‘I think it’s rather late to be …’
‘Mum, it’s OK. Please can I talk to them?’ Jade walked down the stairs and towards the door.
‘Jade, I …’
‘Please, Mum.’
‘Just five minutes then. Is that understood?’
Jade nodded. Mrs Driscoll glanced down at everyone’s shoes.
‘You can all stay in the hall but you’re not to go into the front room or any of the other rooms,’ she sniffed.
And with that she went into her front room and shut the door.
It was obvious that Jade had been crying – and not just a little either. Her eyes were puffy and swollen and her mouth drooped like a wilting flower.
‘Jade, I need to talk to you – in private.’
It was hard to say who was more surprised – Jade or Angela and Ricky.
‘Theo, what’s going on?’ Ricky frowned.
‘It’s OK. I just want to ask Jade something,’ said Theo.
‘So why can’t you ask it in front of us?’ asked Angela.
‘Because I can’t. Please, just give me a minute,’ Theo pleaded.
Reluctantly, Angela and Ricky stepped back as Theo stepped forward.
‘Ricky, what’s Theo up to?’ Angela asked, suspiciously.
‘I have no idea,’ Ricky replied.
Ricky tried to keep the hurt out of his voice at Theo’s lack of confidence in him. He wasn’t sure that he was totally successful. Since when did Theo keep secrets from him? Didn’t Theo trust him any more? Ricky just couldn’t work it out. He leaned his head forward to try and hear what Theo and Jade were whispering but they were speaking too softly for him to make out more than the occasional word. Now Jade was shaking her head vehemently. Theo spoke more urgently than before. He was obviously trying to convince Jade of something, but she didn’t look happy. Jade looked over in Ricky and Angela’s direction and said something to Theo. Now it was his turn to shake his head. Curiosity burned through Ricky like acid. Why was Theo shutting him out? What had he done? Maybe Theo blamed him for the fact that they’d all been separated in the car park and Theo had been in danger. But Ricky would never have jumped in the lift with the woman in brown if he’d known what was going to happen. When Ricky had been kidnapped, Theo had saved his life, not to mention his sanity. For a long time afterwards, Theo was the only one he could talk to about the experience.
Ricky shook his head slowly, unhappy with the direction his thoughts were leading him. He just wished the sour feeling in the pit of his stomach would go away. If Theo didn’t trust him any more, why didn’t he just come out and say so? Jade and Theo walked back towards them.
‘Why did you want to see me?’ Jade asked Ricky and Angela.
‘I don’t know if Theo just told you this, but a woman tried to pick up the disks you found,’ said Ricky. He looked directly at Jade. He couldn’t look at Theo. ‘We followed her up to the car park above the shopping centre, where she met another man but we lost them.’
‘What Ricky’s trying to say is that we’re not much further forward,’ said Angela.
Jade looked at Theo. ‘Theo seems to think we are.’
‘Any thoughts you’d care to share?’ Angela asked with fake nonchalance.
‘No,’ Theo said simply.
For once Angela had no reply.
‘Oh Angela, before I forget, d’you have Bullet’s home phone number?’
‘Yes.’
Theo waited for Angela to carry on but she didn’t.
‘Can I have it please?’
‘Why?’
‘’Cos I need to talk to him about something.’
‘What?’
‘Angela …’ Theo said, exasperated.
‘OK, OK!’ Reluctantly Angela gave Theo the number. Theo wrote it down on the back of his hand.
‘Anyway, we’d better get going,’ said Theo to Jade. ‘We don’t want to get you into trouble.’
‘It’s all right,’ Jade shrugged.
Ricky and Angela were the first ones out of the front door. Theo turned back to Jade just before he stepped over the threshold.
‘We’re … we’re sorry about what happened earlier today – about the things Bullet said. None of us meant to upset you.’
At first Theo thought Jade wasn’t going to answer. He winced as he realized he was just dragging painful memories to the foreground again. He was about to shut the door when Jade stopped him.
‘Theo, don’t worry about it. I guess … I guess I had to hear it. I think deep down I knew that Dad … that Dad was gone. It’s just that this was my chance, you see. It was my chance to say all the things to Dad that I never got to say when he was here. It was a way of holding on to him.’
