Like This, for Ever

to get you out again.’
    Sam responded to that sensible piece of advice by leaning out over the guardrail and looking down.
    ‘Now what?’ said Harvey, as Jorge arrived.
    ‘Now we climb aboard and break a window,’ said Jorge. ‘I’ll do it, then I’ll help Hatty climb through. Only the two of us should go on board because if we make a noise, it’ll be easier for us to hide. You lot stay here till we’re in.’
    ‘This boat’s empty,’ said Barney, indicating the one they were standing on. ‘Let’s get down into the cockpit. And I’m coming with you. We may not have to break a window. I’ll try the hatches.’
    As Harvey, Sam and Lloyd stepped into the cockpit of the larger boat, Hatty took hold of the boat rail and swung herself up. The yellow boat didn’t register the extra weight. Jorge followed and the boat rocked gently. Then Barney was on board, following Hatty across the cabin roof towards one of the main hatches. She dropped on to all fours on one side of it, he did the same on the other.
    In spite of his misgivings, Barney had to admire the way she could move so lightly, making no sound at all. Following her lead, he slid his fingers under the edge of the hatch and pulled gently. The hatch moved two inches and they heard music from below. Hatty peered inside and froze. Barney looked, too. And didn’t believe what he was seeing. A sharp nudge on his shoulder brought his attention back to Hatty. She was frowning at him, signalling urgently with her eyes. She wanted him to help her lower the hatch.
    But, I mean, what … ?
    Sharp gesticulation on Hatty’s part and Barney pulled himself together. Between them, they lowered the hatch, just as gently as they’d lifted it. Signalling to Jorge to follow, Hatty stepped off the roof, over the rail and back on to the middle boat. Barney followed slowly.
    ‘What?’ hissed Harvey.
    ‘There was someone on board,’ replied Hatty.
    Everyone looked at Barney, who could do nothing but shake his head.
    ‘What did you see?’ asked Jorge.
    ‘A bloke,’ said Hatty. ‘Just the back of him. Couldn’t see his face, not even his head. Just a blue and yellow sweatshirt.’
    A blue and yellow sweatshirt that Barney knew well.
    ‘Did he see you?’ Jorge asked.
    ‘No, I don’t think he even heard us, there was music playing. And he was leaning into some sort of cupboard.’
    ‘You sure that’s your boat?’ asked Lloyd.
    Barney nodded. Of course he was sure, he’d discussed it with his dad just that afternoon.
    ‘What if it’s … you know … him?’ said Sam.
    ‘Who?’ said Lloyd.
    ‘The vampire,’ hissed Sam, hardly audible.
    The vampire was the killer. Sam thought the man on the boat was the killer.
    ‘In a blue and yellow sweatshirt?’ said Jorge.
    ‘What was that?’ asked Hatty, looking round.
    ‘I heard it too,’ said Lloyd.
    ‘Someone threw a stone in the water,’ said Jorge, looking round the group. ‘Come on, own up.’
    ‘We heard something before,’ said Sam, who seemed to have forgotten he’d been talking too much to hear anything. ‘Me and Barney and Harvey. Like a bird or an animal in the water.’
    ‘Shush!’
    Splash, splash.
    The children fell silent. No one seemed to know what to do next. Then Harvey stepped a little closer to the boat’s edge. Leaning forward, he raised the torch and shone it down. A second later, he gave a strangled scream, the torch fell to the deck and he was running away from the others, round the front of the boat, slipping on the damp deck.
    ‘Harvey!’ yelled Jorge, giving chase.
    Making far too much noise, but hardly knowing what else to do, the others followed, on to the big houseboat and then over to the ladder. Jorge and Harvey were already up and out of sight. Hatty put her foot on the bottom rung of the ladder.
    ‘He’s pissing about,’ said Sam, who didn’t look sure.
    ‘You lot! What the hell do you think you’re doing?’ On the next boat along, a man on deck was shining a torch towards them. ‘Get back here, now!’
    The children scrambled up the ladder, Barney the last to leave the boat. Halfway up, he turned back. Two men were visible now, shining torches around, checking to make sure their boats hadn’t been damaged, angry, but not enough to give chase along wet decks in the dark.
    Then there was movement on Barney’s boat and in the light from the cabin he could see the man in the companionway, watching the commotion but staying out of sight of just about