Kensy & Max: Freefall

by Jacqueline Harvey

  ‘Mmm, we’ll see,’ the girl said. ‘Maybe I can’t trust you now either. Hello Alex,’ Kensy greeted the computer as they walked into the control room.

  ‘Good afternoon, Miss Kensington, Masters Maxim and Curtis,’ Alex replied. ‘How may I help you?’

  ‘We have a name for the guy in the photo. But it’s only his first name,’ Kensy said.

  ‘Javier,’ Max jumped in.

  ‘Excellent,’ Alex said. ‘I have a match on the DNA from the hairs on the tape. Well done, Master Curtis.’

  The boy grinned.

  ‘His name is Javier Hernandez. He has worked for the USPS for twenty years and has recently lost a great deal of money due to a gambling addiction. He grew up in Charleston, South Carolina and attended the same high school as Dash Chalmers. His mother was a hairdresser and his father was a scientist at the Chalmers Corporation. They are both deceased. He has no other family – except interestingly his cousin is . . .’

  ‘Nick Thomas,’ the children said in unison.

  ‘So he wasn’t lying about that,’ Max said. ‘Wow. He’s a piece of work though, stealing his dead cousin’s identity.’

  ‘Probably wasn’t even his idea. That psychopath Dash Chalmers is capable of anything,’ Kensy said.

  ‘Alex, can you get a list of all the people who live at 125 East 63rd Street?’ Curtis asked.

  ‘Good thinking,’ Kensy gave him a nod.

  ‘Yes,’ Alexander replied. ‘But is there anyone in particular you’re looking for?’

  ‘A man named Fenton,’ Curtis said.

  ‘Give me a few minutes,’ the computer whirred.

  While the children were waiting, they headed into the workshop. They were only in there for a few seconds when Song’s voice came through unseen speakers.

  ‘Master Maxim, Miss Kensington, your grandmother would like to see you in her study. Immediately,’ the man’s voice boomed.

  ‘Sounds like fun,’ Kensy said.

  ‘Maybe not,’ her brother replied.

  ‘Do I have to come too?’ Curtis asked.

  ‘Curtis, you are not required,’ Song said as if he’d just heard every word.

  ‘Guess not. I’ll come up as soon as I get the intel on Fenton,’ the boy said. ‘I’ll wait in our room.’

  Kensy and Max disappeared, leaving Curtis on his own. The boy still couldn’t believe all the cool gadgets Pharos had and decided that maybe he should take a few things with him – something was brewing and if they were going to catch the Postal Assassin, they’d need all the help they could get. He filled his backpack with an assortment of things then shot off to find out if Alex had any information for them.

  ‘Master Curtis, there is a Fenton Grady who is the building superintendent. He has a daughter called Tessa who is fourteen years old. Nick Thomas is also a resident, having recently moved in a week or so ago.’

  ‘Except that it’s not Nick Thomas, it’s Javier Hernandez,’ Curtis said. ‘Thanks, Alex, and can you tell me how Kensy and Max can contact you – if they need to?’

  ‘Well, technically I should let them work things out for themselves, but given you are concerned, please tell them that Julius will be of the most assistance . . .’

  ‘Julius,’ Curtis frowned. ‘The only Julius I’ve ever heard of is Julius Caesar. But he’s been dead forever.’

  ‘True, but when he was alive he often used a cipher to encrypt messages of state significance,’ Alex said.

  ‘Ah! It’s the Caesar Cipher, isn’t it? That’s how they reach you.’

  ‘Well done, Master Curtis. You are already thinking like an agent,’ Alex replied.

  Kensy paced up and down the floor of Max and Curtis’s bedroom. ‘Let’s go – we can get to Javier’s apartment in a couple of minutes,’ she said. ‘Granny won’t even miss us.’

  ‘Are you kidding?’ Max said.

  They had returned from Cordelia’s office a few hours ago more confused than ever. Max had tried to tell their grandmother about the connection between Javier Hernandez and Dash Chalmers, but she had firmly cut him off, demanding their support at the gala, and reiterating that they had to trust her implicitly by keeping everything they knew to themselves. It was as if she didn’t want to know what they had discovered and she certainly wasn’t sharing anything. The twins felt incredibly frustrated – if only she would tell them what was going on, surely they could help.

