‘Perhaps if we met them, they’d feel more relaxed,’ Ed offered.
‘No!’ Soren shook his head. ‘That’s not a good idea. My parents don’t really socialise with people they don’t know.’
Anna and Ed looked at one another. Fox and Heike Van Leer were proving quite the enigma.
‘Isn’t there a saying that a stranger is just a friend you haven’t met?’ Anna said. ‘If we made their acquaintance, we wouldn’t be strangers any more.’
‘Have you got a cell phone? We could at least text and let you know if we’re heading out and then you can join us if you’re able,’ Max suggested.
‘I do, but I’m not supposed to give anyone my number,’ the lad replied. Something or rather someone walking towards them caught his eye. ‘Oh darn,’ he muttered.
Kensy and Max had seen the man too. It was Axel, but he was alone.
‘Is something the matter?’ Max asked. He didn’t want Soren to think they’d been paying attention to them at the cafe earlier.
‘That’s Axel. He works for my parents and I need to get home,’ Soren said, trembling.
‘Go!’ Kensy urged. ‘We’ll think of something.’
The boy took off, racing up the lane towards the lodge. There was another pathway closer to Axel too. But Soren had to get home and put his things away before Axel arrived and pray that his parents weren’t already there.
The family quickened their pace, Max keeping one eye on Soren as he ran between the buildings below his family’s chalet. The Spencers were all carrying their skis over their shoulders and as they neared Axel, Max saw that Soren was almost at his front door. He turned back and spied Axel looking up towards the house. Then he did the only thing an irresponsible twelve-year-old could in this situation and spun around like a top, belting the fellow in the head with his skis as he did.
‘Ow! You dummkopf.’ The man clutched his skull and fell to his knees. ‘Watch where you’re going!’
‘I’m so sorry, sir,’ Max apologised. ‘I didn’t see you.’
Anna raced to the man while Ed gave his son a stern telling off for being so careless, fortunately facing away from Axel as he was smiling the whole time.
Kensy saw that Soren had made it inside and a few minutes later she spotted the lad in one of the windows on the top floor giving her two thumbs up.
Soren had no idea what had happened, but seeing Axel on the ground caused him to roar laughing.
‘Please may I take a look at your head?’ Anna said. ‘I’m a doctor and I think my son must have clipped you with one of the sharp edges. There’s a little bit of blood.’
‘Don’t touch me,’ Axel grouched as he stood up. ‘You’re lucky if I don’t sue you for damages.’
‘We’re terribly sorry,’ Anna said again. ‘I would recommend you get that checked – if not by me then someone at the clinic.’
Axel shook his head. ‘I will be fine, but next time keep control of your rabid child.’
‘There’s no need for name calling.’ Ed stepped up and looked the man in the eye. ‘My son was careless, that’s all.’
‘Your son is an imbecile,’ Axel sneered then strode to the path that led up to the chalet.
Once he was out of earshot Ed stuffed his fist into his mouth to stop from laughing.
‘Max, that was brilliant,’ he said. ‘I wish your grandmother had been here to see it.’
Anna smacked her husband’s arm. ‘Edward Spencer, since when do we condone physical violence in this family?’
Kensy turned and looked at her mother, deadpan. ‘You are joking, Mum. You do know what the family business is? And you just hit Dad anyway.’
Anna rolled her eyes.
‘I suppose you’ve never hurt anyone, Mum, even by accident,’ Max said, biting his lip to stop the smile from spreading across his face.
‘No, your mother’s an angel,’ Ed said. ‘Pure as the driven snow and totally useless on a mission. I’m not sure how she ever earned her PA stripes.’
Anna’s jaw dropped. ‘Really, Ed. Who was it that gave Huang two black eyes and a broken nose when we finally brought him in? And don’t get me started on what I did to that Russian monster. Let’s just say his voice was a lot higher after I was finished with him.’
‘Mum!’ Kensy burst out laughing. ‘You’re evil.’
‘And brilliant,’ Max said.
Anna began to laugh too. ‘What you did back there, Max, that was pure gold, my darling. I wish I’d done it myself.’
