‘Of course,’ Ericsson said. ‘From what you say they’ve been through a lot as well. I’ll get my office to contact the FBI in Miami.’
Just then, Sam wandered over. ‘Speaking of FBI,’ he said, ‘Gerald, I think you owe Special Agent de Bruin an apology.’
Gerald looked at Sam, confused. ‘What do you mean?’
‘About him not being with the FBI.’
‘Sam, you’re making no sense,’ Ruby said. ‘We haven’t seen that de Bruin guy since Felicity cracked him over the head in Mason Green’s apartment in San Francisco.’
‘No,’ Sam said. ‘He’s just over there.’ He looked across to the iron cage where Brahe and Pugly still sat on the floor. ‘At least, he was over there a minute ago. He came up and said hi—said he was part of this raid, helping out the Swedish police.’
Detective Ericsson looked at Sam stone-faced. ‘We have had no assistance from the FBI or any agency,’ he said. ‘The only people on this mission are under my command. Are you saying there was someone else in here?’
‘Sure,’ Sam said. ‘Special Agent de Bruin. He was asking where the Voynich Manuscript was. I pointed it out on the table over there.’
They all looked to the table.
There was no sign of de Bruin. Or the Voynich Manuscript.
Detective Ericsson was on his feet in a heartbeat, barking orders in Swedish. Policemen all around the chamber dropped what they were doing and ran to the exits.
Ericsson turned back to Sam. ‘We will find him,’ he said. ‘And the manuscript. What name was he using?’
‘It’s de Bruin,’ Sam said.
The detective nodded. ‘As in bear?’ he said.
‘Huh?’
‘De Bruin,’ Ericsson said. ‘It’s an old Dutch term for bear.’
A light flicked on in Gerald’s head. He couldn’t believe it hadn’t occurred to him until that moment. What an idiot. ‘Just like Ursus, the bear,’ he said.
Detective Ericsson looked at him, confused. ‘What was that?’
Gerald ignored him and turned to Ruby and Sam. ‘Ursus and de Bruin. They’re the same person. They—he—was after the Voynich Manuscript the whole time.’
Ruby blinked at him. ‘How can you be sure they’re the same person?’
‘There’s the name for starters. And what’s an FBI agent doing turning up at Mason Green’s apartment by himself at night? He was looking for the manuscript.’
‘Then why would he phone us and call himself Ursus?’ Ruby said.
Gerald thought for a moment. ‘If de Bruin wanted the manuscript he had to find Brahe. He must have known that Brahe would contact us to get the pendant. De Bruin couldn’t have us going to the police—that would ruin everything. So he calls us, puts on a fake voice, and tells us to do everything Brahe wants. That way he can follow us to his precious manuscript.’
‘So, who is this Ursus guy?’ Sam said. ‘And now that he’s got the manuscript, is he going to try to cook up a universal remedy too?’
‘I don’t know,’ Gerald said. ‘Maybe there’s more in that manuscript than just dodgy medicine.’
Detective Ericsson shook his head. ‘I will need to hear everything you know about this de Bruin. And about this man calling himself Brahe.’
Sam gave a cheeky grin. ‘That will be nose problem.’
Ruby let out a weary sigh.
Detective Ericsson looked at Sam like he was something stuck to the sole of his boot. ‘That is snot funny,’ he said.
It took Sam a moment to register what Ericsson had said, then he beamed at the detective.
‘Oh, yes,’ Ericsson said, cracking a thin smile. ‘We Swedish have a sense of humour. We’re not all Volvos, meatballs and flat-packed furniture, you know.’
Ruby shook her head and turned to Gerald. ‘Of all the police in Sweden, we get the one that does nose jokes.’
Chapter 36
Gerald couldn’t tell which was more comforting: the embrace he received from his parents when they all got back to London, or the quantity of food that Mrs Rutherford all but forced down his throat.
‘You all look so thin,’ the housekeeper said as she piled more steaming pastry packages of baked deliciousness onto the table. ‘The terrible ordeal you’ve had to endure.’
‘Thanks, Mrs R,’ Sam said, helping himself to a pastie from a silver platter by his elbow. ‘This should help us through it.’
