Oliver Benjamin
could pin the murder on him anytime he wanted.”
“But why hasn’t he? He’s done everything else.”
“I imagine these have been warnings, threats. And he doesn’t
want the bad publicity.”
“Oh, Roy,” she sighed wistfully. “He told me he went to Asia on a
spiritual journey.”
“He did. The first time.”
“He was very brave to come back. But now he’s gone. You think
he’s hiding out there again?”
“I don’t know where he is. But I do think we can make it safe for
him to return. I think we’d both like that very much.”
“All of us would.”
General Heck came over and broke the silence that had fallen
between them. He was overjoyed, carrying a sheaf of papers.
“Look at the results from the online petition!” he whooped.
“We’re getting thousands of signatures every day. At this rate,
Bidden’s days are numbered!”
“I don’t see how,” Yak said. “You can’t pass a law banning
Biddenbrooks. It’s not illegal to be ruthless.”
Heck didn’t know how to deal with this logic. In his mind this
was a war and the bigger the army, the surer the chances of success.
The problem was that they didn’t have any big guns. They were only
throwing rocks in the desert.
“But it is illegal to kill people,” Sprout said, looking into Yak’s
grey eyes, “It’s also illegal to frame other people for murder. And to
blackmail them.”
“Sure,” Yak said. “But at the moment we don’t have any proof…”
“Then we have to go to the scene of the crime,” said Sprout.
“That’s what I was thinking.”
“Only we don’t know our way around his mansion. And it’s not
like we can just drop in,” she said.
As if on cue, Colin tripped over a phone line and fell between the
three of them. He had been carrying a tray of energy drinks and now
they all found themselves dripping with various shades of bright,
supernatural colors.
“Colin,” Yak said, “Do you know how we can sneak into your
father’s mansion?”
“With extreme prejudice,” he said.
“Good,” Sprout said, “Then you’re going back home. We’re
coming with you.”
287
 |
 |
 |
 |