by Lauren Child
‘Who taught her to do that? The disguises, I mean.’
‘Victor, of course,’ said Lutz. ‘No one did theatrical disguise like “Count von Viscount”. He was famous for it. Always had kids hanging around wanting to learn how to transform themselves.’
‘Where did he get the nickname from?’ asked Ruby.
‘Oh, that, that came from all these gothic horror movies he made – and the fact that he dressed a bit like Dracula, elegant style but creepy, all black with cravat and handkerchiefs, an old-fashioned pocket watch and if you ever heard him speak, well, he kinda sounded a lot like Dracula too.’
Ruby did not need reminding of the quality of the voice that whispered to her from her nightmares.
‘I’m telling you,’ said Frederick, ‘fit him with a pair of fangs and you’d believe in vampires for sure. So they called him the Count von Leyden then Count von Victor and later the Count von Viscount and finally just the Count – none of it was meant kindly.’
‘So that was his thing, creating characters?’
‘He was one of the best, I have to admit. He pioneered a way of changing faces and voices like I have never seen from that day to this. He kept his secret – never told another person in the industry just how he did it – but everyone suspected it was really down to Homer. It was likely him who came up with it.’
‘Who was Homer?’ asked Ruby.
‘A clever fellow Victor worked with in the early days. They were a team: Homer the illusionist and inventor, and Victor the creative – quite a duo.’
‘So you admired them?’
Frederick’s expression turned serious. ‘I admired Homer – he was always a good man. He became nervous when he saw how a couple of Victor’s protégés were using their skill in an ugly way; disguising themselves, conning people – Lorelei was the worst – anyway, it became nasty. So he ended up breaking their association.’
‘What about you?’ asked Ruby. ‘What did you think?’
‘I admired Victor’s talent, but I had no liking for the man he became,’ said Frederick. ‘He began his career a reasonable enough fellow, but somewhere down the line things changed. He was shot through with something cruel.’
‘So he gave up directing?’ asked Ruby, though she knew the answer all too well.
‘After Marnie, he lost heart they say, and with his protégée gone, he turned bitter, then he fell out with Homer, and there were rumours he left the country, went abroad somewhere.’
If only, thought Ruby.
‘Here, take the book,’ said Frederick. ‘You can bring it back when you’re done.’
She thanked him, clipped it onto her bike rack and rode off into the dark.
Ruby was free-wheeling slowly down Derilla Drive when she thought she heard the sound of ringing. Quiet at first, but getting louder. There wasn’t a lot of activity in Derilla Drive, not a soul around on this chilly evening, but somewhere a telephone was ringing.
She slowed.
A blue metal payphone.
She rested her bike on the lamppost and walked over to the phone, waited a second or two before picking up.
‘Hello?’ she said.
‘Been doing your homework, Ms Redfort?’
A chill spread through Ruby that had nothing to do with the light snow that was falling, or the north wind that was blowing.
It had everything to do with the voice in her ear.
She looked around – she was utterly alone, a girl illuminated by a single street lamp.
‘How did you … how do you …’ she stammered, ‘how …’
‘How do I know where you are? Is that what you want to know? I know lots of things you don’t know,’ said the voice, ‘things you need to know if you are planning on making it past New Year.’
‘What are you say—’ began Ruby.
‘You’re tangled in a web, Ms Redfort, and the spider’s watching you, waiting … ready to wind you in.’
‘So why don’t you just come out and meet me face to face?’.
‘Oh, I don’t mean me,’ said the Count. ‘I’m not the spider, I’m a pussycat compared to this individual.’ He paused before adding, ‘A word of advice from one adversary to another – watch your back, Ms Redfort, there’s evil all around.’
Ruby felt her legs buckle under her and the receiver slip from her grasp. She lay there watching as it swung back and forth, the sound as it knocked against the phone box like some dull bell of doom.
Lenny Rivers
was surprised …
… when the hospital called to tell him that the guy he had found lying next to the road, the guy he had thought was just a few breaths away from his last, was now conscious and breathing unassisted.
