Today, the very back row was practically empty, except for a woman and her young son, who sat at the opposite end. The boy, who wouldn’t have been more than four years old, was happily bouncing on his seat, humming as he went.
‘Julian! Stop that!’ hissed his mother. ‘It’s very annoying.’
Reluctantly, Julian stopped. But after two minutes of sitting almost perfectly still, he’d had enough. He slid off his seat and stood behind the woman sitting in the seat in front of him. Not content with merely standing there, Julian began blowing the back of her hair to see what would happen.
‘Julian!’ His mother grabbed him by the arm and yanked him down on his seat again. ‘That’s very rude. Just sit there and be still.’
So Julian did. He sighed as he sat there, trying his hardest to be still. And for a short time he was.
Then he spotted Len, at the other end of the row.
And he crept quietly towards him.
CHAPTER 25
It’s no use. I can’t concentrate. I can’t even think.
My best mate is missing. So is his mother.
And I can’t do a thing.
Well, not while I’m up here on stage, on national television, with a million dollars in my sights. And so far I’ve only won fifty-six thousand of it.
But none of that matters. Ted Dimple is my best mate. We hang out together. And swap lunches with each other when I’m sick of what Mum gives me.
I should be looking for him. I should be …
‘Are you with me, Ted? Ted?’
‘Huh? Oh yeah … I’m with you, Ken.’
‘For another spin of the wheel, Ted … Up on the screen you can see a five dollar note. You’ve got ten seconds to look at it.’
Music sounds as I stare at the screen, but my mind is racing. Nothing sinks in.
Suddenly the music stops, and the five dollar note disappears.
‘Okay, Ted. How many numbers were there up in the right-hand corner of that five dollar note? Was it:
a) 6 b) 7
c) 8 d) 9?’
I take a deep breath. Try to concentrate. Luckily I know my five dollar notes like the back of my hand.
‘You could always use one of your help lines,’ suggests Ken, with his ever-present smile.
‘Lock in “c” Ken,’ I tell him.
‘You don’t want to think about it for a moment?’
I shake my head.
‘No, Ken. Just lock it in, thanks.’
‘But there’s a lot of money at stake here, Ted. Are you sure you don’t want to use one of your help lines?’
‘There’s no need,’ I tell him. ‘Please just lock it in, Ken.’
So he does.
‘Everybody in Australia is holding their breath, Ted. Have you got the answer right? Let’s find out.’
It is so quiet you could hear a pin drop.
‘YES!’ Ken is saying excitedly, a huge grin spreading across his face.
‘That’s correct! Ted Dimple from Daramour in Victoria, have another spin of the Money Bags wheel.’
I should be excited. I should hardly be able to contain myself at the thought of what I might spin up.
But I’m not. Money may make the world go around. But it’s mates that really count. And Ted is the best. Even with all his faults.
‘When you’re ready, Ted. Ted? A push of the button?’
‘Oh yeah. Sure, Ken.’
And I press. I watch as it spins.
Then I see something out of the corner of my eye. And suddenly the wheel is forgotten.
Crofty?
I watch as he passes by the front of the stage. He has the look of a kid on a mission, moving quickly towards the foyer, with the Sonnex 2000 firmly in his grasp. Moments later he is out of sight.
Where is he going? What is he up to?
Ken’s shriek jolts me back to the present.
‘This must be your lucky day, Ted,’ he says excitedly, ‘because you’ve just spun up twenty-five thousand dollars. Twenty-five thousand dollars! That’s now a total of eighty-one thousand dollars in your Money Bag, Ted. Well done!’
I barely have time to dwell on it, when I notice Harriet flit past, heading in the same direction as Crofty.
I watch as she pushes open the foyer doors and disappears out of sight.
First Crofty. Now Harriet? What the heck is going on?
The audience goes wild; clapping and stomping. I should be clapping and stomping with them. I should be shouting with glee, in fact. But somehow the moment doesn’t seem all that significant. It pales in comparison to my concern for Ted. And seeing Crofty and Harriet rushing out the foyer doors does nothing to help!
