Amanda Lester, Detective Box Set

by Paula Berinstein

  28

  Regrouping

  Everything was looking bleak now. They’d lost Blixus and the crystals and probably the book, the detectives hadn’t identified the dead body or figured out what the key was for, they had no idea who the murderer was, and according to Amphora, who had sent a number of texts while they were searching, Holmes had got nowhere with Professor Redleaf’s computer and the teachers were still at each other’s throats. The faculty had been arguing so much that Ivy had heard one of them inviting another to a special meeting that specifically excluded “the Punitori.” They also told Amanda that a couple who claimed to be her cousins had showed up at the guard gate asking for her—after she’d spoken with Despina.

  Amanda, Simon, and Clive watched Blixus sail toward the English Channel. They feared the worst and hadn’t a clue what to do next. One thing they did know was they had to stop the Moriartys from making more virus-tainted sugar. If they could do that, they could at least prevent them from creating more crystals. That meant that the kids had to get the virus formula and destroy it. But how were they going to do that? Where would it be? Probably on Moriarty’s computer. The one Amanda saw in the factory office last term had been blown to bits, and no doubt so had the one in Blixus’s office. Nick’s computer was with the police, so Blixus couldn’t get that, and anyway Nimba Pencil had told Amanda there wasn’t anything on it.

  Could the formula be on either of the Moriartys’ current phones or tablets? Some devices had been destroyed when Nick had blown up the factory, but Amanda was sure they owned more than that. Surely they’d have backups somewhere—probably all over the place. Unfortunately there was only one remedy for the problem: Holmes. Only he could hack their mobile devices now. He and Amanda had ended their last conversation on a sour note, but maybe Simon could convince him to help.

  “Simon,” said Amanda, “would you mind texting Scapulus and asking him if he’d be willing to help us? Clive, I’m discontinuing the video now.”

  “OK,” said Clive.

  “Still not getting along, eh?” said Simon.

  “Nope.”

  “All right. We don’t have time for games. But remember, I don’t have my phone.”

  “Oh, yeah. I forgot. You’ll have to use mine then. I don’t know if he’ll answer though.”

  Simon took Amanda’s phone and sent Holmes a text but got no reply. “We could get Ivy to try him,” he said. “She isn’t fighting with him.”

  “Good idea,” she said. “I’ll call her. Or do you want to?”

  “You do it,” said Simon. “It’s your phone.”

  “Right,” said Amanda. She took the phone back and pressed Ivy’s icon. The call went straight to voice mail. “Oh great. She’s not answering.”

  Next they tried Clive. He seemed to have put his phone down.

  “If you think I’m going to call Amphora—” said Simon.

  “I’ll do it,” said Amanda. But Amphora wasn’t answering either. “I can’t get hold of anyone. First they send a thousand texts and now they disappear.”

  “We could always try Wiffle,” said Simon, drumming on his skateboard.

  “Very funny,” she said. “Wait a minute.”

  “Oh no. You’ve got that look in your eye.”

  “Do you think Gordon would help us? He seems kind of different lately.” She searched her address book.

  “You don’t want to tell him what’s going on,” said Simon. Drum, drum. “He’ll tell Wiffle and Thrillkill will expel us.”

  “I suppose you’re right,” she said. “But he has been acting weird. Not weird exactly. Just more of a person.”

  “Even so,” said Simon, “we can’t afford to take the chance.” Drum, drum, drum.

  “I guess you’re right. We’ll have to wait for someone to get back to us.”

  “Hang on,” said Simon. “Do you see those two guys over there?” He indicated toward the factory wreckage.

  “Which two guys?” She looked where Simon was pointing. “Oh, those.” She could see two boyish shapes wearing backpacks and dark jackets with the hoods up. Their identities were unmistakable. “OMG, it’s Philip Puppybreath and Gavin Niven. What are they doing here?”

  “Don’t know,” said Simon, “but they sure look like they’re sneaking around. What could they be up to?”

  “I can’t imagine. Maybe they’re trying to get the book or the crystals back too.”

