The Deadly Dare Mysteries

by Malorie Blackman

  ‘Yeah, right!’

  The man poured himself some mineral water from the bottle on the table. ‘OK. What else?’

  ‘Someone logged on to my computer earlier today and went through most of my files. That’s why I wanted to see you tonight.’

  The man sat bolt upright. ‘Did they get …?’

  ‘Don’t worry. I’m not that stupid. I removed all our stuff from my computer a couple of days ago.’

  ‘And you reckon Darius was the one who logged on to your computer?’

  ‘Who else would have access to it?’

  The man wiped a hand over his forehead. ‘We’ll need to act fast then – just in case. He’s going on some ridiculous school visit tomorrow which should prove the ideal time and place to … to get him out of the way.’

  ‘Tomorrow?’ the woman said, aghast. ‘So soon?’

  ‘Darling, look at us. Look at the way we live. Sneaking around corners and hiding like criminals when we’ve done nothing wrong. And it’s all thanks to Darius Marriott. I can’t even tell my family about you because of him. I’m sick and tired of living this way.’

  ‘So am I, but this is so … so … final.’ The woman took a deep breath to try and control herself. ‘Once we’ve done this, there’s no turning back.’

  ‘I know. That’s why I have to know that you’re beside me on this. I have to know I can count on you.’

  The woman bowed her head. Silent moments passed. When she looked up, her expression was no happier but it now held resolve. ‘If there’s no other way …’

  The man smiled his relief. ‘There isn’t. We can’t afford to hang about for much longer – not if he really does suspect something. I just need to know that the Lazarus suit will do what we want it to do.’ The man continued to whisper even though they were quite alone.

  ‘That part of it is fine. It’s all been set up. We just need to make sure that one of us is close enough to set it off,’ the woman replied.

  They watched each other for several tense seconds.

  ‘Are you sure there’s no other way?’ the woman asked again.

  ‘I’m positive. We’ve got to get rid of him once and for all.’

  ‘OK. I trust you, you know that.’ The woman sighed.

  ‘Darling, think of it. We can be together openly. We won’t have to creep off to another city once a week just to be together.’

  ‘I know. But I don’t want anything to go wrong …’

  ‘It won’t. No one knows about us – no one. And by this time next week, Darius will be gone for good and you and I will own DemTech. And most important of all, we can be together openly, without all this sneaking around.’

  ‘I wish I had your confidence.’ The woman shook her head.

  ‘Don’t worry, I have enough confidence for both of us. This time tomorrow, Darius Marriott will be out of the picture – permanently.’

  Chapter One

  Detecting Lies!

  ‘IS THAT IT then?’ Theo whispered.

  Bullet nodded.

  ‘Does it work?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Bullet admitted. ‘I only finished it late last night.’

  Theo leaned in closer. Bullet held a rectangular gizmo about the size of a large calculator. It gave off a faint hissing sound like an untuned radio. It consisted of ten buttons numbered zero to nine, two small dials and an LCD screen which took up at least a third of the gadget. A small antenna stuck out of the top of the gizmo.

  ‘What’s that?’ Angela, who sat on the other side of Bullet, pointed to the contraption in Bullet’s hands.

  ‘A lie detector,’ Theo supplied before Bullet could open his mouth.

  ‘What’s it for?’ asked Angela.

  Bullet and Theo exchanged a look. ‘Detecting lies?’ Theo suggested.

  Angela’s face flamed as Theo and Bullet exchanged another wry look. ‘Theo, there’s no need to be quite so sarky.’

  ‘Then don’t ask stupid questions!’ Theo grinned.

  ‘It wasn’t a stupid question …’ Angela was beginning to raise her voice now.

  ‘Shush, you two. Before you have all the teachers over here,’ Bullet whispered.

  Theo and Angela both sat back abruptly in their chairs. Theo had a quick glance around. Bullet was right. They were already getting a disapproving frown from Mr Cross – cross by name and cross by nature! Theo looked away, only to catch sight of Mrs Daltry scowling at them. Oops! Quickly, Theo looked up at the stage, wondering for how much longer this assembly was going to go on. They’d only been in the hall about ten minutes, which was nine minutes too long as far as Theo was concerned. Mrs Nash, the deputy head, was half-way through reading out the school announcements.