‘Can you believe it, folks,’ Ken coos into the cameras. ‘Ted Dimple has won his school eighty-one thousand dollars so far, and he still has all of his help lines. How’s that for a mighty effort?’
The camera pans to me and I try to smile; make people think I’m getting into it. Then it fixes on Ken.
‘Let’s see how far Ted can go,’ he says, and he gives me a wink.
I take a deep breath. Try to pretend nothing abnormal has happened. That Ted hasn’t gone missing. That Crofty and Harriet haven’t rushed out into the foyer for reasons I only wish I knew. That I’m not stuck up here on stage when it’s the last place I want to be. Even when there’s money involved.
I try to focus. Think positive thoughts, like I’m always preaching to Ted.
I can do this. I’ve got to do this.
‘Are you okay, Ted?’ asks Ken, concern creeping into his voice.
I’m not Ted, I want to tell him. But I don’t. What would be the point now?
‘Me? Yeah, sure. I’m fine, Ken.’
I sneak a quick glance in the direction of the foyer, and my heart sinks. The foyer doors are closed. Not a single person comes through. Not Crofty. Not Harriet. And certainly not Ted.
‘Ready to go then, Ted?’
I look at Ken and attempt a smile.
‘As ready as I’ll ever be,’ I tell him.
CHAPTER 26
Jeebs had searched the foyer, the toilets, and even the carpark out the back, but Ted and Prescott Heath were nowhere to be found.
He was just about to head back into the studio when he noticed a corridor off to the left. At first he thought it was a dead-end, and he felt disappointment flood through him, but then he glimpsed what looked like railing; the type that leads to stairs, and he headed quickly towards it.
Yes, there were stairs there, leading to a door one floor down.
He opened it slowly, quietly, careful not to attract attention, and suddenly found himself in one of the shadowy lower levels of the studio.
It was like a rabbit warren, filled with empty offices and nameless doors, and would no doubt be a very busy place when it was in use. But not today. Today it was eerily quiet.
He crept along the corridor, checking every room as he passed. They were all shrouded in darkness. The only light came from the sun’s afternoon rays filtering in through the small glass windows.
A persistent banging suddenly caught his attention, and he stopped for a moment. It was coming from somewhere up ahead.
And then the banging stopped, as suddenly as it started.
He crept forward again, ever so slowly, half-expecting someone to come meandering along and spot him. But no one did.
He had only progressed a few steps when a peculiar feeling engulfed him, and the hairs on the nape of his neck stood to attention.
It was too quiet. And that bothered him.
Something didn’t feel right.
He quickly looked around, adrenalin pumping, just as someone grabbed him from behind.
Jeebs felt the cloth over his mouth and nose, and panic suddenly engulfed him.
He couldn’t breathe. Couldn’t get a skerrick of air into his lungs.
Then he smelled the smell. What was that? He kicked out. Let loose a couple of wild punches.
Help! Someone please help me! he thou
ght. Had he yelled it? Or just thought it? No one came.
He tried to pull the cloth away; tried to get some air into his lungs, but he had no strength.
And all the time the person was talking to him. He thought he recognised the voice, but he was in such a state, he couldn’t really be sure.
His head was spinning now. There was no air at all. Whoever had him was trying to suffocate him!
He flung his arms out in one last act of defiance, but to no avail.
‘No!’ he tried to squeal, but only a muffled noise escaped. Nobody would hear it, and they wouldn’t think anything of it if they did.
He felt as if the life was being sucked out of him, and suddenly his eyes felt incredibly heavy, as if a great weight were pushing them closed.
And the last thing he saw as the darkness took him, was a vision of himself, grinning triumphantly.
CHAPTER 27
Crofty focused the Sonnex 2000 on the door up ahead.
‘Mitch Croft here,’ he said in a low voice. ‘Hot on the trail of what could be the biggest scoop since Quizzical.’
And he inched forward, the camera practically glued to his face.
‘Here I am, in the studios of Top Stuff TV. I’m just going down these stairs.’ And he kept the camera focused as he negotiated each one carefully, so as not to go butt over and land flat on his face.
