”
    The fireman sucked through his teeth. “When we arrived the whole place was already in flames, so I can’t tell you where it started, but I do know from experience—it takes a lot to make one of these old cottages burn like that. Stone walls, stone floors. Fires don’t spread without a little help, you know. I’d put in a report, just to cover your rear end.”
    “Thanks, I will,” Evan said.
    “And I’d keep people out of the place until your arson specialists have taken a look in daylight.