  ‘Kensy, we’re leaving for the gala in less than an hour,’ Curtis reminded her as he fiddled with his bow tie. He’d just finished helping Max tie his too. ‘What if something happened and we weren’t back in time?’

  ‘Urgh!’ Kensy stamped her foot. Curtis was right of course. The girl was wearing the same long pink skirt and top that she’d worn for their Opera House concert, although this time her mother insisted she wear sparkly silver ballet flats instead of her favourite boots. Kensy was still thinking about changing.

  ‘Don’t you all look wonderful,’ Anna said as she poked her head inside the door.

  ‘Mum, wow!’ Max was taken aback. Curtis nodded his approval too.

  ‘Thank you,’ Anna said, with a twirl. Truth be told she felt like a million bucks. Her navy gown had a beaded lace bodice and mid-length sleeves with an organza skirt that fell all the way to the floor. Anna’s hair had been swept up into a soft chignon and she had long pearl drops hanging from her ears. Her make-up was perfect too.

  ‘You look great, Mum,’ Kensy said.

  ‘We need to get moving – family photos on the sitting room terrace in five minutes,’ Anna said, quickly repining a loose curl in her daughter’s hair.

  ‘How are we getting to Liberty Island?’ Max asked.

  ‘That’s a surprise,’ their mother said. ‘Come on, let’s get downstairs. We don’t want to keep your grandmother waiting on her special night.’

  Cordelia Spencer smiled for the camera. Behind the hair and make-up and the glittering emerald gown none of the family knew what was going on inside her head and she was beginning to wonder if that had been the right decision. But it was too late now. Things were in motion and if everything went according to plan, Dash Chalmers would no longer be a threat after this evening.

  ‘I think that’s it, Dame Spencer,’ the photographer said with a nod.

  ‘Mario, it was so good of you to come. I’m sure that the shots will be lovely,’ the woman said. ‘We are rather a good-looking family, even if I do say so myself.’

  ‘Thank you, Mother,’ Rupert said. He’d arrived with about three seconds to spare before the first portraits had been taken. ‘And now I’ll be off. See you there.’

  ‘Why isn’t Uncle Rupert coming with the rest of us?’ Kensy remarked to no one in particular.

  ‘That’s not your concern,’ Cordelia said.

  ‘Excuse me, Dame Spencer,’ Song said. ‘I have heard reports of another storm moving in. The pilots would like you to hurry, please.’

  ‘Pilots?’ Max frowned. ‘Are we going by helicopter?’

  ‘Well, that was meant to be a surprise for the children, but thank you, Song. Everyone, let’s get a wriggle on,’ Cordelia said. ‘Just take the first available car downstairs and we’ll meet at the heliport on East 34th Street.’

  ‘Cool!’ Curtis gasped. This was going to be epic.

  The next few minutes were hectic to say the least. At the last second Kensy decided to change her shoes and Curtis remembered he’d left his backpack containing his phone among other things upstairs. Somehow in the ensuing pandemonium Anna thought that Kensy and Curtis were with Cordelia, and Cordelia thought the children had gone with their parents. Three cars streamed out of the garage one by one. Kensy was upstairs in her room when she caught a glimpse of the limos turning onto the street, then she heard a door slam and Curtis exclaim loudly.

  She tied her second lace and hurried out into the hall.

  ‘I think they’ve gone without us.’ She looked at Curtis who was just as surprised to see her as she was him.

  ‘W
hat?’ The boy frowned. ‘But Max knows I came back up.’

  Kensy shrugged. ‘It’s okay. We can take a taxi and meet them there.’

  The pair flew downstairs as the front gate buzzer sounded.

  Kensy peered through one of the sidelights and was stunned to see the girl from yesterday standing there holding an envelope.

  ‘What on earth?’ Kensy gasped.

  ‘Are you going to let her in?’ Curtis asked. ‘You know that might be a deadly weapon in her hands.’

  Kensy’s mind raced. The boy was right, but all of the other laced letters had been sent through the post. This was weird.

  ‘Hello.’ Kensy pressed the gate release and opened the door as the girl walked down the path.

  ‘Excuse me,’ the visitor said then took a breath. ‘Wow, you’re really dressed up.’

  ‘We’re going out and we’re late,’ Kensy said.

