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They searched their street and the next couple of streets, calling for Milly and asking people if they’d spotted her. And they kept going until it got too dark to see.

Mum said Milly would probably come back when she got hungry, but the kitten still hadn’t returned by bedtime. Christy climbed the ladder to Tia’s top bunk, and the sisters curled up together.

“She’ll come back tomorrow, won’t she?” Christy asked.

Tia tried to sound confident.“Oh yes.”Please let it be true, she thought.“We’ll probably find her in her basket when we come down in the morning.”

“She could be there now!” Christy clutched at Tia’s pyjamas. “We should go downstairs and see!”

“No… Not yet,” Tia murmured. She wasn’t sure she could manage not to cry if they didn’t find their lovely kitten.

“I really miss her…” Christy said sleepily.

“Me too,” Tia sniffed. “But she’ll be back tomorrow,” she said, trying to convince herself.

[Êàðòèíêà: img_31]

[Êàðòèíêà: img_32]

But the next morning there was no Milly yowling for her breakfast. It seemed so unfair to have to go to school– all Tia wanted to do was search for Milly. It was Friday. Nothing important happened at school on Fridays.

As she trailed into the playground, her friend Lucy came running over.

“Hi, Tia! Hey, what’s the matter?”

“Milly,” Tia gulped, swallowing back tears. “She’s disappeared. And I can’t help thinking someone’s kidnapped her. Remember I told you about those cat thieves?”

Lucy’s eyes widened. “Oh no! How long’s she been gone for?”

“She wasn’t there when we got home yesterday. She managed to get out of her cat flap even though it was locked.”

Lucy frowned.“I don’t think Mittens would ever do anything like that. What makes you think she’s been stolen?”

Tia sighed.“It’s just a feeling I’ve got… I know that sounds stupid.”

“No…” Lucy said thoughtfully. “I know what you mean. When Mittens was lost, I was sure she’d come back. She was gone for more than a week, and Mum told me maybe I should give up, but I didn’t.”

“I forgot about that! It was in the summer holidays, wasn’t it? How did you find her?” Tia asked eagerly.

“We made loads of posters and stuck them on lamp posts, and I put leaflets through the door of every house in our road, asking them to check their sheds. And that’s where somebody found her! It was just lucky that it was a leaky shed and there was a puddle of water, otherwise Mittens would havedied,” Lucy added, her voice shaking a little.

“Posters…” Tia said thoughtfully. “And leaflets. Right. We’ll make some tonight.”

[Êàðòèíêà: img_18]

“What about this one?” Tia said to Dad, pointing to one of the photos of Milly on the screen.

“Mmmm.” Dad nodded. “But she’s more recognizable from the side, don’t you think? Because of her lovely spots.”

“Look!” Christy said. “That’s the one Mum took when Milly climbed into the cupboard!”

Tia enlarged the photo and smiled. Milly was peering out, looking worried. They’d actually moved the cat food to the top cupboard after her first cat-food raid. And Mum had even started keeping the food in a tin instead of a bag. But Milly was just too clever. She’d even managed to hook the lid open with her claws.

“She’s so naughty…” Mum sighed.

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“Mum!” Tia looked up at her. “Aren’t you sad she’s missing?”

“Of course I am, Tia! But sheis naughty!”

“I suppose you wish we had a better-behaved cat instead!” Tia said, her voice choked with tears.

“I didn’t mean that at all,” Mum tried to say, but Tia was too upset to listen.

“You’re glad she’s gone!” she sobbed.

“Tia!” Mum snapped, her voice sharp enough to jolt Tia out of her fit of crying. “Sweetheart, that’s just silly. Yes, I get cross with Milly when she’s naughty, but she’s a kitten! Kittens do silly things, it’s what we signed up for! Especially when we agreed to have a Bengal.” She put her arm round Tia’s shoulder. “Do you think you’re the only one who read that book on Bengal cats?”

Tia gaped at her. She hadn’t realized Mum had read the book too.

“When I’m at home with her in the mornings, she follows me around, you know.” Mum sniffed. “And I’m always having to rescue her from the washing machine. It’s a wonder I’ve never actually put it on with her in it! I love her too, Tia, and we will do our absolute best to find her.”

“Sorry,” Tia murmured. Somehow knowing that Mum was really missing Milly helped.

Dad smiled.“She’s a little terror, isn’t she? But nobody wants a better-behaved cat, Tia. We wantour cat. Now I think this photo of her in the garden is the best. What shall we say on the poster?”

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Milly stared at the door, wondering when the man would come to bring their food. He’d fed them that morning, but the food hadn’t been the same kind she had at home. She’d left it for a while, but then finally eaten it – she’d been too hungry not to.

She had tried to dart out of the cage when the man put her food bowl in, but he’d batted her away. She felt hopeless – she couldn’t see how she was ever going to get out of here. And she was hungry again.