How Ali Ferguson Saved Houdini Read Free Page A

man.
    Ali recognised him. His head was shaved and the dark smear of his tattoo spread up his neck. He was the man who’d held the door open that morning. The one who’d called Ali ‘sonny’. His eyes were closed and a bruise had swollen up on his left cheek.
    â€˜Dad? Dad, can you hear me?’
    His eyelids flickered weakly. He groaned.
    â€˜Dad? Are you hurt?’
    â€˜My head,’ he moaned. He tried to lift his arm, but it seemed too heavy. It fell back to his side and his eyes closed tight again.
    Mum eased Caitlin aside, gently. ‘Let me look, love. What’s his name?’
    â€˜David. Dave,’ Caitlin said.
    â€˜Dave? Dave, if you can hear me, then open your eyes. Don’t try to speak.’
    Dave’s eyes opened slowly.
    â€˜Don’t worry. It’s all going to be all right. We’ll get you to a doctor. Do you think you can move?’
    Dave reached up again. This time his hand made it to his head. He grabbed Mum’s shoulder with his other hand and pulled himself up. Mum helped him to sit.
    â€˜What happened, Dad? Did you bang your head? Did you fall over?’
    â€˜Nothing,’ he whispered. ‘Nothing happened.’
    â€˜Dad! Something must have happened!’
    â€˜Caitlin, please! Help me get home.’ Dave struggled to stand, leaning heavily on Mum and Caitlin as he did.
    â€˜You need to go to hospital, get checked out,’ Mum said.
    â€˜No. I need to get home to bed. Least said, soonest mended, OK?’
    â€˜But . . .’ Mum didn’t sound sure. Ali could see the line between her eyebrows that meant she was unhappy. He felt unhappy too. Surely Dave needed to see a doctor?
    Caitlin nudged him in the ribs. ‘Help me get Dad home,’ she said.
    â€˜Quickly,’ Dave whispered.
    Mum nodded reluctantly. Then, together, they held Dave up as he took step after painful step back to his flat.

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    Chapter 4
    Ali got up early the next day. The previous night felt a bit like a dream. Being out in the misty night; finding Dave; half carrying him back to Caitlin’s flat. And then, instead of sending Ali straight to bed, Mum had wrapped him up in a duvet on the couch while she made hot chocolate for them both. They drank the chocolate and talked about whether they should have called an ambulance after all. It had taken ages before they were able to go to sleep. Nothing this interesting had ever happened at Nan and Grandpa’s.
    Once Ali was dressed, he left a quick note for Mum. With a piece of buttered toast in one hand and his keys in the other, he left the flat and took the lift up to the fourteenth floor. He tapped lightly on Caitlin’s door.
    â€˜Oh, it’s you,’ Caitlin said when she answered his knock. She flattened down her hair, then scowled.
    Ali took one last bite of his toast, just leaving a little ‘L’ of crust. Falcon padded quietly to the door, wagging her tail. ‘Hey!’ Ali said. ‘She’s being friendly. I think she likes me.’
    â€˜I told you, she’s thick.’
    â€˜Can I feed her the crust?’
    Caitlin shrugged.
    â€˜Sit!’ Ali said, holding out the toast.
    Falcon looked at him, her head cocked on one side. Then, with a little shuffle of her back legs, she sat.
    â€˜No way!’ Caitlin said. ‘She’s never done that before. She really must like you.’
    Ali held out the crust and patted the top of Falcon’s head as she took it. ‘How’s your dad?’
    â€˜Asleep. Come in if you want.’
    Caitlin led the way into the living room. It was the same shape as Ali’s, but with more furniture, beanbags and cushions on the floor filling the space. Two terriers lay curled up on a pile of old newspapers, one resting its chin on a headline about a local crime lord.
    â€˜How many dogs have you got?’ Ali asked. Falcon – and now two more – all in one flat seemed like three too many.
    â€˜None,’