The Fox of Richmond Park Page 11

  His back paws landed on the path as the cars roared away, a hot draught pulling at his tail. The smell was metallic, the air gritty in his eyes and lungs. A few steps away, a narrow path led him away from the busy roads. On his right, a vacant car park and a tall building; to his left, a neat row of small houses.

  He exhaled slowly as the noise from the road faded and a pungent scent wafted through the air.

  Bins.

  It was time to see if old human food matched up to fresh frogs. He wasn’t confident, but as long as it was edible and he didn’t get trapped in anything, he would consider it a success.

  There was no shortage of choice; each house on the street had at least one bin in its tiny garden. One in particular, though, caught Vince’s nose. Meaty, but somehow sweet, and very fresh. It was piled high, the lid precariously balanced on top of a black plastic bag, which bulged over the sides.

  He approached it cautiously, still aware that this was new territory, but jumped the low fence with no trouble. After a quick look around, confident he was alone, he grabbed the bag in his teeth and pulled. The bin toppled over, spilling the contents across the wet gravel. Another quick tear of the bag opened a hole wide enough for his snout to inspect the goodies inside. Jackpot!

  With his paw, he ripped the bag further, dragging out three small, brightly coloured cardboard boxes, each filled with the meaty remains of a bird, and strips of potatoes covered in a red, sticky substance. He devoured it. The potatoes were oily and strangely sugary, and some of the meat had a thick, crunchy coating, which was much too strong for him, but it was the most satisfying thing he’d eaten since leaving Richmond Park. He licked every scrap of flesh off the bones and pushed his nose into the corners of each box until he had consumed every morsel, then sat back on his haunches and surveyed his accomplishment.

  ‘Anything good?’ a voice spoke from the darkness.

  Vince spun around and crouched low, tail waving warily. ‘Who’s there?’

  ‘Only me.’ From the darkness of the house’s sheltered doorway a pair of luminous eyes gleamed at him. Four stout legs and a long tail emerged from the gloom. Black as a crow, the largest, roundest cat Vince had ever beheld cocked his head and began to wash his paws.

  Vince relaxed slightly, but remained on his feet. ‘Are these your bins?’

  ‘Aye. Well, technically they belong to my human, but don’t let that stop you.’ The cat chuckled.

  Vince introduced himself, the cat doing likewise. ‘Socks is my usual name,’ he said.

  ‘Socks? Like the things they put on their feet?’ Vince lifted a paw.

  ‘It’s meant to be funny.’

  ‘Right.’ Vince raised an eyebrow.

  ‘I also go by Bernard. That’s from a nice couple up on Hammersmith Grove. And this other family calls me Shadow. But the less said about that the better.’

  ‘I see,’ Vince said, thoroughly confused.

  ‘But Socks is fine.’

  ‘Um, great, nice to meet you. You don’t happen to know of any big parks around here by any chance?’ said Vince.

  ‘Big parks? Ain’t none in my patch, sorry. Got some small ones. Tiny, really. Better described as greens than parks. No big’uns, though, I’m afraid.’

  ‘Your patch?’ Vince asked.

  ‘Indeed. Official Feline Administrator, Hammersmith branch. From the flyover to Goldhawk Road, the Town Hall to Barons Court, that’s all me. Any questions, problems, or aggravations in my patch, you come to me and I’ll sort you out. Any further and you’ll need to speak to one of my associates.’

  Vince had no idea where any of those places were but, Socks being a domestic cat, he guessed they weren’t particularly far. ‘You don’t know much of London, then?’

  ‘Afraid not. I’m no stray. A strictly three-household cat, me. Well, four, if you count the chicken shop, but that’s a food-only relationship. Nothing serious. Anyway, I digress… You off somewhere nice?’

  Vince, still not entirely sure whether the cat was insane or a genius, replied, ‘I’m trying to find the park my grandparents came from. All I know is that it’s north of the river, which I suppose could be anywhere, really.’

  ‘I see. As I said, not my patch.’

  ‘Well, thanks anyway…’

  ‘But…’ Socks continued. ‘It is my duty to help any animal who requires assistance within my jurisdiction, and I might just know a few animals who are more well-travelled than myself. Follow me.’

