The Dark Tunnel Adventure

About the Book

James and Jessica, the Two Jays, are on holiday in the Derbyshire Peak District in England, staying near Dakedale Manor, which has been completely destroyed in a fire. Did young Sam Stirling burn his family home down? Miss Parkin, the housekeeper, says he did, and she can prove it. Sam says he didn't, but he can't prove it. Sam has gone missing. James and Jessica believe the truth lies behind one of the old iron doors inside the disused railway tunnel. This is the second Two Jays adventure story.

The Dark Tunnel Adventure

The Second Two Jays Story

by

Chris Wright

© Chris Wright 2017

This eBook ISBN: 978-0-9957594-0-4

Also available in paperback

Paperback ISBN: 978-1-5206386-3-8

Published by

White Tree Publishing

Bristol

UNITED KINGDOM

Website: www.whitetreepublishing.com

Email: wtpbristol@gmail.com

The Dark Tunnel Adventure is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. The Blue John Mine and the village of Eyam are real places and well worth a visit.

All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of the copyright owner of this abridged edition.

The Bible verses in this story are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

(See also www.youversion.com for free downloads of over a thousand Bible translations, with over a thousand languages supported, on your phone, tablet, and computer.)

NOTE: a railway track, or a railway line in Britain, is called a railroad or railroad track in America, and sleepers which run across between the rails to anchor them in place are called railroad ties. This story takes place in England, so British English words and spelling are used here. Oh, and a mother is a mum in England, a mom in America, and the British Autumn is the American Fall..

Table of Contents

Cover

About the book

Note

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

More books by Chris Wright

About White Tree Publishing

Chapter 1

Saturday

James's father checked the mirror and drove away from the Cooper family home with a fully loaded car. Dakedale village, here we come, he called out, to no one in particular. James and Jessica, if you want an adventure in Dakedale, there's the old railway tunnel to explore.

Is it safe? James asked. "When you say old railway tunnel, do you mean the tunnel is old or the line is old?"

Both, his father said. It's a very old tunnel and the line is now disused. I believe the railway bridge over the road was dismantled a few months ago. It made a bit of a blind spot for traffic. The railway tunnel is long and dark. There's a bend in the middle, and you can only see daylight at one end at a time, and no end at all when you're halfway through.

So make sure you both take flashlights with you so you don't get lost in there, James's mother said.

Oh, Mum. James gave a loud groan. "It's a tunnel. You go in one end and come out the other. Simple. How could we possibly get lost in an old railway tunnel?"

Mrs Cooper laughed. If anybody could, you two could.

James just rolled his eyes, but Jessica had the strange feeling that James's mother could be right.

James Cooper and Jessica Green, close cousins sometimes known as the Two Jays, were sitting in the back of the car, excited to be going on holiday for a week in the Peak District of Derbyshire. Then Mr Cooper’s phone rang on the car speaker. It was the letting agent for the holiday cottage they were renting for the autumn school break.

Mr Cooper, a woman's voice said over the car speaker, I'm afraid I'm the bearer of bad news.

James gave a sigh. I knew it. I knew it!

Jessica put a finger to her lips. Just listen, she whispered.

Go on, James's father said, letting out a sigh exactly as James had done. He pulled into the side of the road to concentrate on the call.

There was a major fire last night. Dakedale Manor has been completely destroyed. The owners were out at the time, and the fire service thought their eleven-year-old son, Sam, was trapped inside.

James's mother let out a loud gasp. How terrible!

There's good news on the son. Early this morning the police found him wandering in the grounds. I can't say anything more at this stage. The police and the fire service are convinced the fire was started deliberately. There's a criminal investigation going on.

So are we going to stay in Dakedale Lodge or not? James asked his father, forgetting they were on speakerphone.

Yes, James's father said to the letting agent, where does that leave us? I imagine we won't be able to stay there.

That's why I've phoned you, the woman said. The Lodge is fine, because it's by the road, and there's a long driveway down to the old Manor. But there will be police and fire engines in the grounds for the next day or so, and of course there's still a smell of burning in the air. The owners are giving you the option of cancelling, with a full refund of course.

