Amanda Lester and the Red Spider Rumpus

by Paula Berinstein

  The interrogation was terrible. Professor Feeney made Nick go over the same ground again and again. He never complained though. Actors. They were temperamentally suited to repetition. They had to be, or they wouldn’t be able to perform the same scene over and over. Or maybe it was just Nick, who was as patient as Amanda was antsy.

  “Does Blixus have the Bible?” said Professor Feeney belligerently.

  “No,” said Nick, quietly. He didn’t even sound worried. “Not unless he got it after I left him.”

  Feeney didn’t seem to believe him. “So you’ve never seen it?”

  “Only the two pages you found. Well, one, actually. I only saw the one.”

  “You didn’t fish it out of the pit as Mr. Splunk has claimed?”

  Feeney would have made a good lawyer. She had that cross-examination manner about her. But thinking about lawyers just reminded Amanda of Banting Waltz and she tried to wipe the thought away.

  “No, ma’am. I did not.”

  “Did anyone?”

  “Not that I’m aware of.”

  “But you knew what the Bible was?”

  Knowing what it was didn’t equate to having taken it, thought Amanda. She hoped the teacher wasn’t going to build an argument based on that kind of logic.

  “Only through the class project. The Bible was the target of the bombing. We figured that out. My team, that is.”

  “But you didn’t know much about it?”

  “Only what Simon said in the presentation—that it was the school’s most precious possession and there were facsimiles all over.”

  “You didn’t attend the presentation.”

  “No,” said Nick. “But I knew what he was going to say. We worked on it all term.”

  That they had. It had taken till near the end to figure out what was really going on, but Nick had been present when they did. Amanda remembered the day they had hit upon the explanation. They’d been meeting in the common room and Simon had made all sorts of illegible drawings on the blackboard. Suddenly Ivy had put two and two together and yelled, “Yippee.” Nick had complimented her on her astuteness. It had been a memorable day.

  “Did Blixus know about the Bible?” Professor Feeney continued.

  How could he have failed to know, thought Amanda. Nick would have told him.

  “I told him what I knew, yes,” said Nick. “That it existed and that there were facsimiles. I didn’t know what it contained and I didn’t understand its purpose.”

  “Did he know more than that? Its being lost, for example. Its physical characteristics.”

  “I think he figured out some things, yes,” said Nick.

  “Things Miss Sweetgum or Mr. Wiffle told him?”

  “They didn’t know any more about it than I did,” said Nick.

  “But Mr. Wiffle had it in his possession at one time,” said Professor Feeney.

  “David isn’t very observant. All he knew was that it was an old book, and precious. He never knew what was in it.”

  That was undoubtedly true. David had never done well in Sidebotham’s classes, arcane knowledge about camels notwithstanding. From the very first day he had rebelled against the idea of becoming an expert on motor oil and buttons. Amanda suspected that rebellion had closed his mind.

  Professor Feeney coughed. “Does Banting Waltz have the Bible?”

  “I have no idea, Professor.”

  “Have you ever met Mr. Waltz?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “But he prosecuted your parents.”

  “Yes, but I was in hiding at the time. I didn’t even know what he looked like until Amanda showed me a picture.”

  Amanda remembered that day too. She’d called up the Web site for the Crown Prosecution Service. Why they posted pictures of prosecutors she didn’t know—it seemed like a security risk—but there he’d been: large, dark, and snide, even in his headshot.

  “Why does Mr. Splunk think you took the Bible?” Now Feeney was getting to the heart of the matter. Amanda thought she was giving Ramon too much credit. He might have thought he knew, or he might have made the whole thing up. Either way, the answer lay in the distant past, she was sure of it.

  Nick’s voice was steady. “I don’t know, ma’am. I don’t really know him.”

  Feeney coughed again. This time it went on for a while. “How does Mr. Splunk know that your ancestor killed Lovelace Earful in the chapel?”

  “Professor Moriarty isn’t my ancestor, Professor.”

  “Professor Moriarty. How does he know?”

  “I don’t know. I had no idea that was the case. I certainly didn’t tell him.”

  Feeney paused. Whether she was writing, thinking, or something else Amanda couldn’t tell. When she spoke again, her line of questioning was completely different.

  “Do you believe in ghosts, Mr. Muffet?”

  “No, ma’am.”

  “But Miss Sweetgum does.”

  “Miss Sweetgum believes in a lot of things.”

  “But you don’t?”

  “No.”

  “What do you believe in, Mr. Muffet?”

  Amanda had to admit that Feeney was good. She sounded just like Herb Lester. And Herb was the best.

  “I believe in honor, Professor.”

  Yay! Great answer! You go, Nick, Amanda thought.

  “Honor.”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “It means that I’ve been a terrible person and I’m ashamed. I want to be a worthwhile person. An honorable person.”

  “And what does that mean to you, Mr. Muffet?” She sounded almost sympathetic. But this was Feeney. There was no way.

  “An honorable person is someone who doesn’t lie, cheat, or steal. Someone who helps people. Someone who is brave and true.”

  “Do you know any honorable people?”

  “I do.”

  “Who?”

  “You, Professor.”