  ‘What happens when your machine detects a lie?’ Theo whispered out of the side of his mouth.

  ‘It bleeps, unless I turn the sound off first. And it’s got a built-in microtape recorder to record conversations and there’s a recording chip in it which records the exact moment or moments in the conversation when lies were told,’ Bullet explained. ‘This lie detector can monitor a person up to ten metres away, it can record conversations of up to thirty minutes and it can indicate the sentences that are untrue.’

  ‘Does it sweep the floor as well?’ Theo raised a sceptical eyebrow.

  ‘Does it work?’ Angela couldn’t help asking.

  ‘As I said, it’s not fully tested yet but there’s no reason why it shouldn’t.’

  ‘And just how does it know when someone’s lying or not?’ Theo asked, after looking around to make sure none of the teachers could see them talking.

  ‘When people lie, they change the way they speak without realizing they’re doing it. Their words might become faster or slower, or higher or lower. Of course, the closer I am to the person being tested, the better it works and the more accurate the results. It’s similar in principle to a voice stress analyser except my invention is much more sophisticated.’

  Theo sniffed but said nothing. That was Bullet! As modest as ever!

  ‘But once someone knows you’re checking to see whether or not they’re lying, they can change the way they tell their lies so that they fool your machine,’ said Ricky, leaning across Theo.

  ‘That’s why it’s better if the person I’m testing doesn’t know they’re being tested,’ Bullet explained. ‘It also uses Doppler radar techniques to detect and monitor body changes. Then this lie detector interprets all the data …’

  ‘This is turning into a Heathrow job,’ Theo sighed.

  ‘Huh?’

  ‘This is going over my head!’ explained Theo. ‘But it’ll be interesting to see if it works.’

  ‘Of course it works. I made it,’ sniffed Bullet.

  ‘So who are you hoping to catch out in a lie?’ Angela asked.

  ‘No one in particular. I’m just testing it. I thought I’d try it out on our new headmaster,’ Bullet whispered back.

  ‘Mr Unbar?’ Angela said, surprised. ‘What d’you reckon he’s lying about?’

  ‘He’s a grown-up and a teacher. So he’s bound to lie at least once every five minutes,’ Bullet shrugged. He continued to fiddle with his gizmo.

  ‘That’s a bit cynical, isn’t it?’ Angela raised her eyebrows.

  ‘After everything you’ve been through with your brother, I’d have thought you’d be the first to agree with me,’ said Bullet.

  Angela didn’t answer. She turned away to stare straight ahead. Theo gave Bullet an angry look.

  ‘What did you have for breakfast this morning? Tactless on toast?’ said Theo.

  Bullet looked at him, surprised. Then he turned to Angela. ‘Sorry. I didn’t mean that the way it came out.’

  ‘Never mind. It doesn’t matter,’ Angela shrugged.

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

  ‘Yes, I’m fine.’

  Bullet looked down at his gizmo which was pointing in Angela’s direction. A downward arrow flashed intermittently on it.

  ‘What
does that mean?’ Theo pointed.

  ‘Angela’s lying,’ Bullet whispered in Theo’s ear. He turned back to Angela. ‘I really am sorry. Sometimes my mouth goes to work before my brain has had a chance to kick in.’

  ‘OK,’ Angela nodded. The faint trace of a smile on her face disappeared as swiftly as it had appeared.

  Theo gave Angela one last look before turning back to the stage. Angela still didn’t speak about her brother Tom much, even after all this time. Her brother was still in prison and Angela was the one who’d put him there. No wonder she couldn’t bear to talk about him. Bullet should’ve known better.

  ‘And now I have a wonderful surprise for all of you,’ said Mr Unbar as he took over from Mrs Nash up on the stage.

  ‘Yeah, right!’ Theo muttered. What their new headmaster thought was a wonderful surprise and what Theo might think was a wonderful surprise were bound to be two different things. Theo didn’t need Bullet’s lie detector to spot that little fib.

  ‘As part of our school’s policy to have visits from prominent people in industry, we are very lucky to have Mr Darius Marriott here with us today,’ the headmaster continued.

