The Deadly Dare Mysteries

by Malorie Blackman

  ‘Angela, you fool,’ Tom shouted.

  Robbie leaped forward towards her, rage like nothing Theo had ever seen all over his face. Tom rugby-tackled him to the ground and they were at it again. Theo backed off fast, pulling Angela back with him, in case Robbie should win this bout.

  ‘Let’s get out of here,’ Theo suggested.

  ‘No, I can’t. Tom might need me.’ Angela pulled away from him.

  ‘Then let’s get the police. We can’t handle Robbie. He’s a nutter! He probably drinks blood and sleeps hanging upside down from a tree.’

  ‘I’m not leaving my brother,’ Angela insisted.

  Theo scowled at her. If she didn’t leave her brother, then he couldn’t leave her. He looked around for Ricky but there was no sign of him. He looked back at Robbie and Tom. They weren’t having a boxing match like on the telly. They were punching and gouging and using their whole bodies to hurt each other. It was vicious and nasty and made Theo feel sick.

  ‘Do something,’ Angela implored him.

  ‘Like what?’ Theo asked.

  ‘I don’t know. Do something. Robbie’s going to kill him.’

  Bewildered, Theo looked around for something he could use. Then he saw a fire hose tucked away in the corner to his right. Maybe he could just douse the two of them. The water in fire hoses came out at quite some pressure. That should be enough to separate the two men.

  Then they’ll both be cheesed off with you rather than each other! Theo thought.

  But he didn’t have much choice. Angela was looking at him, expecting him to do something. Theo ran over to the glass-fronted cabinet which housed the fire hose. It was locked. Beside it was a small cabinet which held a key. The instructions above it said ‘BREAK GLASS FOR KEY’.

  ‘I need something to break the glass,’ Theo said quickly.

  ‘Move.’ Angela ran over and hit the glass with the butt of the gun in her hand. The glass shattered instantly. Theo took out the key and opened the cabinet. Taking the nozzle in his left hand, he heaved off the rest of the hose with his right. It was heavy and he couldn’t hold it, so he dropped it to the floor. Holding the nozzle, Theo and Angela ran to where Tom and Robbie were still fighting. Both of their faces were covered with blood and one of Tom’s eyes had swollen shut. Theo looked down at the nozzle. How did it work?

  ‘It turns on from over there. I’ll do it,’ Angela said.

  She ran over to the fire cabinet and began to turn the large tap beneath the hose.

  Theo gripped the hose tightly as he watched Angela turn the tap. Holding it away from him, he pointed it straight at the two struggling men on the ground. The hose coughed. It gurgled. It spluttered. A tiny trickle of water ran out over the end of the hose and dripped pathetically to the floor.

  ‘Angela, nothing’s happening,’ Theo called out.

  ‘I’m turning it,’ Angela called back.

  Tom lay groaning on the floor, his face a mass of bruises. Robbie started to stand up …

  ‘Today, Angela! Today!’ Theo urged.

  ‘I’m doing my best,’ Angela snapped.

  She was still facing the tap, turning it this way and that, trying to figure out what was wrong. Robbie was on his feet now, and was slowly advancing on Theo like a man-eating tiger ready to pounce.

  ‘It’s not working,’ Angela said unnecessarily.

  Theo couldn’t wait any longer. He yelled, ‘Angela, shift!’ Theo threw the nozzle end of the hose at Robbie in sheer desperation.

  Robbie sprang to one side. The hose missed him completely and hit the floor. But before he could take another step, the hose suddenly lurched up, turned back on itself with the force of the water funnelling down it and doused Robbie from the back of his head to his heels.

  Robbie spun, his arms raised ready to sort out his new opponent. When he saw it was just a hose, he turned back to Theo, his expression thunderous. This was it. Theo thought Robbie was going to get him for sure. But just at that moment, two policemen emerged from the side doors, followed by Ricky. Robbie looked around desperately for somewhere to hide. Tom stuck out his foot and tripped up Robbie, sending him flying. One of the policemen ran to the main entrance and opened it up. Within moments, cars were screeching to a halt outside the museum, their sirens wailing, their lights flashing. Soon the main hall was swarming with police, most of them busy trying to subdue Robbie, who was fighting back like a cornered rat.