Ed frowned at his wife. ‘I thought you hated the idea of being active again.’
Anna took a deep breath. ‘Perhaps I’m not entirely against it.’
Max grabbed his mother around the waist and hugged her tight. ‘I’m sure it wouldn’t be all bad. But you have to come back on your terms – if you come back at all.’
‘At this stage I have no plans,’ Anna said with a firm nod as they crossed a little bridge that led to their chalet.
But Kensy and Max weren’t convinced. There was obviously some pluck left in their mother yet – even if at the moment she’d rather set noses than break them.
Lights were coming on all over the village when Kensy and Max set off to the supermarket. They’d arrived home to find Song up to his elbows in pudding mix and lamenting that he’d forgotten to get cream and berries for their dessert, which he was now halfway through making. The twins had offered to go.
Their father had to take an urgent call from Cordelia moments after they’d walked through the door and there was no sign of Fitz. Anna had made herself some tea and decided to recover from the day’s activities in the sauna and spa downstairs. Kensy and Max were planning to soak in the hot tub on the roof after dinner. There was nothing quite like being in a steamy whirlpool with snowflakes falling and the weather forecast was for another sprinkling that evening. Max pulled his collar up around his neck and adjusted his scarf. ‘I know we’re supposed to be impartial when it comes to targets, but I really like Soren.’
Kensy nodded. ‘He’s super normal considering his weirdo parents. I feel sorry for him – I doubt he has any idea how they fund their businesses.’
Max agreed as the pair hurried along the Bahnhofstrasse. The road was busy with skiers and boarders returning from their adventures and couples and families heading out for early meals. An electric cart tooted its high-pitched horn, scattering walkers left and right and clearing the path for a beautiful ruby-coloured carriage belonging to the Hotel Mont Cervin Palace. Max couldn’t help thinking that the resort was a little Disney-like in its icy perfection.
‘Sylvie seems lovely too,’ Kensy said, looking around and realising how far they’d walked.
‘You wonder how she got involved with them,’ Max said. The pair continued a little way further in silence before the boy piped up again. ‘Kens, last night when I was having those awful dreams, there was this word that kept flashing up. Tip. I have no idea what it means, but I can’t help thinking it might have something to do with that note from Magoo’s study.’
‘Really? That thing gives me a headache. I’m sure it’s written in the impossible code, but I’m assuming you brought a copy so we should check it out later,’ Kensy said. ‘Mrs Vanden Boom says we should listen to our subconscious self because sometimes problems are solved in our sleep, which is weird, but could come in handy.’
Max nodded. He was glad that Kensy was keen to help.
‘By the way, do you know where we’re going?’ she asked.
‘Of course, I do,’ Max grinned. ‘Migros Supermarket. It’s just around the corner up here to the right.’
‘Forgive my ignorance,’ Kensy said with a smile. There was no doubt having a brother with an inbuilt GPS had its advantages, though a couple of times this afternoon she’d noticed he’d deliberately made mistakes about the mountain trails in a bid to gain Soren’s confidence.
The twins found the store and quickly located a bottle of cream and the fruit and vegetable aisle where the selection of berries w
as somewhat scant.
Kensy held up a punnet of strawberries and another of raspberries. ‘Which do you think? Song didn’t specify, did he?’
‘Let’s just get both,’ Max said.
She threw them to him then headed down the sweets aisle and found some chocolate to add to their supplies. Kensy hurried over to her brother who was next in line to pay.
As the young shop assistant scanned their goods, Max glanced at the checkout next to them. A man in a long woollen overcoat with a grey scarf tied stylishly around his neck was unpacking a small basket of goods onto the counter. He was very well dressed and looked more local than tourist, but there was something vaguely familiar about him.
‘What are you gawping at?’ Kensy asked, having noticed her brother staring.
‘Nothing,’ the boy replied as the man looked up, directly at him. Max held his gaze for several seconds before the boy’s blood ran cold.