Gerald and Vi and Eddie, the four Valentines, Felicity and the Colonel, Alisha and Mr Gupta, as well as Ox and his parents had all gathered in the formal dining room at Gerald’s house in Chelsea, at his mother’s insistence. Even in a time of crisis, there was no reason not to have a party.
Mr Fry even seemed pleased to be serving up the food.
There was a lot of excited chatter and laughter around the long table. The events of the Christmas- gone-wrong seemed so long ago. All of Vi’s friends had returned home, with a new tale to tell at their drinks parties. And all the Wilkins staff had resumed their normal duties, with, at Gerald’s insistence, a substantial Christmas bonus.
Vi raised her champagne glass and tapped it lightly with a spoon. ‘If I could have your attention,’ she trilled. She waited for the talk to die down. ‘I would like to thank you all for coming along this evening. It has been a difficult start to the year,’—there were knowing nods and snorts of agreement—‘but I have a few things I’d like to say.’
Gerald was seated next to Ruby and he leaned in close to her ear. ‘I hope you don’t need to go to the toilet,’ he said. ‘This could be a Brahe bladder moment.’
Ruby giggled into her serviette. ‘Behave,’ she said. ‘You might miss something important.’
Gerald looked at Ruby curiously. What did she mean by that?
‘My husband and I want to apologise for putting you all in such danger,’ Vi said. She ignored the murmurs of dissent from around the table. ‘But I am delighted that we have all come out the other end unscathed.’ There was light applause. ‘Gerald has told me all about that horrible man and his silly pursuit of some universal medicine. Honestly, why people can’t just get on with living the life they’ve got rather than bemoaning the one they don’t, they might surprise themselves and get more out of it.’ Vi paused, as if surprised by her own statement.
‘Well put, Mum,’ Gerald said.
‘Thank you, dear,’ she said, taking a gulp of Dom Perignon. ‘In fact, I had a call from the Swedish police this afternoon. They have finally identified who this Brahe man is.’
There was an excited murmur around the table. ‘Really, Mrs Wilkins?’ Ruby said. ‘Who is he?’
‘It turns out he is Tycho Brahe.’ Vi took another generous swig.
The table responded as one. ‘What?’
‘That’s his name,’ Vi said. ‘Some descendant of the original, apparently. He was born in Switzerland in 1956 and inherited the family fortune when he was quite young. Hence all the money and the spare time—a dangerous combination if ever there was one.’
‘So he actually is Tycho Brahe,’ Sam said. ‘Just not the Tycho Brahe.’
‘You sound disappointed,’ Felicity said, giving him a wink. Gerald didn’t miss that Sam’s cheeks blushed pink.
‘Apparently he became obsessed with his ancient ancestor,’ Vi said. ‘He went a bit mad about it. He started believing that he was the original, even to the point of growing a beard and having his nose removed so he’d look just like him.’
‘That’s revolting,’ Alisha said, recoiling. ‘What type of doctor would do surgery like that?’
Vi tapped herself on the underside of the chin with the back of her fingers. ‘You’re too young yet, dear, but I can put you in touch with a dozen of them.’ She quaffed a half-glass more of her champagne. ‘Anyhoo, the poor man got so tied up in all this alchemy
nonsense that he really believed he could turn lead into gold, and mercury into medicine. That’s why he kept sweating so much, Gerald. Excess perspiration is a symptom of mercury poisoning.’
Ruby let out a sharp laugh. ‘So the only reason he got sick was because of all the mercury he was handling trying to live forever. There’s some irony for you.’
‘No,’ said Sam. ‘She said it was mercury. Not irony.’
There was a long silence around the table.
Ruby shook her head. ‘You are a loveable pea brain.’
The room erupted in laughter.
‘I sort of feel sorry for Brahe,’ Gerald said. ‘He was trying to help people by finding the universal remedy.’
Ruby looked at Gerald, astonished. ‘He was going to cut out my heart.’
Gerald shrugged. ‘Well, apart from that, he seemed all right.’
Vi nibbled on a piece of asparagus and dabbed her fingers on her serviette. ‘Well, he’s getting medical treatment now, so he’ll be on the mend soon enough. Then they can lock him in jail where he belongs.’