  ‘I have something for your grandmother,’ the girl replied, holding out the envelope. ‘I was hoping to meet her – if only for a minute.’

  ‘Are you trying to kill her?’ Kensy asked.

  The girl’s eyebrows almost leapt off her forehead. ‘No, why would you think that?’

  ‘We saw you cavorting with a criminal,’ Kensy said.

  Tessa recoiled. ‘What? I don’t know any criminals.’ Beads of sweat had begun to pool on her forehead and she was beginning to think this hadn’t been the best idea after all.

  ‘You’re the girl from the train,’ Curtis said. ‘You were following us yesterday.’

  Tessa shook her head. ‘No, she spoke to me,’ the girl pointed at Kensy. ‘And I wasn’t really following you. Well, I was, sort of, but only because I wanted to meet your grandmother. I knew you were one of her grandchildren after I saw your interview on the television a while back – when your parents miraculously returned from the dead. And when I saw you on that news report the other morning I recognised you immediately. I thought you and your brother might be a way to get to her.’

  ‘Get to her? Are you stalking our family?’ Kensy demanded.

  ‘No. Well, maybe, but not in a creepy way. I don’t mean to do your grandmother any harm. I want to thank her. That’s what this letter is.’

  ‘So you’re not the Postal Assassin?’ Kensy said.

  ‘No!’ Tessa flinched. ‘My name’s Tessa Grady and I live with my father in an apartment down the street. He’s the building superintendent. Your grandmother gave me a scholarship – via her foundation – and I’ve been desperate to meet her to thank her in person. She’s my role model and I owe her everything. She changed my life and my father’s. He got his job because the chairwoman of the building co-operative was an alumnus of my school.’

  Kensy and Curtis looked at one another.

  ‘What were you doing talking to Javier Fernandez yesterday?’ Curtis asked.

  ‘Who’s that?’ she asked.

  ‘You might know him as Nick Thomas,’ Kensy said.

  Tessa nodded. ‘He’s a new guy in our building. He only moved in a few weeks ago. My dad has been helping him with lots of things.’

  Kensy and Curtis looked at one another. ‘Is your dad home now?’

  ‘No, he’s gone to do some errands for Nick. He was collecting some things uptown – actually, right where you were the other day.’

  ‘We need to see inside Nick’s flat,’ Kensy said. ‘Now!’

  ‘Should we call someone and tell them that we’re still here?’ Curtis said.

  Kensy shook her head. ‘They’ll work it out – and there’s no point upsetting Granny on her big night. We’ll get there as soon as we can.’

  Meanwhile the fleet of limousines had been delayed in traffic. For the moment no one was any the wiser about Kensy and Curtis’s whereabouts.

  Kensy, Curtis and Tessa sped along the street to the apartment block at number 125.

  ‘Hey Elwood, have you seen my dad?’ the girl asked the doorman.

  ‘No, Tessa. He’s not back yet,’ the man said.

  She ran into the building and was about to head into the lift when she realised that she would need a master key to get into the apartment. Although maybe that wasn’t such a good idea if the tenant was a criminal.

  ‘Come with me,’ she said and fled across to the stairs where they descended into the basement. As she opened the door there was a strong smell of cat followed by the yowl of a hungry feline.

  ‘This is where my dad works,’ she said, grabbing a set of keys from a hook. ‘Sorry about the whiff. Those cats aren’t called Stinky and Smelly for nothing. Dad inherited them with the job.’

  Curtis felt something rub against his leg and looked down to give the moggy a scratch.

  ‘What are all these letters?’ Kensy asked, glancing at the addresses on the front. They weren’t for Fenton Grady. ‘Is it your dad? Does he work for Dash Chalmers?’

  Tessa had no idea who that was. ‘No, my dad has this thing where he thinks even though we don’t have much money, we’ve been really lucky. I mean your grandmother’s scholarship pays for me to get a pretty fancy education and so he thinks he should pay it forward. He probably shouldn’t do it because I know that opening other people’s mail is a crime, but he pays some of the electricity bills and stuff for the residents he knows can’t really afford it.’

  ‘Wow, that’s so kind,’ Curtis said. ‘Even if it is illegal.’