  The cat leapt down the steps and onto a thin fence, surprisingly gracefully given his size, but it wasn’t until Socks dropped onto the path almost soundlessly and began to wander away that Vince saw the extent of him. From nose to tail, the cat was almost as long as Vince. A hefty black barrel held aloft by thick, sturdy legs and wide paws that could flatten the most menacing of rats. Cats and foxes generally kept a mutually respectable distance, but Vince got the feeling this feline could easily hold his own against any animal that might try its luck.

  Vince followed Socks over the fence and together they strode to the end of the row of houses, out onto a wide street, busy with cars and humans. Vince waited uneasily at the corner as a couple of nearby humans pointed at him. One of them reached into his coat and pulled out a small rectangular object.

  ‘What’s that thing?’ Vince asked.

  ‘It’s called a phone. They use them to take pictures. It’s like a memory, but they can look at it over and over again. There are moving ones, too – they show them to each other. My human does it.’

  ‘They won’t… Shoot me?’

  ‘Shoot you? You ain’t even from the city at all, are you?’ Socks laughed.

  ‘No,’ Vince said, embarrassed to have been identified as an out-of-towner again so quickly.

  ‘Well, there ain’t any guns here. Humans are alright, mostly. Any trouble, give them a warning. Get up close, that scares them. They want to get bitten as much as you want to get shot. And you know to stay away from the cars, I expect? They won’t slow down for you here. A few of my associates learned that the hard way.’

  Vince nodded. If all the animals in the city were as friendly as this one, his journey might actually be easy. They stepped out onto the joining path, Socks leading Vince to the right. More bins stood at regular intervals, their contents overflowing onto the pavement, but the stench wafting from them was sickly and turned Vince’s stomach. Socks looked this way and that, pausing every now and again to shake his thick fur. He seemed oblivious to the humans who staggered around them, shouting and staring, but Vince couldn’t help being wary.

  Eventually, the pavement ended and the road extended in all directions like the veins on a leaf. Cars droned around them and faces peered through the foggy glass, eyes wide at the sight of a fox and an enormous cat taking a casual stroll together.

  ‘Ah, over there!’ Socks bounded away and – flouting his own advice – dashed across the road, escaping the wheel of a car by a whisker. Vince once again waited for a suitable gap, then followed at a more leisurely pace.

  A tall, brown brick building with a facade of huge glass windows towered over them, but at ground level several shops were set further back, the building overhanging to provide a shelter of sorts from the majority of the wandering humans, and any potential rain. Vince was glad to be somewhere where the humans were not, but a frown spread across his face as he saw the animal Socks had brought him to meet.

  *

  Jake lay on the long grass, licking earthworm juice from his lips. A few paces away, Sophie foraged in the bushes with two of her vixen friends, Alice and Marge. He listened as they gossiped, hating himself for doing so.

  ‘I rather like it over here, you know. Not the same as the old den, of course, but it is quiet, and the food is exquisite,’ Alice said.

  ‘True. I do miss my little place by the big oak, though,’ Marge, the oldest of the three, said. ‘I’m not sure I like being on the edge of the park, so close to the houses.’

  ‘Ah, but it has its benefits.
Shall I let you in on a little secret, ladies?’ Alice said, lowering her voice. Jake pricked his ears. ‘There’s a tabby cat a couple of streets away who can get things for us.’

  ‘What kind of things?’ Sophie said.

  ‘Food. The kind we can’t get here. Human food. Chicken. Bacon.’

  Jake’s stomach turned and he instinctively checked for deer over his shoulder. He’d have to tell Edward. Wouldn’t he?

  ‘Bacon? I’ve never had it. Is it any good?’ Marge said.

  ‘Good? It’s better than anything you’ve ever had before, I can tell you that.’

  Marge’s interest was piqued. ‘And this cat… It just brings it to us?’

  ‘Yeah,’ Alice said. ‘You just arrange a time and place to meet, then give him a rat in return.’

  Sophie frowned. ‘Do you think that’s a good idea?’

  Alice shrugged. ‘No harm, is there? I have what he wants, he has what I want.’