  “Those two?” said Simon. “I hardly think so. Wiffle is always complaining about what jerks they are. Ever since the, uh, explosion, they’ve been rooming with him.”

  “You can say it, Simon,” said Amanda. “I know they used to be Nick’s roommates.”

  “This is just weird,” said Simon. “I think we need to get back as fast as possible and find out what’s going on.”

  On the train back Amanda said, “Who are the Punitori anyway? Do you think they’re connected to the book?”

  Simon felt his nose—he’d been doing that ever since they’d boarded the train back from Euston Station. “Interesting name,” he said. ‘Punitori’ means avengers or punishers in Latin.”

  “You mean like wrestlers?” said Amanda.

  “Doubt it,” said Simon. “But it does sound like they see themselves as aggressive.”

  “Do you think these Punitori are some kind of subgroup of the teachers?”

  “It’s starting to look like it,” said Simon. “From what we know, there seem to be several points of view about the missing book and what they should do about it. Perhaps these Punitori represent one of them. ”

  Just then Amanda received a text from Amphora: “No news re key. Body still unknown.”

  “Boy,” said Amanda, “the teachers aren’t getting anywhere with the murder investigation. You’d think they’d have found something by now. I wonder what the problem is.”

  “Too bad they don’t have any DNA,” said Simon.

  Amanda was half-listening while she texted Amphora back: “How about teachers?” Within a few seconds she received a text back: “Same old.”

  “What’s she saying?” said Simon.

  “No change,” said Amanda. “Let me just catch them up on what happened here.”

  “Yup,” said Simon.

  Amanda sent several texts explaining what they’d seen and done in London. She asked if Amphora and Ivy had any thoughts about where Moriarty might be going. Unfortunately they were as much in the dark as Amanda, Simon, and Clive. They did find it strange that their friends had seen David Wiffle’s roommates there though. Amphora said she’d see if she could find anything out about that.

  “She’s really coming along, isn’t she?” said Amanda, sticking her feet on the back of the seat in front of her.

  “What?” said Simon, who had removed his skateboard from his backpack and was adjusting the wheels. “You mean Amphora?” Coming along how?”

  “Last term she seemed a bit lost. Not lost exactly. What am I trying to say? Don’t tell her I said this, and don’t you say it, but I think she was a bit lazy.”

  “She’s still lazy,” said Simon.

  Normally Amanda would have jumped all over him for that remark, but instead she said, “I don’t think so. At least not as much.”

  “She’s used to having her own way,” said Simon. “Her family’s got money.”

  “I gathered that.” She didn’t want to tell him about Amphora’s argument with David Wiffle. The last thing he needed to know was that Amphora had been trying to out-aristocrat the little creep.

  “And she’s soft,” he said. “She doesn’t know what to do when things get tough. But she is smart. It’s kind of a waste.”

  Amanda was shocked. Simon had never spoken like this before. “Wait a minute. Did you just say that Amphora is smart?”

  “Yes, but don’t make a big deal out of it,” said Simon. “Lots of people are smart. It doesn’t mean anything unless you use it. Look at Wiffle, for example. He’s intelligent. He’s just a dork. So is Amphora.”
<
br />   Funny he should liken the two. She’d thought that herself but had been afraid to admit it. “I don’t think liking boys makes you a dork, Simon.”

  “I’m not talking about that. I’m just saying she’s spoiled.”

  Bing! A text from Ivy had arrived: “I got into secrets trove!”

  Amanda practically dropped her phone. “Look!” she said.

  Simon glanced at the phone and said, “Ask her for more detail.”

  “Siiiii-mon,” said Amanda. “Aren’t you excited?”

  “Not until I know what that means.”

  “All right. I’ll ask her.” She thumbed a text and sent it.

  Ivy replied that she was able to hear the locks and had been able to pick them. She’d managed to crack several of the compartments but she couldn’t read the papers inside. Editta had been with her and had tried to read them but they seemed to be in code. Amanda sent back a congratulatory text. Ivy was amazing. She was probably the best detective in the first-year class.