‘Mrs Wilkins,’ Alisha said from the far end of the table, ‘did the police say anything about Sir Mason Green?’
‘They still have no idea where he is. They’re hoping to get some information from Brahe, but it seems members of the Billionaires’ Club are pretty tight. He’s not giving anything away.’
Gerald leaned in close to Ruby and whispered, ‘Sounds like a good reason for me to join up.’
‘What was that dear?’ his mother asked.
Gerald sat upright in his seat. ‘I was just saying it’s a worry he’s still on the loose.’ Mason Green was never far from Gerald’s thoughts. And he had the uneasy feeling that the chilling phone call in Prague would not be the last he would hear from him.
‘Excuse me, Mrs Wilkins,’ Alisha said. ‘We haven’t heard what happened to you after we got away from the chalet. Brahe said he didn’t kidnap you.’
Vi drained her glass and waggled it in the general direction of Mr Fry. He glided across the floor to refill it. ‘He didn’t,’ she said. ‘We all spent the night locked in a drawing room at the chalet. We heard that terrible avalanche the next morning. Eddie and his pals broke the door down but there was no sign of the intruders. They’d all gone. Taken off. We were trying to get the phone to work to call for help when we heard a helicopter touch down. I thought it was the police. But it was another bunch of armed goons! Can you believe it?’
‘So you were kidnapped, but by a different gang?’ Ox said. ‘Amazing.’
‘I know,’ Vi said. ‘Their leader was very polite. I’ll grant him that. Introduced himself as Mr Balu and told us we had to go with him. Something about everything having to be done in the right order.’
Gerald turned to Ruby. ‘Does that sound like anyone we know?’
‘You mean de Bruin?’ she asked.
Gerald nodded. ‘Someone who loves a process.’
Alisha raised her head. ‘Mrs Wilkins, did you say his name was Balu?’
‘That’s right, dear.’
Alisha laughed. ‘Balu,’ she said. ‘It’s Hindi for bear. Like in The Jungle Book.’
Gerald sat back in his chair. ‘So Special Agent de Bruin is Ursus and Balu.’
Vi gave a frustrated ring of her glass again. ‘I have no idea where we were taken. It was blindfolds all round for hours. Then we were left in a large dormitory with no windows. It must have been on the coast or an island because we could hear waves at night. Oh, Gerald, I’ve been meaning to tell you. You’ll never guess who I saw there.’
‘Was it Professor McElderry from the British Museum?’
Vi looked astonished. ‘How on earth did you know that?’
‘Educated guess,’ Gerald said.
‘The police are still looking for him, and all his academic friends,’ Vi said. ‘The morning we left, he and a bunch of others were left behind. We were blindfolded, put back on the helicopter, then into a van and finally dumped outside the FBI office in downtown Miami. Quite the most extraordinary thing.’
‘So Brahe is under arrest, Green is on the loose, Ursus has the manuscript and no one knows where Professor McElderry is?’ Gerald said. ‘That’s quite a Christmas.’
Vi leaned back and took a long breath. ‘I’m sure everything will work out for your professor friend,’ she said. ‘But for us, it’s time to move on, with a fresh new year ahead. And with that in mind, I have some pleasant news to announce. While Eddie and I were sitting around with not much to do, being kidnapped and all, we decided we needed to properly honour my dear Aunt Geraldine. So after long discussion with my husband, and indeed with Mr and Mrs Valentine, I am delighted to announce the establishment of the Geraldine Archer Memorial Scholarship.’ Vi clapped her hands with enthusiasm.
Gerald leaned in close to Ruby. ‘Why would she need to discuss that with your mum and dad?’
‘Listen up,’ Ruby said, the edges of her mouth twitching.
‘And the inaugural recipients of the scholarship, I am delighted to say, are Ruby and Sam Valentine!’ Vi launched into another burst of applause, joined in by the rest of the table.
Gerald blinked and looked to the Valentine twins. ‘You what?’
Sam jumped up and clapped his hand on Gerald’s sore shoulder, extracting a cry. ‘It means, sunshine, that I’m coming to St Cuthbert’s and Ruby is off to St Hilda’s. We’re coming to school with you!’