‘I understand that,’ Theo nodded.
He leaned forward and whispered something in Jade’s ear. She smiled, but it didn’t last long. She regarded Theo and said, ‘Just be careful, OK?’
‘Careful is my middle name,’ Theo grinned.
And with that he shut the door.
They all walked along in silence.
‘You’ve become very secretive all of a sudden,’ said Angela.
Theo shrugged. It wasn’t exactly as if he could deny it.
‘Don’t we get to hear what’s going on then?’ Ricky asked.
Theo looked at Ricky. Ricky was looking straight ahead. Theo sighed. He’d known at Jade’s house that Ricky was upset with him. Theo wasn’t the only one who had difficulty hiding his true feelings.
‘Soon. I just have to check something first. OK?’
Ricky shrugged. Theo sighed again. Ricky was even more upset with him now, not that he’d ever say as much.
‘Well, this is my street. I’d better get going before Mum breaks out the bloodhounds,’ said Theo lightly. ‘I’ll see you both tomorrow.’
‘Yeah.’
‘Sure.’
Angela and Ricky walked away without a backwards glance. Theo watched them go with a heavy heart. He longed to call them back and tell them exactly what was going on but he couldn’t. He just couldn’t. As he’d explained to Jade, this was something he was going to have to do all alone. And the thought of it terrified him.
Chapter Seventeen
To Catch a Thief
RICKY’S FACE WAS thunderous as he watched Theo deep in conversation with Bullet and Jade. Last night was bad enough, but now Theo seemed to be rubbing Ricky’s face in it. When Ricky had arrived at school that morning, Theo was standing by the school gates. Ricky had made the mistake of thinking Theo was waiting for him. Theo soon put him right.
‘I’m not waiting for you. I’m waiting for someone else,’ Theo told him in no uncertain terms.
Theo hadn’t exactly said, ‘Now get lost!’ but it was there, in his tone of voice.
If Theo didn’t want to be friends any more, why didn’t he have the courage to just come right out and say so? Why make it clear to everyone in the class that he and Ricky had fallen out, without telling Ricky how or why first? Ricky couldn’t understand why Theo was doing it. In fact, Ricky would’ve said that Theo was the last person to behave like that.
‘Good morning, everyone.’
‘Good morning, Mr Dove.’
Everyone scooted back to their places. Mr Dove hitched up his trouser legs and sat on the edge of the table, facing his class.
‘I’ll be taking you for your double lesson this morning,’ Mr Dove smiled.
Theo looked out of the window. He sat up in surprise when he saw Pascoe DeMille standing in the school grounds, looking up at Theo’s classroom window. Jade obviously hadn’t been in touch with him yet. Pascoe spotted Theo and waved frantically. Theo turned to look at Jade who sat at the back of the class. She looked terrible. Theo wondered if she’d managed to get any sleep at all. As if she knew she was being watched, Jade turned to him. Her expression was sombre as she nodded to him before facing the front of the class again. Theo watched Mr Dove as he walked up and down the class handing out worksheets. Pascoe
would just have to wait. Theo had more important things on his mind at the moment. He picked up his duffel bag and emptied its contents on to the table. Now where on earth had he put it?
‘Hello, Theo,’ Mr Dove smiled as he searched for a free space to put Theo’s worksheet on the table before him.
‘Hello, sir,’ Theo replied.
‘It looks like you’ve brought everything including the kitchen sink to school,’ Mr Dove said drily.
‘Sorry, sir.’
‘What’re you looking for?’ asked the teacher.
‘My pen,’ explained Theo.
‘It’s right there in front of you,’ pointed the teacher.
‘No, that one doesn’t work,’ Theo said.
‘Then why carry it around?’ Mr Dove smiled.
Theo shrugged, embarrassed. He used his forearm to sweep everything back into his bag.
Mr Dove moved on.
‘You can use one of my pens if you like,’ Ricky offered.
‘No, it’s OK,’ Theo declined.
Theo turned to talk to Bullet. ‘Bullet, can I borrow a pen and your ruler?’
‘Oh? Oh! Er … yes, of course.’ Bullet handed it over.
‘What’s wrong with my pen?’ Ricky said quietly.