  Simon said, “Yeah!” and Amanda was so surprised that she almost fell off her seat. He wasn’t an excitable guy, but for some reason the news had really got to him.

  “I’m excited too,” she said, “but you do realize that there are thousands and thousands of compartments. How are we going to get into all of them? And how are we going to crack that code?”

  “I have some ideas,” said Simon. She bet he did. They probably involved Holmes and she didn’t want to hear about him. “Speaking of ideas, I’m really jazzed about this skateboard design I came up with. I wonder if I could patent it.”

  “I don’t see why not,” said Amanda.

  “Thanks. Did you know that Scapulus has a patent?” She knew. She just didn’t want to talk about it. Simon could obviously tell because he said, “I’m sorry. I know he bothers you. But not for the reasons you think.”

  “What’s that supposed to mean?” she said.

  “Never mind. It’s nothing” He went back to fiddling with his skateboard.

  Boy, he could be annoying. Speaking of someone who ruined their gifts by being a dork. “What are you talking about? It isn’t fair to bring up something and not follow through.”

  Simon put down the skateboard and looked her full in the face. “The guy is crazy about you,” he said, then turned back to his skateboard and twirled another wheel.

  “Whaaaaaaat?!” She reached for a gingersnap. “Have you lost your mind?”

  “Nope,” he said, appearing to be satisfied with the way the wheels moved. “Why do you think he acts so mean to you?”

  “What are you talking about?” she said, chewing. The cookie was really dry. She’d have to get some water ASAP.

  “He really likes you. He’s afraid of being rejected so he acts mean to push you away so you won’t hurt him.” He stuffed the board back in his pack.

  “Give me a break. Wait. He didn’t tell you this, did he?” She was going to need to get up.

  “Of course not. But I know. I’m surprised you haven’t figured it out. And BTW, he’s really jealous of Nick.” He lifted his left leg and rested his foot on the seat, having to scrunch to get his butt out of the way.

  “What do you mean he’s jealous of Nick? How can he be jealous of Nick? Nick is dead, and anyway he wasn’t my boyfriend. I need to get some water.” This was the worst news she had heard all day. Well, not really. Moriarty sailing off with the book and the crystals was much worse, but that was different.

  “He was, and Scapulus knows it. He doesn’t think he can ever live up to the Nick Muffet legend so you’ll never look twice at him. That’s why he’s been trying to act like a tough guy. So he’ll be more like Nick and you’ll like him. I’ll wait.”

  Amanda got up and went to the water fountain. She was absolutely fuming and choked trying to swallow the lukewarm liquid. When she returned she plopped herself down so hard that Simon’s foot fell off the seat. “Nick was not my boyfriend and Scapulus does not have a crush on me. Where do you get these ideas?” she said.

  “Observation,” he said, resettling himself.

  “You’re nuts,” she said. “And by the way, eeeeeeew.”

  “Ew? Oh, I don’t know. I think you guys would be good together.”

  “Aaaagh! I thought you were my friend.”

  “I am,” he said. “And as your friend I think you should go for it.”

  When they were just a few minutes away from the Windermere station, Amanda said, “Your nose is still purple. How are you going to explain that?”

  “Uh, we were practicing our kicks and you accidentally got me?”

  “I don’t think so. That already happened to me. Too suspicious.”

  “Well, maybe I was hit by something falling in an aftershock.”

  “That seems better,” she said. “Although they’re going to ask you why you didn’t report the injury and go to the nurse.”

  “They won’t even notice,” he said. “Too preoccupied.”

  As soon as they returned they went to look for Holmes. He had never answered the text Simon had sent, and they desperately needed his help to destroy the virus formula. It was late but they found him in the Cyberforensics classroom still trying to figure out who had hacked Professor Redleaf’s computer. Tired as they were, they were still so agitated that they fell all over each other trying to tell him what was going on.

  “Is that what you sent that text about?” said Holmes.

  “Yes,” said Simon. “Sorry it was on Amanda’s phone but I forgot mine.”

  Holmes looked from one to the other of them but said nothing.

