‘What are you doing with that?’ he said, spotting the phone in Kensy’s hand.
‘It fell out of your bag,’ Kensy replied innocently. ‘I was only trying to help.’
‘Oh, thank you,’ he said with a smile. He dropped it into his shorts pocket.
Beads of perspiration trickled down Curtis’s forehead as they walked towards the gangplank and onto the wharf.
‘Max,’ Kensy called to her brother, who was dawdling along with Van. Ellery was further behind them. ‘Hurry up!’ Kensy nodded towards the man, whose face told the story that he’d just realised he’d been duped by an eleven-year-old.
‘You have no idea what you’ve done!’ he shouted, sprinting towards Kensy and Curtis. But Max and Van had started after them and Van grabbed his sister along the way. They all charged past him, catching up to Kensy and Curtis. ‘You stupid kids!’ he shouted.
The five children sprinted along the concourse and turned right into Macquarie Street. A garbage truck hurtled towards the roundabout near the Opera House and blocked the man’s path, allowing them time to put some distance between them.
‘Who was that guy?’ Van puffed.
‘Let’s just say that you and Ellery were probably going to be on some dodgy news site in a few minutes if Kensy hadn’t intervened,’ Curtis panted.
Van gazed at Kensy in admiration. ‘Cool.’
‘It was nothing – and I shouldn’t have done it, but he’d taken pictures of the two of you and your dad as well when he must have been leaving for work this morning. I’m guessing you don’t really want to be splashed all over the media,’ Kensy said.
‘Thank you,’ Van said with a grin, while his sister didn’t utter a word. Apparently, the idea of being paparazzi fodder didn’t bother Ellery nearly as much.
The children ran until they couldn’t see the man any more.
Van almost knocked Curtis sideways as he manoeuvred himself next to Kensy. ‘I can’t believe you did that for us. What if he’d caught you in the act? He could have called the police.’
Kensy shrugged. ‘He did catch me, but I suspect he might not have been exactly on the right side of the law himself.’
‘So how was yesterday?’ Van asked as they walked up the street. He looked at her and smiled. ‘We never really got to talk.’
‘It was fine,’ Kensy said, her cheeks blazing and not just from the morning sun.
Max could feel his sister’s discomfort from where he was standing on the other side of Curtis. After the earlier kerfuffle, Ellery had run ahead to join her friends. The children turned into the gate. Kensy was growing hotter by the second and couldn’t wait to get to their air-conditioned classroom. As they neared the buildings, Van was quickly set upon by his friends, who wanted to know if he was okay.
‘I told you he likes you,’ Curtis said as he and Kensy walked on to their homerooms.
‘For goodness sakes,’ Kensy said, holding up a hand in protest. ‘Stop speaking!’
‘I thought you’d be flat–’
‘Zip it,’ Kensy said, and mimed zipping her lips shut.
‘But …’
‘I’m warning you, Curtis.’ Kensy’s face was the colour of beetroot. She spun around and spied Max laughing at her from across the quadrangle. ‘And you can put a sock in it too!’ she yelled, then turned on her heel and charged inside the building.
‘Please be extremely careful with those phials,’ Hector said to whoever was on the other side of the one-way glass panel. He wanted to tell them that the virus he and Marisol had been working on for the past few months had the potential to kill millions if it fell into the wrong hands. But what was the point? It was already in the wrong hands and, besides, at the same time they created the disease they developed the cure. It would go out when the time was right, when whoever had unleashed all that pain and suffering was ready to make millions from the antidote.
Their new laboratory was state of the art, but, as always, their single computer could access scientific data and nothing else. When Hector had attempted to find an open path to the internet, the machine automatically locked and they were frozen out for a day. There was no point trying again.
Surveillance cameras covered every square inch of the laboratory, monitoring their every move, and Hector was certain it was the same in their living quarters at the end of the long corridor.
Whoever was in charge was clearly not going to make the same mistake twice, as they had not had any physical or verbal contact with anyone since the move.
