“Wink is dead?” he said.
“You know perfectly well he was murdered,” said Amanda.
“Really?” said Blixus. He seemed genuinely surprised. “Well, well. It wasn’t me, but whoever it was I’d like to thank him.”
Amanda felt confused. Was it possible Blixus hadn’t killed Wink Wiffle after all?
She turned to Nick. “You didn’t—” He shook his head. For some reason she believed him. He hadn’t killed David’s father either.
They stared at each other for so long that it felt like time had stopped. Finally she spoke. “Why?”
“Don’t be naïve,” he said. “You know why.”
He turned and all three Moriartys got into the vehicle. Then they sped off, raising a plume of dust so irritating that everyone who was left sneezed ten times in a row.
As the van raced toward the road, Editta dashed out in front of it and screamed, “Nick! Take me with you!” The van screeched to a halt. The back door opened and she threw herself in. Then, to everyone’s horror, the door closed and the van sped away.
They were all so shocked and exhausted that no one said a word. Holmes kept looking at Amanda, who was staring at the spot where the van had stopped. Ivy and Amphora were holding each other with Nigel in between. David limped off into the boulders. Simon supported Clive and walked him back to the tram. Despina and Hill tended to their injuries while Eustace sat on a rock feeling his scalp. Puppybreath and Niven were nowhere to be seen. It was so dark that if they were more than a hundred feet away, no one would have been able to see them.
Suddenly Holmes said, “The virus!” and ran for his computer. It was so dusty that he had to wipe off the screen, and for a moment it seemed that the keys wouldn’t work. Then he yelled, “Got it!” It took a couple of seconds for his words to register.
“You hacked it?” said Simon at last.
“Yes,” said Holmes. “I got into the whole network. Unless he’s got the formula somewhere off the grid, it’s gone.”
Amanda burst into tears. Holmes looked at her with pain in his eyes, closed the computer, and walked away.
34
Debriefing
The kids retrieved the remaining crystals from the tram. They glowed a lovely orange in the darkness, but Blixus had stuffed them so full of light that Ivy could hear their pain and covered her ears. Amanda, Simon, Clive, and Amphora each took one at a time onto their laps and caressed them gently until they had turned a healthy apricot once more and their sounds of distress abated. As the excess light drained off, the sky grew just a little bit brighter. Ivy exhaled with relief and Nigel stopped trying to hide his head. The kids wrapped the crystals in Simon’s jacket and placed them on an empty seat. Nineteen had survived.
Eustace managed to get the vehicle started again and drove them all the way to the school. On the ride back no one said a word—not even Despina Lester. Holmes sat by himself and Amanda cuddled up with Ivy and Nigel. Amphora sat behind Eustace and leaned her head back. Simon attended to Clive, who was definitely not in good shape. Hill and Despina sat together in the last row with their eyes closed. They had searched for David and his roommates to no avail.
When they had returned to Legatum, Simon took Clive to the hospital and the other friends plopped down in the common room. It turned out that Clive didn’t have a concussion, but both of them needed to be patched up and by the time the two boys returned, an hour had gone by. Now it was time to turn their attention to the elephant in the room.
“We have to tell Thrillkill,” said Amanda. “We can’t keep this from him.”
“I wish we didn’t have to,” said Amphora. “He’ll kill us.”
“It doesn’t matter,” said Ivy. “We’re going to have to take whatever punishment he gives us. Whatever it is, it can’t possibly be as bad as what he’s going to do to David.”
“I don’t know,” said Simon. “Thrillkill and David’s father were tight.”
“Yes,” said Amanda, “but the Bible means the survival of the school. Or it seems to, anyway. Thrillkill is responsible for lots of people. He’s not going to sacrifice everything for one friendship.”
“I didn’t even know Thrillkill had friends,” said Clive. Everyone looked at him. It seemed they hadn’t expected such a remark from nice, quiet Clive.
“He doesn’t seem like the type, does he?” said Amphora, giggling.
“You never know about people,” said Simon.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” said Amphora.