‘We’ve got to go,’ he whispered urgently, grabbing the brown paper bag with their groceries and his sister’s hand.
‘Your change?’ the cashier called after them.
‘Keep it!’ Max shouted as he sped from the shop, turning right towards the river. He didn’t stop until they reached a recessed doorway where he pulled his sister in beside him, out of sight.
‘What? What’s the matter?’ Kensy demanded through ragged breaths. She rubbed her wrist, which Max had held so tightly that it scared her.
‘It was him,’ Max panted, barely able to get the words out.
‘Who?’ Kensy asked.
‘The firefighter from London.’
Kensy looked incredulous. ‘How can you be sure? You didn’t even get a proper look at him at the time.’
‘Those eyes,’ Max whispered. ‘I know it was him. I’ve never seen eyes like his before.’ The boy fidgeted and began to shiver.
‘You dreamt about him last night, Max. I’m sure it’s just your imagination. Lots of people have similar eyes. Come on, we need to get home,’ Kensy said. ‘You’re freezing.’
Max shook his head. ‘No. That man’s eyes are different – it’s like they can see into my soul or something.’
‘Well, that’s a nonsense,’ Kensy said. ‘No one can do that. Not even me and I’m your twin sister.’
She stepped out to leave, but Max stayed put.
‘What are you doing?’ Kensy turned and asked.
‘I’m going to follow him and find out what he’s doing here,’ the boy replied. Max was wondering if he’d somehow brought this on himself having mentioned the firefighter to James Strawbridge the other afternoon at football – but that didn’t make any sense. Why would Strawbridge send the firefighter to Zermatt and how did he know they were here anyway? No one outside of Pharos knew that – and only a select group of agents close to his grandmother had been briefed about the mission. The twins weren’t even allowed to tell Curtis, Autumn and Carlos where they were.
Max had a horrible thought. What if the firefighter was somehow tied up with whoever had been trying to kill their family ever since they’d arrived in London over a year ago? Was it even possible? Surely, it was just a coincidence Max had seen him in the Houses of Parliament – wasn’t it?
‘That fake firefighter has no idea who you are, Max. How could he? You saw each other for mere seconds and the man back there – did he look as if he recognised you?’ Kensy asked.
Max folded his arms, his teeth chattering. ‘I don’t know, but way to go drawing attention to ourselves by running off like that. I’m such a professional. A professional loser.’
‘Don’t beat yourself up, Max. We all make mistakes,’ Kensy said.
The boy leaned out of the doorway and saw the man exit the supermarket and turn left towards the Bahnhofstrasse.
‘I’m going after him,’ Max said. ‘At least then we’ll know where he lives and we can find out more about him. And if it’s not him, then no harm done and maybe I’ll get some sleep tonight.’
Max felt sick to his stomach. He’d never been so unnerved by another human being. Not even Dash Chalmers had had that effect on him.
Kensy sighed. She was usually the impetuous one, but right now she just wanted to get back to the chalet to their parents and Song.
They were about to follow the guy when Kensy’s watch vibrated.
‘We have to go home,’ she said. ‘Song needs the cream or the pudding will be ruined.’
‘You go then and I’ll be there soon,’ Max said as he took off, weaving his way through the evening throng.
Kensy’s body tensed. ‘You can’t do this on your own!’ she called. ‘What am I going to tell Mum and Dad? And what if something happens to you?’
She grunted in exasperation and legged it after him, catching up at the corner. Kensy grabbed his arm.
‘I’m coming,’ she said.
‘I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist,’ Max replied with a tight grin. ‘Anyway, the village isn’t that big so he can’t live too far away and at least he’s heading in our direction.’
‘Fine. But be it on your head when Song’s dessert is ruined,’ Kensy sniped.
The children saw the man up ahead. He was carrying two bags of groceries and walking purposefully towards his destination. When he reached the Matterhorn Museum he turned left – the same direction the twins had to go – heading up and over the Kirchbrucke Bridge with its shrine to Mary Magdalene.
