The Fox of Richmond Park Read online

  ‘It’s okay, don’t speak. Don’t move. Just… Just don’t die.’

  ‘I… won’t…’

  ‘Mother Nature, you’re okay! You’re going to be okay!’ Laurie danced beside him.

  ‘Rita…?’

  ‘She’s fine. Well, she’s hurt, but she’s with Socks.’

  ‘You…’ Vince coughed.

  ‘Me?’

  ‘… Came to… find me.’

  ‘Um, yeah.’ She looked at her paws. ‘But this was my fault. I told the owl where—’

  Vince shushed her. She protested, but he silenced her with a sharp, ‘Shut up.’

  Laurie wasn’t used to being told to be quiet, but she obeyed. If Vince asked her to pop to Oxford Street to ask a human for a fresh bag of fried chicken, she probably would. ‘Can you get up? It’s morning. The humans will probably arrive soon.’

  ‘I… I don’t…’ He tried to stand, but fell back with a yelp as his body resisted.

  ‘Okay, stay still. I’ll figure something out.’ She looked around at the building site. If she could move him to somewhere more hidden, they could wait it out for a night or two until he’d got some strength back. ‘I’m going to drag you behind the wood pile. We can hide there until tonight, okay?’

  ‘Uh huh.’ Vince closed his eyes again and bared his teeth in pain.

  ‘Stay with me, Vince. You’ve just got to power through, okay? Can you do that?’

  Vince moved his head in the smallest of nods.

  Laurie circled him and gently clenched the scruff of his neck in her teeth. She was about to pull when her ears pricked. Claws scraping on wood. She gently let go of Vince before searching for the source of the noise. Sitting on the edge of the hoarding, a bedraggled Rita clinging to his back, was Socks.

  Socks cocked his head. ‘What did we miss?’

  *

  ‘Vince!’ Rita squawked and hopped from Socks’s back, fluttering clumsily to the ground. Vince opened his eyes and managed a weak smile. He never imagined he’d be so glad to hear her shrill voice.

  Her joy at seeing him shone from her tiny black eyes, eclipsing the slight grimace as she tucked her wing back. ‘Vince! Are you okay?’ Her face dropped when she saw the blood, and she scuttled towards him. ‘Oh… Oh no! What’s happened?’

  ‘I’m… fine…’ he murmured. ‘I’m… happy to… see you.’

  ‘Me too.’ She stroked his paw gently with her beak and smiled. The feathers around her head were dishevelled and she held one wing awkwardly, a long black-and-white flight feather hanging loose. Tears split her shimmering green tail.

  ‘Your wing…’ Vince whispered.

  ‘Oh, it’s nothing a bit of preening won’t fix. I’ll tell you later.’

  Socks jumped down from the boards and joined them. ‘Who did this to him?’

  Laurie nodded to Bonnie’s body. ‘Her and two others. They’ve gone, don’t worry.’

  ‘What about Kara?’ Rita said.

  ‘She made a deal with them. A home in your park in return for killing Vince.’

  Rita paused, thinking. ‘But, why?’

  Laurie shrugged. ‘I don’t know, but right now we need to move Vince before the humans come. Over there.’ Laurie pointed her paw.

  ‘I think… I… Help me up…’ Vince panted. His neck throbbed with pain he’d never thought possible, but he wanted to walk the few steps. Maybe it was his pride, but he didn’t care.

  Socks ran over and pushed his head under Vince’s shoulder. Laurie did the same further down his back and together, under Rita’s meticulous supervision, they lifted Vince to his feet. His back legs gave way almost immediately, but Laurie was quick to help him up again, hoisting him from under his belly with her head.

  Slowly, the four of them made their way to the dark alcove behind the wood pile. It was a tight squeeze for the four animals, but they were just about hidden; Rita nestled on Vince’s back, Laurie and Socks either side, keeping watch at both ends. There they all waited, resting, but a combination of the pain and Edward’s unknown motives kept Vince awake for a while.

  Why kill me when I’ve already left? Is he scared I might come back? But why? I’m no threat to him. Does he know something that I don’t? About my grandparents’ park?

  Eventually, exhaustion caught up with him and dragged his eyes closed. Outside, the workmen arrived and the sun arced slowly over the city, burning down on the dusty, bloodstained ground.

