Code Breaker

by Sally Rippin

  Tables of Contnts

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Copyright Page

  Billie B Brown sits on the front step of her house staring down at the sheet of paper on her lap. Next to her sits her best friend, Jack, jiggling his knees up and down with excitement.

  The two friends can’t tear themselves away from what they’ve just found. It’s a note for the Secret Mystery Club. And it’s in code!

  ‘Can you believe it?’ Billie whispers. ‘Someone knows about our Secret Mystery Club. And they’ve sent us a letter! I wish I could work out what it says.’

  ‘I wonder who wrote it?’ says Jack.

  Suddenly the front door opens. Billie quickly stuffs the paper into her pocket.

  ‘There you are, Billie!’ says her mum from the doorway. ‘I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Come on! It’s nearly time to go on our picnic. And Jack, your mum’s looking for you, too.’

  Jack jumps up. ‘See you, Billie,’ he says and trots down her front steps.

  But just before he steps out the gate and onto the footpath, he stops and calls out a little sound like this: ‘Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!’

  Billie’s mum looks at him strangely, but Billie giggles. It is their special call for the Secret Mystery Club.

  ‘Cock-a-doodle-dooooo!’ Billie calls back. ‘I’ll bring the you-know-what to school tomorrow,’ she promises, patting her pocket.

  ‘The what?’ Billie’s mum asks.

  ‘Nothing!’ Billie and Jack say together, grinning mischievously.

  Then Jack jogs to the next gate along and runs up to his front door.

  Billie steps inside her house. Her dad is on the phone in the lounge room. When he sees Billie he quickly says goodbye and hangs up.

  ‘Who was that?’ Billie asks.

  ‘Oh, just Mika’s mum,’ her dad says. ‘We were talking about something we’re organising for the school.’

  Billie shrugs and runs into the kitchen to find her little brother.

  Noah is sitting on his booster seat at the table, snacking on some carrot sticks.

  Billie runs up to him and gives him a big smoochy kiss right on his fat baby cheek. His hair is soft and he smells like strawberries.

  ‘Oi!’ he says crossly, pushing Billie away. ‘I eating!’

  Billie giggles then spins around on the spot. ‘Cock-a-doodle-dooo!’ she crows happily. Inside her chest she is bubbling with excitement. Inside her pocket is a real Secret Mystery to solve!

  The next day at school the Secret Mystery Club meet at recess under the big peppercorn tree in the playground.

  Billie told Alex and Mika before school that she had something very exciting to show them.

  ‘What is it?’ Mika asks, sitting close so she can see what Billie has brought.

  Billie smiles as she pulls the crumpled slip of paper out of her schoolbag. She opens it up and smooths it out so the others can see. ‘It’s a secret note,’ Billie says.

  ‘Wow,’ says Alex peering down at the dark squiggly lines. ‘Where did you find it?’

  ‘On my front step,’ Billie says.

  ‘It was addressed to the Secret Mystery Club,’ Jack adds. ‘And it’s written in code!’

  ‘No, it’s not,’ says Mika, turning the page the other way around. ‘It’s in Japanese!’

  ‘What?’ says Billie. She’s not sure if she feels happy or annoyed that Mika has cracked the code so easily. ‘Are you sure?’

  Mika rolls her eyes. ‘Of course I’m sure. I can read Japanese, you know.’

  ‘What does it say, then?’ Alex says.

  Mika takes the paper from Billie and peers down at the scribbly characters. ‘It’s a haiku,’ she says.

  ‘What’s that?’ Jack asks.

  ‘I know!’ Alex says. ‘It’s a Japanese poem. It has three lines and it doesn’t rhyme. That’s right, isn’t it, Mika?’

  Mika nods. Then she reads aloud slowly, translating the Japanese into English.

  ‘Children look for clues

  In the red fruiting berries

  When the sun is new.’

  She looks up at the others.

  ‘What’s that supposed to mean?’ Billie frowns. ‘Why would someone send us a poem that makes no sense?’ She feels a little disappointed.

  ‘Don’t you see?’ Jack says. ‘We’re the children. And we’re looking for clues. It’s about us!’