  ‘I would quite like to try some of this bacon stuff…’ Marge piped up.

  ‘What about the deer? If they knew you were giving away the park’s rats to outsiders…’

  Alice sniffed. ‘So what? What are they going to do?’

  ‘You saw what they did to Vince’s den, Alice,’ Sophie said. ‘And all he did was refuse to move. Edward could kick you out completely.’

  ‘Maybe, but you know what I think?’ Alice whispered. ‘Vince leaving has put the wind up him. Edward, I mean. He’s been on edge ever since he left. Like, really distracted. A squirrel told me he was scraping his antlers on the same tree from sunrise until midday. He’s too worried about more animals leaving to be bothered with a bit of bartering.’

  Sophie pulled a face, then shook her head, but Jake knew Sophie suspected similar. Alice was prone to exaggeration, but if others had noticed the same thing…

  ‘Either way, you should stop. It’s too risky,’ Sophie said.

  Alice rolled her eyes. ‘No one said you had to get involved, Soph. I promise I’ll be careful, okay?’

  ‘Fine. Just don’t come crying to me when the deer trample you to death.’

  ‘As if,’ Alice laughed.

  Sophie made to leave as Marge nudged Alice with a paw. ‘So… When do you think I can get some of this bacon?’

  Sophie shook her head again and padded away. Jake rose to his paws and followed her, a knot now fully formed in his stomach. If he’d known the foxes were going to start breaking rules, he would never have agreed to Edward’s shady deal. Keeping it to himself was an option, but if Edward found out, Sophie would be at risk as well as himself. Could he downplay it? Put all the blame on the cat somehow? Whatever his decision, he needed to make it by sunrise, when he was due to meet Edward for his first report.

  *

  ‘Alright, Laurie? This is Vince,’ Socks said to the vixen before setting his backside on the paving slabs to wash his ears.

  ‘Well, well, well, the poodle returns.’ Laurie pulled her snout from a greasy paper bag and sat up. The blood on her chest was now a faded pink.

  Vince rolled his eyes, then met her gaze and instantly regretted it. Being made fun of was one thing, but being made fun of by the owner of those eyes was completely another.

  ‘Didn’t expect to see you over this way so quickly. Couldn’t keep away, eh?’ Laurie smiled.

  ‘You wish.’ Heading north had brought him straight into her territory. But if she knew the location of a potential park, he could probably put up with her for a bit longer.

  ‘You two know each other?’ Socks said.

  ‘We met, briefly,’ Laurie said to Socks. She didn’t elaborate about the trap. That was something.

  ‘Right… Well, Vince needs some directions. Thought you might be able to assist, since you’re the most well-travelled among us?’

  ‘I see.’ Laurie’s smile stretched into a mischievous grin, her eyes glittering to match. ‘And what could possibly top your lovely visit to the wetlands and that relaxing stopover in the allotments? How about a leisurely swim in the Thames? Or a day dodging buses on Oxford Street? Oh, I know! You want to go for a nice ride on the Underground!’ She laughed, then a serious tone cut through her voice. ‘There might be some other vixens about who wouldn’t mind risking their lives for you, but once is enough for me, thanks.’

  Vince’s stomach churned with embarrassment and anger, but he pushed it aside and lifted his chin. ‘If you’re going to be like that, I’ll find my own way.’ He moved to leave, but Socks blocked his way.

  ‘Hang on! I can’t let you go wandering about without any idea where you’re going. I have a reputation to maintain.’

  Vince spoke to Socks, ignoring Laurie, forcing politeness through his rage. ‘I promise you, I will have only good things to say about you to any animal who may ask, but if she is going to be like that, then I’ll go on alone, thanks. Nice meeting you.’ Once again, Vince tried to weave around the huge cat, but the furry barricade held his position.

  Socks looked at them both in turn. ‘Laurie, stop being such a bitch, pardon my language, and Vince, grow yourself a pair. She’s only messing with you.’

  ‘Good advice, but I think I’ll leave you two to it.’ Vince started to push his way past the cat, who eventually relented out of politeness. ‘Thanks again for all your help,’ Vince called to Socks over his shoulder.