“Nothing,” said Simon.
“Where’s Scapulus?” said Ivy, who seemed not to have noticed the two arguing again.
“Dunno,” said Simon. “I haven’t seen him since we got back. He didn’t answer my text. Anyone hear from him?” He looked at Amanda, who shrugged.
“That doesn’t sound good,” said Amphora. “I hope he at least went to the nurse. He was beat up pretty bad.”
“I don’t think he did,” said Simon. “We didn’t see him there, did we, Clive?”
“I didn’t,” said Clive.
“If we don’t hear from him soon, can you see if you can find him, Simon?” said Ivy.
“Yeah, sure,” said Simon.
“We’d better go,” said Amanda. “I want to get this over with.”
Thrillkill bent over and rested his head in his hands. Then he punched his phone. “It seems we have a problem,” he said to whomever was on the other end. “Yes, now.” He rung off.
“We’re going to mount a search for Wiffle, Puppybreath, and Niven,” he told the kids. “And then we’re going to go after the book. It has to be there. What we’re going to do about Miss Sweetgum I don’t know. You’re sure she’s with the Moriartys?”
“She was,” said Amanda. “Whether she still is we don’t know.”
“Did you get a license plate?” said Thrillkill. There was a knock at the door. “Follifoot?”
“Yes.” So that was the teacher Thrillkill had called. It was a good choice. Professor Buck was strict, but he was tough, well organized, and always had your back, although he hadn’t been at all nice when Amanda and Nick had found the pink sugar in the secret room. He’d really taken them to task for leaving a murder scene, even though what they’d found by doing so had turned out to be critical.
“Come in.”
Professor Buck entered the office and closed the door behind him.
“We’ve got three students missing up at the quarry,” said Thrillkill. “And one with the Moriartys.”
“With the Moriartys, sir?”
“Yes, Miss Sweetgum. Apparently she’s run off with them.”
“You mean it was voluntary?” said Professor Buck.
“So it seems,” said Thrillkill. “Some kind of misguided infatuation. I’m about to notify her parents.”
Professor Buck whipped out his phone and made a call. “Quarry. Three students. Now.” He put his phone away and said, “About Miss Sweetgum.”
“Yes,” said Thrillkill. “White van. License plate, children?”
Amanda hated being called a child. She certainly didn’t feel like one.
“No, sir,” said Simon. “Maybe Scapulus got it.”
“Your classmate was kidnapped by the most dangerous criminal in the country and you didn’t get the license plate, Mr. Binkle? Let’s get Holmes in here at once.” He sent off a text.
“It wasn’t his fault, sir,” said Amphora. The other students looked at her with their mouths open. Ivy gasped.
“And why didn’t you get the plate, Miss Kapoor?” said Thrillkill.
“It all happened so fast,” said Amphora. “We’d been fighting, and David had destroyed the book, and—”
“What book?!” said Professor Buck. “Please tell me you don’t mean what I think you mean.”
“I’m afraid so, Professor,” said Amphora. “The original Detective’s Bible.”
“You mean you found it?” said Professor Buck incredulously.
“David did, actually,”
said Amphora. “But his roommates stole it and tried to give it to Blixus Moriarty, and . . .”
“What?!” thundered Professor Buck. “Do you mean to tell me that two Legatum students got hold of the Bible and gave it to our worst enemy?”
“They tried to,” said Amphora. “But David took it away from them. Unfortunately, he kind of lost his mind and drove a bulldozer over it, then threw it in a pit full of water.”
“And where is it now?” said Professor Buck coldly.
“We think it’s still down there,” said Amanda. “Scapulus and I tried to dive for it but we couldn’t find it.”
“So Moriarty might have doubled back after you left and got it,” said Professor Buck.
This possibility hadn’t occurred to Amanda. It was a horrifying thought.
“We don’t know,” said Amanda. “He might have. He was so mad at Nick, though—”
“Nick Moriarty?” said Professor Buck and Thrillkill at the same time.
“Uh, did we forget to tell you that?” said Amanda.