  Bullet sat bolt upright and stared up at the stage as if he’d been stung. Well, maybe not stung – Bullet was allergic to wasp stings – but slapped at any rate. Theo frowned as he looked at Bullet. He’d never seen such a look of intense concentration and excitement on Bullet’s face before – not even when Bullet had finally managed to get his program to solve crimes working.

  ‘Darius Marriott, as I’m sure most of you already know, is the head of DemTech Industries. Over the last decade, his company has invented at least half of the new labour-saving devices we have in our homes today. DemTech are also leaders when it comes to medical, technological and military innovations.’

  At the few murmurs of distinct disapproval floating around the hall, Mr Unbar continued hastily. ‘And another division of his company invented the now classic game Operation Blaster.’

  The murmurs of disapproval were now mixed with whispers of appreciation and anticipation. Theo gave a sniff of derision. Mr Unbar never used one word where fifteen would do. If he meant that DemTech invented loads of gadgets used in hospitals and by the army then why didn’t he just come right out and say so.

  ‘So let’s give him a big welcome,’ Mr Unbar smiled.

  The hall erupted into spontaneous applause as a tall man wearing a white shirt and navy blue cords came on to the stage. Beneath his shirt but clearly visible, he wore a strange-looking black-grey waistcoat or vest with sleeves down to his elbows.

  ‘Hello everyone,’ Darius Marriott said with a smile. ‘I’m here today because I’m hoping to convince all of you of how wonderful science is! I’m hoping that some of you will become scientists and maybe some of you will come and work for my company.’

  Theo switched off. He didn’t want to be a scientist. He wanted to be a famous detective, more famous than Sherlock Holmes and Hercule Poirot and Batman and Miss Marple put together. He’d be a private detective with swish offices somewhere in Central London and all the major cities around the world. He’d have a number of other private detectives working for him, but he’d be the best. He’d be so famous, he’d be on chat shows and in the papers and people would come to him to solve their most perplexing cases.

  Ladies and gentlemen, it gives me great pleasure to introduce as my next guest Sir Theo Mosley – the greatest detective of the 21st century. The greatest detective the world has ever seen!

  Theo drifted away, imagining the big house he’d buy and the plush offices he’d work from and all the money he’d have in his Swiss bank account until a sharp elbow in his ribs brought him back to reality. He glared at Ricky who grinned back at him.

  ‘Now can anyone guess what I’m wearing under my shirt?’ asked Darius Marriott, looking around the hall.

  Darius proceeded to unbutton his shirt and take it off so that everyone could have a better look at the waistcoat underneath. Nervous giggles sprung up around the hall. The teachers gave each other dubious looks.

  ‘Don’t be shy!’ Darius smiled. ‘What am I wearing?’

  Silence. Then a couple of hands were raised tentatively in the air. A few more hands went up. Darius pointed to Angela, who was one of the brave ones.

  ‘Is it a bullet-proof vest?’

  Theo wasn’t the only one to burst out laughing. What a ridiculous answer! Trust Angela!

  ‘You’ve been watching too many James Bond films!’ Ricky leaned across Theo and Bullet to whisper to Angela.

  ‘It might be,’ Angela defended herself.

  ‘Actually that’s a very good guess,’ said Darius, looking around. ‘And this suit uses similar technology for some of its components.’

  The laughter died down. Angela looked around with a vindicated, smug smile on her face.

  ‘But it’s not right,’ Darius Marriott continued. ‘How about you? What d’you think it is?’

  ‘Is it for concealing things?’

  ‘No.’

  ‘Is it some kind of jet pack for flying above the traffic?’

  ‘No. But I wish it was,’ Darius Marriott smiled. ‘What a good idea!’

  ‘Is it an invisibility suit?’

  Theo gave a snort of derision. He turned his head, craning his neck to see who had come up with that daft idea. The guesses were growing more and more bizarre! Bullet put up his hand.

  Darius Marriott pointed at him. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Is it some kind of medical device?’

  ‘What makes you say that?’

  ‘It’s the sleeves really,’ said Bullet. ‘They only go down to your elbows which makes me wonder if somehow they’re for taking your blood pressure, ’cos they always take your blood pressure at about heart level.’