  ‘So we have to look for clues in red fruiting berries…’ Alex adds.

  ‘Strawberries!’ Mika says. ‘I have strawberries at my house. My mum is growing them.’

  ‘It could be apples. We have an apple tree,’ Billie suggests.

  ‘Nah, it says berries, Billie,’ says Alex. ‘The next clue must be at Mika’s house!’

  ‘Let’s go this afternoon!’ Jack says excitedly.

  ‘Wait,’ says Alex. ‘It says when the sun is new.’

  ‘Well, when’s that?’ Jack says.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Alex says.

  ‘This poem doesn’t make any sense!’ Billie huffs.

  ‘I think it means the morning,’ Mika says. ‘It’s a Japanese expression.’

  ‘Oh!’ says Alex, laughing.

  ‘Of course! So there will be a clue for us in Mika’s strawberry patch tomorrow morning. I get it! Make sure you bring the clue in to school tomorrow then, won’t you, Mika?’

  ‘Of course!’ says Mika, grinning.

  Just then the bell rings and they all stand up to go to class. Billie holds out her hand for the note.

  ‘I’d better hold onto it,’ Mika says importantly, ‘seeing as I’m the only one here who can read Japanese.’

  Billie shrugs and slips her hand into her pocket.

  As she walks back to class she feels a jumbled-up mix of feelings bubbling away in her tummy. She is excited about the mysterious letter but she also feels a little bit annoyed that she couldn’t work it out herself.

  What’s the point of writing a note to the Secret Mystery Club if only one of us can read it? she thinks grumpily.

  That night at the dinner table, Billie is especially quiet. Usually she and Noah joke around so much it drives their parents mad, but tonight nothing seems to make her laugh.

  Even when her little brother sings a funny song and tips his bowl of peas over his head, Billie just stares down at her plate, pushing her fork around.

  ‘What’s the matter, Billie?’ her dad asks as he cleans up the mess. ‘You seemed so happy this morning. Is something wrong?’

  Billie shrugs and jabs at a pea with the end of her fork. ‘It’s nothing,’ she says.

  The truth is that she feels silly for being so grumpy. It’s just that the Secret Mystery Club was her idea. And she wasn’t even able to solve their first real mystery.

  Noah slips down from the table and trots towards Billie. ‘Here, Bee-bee!’ he says softly, calling her by the nickname he has given her. He takes her hand and slips something into it.

  Billie looks down at what Noah has given her. It is his favourite red car.

  ‘Thanks, Noah,’ Billie says, finally smiling. She kisses him on his soft brown hair. Noah can be the most annoying little brother in the world, but he can also be the best.

  ‘Come on!’ she says, hoisting him into her arms. ‘Let’s play cars.’

  ‘Cars! Cars!’ Noah shouts happily.

  ‘Come back in twenty minutes,’ Billie’s dad says, smiling. ‘I just have to make a quick phone call to Alex’s dad. He has a drill I need to borrow. Then I’ll make dessert.’

  ‘Can I have banana and
ice-cream with sprinkles?’ Billie asks.

  ‘You bet!’ says Billie’s dad.

  ‘Thanks, Dad,’ Billie says. Banana and ice-cream with sprinkles will definitely cheer her up!

  The next morning Billie and Jack meet Alex under the peppercorn tree before school.

  Billie sits nervously looking out for Mika, who is late, as usual, because her mum has to drop her on her way to work.

  Mika says her mum takes a long time getting ready in the mornings, so she is always running late. Billie can’t wait to see what Mika has found in her mother’s strawberry patch.

  Alex paces up and down. ‘There she is!’ he calls out. He points to a figure in the distance running towards them. They all run to meet her.

  ‘Did you find something?’ Jack asks.

  Mika nods excitedly and pulls another paper envelope out of her pocket. This time the envelope is longer and has a little see-through window, like a bill or a letter from a bank. In the window it says:

  Billie is relieved to see that Mika hasn’t opened it yet.

  ‘Wait! Can I see it first?’ she begs, as Mika slips her finger under the sealed flap.

  Mika hands Billie the envelope. Billie takes her magnifying glass out of her pocket and inspects the envelope carefully.