Gerald couldn’t believe it. Ruby was grinning from ear to ear. Felicity was already around their side of the table bouncing with excitement and babbling about all the fun the four of them were going to have. Gerald couldn’t tell whether Felicity was more excited about Ruby being a dorm mate or Sam being just down the road.
In the days since the events in the chamber under the farm on Ven, Gerald and Felicity’s friendship evened out. Gerald would like to think that they’d spoken at length about their feelings and their mutual respect for each other. But it turned out they’d just grown less interested in each other’s company. Which happens. And it was clear that Felicity was interested in getting to know Sam a bit better.
So that was that. No tears and no regrets. Simple.
The dinner party broke up and Gerald led the way to the games room, where Ox took control of the dartboard.
Sam teamed up with Felicity, who had a deadly eye with a sharpened weapon in her hand.
Gerald found himself sitting next to Alisha, who was taking idle interest in the score. ‘So, you and Ox, eh?’ Gerald said. ‘Oswald, sorry.’
Alisha turned to him and fluttered her dark eyelashes. ‘Gerald,’ she said. ‘You are a beautiful boy. And I love you like a brother. But you are such a child.’
Gerald sighed. ‘Are you going to give me another lecture?’
‘Yes, I am. You think just because Oswald and I were locked up together for a week that we must have become boyfriend and girlfriend, making goo-goo eyes at each other.’
Gerald shifted in his chair. ‘No,’ he said. ‘Not at all.’
‘Yes,’ Alisha said. ‘At all. Oswald and I are very close friends. We have gone through a terrible experience together and we provided enormous support for each other. I don’t think I have ever felt closer to another person in my life. I trust Oswald. But that doesn’t mean I want to cover him in kisses and write his last name after mine in the back of my schoolbooks, just to see how it looks.’ Alisha patted him on the knee. ‘Not everyone has to pair up, Gerald. Life isn’t a game of Go Fish.’
Alisha stood up and went to join the game of darts, laughing at some joke Ox had made.
Gerald sat there, a little stunned by the conversation.
Ruby came over and settled beside him. They both wore slings, this time properly fitted by doctors.
Ruby nudged Gerald’s good shoulder.
‘How’s your collarbone?’
‘The doctor says I’ll be in a sling for another few weeks. How about your wrist?’
‘It should be right for hockey tryouts at St Hilda’s,’ she said. ‘I can’t wait. Felicity sounds like she runs the place.’
Gerald nudged Ruby back. ‘You were mighty quiet about that whole scholarship thing.’
‘Sorry.’ She grinned again. ‘Sam’s beside himself. He wants to sign up for everything. Even flying lessons. Mum and Dad said it’s a great opportunity and they’re always on about not letting opportunity pass you by.’
Gerald nudged her again. ‘Now that you mention opportunity.’ He leaned in close to Ruby’s lips. He could feel the warmth of her breath.
Ruby pulled back. ‘Uh, yeah,’ she said. ‘I’ve been talking to Felicity and Alisha. We need to talk.’
For the second time that night, Gerald couldn’t believe what he was hearing. ‘What do you mean talk?’ he said. ‘What about the hug on Christmas Eve? All the hassle you’ve given me over Felicity? The look you gave me in the barn just before you set the place on fire? What was that all about?’
Ruby’s cheeks went pink. ‘Yeah, about that. Look, I was really confused. I thought you and Felicity were together forever and you didn’t like me. I guess I lost the plot a bit.’
‘Is that why you pushed Felicity and Alisha out of the way in the cage on Ven?’ Gerald said. ‘So Brahe would take you and not one of them.’
Ruby grinned sheepishly. ‘Like I said, I lost the plot.’
‘So what’s changed now?’ Gerald said. ‘Felicity and I aren’t together anymore.’
Ruby stood up. ‘That doesn’t mean that we have to pair up, Gerald,’ she said. ‘Life isn’t some big game of Go Fish, you know.’
Gerald sat there dumbly. Ruby gave him a peck on the cheek and skipped over to join Felicity at the pinball machines.
Why was nothing ever straightforward?
Ox and Sam dropped onto the couch on either side of Gerald.
They stared at the girls, who were laughing at Felicity’s hopeless pinball skills.
The Crystal Code Page 25