‘I prefer Bullet’s.’
‘Suit yourself.’
‘I will,’ said Theo.
‘Theo, I just said no talking,’ Mr Dove frowned.
‘Sorry, sir. I didn’t hear you,’ Theo apologized.
‘That’s because you were too busy talking. I think you’d better stay behind at break and write me a page on why sometimes it’s better to open your ears rather than your mouth.’
Theo lowered his head. ‘Yes, sir.’ It certainly hadn’t taken Mr Dove long to show his true colours.
Ricky frowned at the teacher. ‘But that’s not fair, sir. Theo was only asking for a pen and a ruler.’
‘Never mind, Ricky.’ Theo glared at his friend. ‘Leave it. You’ll just make things worse.’
‘I’d listen to Theo if I were you – unless of course you’d like to join him at breaktime.’
‘No, he wouldn’t,’ Theo answered for Ricky.
Ricky shut up – more because of the way Theo was glaring at him than because of anything the teacher said. There was no doubt about it. Somehow, in some way, Ricky had lost his best friend.
Theo looked out of the window again. Pascoe was still there staring up at the school. From across the school grounds, Theo could see Mr Appleyard striding purposefully towards him – and it didn’t take super vision to see that Mr Appleyard was not pleased to find a stranger in the school. Theo scowled at Pascoe. The last thing he needed was for Mr Appleyard to get antagonized. If Pascoe wasn’t careful, he’d blow all of Theo’s carefully laid plans.
The rest of the double lesson passed without incident. It also passed without Theo and Ricky saying one word to each other – which was a first. At last the buzzer sounded. Ricky leaped up and crammed his work into his bag.
‘Theo, I don’t think we should sit together any more,’ Ricky said tonelessly.
There was no disguising the shock on Theo’s face. Ricky frowned. Had he made a mistake? Maybe Theo did still want to be friends after all.
‘Ricky, I …’
‘Theo, up here please, where I can keep an eye on you,’ Mr Dove ordered.
Theo got his things together and after a brief, abject glance at Ricky, he moved to the front of the class. Theo watched, dejected, as the rest of the class trooped out to enjoy the morning break.
‘Theo, sit down and get on with it, or are you waiting for an engraved invitation?’
Theo waited for Jade, the last one out of the classroom, to close the door behind her. He turned back to Mr Dove and eyed him speculatively.
‘Theo, are you going to sit down or not?’ Mr Dove was beginning to get cross now.
‘I think not,’ Theo said at last.
‘I beg your pardon?’
‘I don’t see why I should sit down for someone who tried to knock me over,’ Theo said simply.
Mr Dove stared at him. His mouth opened and closed like a drowning fish.
‘And please don’t insult my intelligence by denying it. I know it was you.’
Mr Dove burst out laughing. ‘Theo, I take my hat off to you. In my time, I’ve heard some amazing excuses and accusations from children trying to get out of the work I set them, but this one is in a class of its own.’
‘I know it was you. I recognized your voice.’
‘Let me get this straight. You claim that someone almost accidentally knocked you over and you’re blaming me?’
‘First of all, it was no accident, you meant to do it. And second of all I recognized your voice.’
‘So you never saw the face of this person who came at you?’
‘No, I didn’t. But then you already knew that. You must’ve known there was no way I could see your face from the back of the car where I was hiding. And when you drove at me, the last thing I was going to do was stop and turn to get a good look at you.’
‘I haven’t a clue what you’re talking about, but maybe we should both go to the headmistress and get this sorted out.’ Mr Dove’s voice was now winter ice. ‘You can tell her your accusation.’
‘I think that’s a good idea,’ Theo agreed. ‘I’ll tell her how I know it’s you because you’re wearing the same yuky socks with the bright green stripes that you were wearing yesterday in the car park. I might not have seen your face, but I did see those.’
Mr Dove glanced down at his feet and back up again. ‘You can’t see my socks.’
‘I could when you perched on the edge of the table when you came in this morning. And I’ll tell her that I was behind your car and I made a scratch on it. That was the noise that alerted you to the fact that someone was listening,’ Theo lied on the spur of the moment. ‘There’s no way I could’ve seen or been near your car since but I bet I can describe the shape of the scratch on your car’s paintwork perfectly. And I know it’s your car because I waited by the entrance to the school car park this morning and saw you drive in. It was the same dark green sports car that tried to knock me over.’
