Ellen Blake Destined To Return

22 - Cryptic puzzles

Yorkshire, 5th August 1941

The earlier drama had taken it out of them and they sat quietly for a while. The condensation on the window had dripped down enough that it was much easier to see the scenery beyond.

Billy was the only one not gazing dreamily out at the landscape. He was muttering and slowly counting his fingers like he was trying to remember a shopping list.

'Two girls,' he said, in deep concentration. 'But ... not any two girls.'

'Two girls,' repeated Ellen.

'Not any two girls,' said Marianne.

'Oh good. It's cryptic game time. That always makes long journeys pass quicker. Can we all join in?' joked Aaron.

Luckily Billy was so lost in thought that he allowed Aaron's sarcasm to pass him by.

'What are you on about Billy? What is this riddle about two girls?' asked his sister.

'I just thought it was puzzling. Those people. The ones chasing us. They only grabbed you two.'

Billy vaguely waved his index finger between the two girls sitting opposite him.

He continued.

'They didn't grab Kitty and her sister –'

'Molly,' said Aaron.

'- did they? If they were looking for two children and found Kitty and Molly then why didn't they grab them? Instead what did they do? They told them that they were looking for two children.'

Aaron was engrossed.

'Good point.'

'Go on,' encouraged Marianne.

Billy was delighted to have all ears on him for a change, so obliged.

'Well, there must have been something about those two girls - Kitty and Molly - that didn't fit what they were looking for and yet there was with you two. So why you?'

'We're older and closer in age to each other,' said Marianne.

'And you know what else doesn't stack up?' said Aaron. 'Kitty said they asked if they'd seen two kids ... two children. That's how she put it. Didn't she?'

'Yes, but what's your point?' asked Ellen.

'Well if it were you asking, and you were searching for two girls, wouldn't you ask if they'd seen a couple of girls? Not a couple of children. People say things like a gang of boys or a group of girls. However only when there is a mixed-gender group would they say children.'

'Exactly,' said Billy taking up the conversation again. 'When they met Kitty they didn't want her. They didn't want those two girls because they were after two children. A boy and a girl. But what's confusing is that when they stumbled upon the five of us they stopped wanting a boy and a girl any more. They had the opportunity to grab a boy ... Keith. He was left behind in the butcher's shop. They didn't. They ignored him. Then in the alley they had the chance to get any of us. They could easily have picked one boy and one girl, but they still didn't.'

'They could have got the wrong two though,' said Ellen, looking at Billy. 'If they were looking for Aaron and me then they could have grabbed Marianne and you by mistake.'

'So ... instead they take two of the same sex. The two girls. It makes sense taking the two of the weaker sex,' said Billy, without considering how Ellen was going to react to that sexist comment.