  ‘Are you kids all right? Are you hurt? Do you need to go to hospital?’ a policeman asked Angela and Theo, after turning off the fire hose, which was drenching the floor.

  Theo shook his head, then handed over the bullets in his hand. Angela handed over the gun without saying a word.

  ‘How did you get here so fast?’ Theo asked.

  ‘We’ve been on special alert ever since the Astral Collection arrived at the museum,’ the policeman explained. ‘Though I must admit, we thought the alarm going off was just a false alarm until your friend over there found us by the entrance and told us what was going on. If you’re all sure you’re all right, we’ll need you down at the station for your statements.’

  ‘Let me go! LET ME GO!’ Tom was struggling to get free from the policeman and policewoman who held him by his arms. ‘Angela, help me.’

  Theo turned. Tom pulled even harder to be free.

  ‘You’re making a mistake. Angela, t-tell them I don’t have anything to do with these men. Tell them I came here with you. Tell them I was trying to stop the robbery.’

  ‘Is that true?’ the policewoman who held Tom asked.

  Angela stared up at her brother, without saying a word.

  ‘Angela …?’ Tom said desperately.

  ‘Is that true, Angela?’ the policewoman prompted.

  The silence in the main hall was deafening as all eyes were turned on Angela.

  ‘I … No,’ Angela whispered. ‘He was with Robbie and Dylan trying to steal the Astral Collection.’

  ‘Angela …’ At Tom’s shocked voice, Angela burst into tears.

  Theo put his arm around Angela’s shoulder. ‘Don’t cry,’ he said, softly. ‘It’s OK. It’s over now.’

  ‘Angela …’ Tom’s voice held sad resignation.

  ‘I’m sorry, Tom. I’m sorry. But I don’t want to live like this any more – scared all the time,’ Angela sobbed.

  They watched each other, before Tom was pulled away by his police escort.

  ‘You’ll find another member of the gang called Scott in the warehouse at 117 Buzan Road. He’s in the basement,’ Theo told the policeman at his side.

  ‘What’s your name, son?’ the policeman asked.

  ‘Theo Mosley. And this is Angela. And this is my best friend, Ricky,’ Theo said as Ricky came running up.

  ‘I’m Sergeant Goldstein,’ said the policeman. ‘Taking your statements should be interesting. I mean, how did you even get in here?’

  ‘The same way they did. Angela’s brother is a security guard here at the museum,’ Theo explained. ‘He’s the one who let them in via the delivery entrance.’

  ‘The other guard on duty was tied up by Robbie. He’s in one of the rooms over there,’ Ricky panted.

  ‘Hang on. Haven’t I seen you somewhere before?’ The sergeant scrutinized Ricky.

  ‘Ricky’s been missing since Friday and …’ Theo began to tell Sergeant Goldstein.

  ‘I’m the one who’s been missing. Let me tell it,’ Ricky demanded.

  ‘Ricky Burridge …’ Sergeant Goldstein whistled. ‘I thought I recognized you. We’ve been searching for you for days.’

  ‘You have?’ Ricky asked.

  ‘Let’s get all of you down to the station,’ said Sergeant Goldstein. ‘And the first thing I’m going to do, Ricky, is call your mum.’

  Chapter Twenty

  Forgive Me

  23:48 hrs Tuesday, 20th May

  I DON’T HAVE much time. There’s a policewoman outside my door waiting to take me out of here. I begged them to let me stay here by mysel
f. This is my home. But all the grown-ups at the police station said I was too young to be by myself. The policewoman outside says my social worker will process me tomorrow. She makes it sound like I’m a roll of film or a tin of peas or something, rather than a person.

  I’m writing this now ’cos I don’t know when I’ll next get an opportunity to sit down and write.

  Tom’s in a police cell.

  So are the others. I don’t care about them. Only Tom. He’s in a police cell and I put him there. He wanted me to tell the police that he had nothing to do with Robbie and the others. How I wish I had now. How I wish … If I had to do it all over again, I’d say whatever Tom wanted me to say.

  But it’s too late.

  Tom’s in a police cell and I’m on my way to a home. Maybe one day I’ll look back and think I did the right thing. I hope so. Then maybe this aching pain in my chest will go away.

  I’ve got to go now. The policewoman’s knocking on my door.