  ‘Hmmm, it doesn’t seem to have any fingerprints on it,’ she says. ‘And it looks like the letter has been typed on a computer. So it must have come from someone with a computer.’

  ‘Everybody has a computer, Billie!’ Alex snorts. ‘Come on, give it back to Mika so she can open it.’

  Billie frowns at Alex and hands the envelope back reluctantly. She wishes the envelope had been hidden in her garden!

  Mika carefully opens the envelope and slips the paper out. It is folded into three. When she smooths it out and they see what is typed there, they all gasp in surprise.

  ‘Well, that’s not Japanese!’ Jack jokes, looking down at the page.

  Mika giggled. ‘That’s for sure!’

  Billie frowns. There are random numbers typed in lines across the page.

  ‘What could all those numbers mean? How can we possibly understand that?’ Billie says, feeling confused.

  ‘Give it to Alex,’ Jack suggests. ‘He’s good at maths.’

  Alex peers down at the note. This is what is written on it:

  ‘Do you think they’re sums?’ Jack asks Alex.

  Alex shrugs. ‘Maybe. Leave it with me,’ he says importantly, as the bell rings. ‘I’ll try and work it out today.’

  Before Billie can even say anything, Alex and Mika start heading to class. Billie trudges behind them with Jack, her head hung low.

  I should be happy that we are getting all these secret mystery notes, she thinks. But now that’s two codes I couldn’t crack. I’m a terrible detective!

  ‘What’s the matter?’ Jack asks. He is smiling kindly.

  Billie wants to tell him how she feels but she is worried he might think she is silly.

  So instead of telling Jack, she just says, ‘Nothing,’ and tries to smile. But her smile comes out crooked and wobbly and Jack looks at her like he doesn’t quite believe her.

  In class Billie finds it hard to concentrate. She keeps thinking about that mysterious note with its tricky-looking code.

  She can’t even talk about it with her friends because Mr Benetto has already separated them for talking too much.

  Billie thinks that if she could crack the code before Alex she would feel like she was an important member of the Secret Mystery Club again. She wishes she had it in front of her so she could try and work it out.

  ‘Billie! Are you paying attention?’ Mr Benetto says.

  Oh no! Billie looks up quickly.

  Mr Benetto’s voice sounds cross but his eyes are smiling. ‘What’s the answer to question seven?’ he asks.

  Billie looks down at her worksheet. ‘Um, I’m not sure,’ she replies, feeling embarrassed.

  ‘You need to listen more carefully, Billie,’ says Mr Benetto.

  Lola sticks up her hand. ‘The answer is seventy-six, Mr Benetto!’

  ‘Thank you, Lola,’ Mr Benetto says. ‘Perhaps you can sit next to Billie for the rest of the lesson to help her with the worksheet?’

  Oh no, that’s all I need! Billie sighs.

  Sometimes Lola is OK, but sometimes she can be very bossy.

  Just then Billie has an idea. A super-dooper idea!

  ‘Hey, Lola,’ Billie whispers, when Lola sits down next to her, ‘do you know anything about codes?’

  ‘Why?’ Lola says suspiciously.

  ‘No reason,’ Billie says quickly. ‘Just wondering.’

  ‘Actually I have a book about codes,’ Lola says. ‘What kind of code?’

  ‘A code in numbers,’ Billie says.

  ‘Oh, that’s easy!’ Lola says. ‘Each number is probably a letter of the alphabet. 1 equals A, 2 equals B, and so on.’

  ‘That’s it!’ Billie squeals.

  ‘Girls — is that maths you’re doing?’ Mr Benetto says.

  ‘Um, kind of.’ Billie giggles, jiggling in her seat. She can’t wait until recess to tell the others.

  As soon as the bell rings, Billie runs out into the playground with her friends.

  ‘I’ve got it! I’ve got it!’ she yells as soon as they have reached the peppercorn tree. ‘I’ve cracked the code!’

  ‘So have I!’ Alex says. ‘And I’ve already worked out the message. I did it in class. See?’ He unfolds the paper. There, underneath the rows of numbers, is his neat handwriting:

  Billie’s heart sinks like a stone. ‘How did you work it out?’