‘In case you’re wondering, and I’m sure you are, I’m hot on the tail of one Maxwell Jeebs. So what is he up to? Well, I’m just about to go through this door and find out.’
‘Crofty, what are you going on about? It’s a wonder you can see where you’re going with that thing stuck to your face.’
Crofty turned quickly to find Harriet standing there.
‘It figures that you’d come along and spoil things,’ he grumbled, as he reluctantly switched off the Sonnex 2000. ‘What are you doing here, anyway? You’re supposed to be in the audience with everyone else.’
Harriet rolled her eyes.
‘And miss out on all the fun? I don’t think so.’
‘You’re not coming with me,’ Crofty informed her.
‘Oh yes I am,’ said Harriet indignantly.
‘This is no situation for a girl, Harriet. I’m about to go into unknown territory. It could be dangerous.’
‘Oh please,’ sniffed Harriet. ‘I’m coming too, whether you like it or not.’
Crofty sighed, clearly annoyed.
‘Great,’ he muttered. ‘Just what I need.’
Then he switched the camera back on, pulled open the door, and with Harriet tagging along behind, stepped through.
‘There are so many rooms down here,’ whispered Harriet, as she crept slowly along behind Crofty, who was busy filming every nook and cranny, intent on not missing a thing.
‘By the looks of it, they’re all empty,’ he whispered back. ‘Obviously this is not where all the action is today. Which works out perfectly for us.’
‘Are you sure Jeebs went this way?’
‘I may not have the smartest brain on the block, Harriet, but there is nothing wrong with my eyesight.’
‘Well, excuse me for breathing.’
‘Girls,’ muttered Crofty.
Suddenly Harriet stopped and yanked Crofty by the shirt.
‘Did you hear that?’ she said quickly.
‘Hear what?’
‘That sound.’
‘What sound?’
‘There it is again,’ said Harriet. ‘It sounds like someone banging something.’
Crofty stopped.
‘You’re right. It’s coming from somewhere up ahead.’
‘Who would be banging something down here?’
‘Dunno. But there’s only one way to find out. Come on.’
And Crofty picked up the pace, leaving Harriet scrambling to catch up.
‘Wait,’ she called out in a whisper. ‘There’s no need for any of that gung-ho stuff, okay? We still have to be careful. For all we know, this could be a trap.’
‘Why are girls always so melodramatic?’ said Crofty, shaking his head.
‘We are not,’ fired back Harriet. ‘We just think through situations a lot better than boys. Which isn’t exactly difficult.’
‘Whatever you say, Harriet.’
They were just about at the end of the corridor, which then led to another, when Crofty suddenly grabbed Harriet by the arm and pulled her into the nearest room.
‘Crofty, wha …’
‘Shhh!’ whispered Crofty, and he put a finger to his mouth, indicating silence.
Moments later the unmistakeable sound of a male voice echoed along the corridor, and the two of them stood motionless, hardly daring to breathe.
‘Hey,’ whispered Harriet suddenly. ‘That sounds like … no ... that couldn’t be Prescott Heath. Could it?’
Crofty nodded.
‘He must be talking to someone. But who?’
‘Let’s find out,’ said Harriet, ready to surge ahead.
‘Not yet,’ said Crofty. ‘We need to make sure the coast is clear.’
‘Now who’s the one being melodramatic?’ sighed Harriet.
They were just about to make their way back out into the corridor, when they became aware of the sudden silence.
‘He’s stopped talking,’ whispered Crofty.
‘But why?’ Harriet whispered back.
‘Dunno,’ said Crofty, shaking his head. ‘But I’ve got a bad feeling. A very bad feeling.’
Crofty peered through the doorway, camera focused ahead, with Harriet trying to see over his shoulder.
‘You stay here while I check things out,’ whispered Crofty.
‘No way,’ Harriet whispered back. ‘Wherever you go, I go.’
Suddenly Crofty began pointing frantically at the person who had just come into view.