  *

  Kara was exhausted, but her first port of call on arriving back at Richmond Park was Edward. Her job was done and she wanted her reward. She found him grazing in the cool shadow of the trees by the lake. Settling on a branch above, she shouted to him. ‘Oi! Edward!’

  Edward swallowed his mouthful of grass before looking up and replying. ‘Ah, I was wondering where you’d got to. Everything went to plan, I hope?’ He nodded to her patchy tail feathers.

  ‘Course. Took a while to find him, but he’s been dealt with. Oh, and make room for two more residents.’

  ‘Two? I didn’t say you could invite the whole of London.’

  ‘Don’t be dramatic. Two tiny foxes, that’s all. Would have been three, but things got a bit… heated.’ She explained about the foxes and the fight.

  ‘Well, what’s two more vermin in the cemetery, eh?’ Edward laughed.

  ‘So… my rabbits?’

  ‘Yes, yes. Three times a week at the golf course, and one rabbit per moon, as agreed.’ He bent down to nibble at the grass again.

  ‘Didn’t we say two rabbits per moon?’ Kara cocked her round head.

  Edward’s head shot up. He stared straight at her. ‘You know full well we did not.’

  ‘Yeah, alright, worth a try.’

  Edward sniffed. ‘Don’t be squawking about this to anyone, Kara. Be discreet. I can’t have the warren on my back. You know what they’re like when they’re upset; thousands of the stupid, furry little bastards squeaking at me all night…’

  ‘My beak is sealed.’ Kara smiled.

  ‘And Jake has been sticking his snout in,’ Edward said. ‘I doubt he’ll be asking any more questions, but whatever you do, stay away from the foxes, okay? I don’t need any more hassle.’

  Things had been kicking off in her absence, it seemed. Not her problem. Her work for Edward was done, and any allegiance she had with him was over. Until the next time.

  ‘You got it. Right, well, I’m off to bed. Smell ya later.’ She flapped away, not waiting for a response, her beak watering at the thought of the tender rabbit – her first in seasons – she would taste that evening.

  *

  After a full day of ceaseless noise, the building site ground to halt. Confined in the stuffy space between the wall and the woodpile, Vince and Rita slept fitfully through the drilling and hammering, regaining their strength, with Laurie and Socks taking it in turns to snatch an hour here and there where they could. More importantly, the wood had been left where it was, leaving them concealed until the last human left, locking them inside with a twist of his jangling keys.

  Vince opened his eyes and yawned, then grimaced as the movement pulled at the still-raw wounds on his throat.

  ‘All clear, guys,’ Laurie said, then looked at Vince. ‘Do you think you can walk, or should we stay here a while longer?’

  ‘I’ll be okay.’ Vince uncurled and the four of them made their way out into the open air. The sky was a deep red, the sun low behind the buildings. Socks stretched, backside in the air, and set to cleaning his paws as Rita ran her beak through her dishevelled feathers. Laurie kept her eyes on Vince as he hobbled across the dirt, testing his tender muscles. His wounds throbbed painfully as he straightened each limb in turn. ‘I’m fine, see?’ He smiled at her.

  ‘You don’t look fine,’ Laurie said, frowning.

  ‘Well, I don’t want to hang around here.’

  ‘You don’t think Hyde Park was the right park?’ Laurie said.

  ‘No. I mean… I don’t know, but I don’t think so. I
t’s surrounded by all these big buildings, and there’s a long road running through it… I admit I only saw it briefly, but there weren’t many trees. It didn’t feel like much of a sanctuary.’

  ‘Okay, well, I doubt I can convince you to rest, can I? So, let’s just take it slow, yeah?’

  ‘You’re coming with us?’ Vince plopped his rear end down in the dust and widened his eyes. Rita hopped over to his side.

  ‘I… Uh…’ Laurie looked at her paws for a second, then back at him. ‘I just thought you might need some help. Finding your park… That’s all. I’m sure Socks would help too, but he probably needs to get back…’

  ‘That’s very kind of you, Laurie,’ Socks said. ‘All this was my fault, after all. I would love to come along, but duty calls, I’m afraid. Laurie’s the next best thing!’

  Laurie dropped her head, hiding an embarrassed smile.