  Professor Feeney laughed. “Don’t try to flatter me.”

  Nick was deadly serious. “I’m not. I believe you are honorable.”

  Feeney’s voice got really low. Amanda could barely hear her. She wondered if Nick could make out what she was saying. “You have no idea what I am or am not, Mr. Muffet.” She paused for a moment. “Is Miss Lester honorable?”

  “She is.”

  “And you love her?”

  “I’ve loved her from the moment I laid eyes on her.”

  “And she loves you?”

  “You’d have to ask her that, Professor.”

  “So she doesn’t?”

  “As I said.”

  “Hm.” She paused again. “What’s Blixus up to now?”

  “You mean since Osric?” said Nick. “I suppose King Arthur. That’s what he wants these days.”

  “David Wiffle told us he’d given that up.”

  That was true. Blixus had said so under the influence. Although he was still keeping up the pretense, so Amanda was confused.

  “I find that hard to believe,” said Nick.

  “Oh? Why is that?”

  “It meant everything to him. He wanted to be the next King Arthur.”

  “Apparently not,” said Professor Feeney. “David said that was all Mavis’s idea.”

  “She was quite keen on it. But Blixus thought of it.”

  “How does he think, your father?” said Feeney.

  “He’s not my father,” said Nick.

  “You know what I mean.”

  “Yes, and he’s not my father. He never was.”

  “I’m not interested in splitting hairs, Mr. Muffet. Tell me how Blixus Moriarty thinks.”

  There was quiet for more than a few seconds. Was she writing or was Nick thinking?

  “He goes for the unusual and the clever,” Nick said at last. “However, his arrogance often leads him astray. He’s more vulnerable than he knows.”

  Silence again.

  “And Hugh?” said Feeney. “What is he li
ke?”

  “The same, but much more immature. Undisciplined.”

  “Unlike you,” she said snidely.

  Nick didn’t rise to the bait.

  “He’s a computing genius,” said the teacher. “Tell me about his methods.”

  Amanda wanted to hear this herself. Hugh was so far beyond her it was ridiculous. But that didn’t mean she couldn’t learn.

  “I don’t know much about that. He’s very secretive.”

  “Tell me what he can’t do.”

  “He can’t violate the laws of physics.”

  “Obviously not. But beyond that.”

  “Beyond that I don’t really know. He’s pretty inventive.”

  In other words, there was almost nothing Hugh couldn’t do. But he had his weaknesses. That was what really mattered. Would Feeney ask about those?

  Feeney got sarcastic again. “That warms the cockles of my heart.”

  Nick said nothing.

  “Tell me about the organization,” she continued. “How big is it?”

  “It’s everywhere in the UK, Europe, and even in North America.”

  “And what was your part in all that?”

  “I did whatever Blixus told me to.”

  “Yes, but what specifically did that consist of?” A long silence. “I’m waiting, Mr. Muffet.

  “I, uh, infiltrated the school.” Now that Feeney was getting more specific, Nick was showing discomfort. Amanda felt as if someone were kicking her in the stomach.

  “Yes, we know that. What secrets did you send back?”

  “Well, uh—”

  “I’ll be more specific. What happened when you were here at Legatum?”

  “I made friends.”

  “You made friends with the students?”

  “Yes.”

  “So they’d tell you secrets?”

  “Yes.”

  “And did they?”

  Amanda could hear Nick cough. “A few.”

  “A few like what?”

  “Personal stuff.”

  “Personal stuff is relevant to detectives, Mr. Muffet. What personal stuff?”

  “Just gossip.” He was sounding evasive. Something bad was coming.

  “Mr. Muffet, as you well know gossip is a rich source of information. What gossip?”

  “Just who they liked and didn’t like and how they felt about their teachers. That kind of thing.”

  “I don’t believe you for a second. The truth, please.”

  Nick raised his voice. Amanda was astonished. “About their parents, all right? About what they’ve learned about detecting from their parents and what cases they’ve worked on and mistakes they made.”

  “I see. And this included Miss Lester, I presume?”

  Silence. Then, “Yes, ma’am. It included Amanda.”

  Amanda could hear the pain in his voice. She’d forgiven him a million times over, but he was still hurting about what he’d done to her. She’d never loved him more than she did at this moment.

  “Who else, Mr. Muffet?”

  “No one really. My roommates, I guess.”

  “Philip Puppybreath and Gavin Niven?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  “How about Editta Sweetgum?”

  “Not until she, uh, well . . . “

  This was another awkward subject for Nick. In fact, Editta was an awkward subject for everyone. Amanda wished the girl had never come to Legatum.

  “Until she ran off with you, is that correct?”

  “Yes, Professor. Before that she never told me anything.”

  “She had a crush on you, did she not?”

  “Yes.”

  “And you expect me to believe that she never divulged any secrets?”

  “Actually she was too shy. Every time we spoke she turned red and clammed up.”

  That was true. Amanda had seen it for herself. Boy, had Editta changed.

  “And afterwards, Mr. Muffet?”

  “To be honest, she didn’t have any family secrets about the detectives. Her father was the detective in the family, and he died when she was too young to know what he was doing. Her stepfather is a tree surgeon. But her mother works for the police.”