Hector still felt a creeping dread whenever he thought about Miguel. He had taken such huge risks to help them. Marisol had blamed herself for involving the young man, but Hector reminded her that it was Miguel who had come to them, desperate for a cure for his mother. In return, he had tried a number of times to contact their daughter. He had helped them for almost a year, then one morning not long ago, they awoke in this new place and Miguel was gone. They could only hope that he had managed to get away from whoever was at the helm of this horrid business.
The rest of the week at school was so busy the twins barely had time to think. Between classes and choir rehearsals, cricket practice and dance lessons, Kensy and Max were beginning to think life in London, even with all of their Pharos activities, was a lot quieter. Perhaps it was because there was a never-ending array of extracurricular activities on top of their regular schoolwork, not to mention daily debriefings and training sessions with Fitz and Song. The twins had both made firm friends with their targets, though Kensy was still grumbling about drawing the short straw with Ellery. The girl was a nasty piece of work and grumpier than a wombat with a toothache most of the time.
At least Max’s inclusion in the cricket team was proving fruitful. The twins had managed to wangle an invitation to stay at the Chalmers’ farm in the Southern Highlands for the weekend after the match at Bradman Oval, and Fitz along with them.
They spent several afternoons at the Chalmers’ residence too, which was good for surveillance but bad for Curtis because Ellery took any opportunity to make it patently clear that he wasn’t welcome. Kensy could have strangled the girl when, on their way home on the ferry, she invited her and Max over right in front of the lad. Kensy suggested that Curtis might like to have a swim too, but Ellery just ignored her. Curtis had mumbled something about a music lesson and that he’d catch up with them later. It made Kensy think of Misha and how hard it must have been for her to pretend to be besties with Lola Lemmler all that time – there were some sacrifices being a trainee agent that she didn’t enjoy at all.
‘I need a drink,’ Ellery whined following their second game of Marco Polo. ‘Mummy!’
‘I’ll go,’ Max said, leaping at the opportunity to have a word with Tinsley Chalmers. He towelled himself dry, then wandered into the kitchen, where the woman had just finished pouring four large tumblers of iced water. ‘Can I take them out for you?’ he asked.
Tinsley jumped, almost knocking over a glass. ‘Silly me,’ she said, smiling. ‘Thanks, Max. I wish Van and Ellery would take some cues from you and your sister – you both have such lovely manners. I imagine your mother must be very proud.’ The woman grimaced. ‘Sorry, I didn’t mean to be so insensitive.’
‘It’s okay. I know Mum would be if she was here.’ It wasn’t a lie. His mother prided herself on having taught the twins to be helpful. ‘How are you feeling?’ he asked. The bandage on the woman’s arm was gone, although he could detect a hint of the bruise on Tinsley’s forehead despite her attempt to disguise it with make-up.
‘Oh, I’m fine,’ she said.
Max wasn’t convinced. Tinsley might have seemed okay on the outside, but she had no doubt suffered a harrowing experience and was bound to be rattled. ‘Are the police any closer to finding out who was responsible?’ he asked.
Tinsley shook her head. ‘I don’t think so. They took DNA samples from under my fingernails, but there weren’t any matches with the police database. I was bound and gagged on the floor in the bac
k. Whoever took me never said a word. We drove for hours with the radio on – that’s how I kept track of the time and I knew we’d gone quite a long way when the stations began to crackle and the driver had to find another one.’
‘You must have been terrified,’ Max said. ‘Did you think you’d been kidnapped for ransom? I mean, your husband is in charge of such a big business – people must get to know things.’
‘Oh gosh, it’s lucky I wasn’t – I’d probably still be out there,’ she quipped, then seemed to immediately regret it. ‘Just kidding. I was pretty sure it was a carjacking – there were no phone calls or anything like that.’
Max looked at her. For someone who was supposed to be scheming to take her children away, she looked more like a wounded animal and a frightened one at that. The woman’s phone rang, surprising them both. Tinsley took a deep breath before answering.
‘Hello Lucy. Yes, I’m fine, and you really don’t have to keep checking up on me … Oh. That would be lovely, thank you.’ Tinsley hung up and rolled her eyes. ‘My husband’s EA must have called twenty times since the incident and she just asked me to have lunch with her tomorrow – Dash is out of town for a couple of days and he’s probably told her to keep an eye on me. Anyway, you don’t need to hear my tales of woe, Max – you’re a very sweet young man to ask.’