‘I see,’ Mr Dove said slowly. ‘I don’t think we’ll go to see the headmistress after all.’
‘Er … I think I’d rather, if it’s all the same to you.’ Theo edged back nervously.
‘I’ve had just about enough of your interfering.’ Mr Dove took a step forward. ‘If it wasn’t for you and your friends I could’ve been long gone by now.’
‘So you admit that you did try to knock me down?’
‘I’m only sorry I missed.’
Theo took another step backward. Mr Dove took another step forward. It was as if they were both involved in some fearful, macabre dance.
‘I know you’ve got the disks I want. Hand them over and no one will get hurt.’
‘You mean, I won’t get hurt.’
Mr Dove smiled – an evil, oily smile that made Theo want to race for the door, but he had to stand his ground.
‘Something like that,’ Mr Dove agreed.
‘You’ve made a mistake, I haven’t got the disks.’
‘I saw them when you emptied your bag on the table earlier.’ Mr Dove lurched forwards without warning and grabbed Theo by the arm. ‘Hand over those disks or I will wring your scrawny little neck.’
‘I don’t know what you’re talking about …’ Theo gasped.
‘Planet of the Anvil – does that ring any bells?’ asked Mr Dove.
‘Let go of my arm. You’re hurting me.’
‘Give me your bag. GIVE ME YOUR BAG NOW!’ Mr Dove started to shake Theo.
‘Here.’ Theo slipped his duffel bag off his shoulder, but he couldn’t stop it from falling on the floor because Mr Dove was still holding his other arm.
Mr Dove released Theo and picked up the bag at once. He started rummaging through it.
‘So all this was just to get hold of Jade’s
dad’s disks?’ said Theo.
Mr Dove didn’t reply.
‘I bet you’re not really a teacher at all, are you?’
‘As a matter of fact, I am a qualified teacher. It’s just not what I do any more. I’ve found something a lot more lucrative.’
‘Yeah, like stealing other people’s disks.’
‘It’s not the disks. It’s what’s on them.’ Mr Dove smirked as he took out the two CDs from Theo’s bag.
‘What’s so special about an unfinished game?’
‘It isn’t unfinished. Planet of the Anvil is very much complete. And it’s going to make us a fortune.’ Mr Dove waved the disks at Theo. ‘But there’s something else on here that’s a lot more important.’
‘Like what?’
‘Like none of your business.’ Mr Dove tapped his nose. ‘I’m out of here. And if you know what’s good for you, you won’t follow me.’
Mr Dove headed for the door.
Theo thought for a moment. ‘Something that’s a lot more important? Oh, I know what you’re talking about. You mean the file containing the proof that Dyna-Cybo Warriors was Jade’s dad’s idea and not Alex Reeves’. Yes, I guess that would be more important.’
Mr Dove froze in his tracks. He turned, his expression pure rage. ‘What did you say?’
‘Nothing,’ Theo said quickly. ‘Didn’t you say you had to be going?’
‘How d’you know about that file?’
‘A friend of mine analysed the disk and managed to break the code and read the files. He’s the one who told me that Jade’s dad had managed to hack into Alex’s computer and had retrieved the file with his initial voice notes, as well as the copies of some memos that went back and forth between him and Alex discussing the idea. That’s why Jade’s dad and Alex had their big quarrel, isn’t it? Alex nicked every file referring to the new game from Jade’s dad’s computer and then passed the game off as his own. It’s all in Paul Driscoll’s diary file on the first CD. The other CD contains his new game which he was determined that Alex wouldn’t get.’
‘I think you’d better come with me,’ Mr Dove said stonily.
‘I’d rather not.’
Mr Dove made a dive for Theo, but Theo was ready for him and jumped out of the way. He raced towards the door, but Mr Dove was quicker. Just as Theo managed to wrench open the door, Mr Dove’s longer arms slammed the door shut. He grabbed Theo’s upper arm and squeezed until Theo couldn’t feel his fingers.