James's father turned to the back of the car. I think we should cancel, he said. Jessica, you can stay with us. We'll explain everything to your parents.

No, no, no! James said. "Jessica and I are really looking forward to exploring the area. It's not as though we were staying in the Manor. Besides, if the boy is safe, then it will be exciting to see...."

I don't think exciting is exactly the right word, Jessica said, frowning at James. The family have lost their home. She sniffed as she pushed her long, fair hair away from her face and rubbed her eyes. "I could cry for them. Imagine how you'd feel if your home burnt down."

James thought about what Jessica said for a moment, and then shook his head, scattering his thick, light brown hair that reached just below the top of his ears. No, not exciting. You're right, Jessica. Sorry.

Mr Cooper, you need to make a decision now. The letting agent sounded impatient. I have to phone the people who are coming to stay the week after you. Mr Stirling wants to cancel their booking, because they will need the Lodge for themselves now.

James's father said, Won't they need it this week?

They are staying with friends for the next few days. This has been a great shock to them, the letting agent explained. The decision is yours.

I see. Mr Cooper turned first to his wife and then to James and Jessica in the back seat. They all nodded their heads, and said in unison, Let's go!

James's father nodded as well. If you're sure the accommodation in the Lodge is still all right, he said to the letting agent, and we won't be in the way of the investigation into the fire, then we'd all like to take the accommodation for the week, as planned.

A shout of hooray came from the back seat. The agent obviously heard it because she gave a slight laugh, but it was only a slight laugh. She was obviously under a lot of stress dealing with the bookings.

"In that case, Miss Phyllis Parkin will meet you at three o'clock at Dakedale Lodge as arranged. Miss Parkin is, or perhaps I should say was, the live-in housekeeper at Dakedale Manor. I know she will make sure you have a comfortable stay. I hope you have a good holiday in spite of the circumstances. And thank you for booking your holiday through us."

When the phone call was ended, James's mother turned round. "Now then, you two, you're not to go anywhere near the old Manor. If it really has been destroyed in the fire, the walls might collapse. You go no closer to it than the front door of the Lodge. I'm sure there will be plenty of other things to see around the village to stop you being bored. As well as the old railway tunnel, I might add. And don't forget we're having a few days out in the car. There's at least one show cave on the list of things we're planning to visit."

You're not too keen on caves, Jessica whispered to James. Remember Cheddar?

I'm okay with tunnels, James muttered, but nobody seemed to hear him.

Chapter 2

They stopped for a light lunch at a café in a small Derbyshire town they passed through on the way. James had spotted a jam doughnut in the glass case as they came in, and asked if he could have one to finish off his meal, as he was still very, very hungry. Jessica said she didn't eat cake, which his mum said was very sensible, making James shake his head. He asked if he could have Jessica's as well, but as he expected, this was met with a clear refusal.

After the meal, they went into the local supermarket and bought enough food to see them through a couple of days, but they didn't do any looking around.

They were all keen to be on time in getting to the village of Dakedale and their holiday accommodation in the Lodge: gateway to Dakedale Manor, a 200-year-old country residence set in a large estate. Or, James thought, if the letting agent was correct, what used to be a 200-year-old country residence set in a large estate.

It's so sad, Jessica said, thinking about what the letting agent had said. One day there's a lovely family home, and the next day it's just a pile of ashes.

Mrs Cooper, Jessica's Aunty Amy, turned round. Fire is such a dangerous thing. Of course, things are safer now, but in the old days when people only had candles and oil lamps, fire was always a big risk in any house.

And gas lighting, of course, Mr Cooper said. Gas sometimes leaked from the pipes that ran all around the house.

"And then bang!" James said, making Jessica jump. He thought for a moment. Do you think this was a gas leak?

I shouldn't think so, his father said. The agent said there was a criminal investigation taking place. That sounds like someone deliberately setting fire to the building. It's strange though.

What's strange? Mrs Cooper asked.

James's father slowed down as they entered the thirty miles an hour speed limit to Dakedale, a village that seemed to be right out in the middle of nowhere. "It's awful that the whole house burnt down.