‘It’s okay, Mrs Chalmers, we all need to talk to somebody from time to time,’ the boy said, and walked back out to the patio with the tray of drinks.
On their way home, Max told Kensy about his conversation.
‘So, you think she’s scared?’ Kensy said. ‘I know she’s constantly monitored – there are cameras everywhere in that house. Some of them are obvious, but there are hidden ones too. Did you see the porcelain dog on the mantlepiece in the lounge room? It’s eyes follow you everywhere. I was glad I realised almost straight away or else I might have been accused of snooping once whoever reviews the footage notices.’
‘I don’t know if she was joking when she said she was glad it wasn’t a kidnapping or she’d probably still be out there. It doesn’t add up. Dash seems to adore the woman,’ Max said. The twins trudged up the hill in silence for a few minutes before turning the corner.
‘I love all this stuff, Max,’ Kensy said. ‘I know I shouldn’t because there’s a possibility that someone’s in danger, but don’t you find it just a little bit thrilling?’
‘Or a lot.’ Max smiled. ‘I feel the same way. I think it must in our blood, don’t you?’
As they crossed the road into Waiwera Street, they noticed Curtis on the footpath. He had a towel around his shoulders and was wearing a pair of jelly sandals.
‘Hey!’ Kensy called to the boy. ‘Where are you going?’
Curtis sighed and wiped his sweaty brow. ‘I was thinking about having a swim at the North Sydney pool, but I don’t know if I can face the walk – it’s so hot again.’
‘You can come over to our place, if you like – we won’t be doing laps, but you can cool off,’ Kensy said.
Curtis grinned. ‘Thanks, that’d be awesome.’
Max nudged his sister. ‘You know you’re not as bad as people say.’
‘Gee, thanks. You’d better run and check that Song isn’t in the middle of something Curtis shouldn’t see,’ she said. ‘I’ll stall him for a second.’
Max nodded. ‘Good thinking,’ he said, and sprinted towards their house.
Saturday morning dawned bright and blue as the children and Fitz set off early for the Highlands. Song was staying back in Sydney and planned to keep an eye on the Chalmers’ residence. Kensy and Max had suggested he might like to orchestrate a meeting with their housekeeper, Rosa. Kensy had deliberately left her towel there on Friday afternoon so he’d have an excuse to drop round and snoop.
‘This is a pretty place,’ Kensy said as Fitz turned into a tree-lined street and pulled up outside the Bradman Museum.
‘The Highlands are about as close to England as you’re going to get in Australia,’ the man said. He scratched at his turkey neck, but it did nothing to relieve the itch underneath.
Max hopped out of the car and called to Van. The Chalmers had just parked a few spots further down.
‘I can’t believe I have to spend the whole day with Ellery,’ Kensy moaned, watching the girl hop out of their car.
Fitz grinned. ‘Gee, Kens, anyone would think the poor girl was the devil incarnate, hearing the way you speak about her.’
‘You said it, not me.’ Kensy squeezed her eyes and groaned. ‘She does my head in. And next time she’s rude to Curtis, I swear I’m going to punch her in the nose.’
‘Probably not a good idea, Kens,’ Fitz said with a wink. He fetched his rulebook from the glove box and shut the door.
Kensy rolled her eyes and almost jumped out of her skin when there was a thump on her window. Ellery’s long dark hair was pulled back into a high ponytail by a big white bow which perfectly matched her white jeans, white runners and white T-shirt with the word ‘Angel’ emblazoned across the front in silver sparkles.
‘Hurry up! Mum’s taking us to the shops!’ the girl yelled, rapping on the window again.
‘Angel? That’s a joke,’ Kensy muttered before exiting the car and plastering a huge smile on her face. ‘Hi! You look amazing!’ she said, immediately wishing she hadn’t because that was just mean.
‘Hi Kensy!’ Van called loudly. ‘Love your boots.’