  I’m sorry, Tom. I hope you’ll forgive me. You’re my brother and I love you but I’m so very tired. I just wanted it all to end. I just wanted it all behind us so we could go home and not jump every time there’s a knock at the door or we pass a police officer. That’s all. Please understand.

  And … and forgive me.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Three Weeks Later

  THEO SAT WITH his head in his hands, staring at his essay. Only Mrs Daltry could take what was probably going to be the most exciting adventure of his life and turn it into boring, dull homework. The class had been told to write about the most exciting or frightening thing that had ever happened to them. Mrs Daltry was particularly keen for Theo to write about what she called ‘his adventures’. She said he should write down every detail, every moment, but how could he? It hadn’t been a fun adventure for Ricky and there were things that had happened between Angela and her brother Tom which weren’t really his to tell. He’d tried writing down those bits but it just didn’t feel right so he’d screwed up the first two drafts and now here he was with his third attempt and he didn’t like this one any better. It made it seem as if he’d done everything himself. And he hadn’t.

  Downstairs the doorbell rang.

  ‘Don’t let that be another reporter,’ Theo murmured.

  At first, reporters knocking on the door at all hours had seemed exciting. Truth to tell, it made Theo feel kind of important, but the novelty had worn off by the end of the first couple of days. Now the reporters were just a pain in every bodily part!

  Well, if it was a reporter, Mum and Dad would soon sort him or her out! They’d had enough of reporters too, especially those who wouldn’t take no for an answer – which was ninety-nine per cent of them.

  Theo leaned across his small table to push up his window. Maybe some fresh air would help him think straight because his essay was driving him nuts! And it had to be given in the following morning so time was running out. Theo had to make a decision about what to write and stick to it.

  ‘Hi. Can I come in?’ Ricky popped his head round the door.

  ‘Course. You don’t have to ask.’ Theo beckoned him in.

  ‘What’re you up to?’ Ricky smiled, strolling over.

  ‘I’m doing the essay Mrs Daltry told us to write,’ said Theo. ‘She didn’t even let me decide for myself what I’d write about. She just told me to write about what happened at the Irving Museum.’

  Ricky’s smile faded.

  ‘You OK?’ Theo asked.

  Ricky shrugged. ‘Sure. Mrs Daltry said I could write about whatever I wanted. I don’t have to write … to write about the same as you.’

  ‘So what did you write about?’ asked Theo.

  ‘I haven’t done it yet.’ Ricky shrugged again.

  ‘Are you going to?’

  ‘I don’t know.’ Ricky began to walk around the room aimlessly. He touched this, he shifted that until he came to stand by Theo’s table again.

  ‘Ricky, are you OK?’ Theo asked, concerned.

  ‘I guess. Yeah. Sure. I’m great. Why wouldn’t I be? Mum lets me have anything I want now. I only have to ask – except she doesn’t let me out of her sight and she wants to take me everywhere. She walked me over here and she told me to phone her when I’m ready to leave and she’ll come and pick me up.’

  ‘She’s just worried, that’s all.’

  ‘Yeah, but she doesn’t realize that every time she insists on taking me where I want to go, all she does is bring it all back. She won’t let me forget what happened.’

  ‘Why don’t you tell her that then?’

  ‘I’ve tried. She won’t listen.’

  ‘Then make her listen. Tell her until she hears you. Even my mum wanted to take me everywhere that first week after it happened, and I wasn’t the one who was … who was kidnapped.’

  ‘No, you weren’t,’ Ricky said faintly. ‘Did I tell you? One of those tabloids that Mum always calls “tacky” offered her a lot of money for my story.’

  ‘Are you going to do it?’

  ‘I think … no.’ Ricky’s voice grew more and more quiet. ‘I still have nightmares, you know. I dream that I’ve lost my hands and my feet and my mouth and I can’t speak or shout or anything. Two nights ago I had a dream that there was nothing left of me but my brain and my two eyes staring out, and try as I could, I couldn’t make anyone understand what I was thinking.’

  ‘I … I’m sorry.’ Theo mentally cursed himself for being so ineffectual, but he really didn’t know what else to say.

  This was the first time Ricky had said a word to Theo about what had happened to him. Theo knew he needed to talk. Hell! He’d spent the last three weeks thinking about very little else himself, but recently he’d begun to wonder if maybe he’d dreamed bits of it. The bad bits. And then he’d see Ricky’s face and the shadows in his eyes and know he hadn’t.

