o smart to get trapped in there.” She pointed at the old metal door and the many signs around it. “He can read, for a start. What happened?”
Matt cocked a thumb over his shoulder. “That’s what happened.”
She peered around him to find a gleeful Betty. Magenta wasn’t convinced. The woman was under five feet tall, built like a cube and older than dirt. “How did she manage to shut the door? There was a huge rock propping it open.”
Betty flexed her puny white arms. “Thor there isn’t the only one with muscles.”
Matt shrugged his broad shoulders. “Don’t make me get a magnifying glass to verify that claim.”
Betty cackled at him. Magenta sighed. This was exactly what she didn’t need. An afternoon rescuing the man she’d spent the past few weeks avoiding. She narrowed her eyes at Betty. “This was no accident. You planned this.”
The old woman was delighted. “I couldn’t stand his pathetic attempts at getting your attention. So I helped.” She rubbed her hands together. “This should be good.”
Before Magenta could take a step towards the woman, Matt’s hand shot out to stop her. “Get in line. If I let you at her, I have to let everyone else with prior claim get at her too. I don’t have the resources to police that.”
“Fine.” Magenta pointed at Betty. “I’ll deal with you later.”
“Bring it on, lassie. I eat children like you for breakfast.” She turned her back on Magenta, pulled a smartphone out of her pocket and started to text. No doubt spreading the word of entertainment at the mine.
“I’ll go in the northern tunnels,” Magenta told Matt. She pointed up into the hills around the town. “It’s not far, but the route through the mine is winding. It should take me a couple of hours to get to him. Have you called the council surveyor? The whole entrance needs to be checked before we even try to open the door.”
Matt nodded. He ran a hand over his face. “I’m thinking we leave the door shut. The mines aren’t safe. People who want a look around can negotiate with the Andersons and go in through their business. I’m sure they won’t mind as long as it’s not all the time and doesn’t affect mushroom production. The people who know what they’re doing, like you, can go in through the tunnels.”
Magenta shook her head. “I’ve thought about that. I’m worried kids will use the tunnels to get in if the door is sealed. At least at this entrance you can’t get into trouble unless you go deep into the mine. Most of the stuff that’s dangerous has been removed, or blocked off.” She knew that as fact. She was the one who’d cleared the area. “I know this area is safe, but I can’t say the same for any of the other hidden entrances in these hills.”
“I’ll talk to the surveyor. See if we can’t come up with a better way to keep the entrance open.”
“I don’t think it will take much brain power to think of something better than holding the door open with a big rock.”
“Maybe we should look into blocking all the entrances and sealing the mine.”
“Good luck with finding them all.” Magenta shook her head. “No. It needs to be obvious, safe and policed. That’s the only way to stop the curious and the stupid from getting hurt.”
Matt opened his mouth to reply, but something behind her caught his attention. His shoulders slumped. “Hell no,” he muttered.
Magenta turned to find her twin best friends, Matt’s younger sisters, coming up the path. Megan was carrying two folding chairs and Claire held a large picnic basket.
“We brought snacks,” Claire called.
“This isn’t a party. Go home.” Matt glared at the twins.
“Don’t tell us what to do, Don Don,” Megan said.
“Don’t call me Don Don,” Matt said through clenched teeth.
Megan was unfazed. “It’s your name. Donald Matthew Donaldson. Suck it up.”
Matt muttered something that Magenta couldn’t quite catch, but was pretty sure was illegal.
Megan set the chairs up facing the entrance. “Who’s trapped, anyway? Anybody we know?”
Magenta took a deep breath. She knew exactly what reaction the news would get. “Harry,” she said on a sigh.
Two identical faces shared a secret look. Magenta was one of the few people who could tell the blondes apart. When she wanted to wind them up, she pretended she couldn’t. If she really wanted to annoy them, she called them Barbie One and Barbie Two. They gave her identical mischievous smiles.
“You’re going to rescue Harry? Now isn’t that interesting,” Claire said. “Especially seeing as he’s been so keen to get you alone since he came back to town.”
Magenta glared at them, wishing she had the armour of her usual black Goth outfits to hide behind. Unfortunately, there was no place for mini-dresses and platform boots in the mine.