Kensy looked down at the pair of RM Williams boots Song had bought the day before. He’d arrived home with what looked to be half the shop to make sure the kids were appropriately dressed for their weekend in the country. ‘Thanks,’ she said, flushing bright red. ‘I, um, love your cricket cap.’
Max chuckled, shaking his head. ‘Wow, you two are really something.’
‘Not another word,’ Kensy grouched, and slunk off to join Ellery at her car.
‘See you later, Tins,’ Dash said. ‘Remember to pick up some of that washed-rind goats brie from the deli. You know how much I love it.’
‘Of course,’ Tinsley murmured. How could she forget? The last time she’d missed it on the grocery list, he’d carried on like a petulant three-year-old whose favourite toy had been left behind.
The girls hopped into Tinsley’s car and headed into town. They shopped at the supermarket then the butcher, the florist and the bakery with a final stop at Ellery’s favourite stationery store. Loaded with supplies, they were soon on the road, passing through Moss Vale and Sutton Forest. Before they reached the village of Exeter, they turned left into the poplar-lined drive of a property called Cherry Tree Farm. Kensy thought it sounded like something from a storybook. When they finally reached the house, which was set back at least a kilometre from the road, and surrounded by high hedges and mature trees, she felt as if she’d fallen into those very pages.
‘Here we are,’ Tinsley said with a smile. She pulled up at the garage, which was located around the back of the rambling Colonial mansion. The charming two-storey house was built of cream stone with wide verandas wrapping around both floors. The upstairs balcony railings resembled the lace-like icing on a wedding cake and the building was topped by a grey slate roof. The garden was equally stunning with its topiary roses and perfect hedges bordering lush green lawns. It reminded Kensy a little of Alexandria except on a much smaller scale, and the house couldn’t have been as old either.
‘What a beautiful place,’ she declared.
‘I can only agree,’ Tinsley said as she opened the car door and hopped out. ‘It’s very special.’
‘Do you get to come here often?’ Kensy asked.
‘Not as much as we’d like. It’s silly, really. It’s only a couple of hours from the city, but we never seem to have the time.’ The woman yawned widely. ‘Oh, pardon me. We had a very late night.’
‘I need to pee,’ Ellery announced and scampered off to the house.
‘Were you out?’ Kensy asked. She walked around to the back of the car with Tinsley.
&nbs
p; The woman nodded and opened the tailgate. ‘Yes, at a fundraiser. I thought Dash might have changed his mind after …’
‘After what happened this week?’ Kensy said. ‘I can imagine there were lots of people wanting to know how you were and asking stupid questions.’ The girl picked up a couple of grocery bags and Tinsley gathered several more.
‘It was horrible,’ Tinsley admitted. ‘I didn’t especially want to go. People meant well – except the ones gossiping in the corners. The Chalmers Corporation is one of the major sponsors, so we couldn’t get out of it and, besides, no one likes a party more than my husband.’
Together, Kensy and Tinsley unloaded the car, making several trips to get everything. Conveniently, by the time Ellery returned, they were done. Considering half the bags belonged to her, it hardly seemed fair. The white country kitchen at the back of the house had an acre of marble benchtops with the most massive island in the centre. There was an adjoining open-plan family room, which, in spite of its size, was homely and welcoming. It played host to plaid armchairs, an overstuffed navy couch, rugs, cushions and an array of artwork as well as a huge fireplace. Ellery took Kensy on a tour of the rest of the house while Tinsley set about making lunch. In addition to the kitchen and family room, the lower level comprised a formal lounge and dining room, a study, powder room and laundry, and a guest bedroom suite.
‘Now I’ll show you my room,’ Ellery said, bounding up the main staircase. ‘It’s way nicer than my Sydney bedroom even though I hardly ever get to use it.’
Kensy could only agree. The space was enormous, with a life-sized dappled-grey rocking horse in one corner, an impressive doll’s house that looked as if it was for eyes only, and two pretty iron bedsteads with floral linen. The wide cedar floorboards were partly covered by a plush rug. Kensy ran her finger along Ellery’s bookshelf, which was populated with lots of her favourites, when her wrist vibrated.
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