At the end of the bridge he continued straight ahead for another hundred metres or so before he stopped outside a modern apartment building – only three-storeys high and in complete darkness. The twins stayed back, waiting in the shadows and watching.
Within a minute, lights illuminated the top floor and they saw the man walk to the front windows where he looked back towards the village.
Max could feel his heart pounding.
‘Can we go now?’ Kensy asked, shivering as snowflakes began to fall. ‘We know where he lives.’
‘Let’s just watch for a few more minutes,’ Max said.
Kensy hopped from one foot to the other, trying to keep warm. The snow was getting heavier and her nose was beginning to run.
‘Don’t you think this is way too much of a coincidence if that is the same guy from the Houses of Parliament?’ Kensy said. ‘Going by how he’s dressed he’s not here on holidays. He looks like a lawyer or something.’
Max’s stomach churned. He’d been debating all the way there whether to tell Kensy about his encounter with the head of Scotland Yard.
‘You know how Granny really likes James Strawbridge?’ the boy began.
‘Yes,’ Kensy said, wondering what this was about.
‘I met him last Friday afternoon at football,’ Max said. ‘His son was on the other team. We were both on the bench for a while and I struck up a conversation with him. I didn’t know who the kid was, of course. I felt sorry for him because he said he hadn’t got any game time all season and then this man strode across the field and I recognised it was Strawbridge straightaway.’
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’ the girl asked. ‘I’m the stupid one who keeps secrets and if you’ve noticed, I shared Vanden Boom’s little invention with you even though I wasn’t supposed to.’
Max sighed. ‘I think I might have stirred something up,’ the boy added.
Kensy looked at her brother blankly. ‘What did you do?’
‘I asked Strawbridge about the incident at the Houses of Parliament and he said that it was an accident – a gas leak, which we know everyone is saying and then I said I’d seen something odd with one of the firefighters,’ Max explained. ‘All of a sudden he was super interested, but I got called back to the field and that was it. He asked if I would go and see him at his office at Scotland Yard on Monday, but we’re here so I couldn’t. The thing is I didn’t tell him my full name. I only said I was Max. So he doesn’t know who I am.’
‘And you really didn’t think to tell me about that before now?’ Kensy said. ‘Besides which, it would probably t
ake the head of Scotland Yard about ten seconds to find out your surname because he knows where you go to school and that you’re in the U14 rep football team.’
‘Please don’t lecture me about making mistakes, little Miss Quick Change Specialist,’ Max snapped, annoyed that he’d acted so impetuously. ‘And it’s not up to you to blab now. I’ll tell Dad and Fitz, okay?’
Kensy nodded. ‘Okay. It’s probably not the firefighter, Max. That would be too weird and I can’t imagine that the head of Scotland Yard would send him after you. And even though you saw him acting a bit dodgy we have no evidence that he did anything wrong.’ Kensy danced about on the spot then spied something that could prove useful. ‘Hang on. I’ve got an idea.’
She dashed from the cover of the awning of the chalet across the road to the front of the block where there were three letterboxes. It made most sense that the apartments would be numbered in ascending order so she turned her attention to the box marked three. It was locked, but it didn’t take the girl long to open the flimsy mechanism. Kensy probably could have tackled this one with her eyes closed, given how simple it was.
Max quickly realised what she was up to and hurried over to join her – providing a watchful eye in case anyone came along.
Kensy opened the hatch and pulled out three letters. They were all addressed the same way.
Frau Helena Meyer
Cornucopia
Apartment 3, Riedstrasse 2, 3920
Zermatt, Switzerland
That obviously wasn’t the guy upstairs.
Kensy showed Max. ‘Cornucopia – interesting name for a business. Abundance. I wonder what it’s an abundance of. Maybe the apartment at the top is number one instead of three – they’ve done it the wrong way around or something.’
Max nodded. Kensy was about to start on the box marked one when an electric buggy pulled up outside the block. The vehicles were so quiet they didn’t hear it before it was right there, parked beside them.
Max turned around to shield his sister who quickly deposited the letters back into the first box and closed the hatch. Kensy twirled to face the man, giving him a huge smile.
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