‘He’s out of danger?’ asked Lenny. It was kind of hard to believe, this man he had seen lying there bleeding on the tarmac, this man who looked like his final minutes were ticking past, was off the critical list?
‘He’s actually walking,’ said the nurse. ‘A little unsteady, but he’s on the move.’
‘Can I pay him a visit?’ asked Lenny. ‘I’d like to shake the hand of a guy who returned from the dead.’
‘We’d be glad if you would; no one else has been in to see him and he can’t remember a thing before the accident.’
Lenny grabbed his coat and hopped into his truck. He was curious to talk to this miracle guy, this Morgan Loveday.
But it wasn’t to be. When he arrived at Morgan’s room he found the bed empty and no sign of the man who had lain in it.
Chapter 18.
Location unknown
RUBY AND CLANCY WERE SITTING IN THEIR FORM ROOM, waiting for Mrs Drisco to return from the principal’s office. She had felt it necessary to escort Dillon Flannigan to Principal Levine that morning because she’d had it ‘up to here’ with his ‘utter disregard for school rules’. No one was sure what the misdemeanour was, but it had certainly riled Mrs Drisco, who was very keen on rules.
‘So how come you were visiting Frederick Lutz?’ asked Clancy.
‘Well, it all has to do with Mrs Digby. You see, I was watching TV last night when onto the screen walks someone I know.’
‘Really? What kinda someone? Someone like a friend? Or someone like an acquaintance?’
‘Neither,’ said Ruby. ‘It concerns a someone I’ve met, but not a someone I particularly want to meet again, though knowing my luck I bet you anything I’m going to run into her at any minute.’
‘If you’re talking about Vapona Begwell then I can tell you with a total certainty you’re going to see her today; she’s put her name down for the carolling.’
Ruby made a face. ‘Jeepers,’ she said, ‘what’s that gonna sound like?’
‘She’s trying to get out of litter-picking duty – it’s the carol thing or a lot of garbage.’
‘Oh.’
‘So I take it, it wasn’t Bugwart you saw on TV?’
‘No, not her.’
‘So who?’
‘You don’t want to guess?’
Clancy made a face. ‘Could you just tell me before I fall asleep? I mean the suspense is just about killing me?’
‘Well, there’s a coincidence,’ said Ruby. ‘Cos this is the sort of lady who might just be able to arrange a killing.’
‘Who?’ asked Clancy.
‘The Australian,’ said Ruby.
The blood instantly drained from Clancy’s face. ‘Why did you have to mention her?’ he said.
‘You asked,’ said Ruby.
‘Yeah, but I didn’t think you were going to actually say her.’ He gulped. ‘I don’t like thinking about that evil-doer. What was she doing on the news anyhow?’
‘I didn’t say she was on the news,’ said Ruby. ‘It’s a lot more interesting than the news.’
Ruby filled Clancy in on everything she’d learned about Marnie Novak and her association with the Count.
‘The studio fired her when they discovered she was in the family way.’
Clancy looked blank.
‘Having a b-a-b-y.’
‘Oh,’ said Clancy. ‘What’s the deal with that? Why wasn’t she allowed to have a child?’
‘Wasn’t married, but it seems the father was – it could have been quite the scandal if it hadn’t been hushed up. These were old-fashioned times, my friend – a baby with a married man was not good for her box-office ratings. Plus she wasn’t the right shape for the part – a pregnant vampire wasn’t what the studio was after.’
‘Don’t tell me, this baby turns out to be Lorelei?’
‘Ping! Give that kid a prize.’
Mrs Drisco walked in. ‘Pop quiz, everyone,’ she said. ‘Pens out, please. I’ll be handing out a test.’
‘So I haven’t told you the creepiest bit,’ whispered Ruby as Mrs Drisco walked round the class giving out papers, her tone anxious.
‘What creepiest bit?’ asked Clancy. He looked like he might be on the verge of flapping.