  Vince might have been half unconscious at the time, but the things Laurie had said as he lay bleeding were slowly emerging from the fog in his brain. Did she actually care about him? Or was she just helping him for Socks’s sake? Either way, he was glad she was tagging along. He’d seen a glimpse of her softer side, and was curious to know the extent of it.

  ‘What do you think, Rita? Room for one more?’ Vince said.

  ‘Hmm, maybe. Does she mind me singing?’ Rita replied.

  ‘I don’t know, let’s ask her. Laurie, do you mind Rita’s singing?’

  Laurie pulled a puzzled face. ‘Um… no?’

  ‘Welcome to the gang!’ Rita squawked.

  Vince laughed. ‘You might regret that.’

  ‘Oh, it can’t be that bad. And just so we’re clear, I’m not saying I’ll hang around at your park or anything. I just want to make sure you get there okay so Socks will stop feeling guilty.’

  ‘Of course. Your empty shop and greasy human food are far too good,’ Vince said sardonically.

  Laurie smiled. ‘Exactly.’

  ‘If you two are finished with your attempts to appear coy, then I’ll be getting back to my patch,’ Socks said. ‘Mother knows what kind of chaos my being away will have caused.’

  Vince and Rita thanked Socks and said their goodbyes. Just before turning to leave, he faced Laurie. ‘And you better come and visit, you hear?’

  ‘I’ll be back soon. Don’t worry,’ she replied.

  ‘Aye, sure.’ He winked, then turned and leapt gracefully onto the pile of rubble. ‘Oh, I nearly forgot!’ he called back to them. ‘Any problems, ask for the nearest Official Feline Administrator – they’ll be able to help you.’

  Socks jumped onto the hoarding. His eyes flashed at them one last time before he dropped down onto the street behind, a chorus of goodbyes echoing in his wake.

  ‘Right, let’s get going,’ Vince said as he followed Socks’s pawsteps to the rubble pile. Getting over the tall wooden boards would be painful, but once he was back on the streets, he could take it easy. Especially now there were three of them.

  He hopped up onto the pile, squeezing his eyes shut and holding in a yowl as pain erupted in his neck and side.

  ‘Careful. Take it slow, yeah?’ Laurie shouted.

  The hoarding was next. He gathered his strength and jumped, grasping with his paws on the thin edge, then slid down to the street. Panting, he sat on the pavement and licked his wounds while he waited for the others. They weren’t far behind. The hoarding wobbled behind him as Laurie launched herself from it, Rita clutching the fur on her back. She landed softly next to Vince.

  ‘Right, which way?’ Laurie said.

  Vince looked to Rita, forgetting her injured wing.

  ‘I can’t fly yet. I’m sorry,’ Rita said, then added, ‘Later maybe. It already feels much better than it did.’

  ‘Not to worry. We’ll just head away from Hyde Park and ask directions as soon as we can,’ Vince said.

  Vince began to walk and Laurie sidled up next to him, Rita clinging tightly to her scruff with her thin black talons. Vince looked sideways at the vixen. Words rattled around his head. He wanted to tell her how grateful he was for her help. That he didn’t blame her for what happened. That he didn’t think she was awful. Not completely, anyway. But who knew how she would react? She’d only poured her heart out because she thought he was almost dead. He didn’t want to embarrass her, especially with Rita listening over their shoulders.

  He sighed and forced out the only words he could manage. ‘Thank you.’

  ‘You’re welcome,’ Laurie replied. She opened her mouth to add something, but Rita interrupted.

  ‘It’s so good to be back together, isn’t it, Vince? I think I’ll write a song to commemorate the occasion…’ She belted out a few eardrum-destroying notes.

  Laurie winced.

  ‘Told you.’ Vince smiled. ‘You can always turn around and go back home.’

  ‘Nah, I’m good.’ Laurie smiled back.

  10

  Tall buildings flanked every street Vince, Laurie and Rita turned down. Without a bird’s-eye view, they were lost. His instincts told him which way was north, but without a destination they would just be wandering aimlessly. Vince wasn’t worried, though. All they needed was to find one animal who knew the area. And finding out that Edward didn’t want him to reach his destination made him even more determined to do so.

  Now, with the foxes gone and Kara no longer following his every move, his memories of Richmond Park, his den and Sophie, were fading away with them. Helped too – in no small part – by Laurie’s return.