  “We have to destroy the virus,” said Amanda, hoping he wasn’t too mad. He sure looked it. “We really need your help. We need to hack the Moriartys and find it.”

  “That’s very noble of you,” he said, “but the security of the school is more important than the crystals.”

  Well didn’t that just beat all. Amanda was furious. The crystals were in pain, and by using them Blixus Moriarty could regain the advantage he’d lost. He was incredibly dangerous and thwarting him was way more important than the school’s data, which after all they should have protected better.

  “Look, guys,” said Holmes softly, “I’m very sorry but I can’t help you.”

  “Okay, man,” said Simon. “Thanks anyway.”

  Amanda glared at him and left him to his project. Crazy about her indeed.

  29

  Answers

  The next morning, Sunday, Amphora told Amanda and Ivy she thought she’d overheard Professor Thrillkill saying there had been yet another murder. The body count at the school was growing uncomfortably high and the three girls became extremely agitated. Nigel must have sensed their distress because he kept whining.

  Now Amanda’s hands were so full she didn’t know what to attack next. She still had to finish the film, she needed to find a way to destroy the virus formula, she had to figure out where the Moriartys were, she had to find out more about the Punitori, there was still the mystery of the dead body to solve and the secret compartments to get into, and now this. Fortunately Amphora volunteered to try to find out what was going on with the murder, leaving Ivy and Amanda to work on the other problems.

  Almost as soon as Amphora had set out, Amanda, who was sitting with Ivy in the common room trying to figure out what to do next, received a text: “Nothing,” said Amphora. After another few minutes she got another one: “Asked Rupert to keep ears open. Hasn’t heard.” Amanda looked at Ivy and said, “They must be trying to keep it hush hush, and who can blame them? There have been too many deaths around here.”

  The next text came in about half an hour: “Wrote names of teachers seen alive. Want list?” Amanda texted back, “What about Prof Kindseth?” Amphora texted, “In hospital.”

  In the next few texts Amphora sent the list. After thinking a moment Ivy said, “What about Professor Tumble?” Amanda asked Amphora about the disguise teacher, and the next message she received was, “Oh no. Haven’t see
n her.”

  Amanda texted back, “Who would want her dead?” Amphora sent, “Can’t think of anyone.” Then Ivy said she thought the most likely victim was Professor Feeney and had anyone seen her. Amphora texted “No.”

  “It’s got to be her,” said Amanda. “You’re right, Ivy. She was the one I heard talking about the missing book last term.” She texted Amphora and told her what she’d concluded. The next thing she knew, Amphora had run up to Professor Feeney’s office, which was empty. However while she was messing around, Professor Also came in and caught her. Now she was sitting in Thrillkill’s office waiting for him.

  “It’s a good thing Simon doesn’t know about this,” said Amanda.

  “Oh, I don’t know,” said Ivy. “I could collect enough money to pay for a year’s tuition.”

  Amanda smiled for the first time in a while. At least Ivy was joking about her friends’ arguing instead of being annoyed.

  When Amphora returned from Thrillkill’s office she was more upset than she’d been at the news of another murder. “He gave me two weeks’ detention,” she said. “And by the way, there hasn’t been a murder. I got that wrong. Not that I told him I was eavesdropping. I just mentioned that I thought Professor Feeney might be dead, so he called her into his office and she said, ‘Obviously not. Whatever gave you such an idea?’ So I just said I thought I’d heard something.”

  “I’m sorry about the detention,” said Ivy.

  “He was so mad, though,” said Amphora. “He said that that no one had died since Professor Redleaf was killed, and I shouldn’t have been in Professor Feeney’s office without permission, and that if I infringe the rules one more time I’ll be suspended for two weeks like my ‘friend Simon Binkle.’”

  “Oh dear,” said Ivy.

  “I think he has it in for both me and Simon now, if you want to know the truth,” said Amphora. “I hate being lumped together with him. And who is he to threaten me like that? Yes, I shouldn’t have been in there, except that I had to find out. He would have done the same thing. Thrillkill, I mean, although I’m sure Simon would have too.”