‘Hey, isn’t that Jeebs?’ whispered Harriet. ‘But I thought … I could have sworn the voice we heard was Prescott Heath’s.’
‘Me too,’ said Crofty. ‘Something’s not right.’
‘What do you mean?’
‘Call it a gut feeling. But I’m going to investigate. Alone.’
‘But …’
‘Please, Harriet, just stay here, would you.’
‘Oh, whatever,’ mumbled Harriet.
Crofty focused the Sonnex 2000 firmly on Jeebs. He was doing something, but from where Crofty was positioned, he couldn’t quite see what.
‘What’s he doing?’ whispered Harriet.
‘That’s exactly what I’m going to find out,’ Crofty whispered back. He took a careful step into the corridor.
Then Jeebs momentarily disappeared.
Crofty kept the camera focused, and waited. Then, when he was sure the coast was clear, he moved off again.
Suddenly he heard a door slam, then Jeebs wandered back into view, clearly pleased with himself.
Crofty ducked, but the sudden movement with the camera in front of his face caused him to overbalance, and he fell backwards, crashing to the floor with a thud.
Seconds later a dark figure appeared.
‘Well, well, well,’ said Prescott Heath smugly. ‘What do we have here?’
Hey, you’re not Jeebs,’ said Crofty.
Prescott Heath looked like a madman as he loomed over the boy, hands on hips, smiling gleefully.
‘Oh, bravo,’ he trilled. ‘The boy is clever. A little too clever for his own good, I might add.’
‘What are you up to? How come you’re trying to look like Jeebs? And where’s Ted?’
‘You’re an inquisitive one, aren’t you!’ said Prescott Heath dryly. ‘And as for young Mr Dimple, he’s hale and hearty!’ There was that insane giggle again. ‘You’ll be joining him quite soon, then you can see for yourself.’
Crofty looked around nervously; checking for an escape route, but nothing presented itself.
Fortunately, the Sonnex 2000 was out of sight. Harriet must have shoved it back into the room with her.
‘Actually,’
said Crofty, ‘I think I’ll just be getting back to the studio, if that’s okay. Thanks anyway.’
He leapt to his feet, but he wasn’t quick enough.
Prescott Heath grabbed the collar of his shirt. ‘I hate to be the bearer of bad news,’ he cooed, as he yanked Crofty back towards him. ‘But you’re not going anywhere.’
CHAPTER 28
Len draped his worn old coat on the back of an empty seat in front of him, then settled himself as best he could. Before too long his eyelids drooped, and soon he was fast asleep; snoring softly.
Occasionally a sudden noise or movement would jolt him awake, but then he would relax again, and drift off. At other times, the muscles in his weary old legs would jolt spasmodically, as if performing some kind of weird dance of their own while he slept. During one of these spasms his leg caught in his coat, pulling it awry. Out of a sagging pocket fell a wadded hankie, two heavy coins, and an old lighter.
Julian crept along the floor of the back row as his mother’s attention was focused on the set.
When he reached Len, he was confronted with a roadblock of legs. The shoes were too heavy to lift, so he sat back to consider his options.
Suddenly he spotted things on the floor. Money! He rolled the coins along the floor, but they were soon lost amongst legs and handbags.
That left the lighter. He picked it up and examined it closely, trying to work out what it did. The little wheel looked promising, but his finger kept slipping off.
Suddenly a small flame appeared. Julian was mesmerised by it flickering on and off, and he sat watching intently. He’d seen one of these things before. The man next door had one … Suddenly Julian had an idea. A really good idea.
CHAPTER 29
Harriet waited in silence, hardly daring to breathe.
Prescott Heath now had Crofty, and she wasn’t sure of his intentions. She had to do something. But what?
She took off her shoes and searched around the room on silent feet. She wished she could turn on a light so she could see better, but that would attract Prescott Heath’s attention, which was the last thing she wanted to do.
What was this room, anyway? It wasn’t an office, that was for sure. An office didn’t have mirrors all along the wall, and lights at the top of each like this one did. It also had a fancy-looking lounge over in the corner. Then she realised. It was a make-up room. Or it would be if it were in use.
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