  ‘I’m sorry, Ricky,’ Theo repeated.

  ‘Yeah, well so am I.’ Ricky started wandering around the room again.

  ‘Maybe the dreams will stop,’ Theo suggested.

  ‘And maybe they won’t,’ Ricky said with sudden bitterness. ‘Those few days when I was a prisoner were the worst days I’ll ever have in my life. I’m not going to put them in a stupid story for Mrs Daltry or relive them so some lousy tabloid can sell a few more papers. I just want to forget it. I just want … I just want …’ Ricky’s face contorted as he tried to blink back the tears threatening to embarrass him. But it didn’t work.

  ‘Sorry,’ Ricky sniffed, wiping his hand over his eyes. But the tears didn’t stop.

  Theo stood up, watching his friend unhappily.

  ‘T-They kept me tied up all the time. They only released my hands and feet to let me go to the loo. They only released my hands and took the tape off my mouth so I could eat. I even had to sleep tied up.’ Ricky started to shake as he remembered. ‘Robbie … Robbie threatened to shoot me if I tried to run away. He dared me to try – he said he needed the target practice.’

  Theo gritted his teeth, fury blazing like an inferno through his body.

  ‘I’m sorry I’m crying. I’ll stop in a minute,’ Ricky sniffed, sitting down.

  Theo wished he could think of something to say, but instead he just stood by his table feeling totally useless. He made his way over to his friend and sat down next to him.

  ‘You cry if you want to, Ricky,’ Theo said. ‘There’d be something very wrong with you if you didn’t cry after everything you’ve been through.’

  Ricky buried his face in his hands and wept. After a moment’s indecision, Theo put his arm around Ricky’s shoulder and hugged him.

  Chapter Twenty-two

  Friends

  IT WAS INCREDIBLE but true. Mrs Daltry was even more boring than usual! Somehow she managed to make the subject of how the Earth was formed as interesting as watching fingernails grow! Ricky nudged Theo in the ribs. Theo nudged him back. They both glanced at each other and wrinkled up their noses. The classroom door opened.

&
nbsp; Theo gasped when he saw who came in. A gasp echoed by Ricky – and everyone else in the class.

  It was Angela.

  ‘Hello, Angela. Take your seat,’ said Mrs Daltry.

  Her head bowed, Angela made her way over to her old table and sat down. Theo and Ricky looked at each other, stunned. What was Angela doing back here? She hadn’t been seen since the Irving Museum business. Theo looked across the classroom at her. She looked gaunt and miserable. Theo had seen that look before – on Ricky’s face.

  After that, everything Mrs Daltry said about how the Earth was formed didn’t even get as far as going in one ear and out the other. It just bounced straight off Theo’s and Ricky’s heads. Neither of them could concentrate. Angela had all their attention.

  Years passed – at least that’s what it felt like! – before the buzzer finally sounded. Mrs Daltry was first out of the class, a liquorice allsort already on its way to her mouth. Others in the class began to amble out. Angela was busy packing her bag. Theo noticed how she never looked up, never caught anyone’s eye, even when someone spoke to her. She’d answer in monosyllables, still packing her bag.

  ‘Come on.’ Theo nudged Ricky and they both went over to Angela.

  ‘Hello, Angela,’ Theo said quietly.

  Angela glanced up quickly. Her glance down again was even faster.

  ‘Hello, Theo.’ There was a pause. ‘Ricky.’

  Theo looked at Ricky. His face was expressionless.

  ‘So how’re you doing?’ Theo asked.

  ‘Fine,’ Angela replied, her nose buried in her bag.

  ‘Are you going to be in our class permanently?’ said Theo.

  ‘Yes,’ said Angela.

  Theo sighed inwardly. She wasn’t making this very easy.

  ‘What happened to your brother?’ Ricky asked.

  Angela looked up, her eyes glistening, her expression hostile. ‘He’s been remanded in custody. They all have. His solicitor says they’re probably all going to prison. So go ahead and gloat.’

  ‘I’m not gloating,’ Ricky said quietly. ‘Do you live by yourself now then?’

  ‘No. I’m living with my new foster parents.’