  Alex shrugs. ‘It was easy. It’s an alphabet code. 1 is A, 2 is B and so on. It didn’t take me long. And I’ve already worked out what the red train set is. It’s an old train set of my dad’s in our toy cupboard. That’s where the next clue will be.’

  ‘Good work!’ says Jack, patting Alex on the back.

  ‘Yeah, it was pretty clever to work that out, Alex,’ Mika says. ‘Wasn’t it, Billie?’

  ‘Uh-huh,’ Billie says quietly. She knows she should be happy that they have worked out the code, but she can’t help it. She was going to crack that code.

  Billie feels like she might cry. While the others are looking at the note again, she walks quickly away.

  Billie goes to the monkey bars and climbs up to the very top. There, she can let the big salty tears stream down her face without anyone seeing them.

  Before very long, a head pokes over the top of the monkey bars. It is Jack, pulling a funny face.

  Billie wipes her eyes on her sleeve. Even though she is feeling mad and sad and all kinds of horrible feelings bunched up together, she still can’t help smiling when she sees Jack’s silly expression.

  He climbs up and sits beside her. ‘What’s up?’ he says.

  Billie scrunches up her face and sniffs. ‘It’s stupid,’ she says, embarrassed. ‘You probably won’t even want to be my friend anymore if I tell you.’

  ‘Billie!’ says Jack, rolling his eyes. ‘Haven’t we been friends forever?’

  Billie nods.

  ‘Haven’t we told each other all of our secrets?’

  Billie nods again.

  ‘Well?’ Jack says, raising his eyebrows and waiting.

  Billie takes a deep breath. She looks down at the playground and sees Mika and Alex sitting together under the peppercorn tree.

  ‘I feel left out,’ she says in a little voice. ‘All of you have been able to work out the codes except me. Now I don’t feel like I should be a member of the Secret Mystery Club any more because I’m such a bad detective.

  Alex and Mika probably don’t even want me in the club now.’

  Billie knows this last bit isn’t really true. Alex and Mika are her friends too. But she really wants Jack to understand how upset she is feeling so she decides there is no harm in exaggerating just a teensy bit.

  ‘What are you talking about?’ Jack says. ‘I haven’t cracked a code
yet either. Only Mika and Alex have. And they were just lucky. Of course we want you in the club! There wouldn’t even be a Secret Mystery Club without you!’

  ‘I guess so,’ Billie sniffs. It is true that Jack hasn’t cracked a code yet either. She had forgotten that.

  Jack thinks for a minute. ‘How about we ask Mika and Alex if when we get the next code, you can have first go at cracking it? That would be fair.’

  Billie smiles a little smile. ‘Thanks, Jack,’ she says. ‘You’re a good friend. I know I’m just being silly.’

  Jack grins. ‘If you don’t stop being grumpy, I’ll be your only friend!’ he jokes.

  Billie giggles. She swings her legs happily in the empty space beneath them, her heart feeling warm again. ‘Who do you think is sending us all these weird notes, anyway?’

  ‘No idea,’ Jack says, swinging his legs alongside her. ‘It’s fun though, isn’t it?’

  ‘Sure is,’ Billie says. She can’t wait to crack tomorrow’s code.

  For the rest of the day, Billie listens carefully in class. She doesn’t want to get in trouble with Mr Benetto again. Billie likes Mr Benetto and she hates getting into trouble.

  Billie is very excited that she will soon have a code to crack.

  Even sitting next to bossy Lola doesn’t feel so bad now. And when Mr Benetto springs a surprise quiz about marsupials on the class, Billie and Lola win the competition!

  When school is over Billie meets Jack at the bike shed like she always does. Jack pulls out his scooter from the tangled mess of bikes and Billie hops on her bike.

  ‘What do you think the next code is going to be?’ Billie asks excitedly as they ride home together.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Jack says, scooting along beside her.

  ‘Alex had better not open the envelope before he gets to school,’ Billie says.

  ‘He won’t,’ says Jack. ‘He promised.’

  That night, Billie has a nightmare. She is trapped in a room with a witch who has long white hair and long yellow fingernails.