‘I don’t want any conferring,’ said Mrs Drisco, shooting a look at Clancy.
‘The phone call,’ whispered Ruby. ‘I had a phone call from the Count.’
Clancy began to flap. ‘He called you at home?’ he said.
‘No, on a payphone,’ said Ruby.
‘What payphone?’ asked Clancy.
‘The one on Derilla,’ said Ruby. ‘I was freewheeling down the hill when this payphone began to ring and when I picked up guess who was on the end of the line.’
‘But that’s worse than him calling you from home,’ said Clancy. ‘That means he’s been watching you.’
Ruby shivered. ‘That’s what I thought.’
‘Ruby Redfort!’ said Mrs Drisco. ‘I said no conferring! I’ve got my beady eyes on you.’
You’re not the only one, thought Ruby.
When Ruby and Clancy walked up the steps to her house, she noticed that the pastel-pink bike had gone. Had Hal taken it? He hadn’t said anything about picking it up. Had someone else come into the Redfort drive and made off with it? Unlikely – who would want a pastel-pink bike? she thought.
After a brief chat with Mrs Digby, they went on up to the top of the house carrying a tray laden with two Digby club sandwiches, a half-dozen cookies and a carton of banana milk. Mrs Digby was a big believer in keeping one’s strength up.
‘You need brain food,’ she said. Clancy wasn’t sure any of the food on the tray was ‘brain food’, but he wasn’t complaining.
Clancy was struggling with his French homework, and Ruby, she was trying to figure out exactly where the Prism Vault might be.
She had a map spread out on the floor and she was peering at it through a large magnifying glass.
‘What are you doing?’ asked Clancy.
‘Looking for water,’ replied Ruby.
‘Excuse me?’ said Clancy.
‘I’m trying to figure out where the Prism Vault is located.’
‘Did you say prison vault?’
‘Prism,’ said Ruby, ‘as in light refractor.’
Clancy was still looking confused.
‘Look, all you gotta know is that there is this big vault which holds all the archive files relating to Spectrum missions. I want to get in to learn what I can about Bradley Baker and LB. It’s called the Prism Vault, I guess, because Spectrum is all about colour, which is made of light, and a prism is something that breaks light into its different colours, or bends its path.’
‘What, like the new telescope?’ asked Clancy.
‘What did you say?’
‘The space telescope,’ said Clancy. ‘They had it on the news last night – you didn’t catch it?’
‘I was all tied up talking to psychopaths on payphones.’
‘Oh yeah,’ said Clancy, ‘I forgot. Anyway, this guy was explaining how a telescope is basically like this giant prism made of all these folding mirrors that focus light onto a receiver. It was actually kind of interesting.’
Ruby was looking at Clancy with that expression that always made him mad.
‘What?’ he said.
‘So where is this telescope?’ she asked.
‘Meteor Island,’ said Clancy. ‘At the Observatory.’
‘Oh yeah, that’s right.’ She remembered now. ‘The kid at the planetarium mentioned it.’
‘Do you mind letting me in on whatever it is you have just decided you know?’
She chewed her pencil. She was thinking. What she was thinking was, could this be the place Blacker was talking about?
The Observatory was on a small island, more like a large rock really, so you’d need flippers and a wet suit to get there. A helicopter was out of the question and a boat probably not a good idea. Ruby figured Spectrum would be watching the sea and would intercept any vessel coming that way.
Clancy clicked his fingers in front of her face.
‘Hey! Earth to Mars, come in Mars.’
‘Clance, I think you just solved it.’
‘I did?’ said Clancy. He looked pleased.
‘I think that’s where it could be,’ she said, thumping him on the arm.
‘Oh great,’ said Clancy. ‘What exactly are we talking about?’
‘The Prism Vault. I think it could be on Meteor Island underneath the Observatory.’
‘Oh,’ said Clancy, ‘so now what?’
‘I’m going to check it out, of course.’
‘Of course you are – and do you have clearance to do that?’