  ‘Well done! When you leave university you must apply for a job at my company,’ Darius Marriott smiled.

  Theo gave Bullet a congratulatory dig in the ribs. Unfortunately, Angela chose that precise moment to do exactly the same thing. Bullet doubled over as if he’d been punched in the stomach.

  ‘Are you OK?’ Darius Marriott asked, concerned.

  Bullet sat up, wincing as he breathed. ‘Yeah, I’m fine.’

  Theo caught sight of Mrs Daltry glowering at him and Angela. He sighed. He didn’t have to be Einstein to know that the moment they were out of the hall, Mrs Daltry was going to have a rant.

  ‘What I’m wearing is the result of a new project my company is working on called the Lazarus project. Lazarus was a man who, according to the Bible, was brought back to life by Jesus. We call this a Lazarus suit – even though really it’s only a Lazarus waistcoat or jacket at best. But Lazarus suit sounds so much better, doesn’t it?’

  More than a few nods and smiles agreed with Darius.

  ‘In fact some of you may have seen me talking about this Lazarus suit last week on the telly. Or perhaps some of you have seen articles about the Lazarus suit in the national papers? It was formally announced two weeks ago. And you’ll have to forgive the poetic licence,’ Darius continued. ‘This device is well named because that’s what the suit ultimately sets out to do. Another good name for it would be the suit of life. Our suit is designed to be worn by those who might need medical attention literally at a moment’s notice. This Lazarus suit can take your blood pressure and monitor your heart rate. It can even administer medicines and some medical treatments. And what’s more … what’s …’ Darius Marriott’s voice slowed and trailed off altogether. His eyes became glassy and he began to sway backwards and forwards.

  Mr Unbar, the headmaster, stood up slowly, a frown on his face. ‘Mr Marriott, is everything all right?’

  Darius Marriott tried for a smile and missed by several kilometres. ‘I … I …’ Then he suddenly lurched like a puppet being yanked off the ground before falling over on to his side. All the teachers sprang up at once and they weren’t the only ones. Bullet leaped to his feet, his gizmo still hissing and crackling in his h
and. Mr Unbar rushed over to Darius Marriott, who now lay still on the stage floor. Theo didn’t know what to do, what to say. Was this a joke?

  ‘Is this part of Mr Marriott’s demonstration?’ Angela whispered.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Theo replied slowly. ‘But I don’t think so. I think this is real.’

  Murmurs and anxious whispers broke out all over the hall. Mr Unbar put his fingers to Darius Marriott’s neck, only to cry out and instantly draw his hand away. Clenching and unclenching his fingers, he looked up and down Darius’s body. From where he was sitting, Theo could see Darius Marriott’s body jerk suddenly then stop, then jerk again as if he was having a fit. Shaking his hand, Mr Unbar tentatively tried again. Unclipping Darius Marriott’s Lazarus suit and pulling it off, the headmaster placed his ear to the prone man’s chest. He sat up and tried to take Darius’s pulse again, feeling both his neck and his wrist.

  ‘Someone phone for an ambulance,’ said Mr Unbar, his face grim. ‘Quickly. This man is dying.’

  Chapter Two

  Shock

  ‘D’YOU THINK HE’S OK?’ Bullet’s voice was barely a whisper.

  Theo shrugged. They all watched out of the classroom windows as Darius Marriott was carried away on a stretcher by two paramedics. The school gates were quite a distance from the classrooms and even further away from the assembly hall. A good width of a football pitch away at least. Theo didn’t envy them, having to carry Darius Marriott all that way. As for Theo and everyone else in the hall, they’d all been bundled out of the assembly hall so quickly, Theo’s head was still swimming. So much for his first thought that maybe this was some kind of joke.

  ‘Not a very good advertisement for his own suit, is he?’ said Angela.

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Bullet rounded on her at once, his eyes blazing.

  Theo exchanged a sigh with Ricky, then shook his head. Angela had all the subtlety of a charging rhino! Bullet and Angela made a good pair.

  ‘I just meant …’

  ‘Yes …?’

  ‘I just meant that if he’s had a heart attack then maybe his suit should have … I don’t know … saved him somehow,’ Angela tried to explain.