“You’re not telling us that Nick Moriarty is alive, are you?” said Thrillkill.
“I’m afraid so,” said Amanda.
Thrillkill and Buck looked at each other as if to say, “What else aren’t you telling us?”
“Let me get this straight,” said Professor Buck. “Blixus and Mavis Moriarty escaped from prison. For some unknown reason they ended up at a quarry near here and kidnapped Editta Sweetgum. Their son, Nick, who died in the explosion at their London factory a couple of months ago, magically came back to life and showed up there with him. Meanwhile, one of our students stole Legatum’s most prized and critical possession, and two of our other students stole it from him and almost gave it to our worst enemy. However, the first student ended up destroying the book, and now all of those people are missing.”
“Yes, sir,” said Amanda weakly. “That’s part of it, anyway.”
“Part of it?” roared Professor Buck. “You mean there’s more?”
There was another knock at the door. “Mister Holmes?” said Thrillkill.
“Yes, sir,” said Holmes from outside the door.
“Come in and sit down,” said Thrillkill.
Holmes entered and sat on the far side of the group, next to Professor Buck. He avoided Amanda’s eyes. Clive looked from one to the other and a light bulb seemed to go on.
“Mister Holmes,” said Thrillkill. “Your classmates are telling us about what happened at the quarry. Did you by any chance manage to get the license plate of the Moriartys’ van?”
“No sir,” said Holmes.
“Let’s see, you’re going to tell me there was too much going on, are you?” said Thrillkill.
“Well, sir, there was a lot, but actually there’s no excuse. I take full responsibility.”
Amanda couldn’t believe Holmes could be so generous. She grabbed Ivy’s hand. Ivy squeezed and she squeezed back.
“You cannot take responsibility for what the other students did or didn’t do, Mr. Holmes,” said Thrillkill. “Let’s not grandstand.”
Holmes looked stung. Amanda felt sorry for him.
“There is one thing, sir,” said Holmes.
“What’s that?” said Thrillkill.
“It’s possible someone else got the plate.”
“Someone else?” said Thrillkill. “What someone else?”
“The tram driver,” said Holmes. “Or Amanda’s relatives.”
“What?!” Thrillkill exploded. “What tram driver? What relatives?”
“My cousins from Liverpool, I’m afraid,” said Amanda. “You see, we were at the lake searching the boats—”
Thrillkill stood up and stared at the students one by one. Then in a very controlled voice he said, “What boats?”
Amanda’s phone rang. The number was unknown but somehow familiar. Then she remembered: Despina! “I think this might be important, sir,” she said to Thrillkill. He nodded.
“Hello,” she said. “Despina, is that you?”
“Yes, darling,” said Despina. “Are you all right?”
“Yes. Are you and Hill?”
Thrillkill let out a huge sigh.
“We’re fine, dear. Well, not exactly fine. We’re at the doctor’s. However, I remembered something that might be important.”
“What’s that?” said Amanda.
“I’ve got the license plate of that van for you.”
Amanda let out a whoop. Thrillkill gave her a dirty look, so she said, “She’s got the plate, sir.” Thrillkill stopped glaring and made a motion that said, “Get on with it, already.” “ME56BLX,” she said slowly as Despina read out the number. Holmes scrambled to make a note of it. “Thank you, Despina. You’ve been incredibly helpful. I’ll call you later, okay?”
“Yes, excellent, dear,” said Despina. “Oh, Hill says that boyfriend of yours is very handsome.”
Amanda felt herself go limp. She did not want to hear about Holmes. She did not want to see Holmes. She did not want to talk to Holmes. She did not want Holmes to talk to her.
And then a thought struck her: was Despina talking about Holmes, or Nick?
35
The Detective’s Bible
Professor Buck sent divers to the quarry to look for the Bible. He also sent a team out to search for David Wiffle, Philip Puppybreath, and Gavin Niven. They removed the boulders and dragged the pit but found no sign of the book there or anywhere in the area.