She rolled her eyes. ‘It’s the place Spectrum keep all the most secret of secret documents, the highly restricted files. The ones no one is meant to see, so that would be “no”.’
‘So you’re going to break in?’
‘That’s my plan.’
Clancy looked at her. ‘Now that is a truly bad idea.’
‘Well,’ said Ruby, ‘that’s tough because it’s the only one I got.’
‘What about the codes? There’s no point breaking into a restricted file vault if you can’t open the files.’
‘True.’ She sighed, paused and said, ‘I’m pretty sure I know a couple of them; it’s the entry code I’m truly stuck on, but I guess I’ll just have to figure it out.’
Clancy looked at her. ‘Don’t take this the wrong way, but I’m praying you don’t.’
Meanwhile,
some thirty-five
years earlier …
… the kid was eight years old and living in the suburbs of Colwin City when, while breakfasting on cereal, they noticed an unusual advert on the back of the milk carton. It seemed to be a competition with big prize money; reading between the lines, very big prize money – this was no simple brainteaser.
The kid from Colwin City continued to scoop cereal loops while studying the carton. There was definitely something odd about this particular competition; for one thing, it didn’t seem like it was really a competition and for another it didn’t seem like it was aimed at the average child. You would have to be some kind of genius to see that this was not so much a word search puzzle as it was a code, and an even bigger genius to figure how to crack it. But that was OK, because the Colwin City kid was both of those things.
Once solved, it was plain to see that it was actually an application form for what seemed like a very exciting future. However, there was a problem. Casey was not eligible for a place on this programme, that was stated clearly in bold. That seemed wrong to Casey, unfair and stupid. When were things ever going to change? It was 1938, for goodness’ sake!
Then an idea grew: break the rules.
The kid emptied the milk carton, washed it, cut out the coupon, filled in the blanks. The small print made clear that a birth certificate was required, so the kid fetched it from the large oak desk that stood in the study. Before sliding this into an envelope along with the coupon, the Colwin City kid made one very simple alteration to the document. That done, the envelope was addressed and mailed.
Chapter 19.
Minus 10
RUBY LOOKED AT THE CLOCK: it was 2.57am and she was still wide awake,
or at least her brain was. Her body felt like it could do with a whole lot more lying down. But by the time the clock ticked round to 3.33am, Ruby gave up arguing with herself and crawled out of bed. She figured she might as well get dressed since there was little likelihood of sleep coming her way. Once clothed, she tiptoed downstairs to the kitchen, turning on the low light which hung over the table so that it was bathed in a warm orange glow. She took a glass from the cupboard, walked to the refrigerator and searched around before pulling out a carton of banana milk. She poured herself a glass, took a swig, sat back in one of the kitchen chairs, and stared out at the snow flurry on the other side of the window.
How to get hold of the Prism Vault entry code? She was still sitting there when a slice of toast popped up from the toaster. Sort of surprising, since she hadn’t actually dropped any bread into the little silver kitchen appliance.
She retrieved the slice and read it:
Ruby climbed into the silver convertible at precisely 4am and they drove at great speed north out of town.
‘Is it really necessary to leave so early?’ yawned Ruby.
‘Is it early, or is it just very late?’ said Hitch.
‘It’s early,’ said Ruby. ‘I know it’s early because I was in my pyjamas twenty minutes ago, the sun hasn’t come up and the hands on that clock of yours haven’t crawled past the six.’
‘There’s breakfast in the glove compartment, if that helps,’ said Hitch.
Ruby shook her head. ‘I’m not sure I can eat. My teeth are still asleep.’
When Hitch and Ruby arrived, they were greeted by two familiar faces, Sam Colt and Agent Kekoa. Ruby’s heart sank, not because she had anything against these two individuals, in fact she liked them a lot; it was what they represented that was the problem. Sam Colt was a survivalist and survival trainer, and Kekoa was the Spectrum dive instructor. This meant that today was going to be wet and very cold.