  Kensy was taken aback too. ‘Okay, I’m sorry I thought bad things about your dad, but we need to get up to Javier’s place,’ the girl said.

  The three of them hurtled up the stairs all the way to the fifth floor. Kensy and Curtis stayed hidden at the end of the hallway while Tessa knocked. She tried at least three times before she was convinced that there was no one home.

  ‘Come on,’ she whispered as she inserted the key in the lock.

  The children made their way inside. ‘It’s a lot nicer than that feral apartment uptown,’ Kensy said. Draped over the arm of a couch was a garment bag.

  Curtis spotted a piece of notepaper on the kitchen bench. Beside it was a huge pile of bills. He flicked through them. ‘Wow this guy owes people a fortune.’ Curtis stopped at a handwritten note.

  ‘Hey Kensy, you’d better take a look at this,’ the boy called.

  The girl’s eyes scanned the page. On it was written the name and phone number of a catering company, a location and something else. ‘He’s planning to give Granny a letter at the gala. We need to get there, before it’s too late!’

  ‘Wait,’ Tessa said. She was rummaging around on the dining table. ‘There’s a list of names and addresses here. I think some of them are the people who have been targeted by the Postal Assassin.’

  Kensy’s mind was racing. Her grandmother wasn’t interested in exposing this criminal, but she knew someone else who could help with that. ‘Tessa, do you think you could reach that reporter from the news? The one who is looking for us?’

  ‘Sure. She works downtown at Broadcast News America. I guess if I could find you, she shouldn’t be too hard to track down,’ the girl replied.

  Kensy scribbled something on a scrap of paper. ‘Gather the evidence you find here – use the washing-up gloves so you don’t get any more fingerprints on things then take it to her and tell her to get to Liberty Island as soon as she can. But you mustn’t say a word about me and Curtis.’

  Kensy hoped her grandmother would never find out where the leak had come from – she wasn’t sure what the punishment was for agents who broke rank and she wasn’t keen to find out either.

  A red carpet guided guests from the ferry wharf and the helipad all the way to the glittering marquee that stood on the lawn at the base of the Statue of Liberty. The island had been transformed into a sparkling fairyland with hundreds of guests having already arrived to honour Cordelia Spencer and her lifetime of achievements in the media. It was indeed a who’s who with politicians and leading business acolytes, designers and friends and more than a peppering of ordinary folk too – the people wh
o had been part of the story from the beginning.

  Drinks and canapés were currently being served inside the base of the statue in the pedestal lobby where the original Liberty torch sat centre stage. Dinner would be in the open-air marquee with the statue framing the backdrop. Fortunately the storm threat had eased.

  ‘Where’s your sister and Curtis?’ Anna asked Max as the family arrived to the flash of photographers.

  ‘They must be with Granny and I think she’s already inside,’ the boy replied.

  Max felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He took it out and was surprised that it was Kensy. He could hardly hear her over the whumping of helicopter rotors.

  ‘What?’ he shouted. The boy’s mind was racing. Did she really just say that?

  Max looked around. How he would ever be able to find anyone in this crowd was a mystery. The best thing he could do was attach himself to his grandmother and make sure that she was safe. He made his way inside, smiling at his parents and Fitz who were moving between groups and chatting to guests. His grandparents and Mim were busy too. He was glad to see Song hovering near Cordelia who was speaking to a woman with a pile of red curls. Song was also holding a basketful of envelopes. Max remembered that was one of the eccentric traditions that went along with the event. People brought cards for Cordelia to open during the night. But a stack of envelopes didn’t bode well this evening. Not if what Kensy told him was true.

  ‘Oh, hello darling, come and meet Mrs DuPont,’ Cordelia urged.

  The woman asked him how he was enjoying the city and suggested that perhaps the family would like to visit their house in the Hamptons over the weekend for a barbecue. Max nodded absently, smiling and doing his best to be charming even though he had other more pressing things on his mind. ‘Where’s your sister?’ Cordelia asked, hoping to introduce her as well. ‘Our Kensington, she’s a little firebrand, that one.’

  Mrs DuPont laughed. ‘It’s good to have spirit.’

  ‘She and Curtis are outside, I think,’ Max said.

  The boy turned around and his jaw almost hit the ground. Uncle Rupert had just arrived with, of all people, Tinsley Chalmers and her children.