They discovered David Wiffle a short way away sitting against a boulder. He was scratched, bruised, and dusty. When they approached him he said nothing but came with them willingly. They tracked the roommates to the road but their footprints disappeared. Whether they were with the Moriartys or had gone somewhere else the rescuers couldn’t tell. The boat they’d stolen was still tied up at the lake, as was Blixus’s. The teachers searched both but found no clue as to where they or the Moriartys had gone. They did discover Nick’s fingerprints all over the Moriartys’ boat. It appeared that he’d been hiding out there since the explosion.
Thrillkill didn’t punish David. He said the boy had been through enough. His father was dead. He destroyed the book out of loyalty to the school, taking it in the first place to try to help the detectives. Now he had withdrawn and wouldn’t show his face. Even Gordon Bramble couldn’t get a word out of him, although he did take meals up to David’s room. Mostly they remained uneaten though.
If the teachers had been upset before, now they were hysterical. It wasn’t just that the Bible was missing. It had been destroyed, or so it seemed. They had lost their holy grail. Without the Bible to unify them they seemed to lose their compass and began to fight openly. It was now obvious that they had split into two factions:
The Realists. They believed that the Detective’s Bible was the undying symbol of their organization and without it they were lost. They wanted to discontinue the school. The members of this group were:
Browning. Sketching.
Mukherjee. Legal issues.
Hoxby. Pathology.
McTavish. Police Procedure.
Pickle (although still in prison). Textual Analysis.
Pole. Fires and Explosions.
Scribbish. Evidence.
Sidebotham. Observation and Research.
The Punitori. They were militant and wanted to take back what was theirs. They aimed to hunt down the perpetrators of the assumed theft and “neutralize” them. They’d recover the Bible and resume their operations. Their members were:
Also. History of Detectives.
Feeney. Criminals and Their Methods.
Snool. Weapons.
Pargeter. Toxicology.
Buck. Profiling.
Stegelmeyer. Crime Lab.
Ducey. Logic.
Peaksribbon. Self-defense.
The last group, which wasn’t exactly an official division, was those who abstained. They were:
Thrillkill. Headmaster.
Snaffle. Secrets.
Kindseth
(still in the hospital). Photography.
Tumble. Disguise.
Amanda wondered about the Punitori. How did they propose to recover the Bible? It had to have been destroyed. There was no way you could crush it with a bulldozer, drown it, and come up with anything but pulp, if even that. And did they really plan to neutralize two first-year students—boys who were obviously a bit misguided but who were probably redeemable?
Amanda and her friends still didn’t know what was actually in the Bible, of course. Perhaps there were facsimiles around that contained the same critical information. If that were the case, they could still use it and nothing would actually be lost. It wasn’t clear whether facsimiles existed, though, or where they might be if so.
What they did know what that the teachers didn’t want the parents or the other students to find out what had happened to the book, although some of the teachers were advocating coming clean. They’d already cautioned Amanda and her friends to keep their mouths shut. They were afraid the students would leave the school and the whole enterprise would die. Ivy had heard Thrillkill and Professor Also worrying about money and recruitment. But the worst thing about losing the Bible was the prospect of the Moriartys having access to it. The very thought was scaring the teachers stiff. Amanda thought Professor Scribbish had even lost some hair, which he could afford, but still wasn’t good.
Then Amphora heard something that resolved a longstanding question, and not in a good way. There were no copies. Whatever was contained in the Bible was gone. Now the kids knew that the secrets trove in no way duplicated the book. That was something else entirely—something seemingly off the teachers’ radar.
But there was more to the book than it seemed. The physical object was unique—so special that it could never be replaced. It had been hand-written by Legatum’s founder, Lovelace Earful, upon the school’s founding in 1887, which of course made it irreplaceable. But apparently Mr. Earful had added secret features that rendered the book priceless. Detectives had labored to find this information for more than a hundred and twenty years with absolutely no luck. The thing was a combination of the Holy Grail and the Dead Sea Scrolls, and without it they had lost their foundation.
Amanda Lester, Detective Box Set Page 69