  ‘Hang on… Wait! Vince!’ Socks shouted, then hissed something at Laurie, too quiet for Vince to hear. She whispered an inaudible reply, and Socks hissed again.

  Vince carried on, weighing up which direction to take, but, after a few blinks, Laurie appeared at his side.

  ‘What can I do for you?’ he said as nonchalantly as possible.

  ‘I think we both know it’s the other way round.’

  ‘You’re full of yourself, you know that, don’t you?’ Vince snapped. He strode onwards.

  ‘I was only joking you know. You shouldn’t take things so personally,’ Laurie said.

  Vince snorted.

  ‘Do you want my help or not?’ Laurie said.

  ‘Not.’

  ‘Look, Socks will never forgive me if I don’t give you directions. Can you just tell me where you’re going? I’ll never hear the end of it otherwise.’

  ‘Wow, you sure know how to make a fox feel special,’ he said.

  ‘I already saved your life once, don’t forget.’

  ‘So much for all that scat about good deeds and city animals looking out for each other.’

  ‘Technically, you’re not a city animal, but listen, I…’

  He broke into a run and Laurie fell behind. He would find his way without her. If Socks was anything to go by, there were plenty of animals out here that would help him. If he found one of them tonight, he could be there by tomorrow; grass under his paws, rats to chase, birds in the—

  Birds.

  He must have stopped running, because Laurie’s voice echoed through the still air and into his ears. ‘You okay?’

  Vince sighed. This was exactly what Rita had wanted to see. The busy streets, the animals. She and Socks would have got on like moss on a tree.

  ‘I’m fine.’

  ‘I would tell you to stop being so stubborn, but it’s not advice I’ve ever taken myself.’ Laurie’s voice was closer this time.

  Vince sensed her green eyes blinking at him as she approached his side once more. He recalled Sophie’s frustration with him the night before he left. Stubborn and ridiculous, she’d called him. She’d failed to mention his temper that night, but she’d said it enough times before that it didn’t need repeating.

  And what would Rita say if she were here? Probably the same thing.

  There were animals who would help him, and one of them was sitting next to him. She wasn’t rainbows and sunshine, but she was better than no one.

  Vince blinked back his tears. ‘I’m looking for a park, and all I know is that it’s big and north of the river.’

  Laurie smiled. ‘Well, let’s see… Hyde Park is the closest
to here and it’s pretty big. Nice stretch of water. There’s a couple of small parks next door, but they’re not what you’re after. Very busy. Good for a night, but not long term. That’s all I know, really; I don’t go much beyond Hyde Park these days.’

  ‘Thank you. Hyde Park it is, I guess. If it’s not the one, I’ll get more directions from there.’

  ‘Good idea. There’s a few folk there who will help you. Are you sure you’re okay? You seem—’

  ‘I’m fine, really.’

  Laurie shrugged. ‘Okay, if you’re sure. Well, it’s straight along this road. Keep going this way and you’ll get there before morning, easy. When you get to the Tube station, you’re nearly there. It’s the one with the red-and-blue circle signs. You’ll know it when you see it.’

  ‘Right.’ Vince committed her words to memory, then added, ‘Can I ask you something?’

  Laurie nodded.

  ‘Why don’t you live in one of the parks, you know, permanently?’

  ‘I could, I suppose, but I prefer not to stay in one place too long.’

  ‘But where do you sleep?’

  ‘Here and there,’ Laurie said. ‘There’s an empty shop on the high street that way, and I found a nice new shed in a back garden the other day. Might check that out again.’

  ‘Isn’t it tiring, having to move all the time?’

  She shrugged again. ‘I’m used to it.’

  ‘I just don’t understand why anyone would choose a noisy, concrete street full of humans over a quiet open space with trees and grass.’

  ‘Look, you might want peace and quiet and stability, but I like the noise and freedom. It’s exciting. There’s food everywhere. I get to hang out with animals I’d never get to hang out with in a park. Like Socks.’

  Vince couldn’t argue, but the thought of having to find a new place to sleep every few nights filled him with dread.

  ‘But it’s so dangerous here. What about the cars?’

  ‘Vince, come on! Don’t make me call you the P-word again…’