  The three of them weaved through the city, in no particular direction but keeping Hyde Park firmly behind them. They stuck close to the buildings, remaining in the shadows and slinking behind bins and piles of cardboard boxes where they could. Vince’s wounds nagged at him, and his pace was slower than normal, but he pushed through it as best he could. Humans gathered on corners and under awnings, drinks and phones in hands, but apart from the odd pointed finger and hastily snapped photograph, they made little effort to interfere.

  As they walked, Laurie chuckled as Rita told her about Vince’s encounter with the train and his subsequent tantrum.

  ‘Stop exaggerating,’ Vince said. ‘I was a bit annoyed, that’s all.’

  Rita cackled from Laurie’s back. ‘You went off in a huff! You—’

  ‘Shut up! Anyway, you seem to have perked up, Rita, why don’t you test your wing?’

  ‘You’re just trying to get rid of me.’

  ‘Yep.’

  Rita puffed her chest feathers, but relented. Laurie stopped and lowered herself to the ground so Rita could disembark. She hopped onto the pavement and slowly stretched her wings.

  ‘Hmm, not too bad. Bit of exercise might help.’ She flapped ahead keeping low to the ground, landing every couple of leaps for few quick hops before fluttering further down an empty alleyway.

  ‘Vince, can I ask you something?’ Laurie said.

  ‘Sure.’

  ‘What if this park doesn’t exist?’

  ‘What do you mean?’ Vince asked.

  ‘What if it’s gone? Or it’s not the same as it was when your grandparents lived there? What if it was Hyde Park, but it’s changed so much that it’s not the safe, quiet place you’re looking for anymore?’

  ‘Then I’ll find somewhere else. Somewhere better.’

  ‘But what if there is nowhere better? What if Richmond Park is the best park in London, like everyone says it is?’

  ‘Trust me, it’s not.’

  ‘You don’t know that! Where have you been? The wetlands, Hyde Park… Were they better? You have to admit, Vince, it doesn’t look likely, does it?’

  ‘There has to be a better place, Laurie.’

  ‘Why does there? This might be all there is.’

  Vince stopped walking and stared into Laurie’s eyes. ‘Because I refuse to accept that the best we can hope for is living under another animal’s rules, or fearing for our lives every day.’

  Laurie blinked.

  Vince
continued. ‘I will keep going until I find somewhere where I can live my life my own way, and if I don’t find it, then I guess I’ll be looking until I die.’ Vince tore his eyes away from Laurie’s and started to walk off in the direction Rita had hopped.

  Laurie said nothing as she hurried after him, quickly returning to his side. They walked in silence for a few moments, watching Rita – now venturing much higher – flap clumsily from lamp post to lamp post up ahead.

  After a while, Laurie took a deep breath. ‘I’ve never lived like that,’ she said.

  ‘Huh?’ Vince said.

  ‘I never lived under anyone’s rules, or feared for my life.’

  They locked eyes. It hadn’t occurred to him that freedom didn’t automatically mean peace, quiet and open space. He’d dismissed her chaotic lifestyle, but maybe it had the potential to be everything he wanted? Laurie seemed happy enough.

  Rita disappeared down another road, her loud and tuneless song fading as she explored balconies and window ledges.

  Vince gazed up at the imposing buildings, then down at the dirty grey street.

  No frogs here, that’s for sure.

  Laurie broke his train of thought. ‘I suppose it’s hard for you to understand. I was born in the city. I can’t imagine living anywhere else,’ she said.

  ‘I do understand,’ Vince said, then added absentmindedly, ‘Where do you catch frogs?’

  ‘Frogs?’ Laurie replied.

  ‘Uh, back at the allotments… You said you preferred frogs. Where do you find them?’

  ‘Garden ponds. Human ones. There’s a few about, if you know where to look. Why?’

  Vince looked at his paws. ‘Oh, I was just thinking about frogs. I used to catch them with… Uh, back home. I didn’t realise you could get them out in the city.’

  ‘Thinking about staying out here, then?’ Laurie said.

  ‘No. Maybe. Why? Do you want me to?’ Vince replied.

  ‘What? Why would I want you to?’

  ‘I… Sorry, I just…’