  “And what about her secrets?”

  “Mrs. Sweetgum? Oh, I forgot about that. I guess Editta mentioned a few things.”

  “Such as?”

  “Well, uh, just about a few cases the police at her station handled.”

  “You realize it was a breach of confidentiality on Mrs. Sweetgum’s part to talk about those cases, do you not? Assuming she really did tell her daughter about such things?”

  “Yes, ma’am. But I don’t know if any of what she said was the truth. She’s got some weird ideas. She might have made things up.”

  “Very well. Let’s return to Blixus. How can we take down Blixus and Hugh? What are their Achilles’ heels?”

  Finally. Amanda would have asked that first thing. If she had interrogated Nick, which she would not do.

  “Well, I know there’s something my father—I mean Blixus—never talks about, and it bothers him a lot, but I don’t know what it is. I think it’s something that happened a long time ago. Sometimes he and my Uncle Stencil talk in whispers, and he’s always grumpy after that.”

  “And you have no idea what it is?”

  “No.”

  “And Hugh?”

  “He’s power hungry. He likes being able to get one over on people. Take away his power and he’ll crumble.”

  “Very well. Tell us about Mavis.”

  “I loved my mother. She was a criminal too, of course, but she had many good qualities. She genuinely loved me, I think. Sometimes she’d tell Blixus he was being too hard on me.”

  “Hard in what way?”

  “He belittled me. I thought he was just trying to make me better at my job, but I could hear my mother say that he was hurting me. That made me wonder if she was right. I mean I felt hurt, but I didn’t want to admit it. I thought I was supposed to feel that way.”

  Amanda couldn’t believe what she was hearing. You’re supposed to feel good about being abused? No wonder Nick had been so messed up. He had had no role models to show him what life should really be like. She badly wanted to hurt Blixus for doing that to him.

  “What do you mean by ‘hurt’? Some people might say being at Legatum hurts.”

  “I don’t think it’s the same, Professor. He would do it for no reason, not just to teach me something. He’d tell me I was worthless.”

  “Perhaps he was trying to toughen you up, Mr. Muffet.”

  “If you say so, Professor. “

  “I’m not saying so, Mr. Muffet. I’m asking you.”

  Silence for the longest time. Then, “He beat me.”

  “Physically, you mean?”

  “Yes, ma’am. Physically.”

  “I’m sorry to hear that, Mr. Muffet. Have you been to a doctor?”

  “I got through it.”

  And it continued like that. “Tell us about Schola Sceleratorum.” “How close is Blixus to establishing a successor school?” “What can you tell us about Taffeta?” “Where are Philip and Gavin?” “Why can we trust you?” “What are your goals in life?” And then, “Was Amanda involved in any of this?”

  Amanda could hear anger in his voice for the first time. “Absolutely not. Amanda has never had anything to do with my criminal activity.”

  “Do you consider yourself loyal, Mr. Muffet?”

  “No, Professor. I mean, I wasn’t. I am now.”

  “What is the worst thing I could do to you?”

  Dead silence. Then, “Hurt Amanda.”

  When Nick finally got out of Professor Feeney’s office he didn’t say a word and Amanda didn’t want to ask. He’d tell her about the interrogation if and when he was ready.

  But she did want to know what the upshot of all this questioning was. Were they going to throw him out? Turn him over to the police? Let him in even though he hadn’t finished the labors?


  But time went by and nothing happened. No tracker, no decision, no word about the ghost, Ramon, or Nick’s fate. What that meant she had no idea. And so she waited for the other shoe to drop.

  There was one matter that required immediate attention. Assaulting a police officer was a grave offense, no matter how noble the reason. But the cops never came for Nick. With all those videos made by passing motorists you’d think they would have identified him and come calling, but they didn’t. After a week Amanda discovered why.

  A text arrived on her new phone, the old one having been lost when Blixus took her. It was from none other than Banting Waltz. When she saw his name she freaked out. She was sure it was a threat and she didn’t want to read it. But curiosity got the better of her and she looked.

  “Your boyfriend isn’t going to be arrested. I’m saving him for myself.”

  The lawyer had finagled a way to keep Nick from being charged! That was wonderful news but the implication wasn’t. If Nick had been arrested, he would have spent years in jail. With him out in the world Waltz could come after him, and with his clout probably get away with it.

  Amanda would not breathe a word of this to anyone, especially Nick. Let him wonder why no one had come for him. At least he’d be free and with her. And if ignorance didn’t exactly equate to bliss, at least he’d have one less thing to worry about.

  She deleted the text and made sure her GPS was off. She wouldn’t block Waltz, though. It might be useful to receive messages from the man who claimed to be her stepfather. Very useful indeed.

  28

  YOU’D BETTER COME IN

  The issue of the missing secrets was still front and center. The teachers followed up on the monkey theory and found it to be true. Why or how a stern person like Professor Sidebotham had come up with such a crazy scheme no one knew. They also didn’t know if the secrets had ever made it to the bank, but they were gone now.

  With Taffeta possessing some of the secrets and who knew who having the rest of them, some of the teachers proposed that they destroy the metadata before the thieves could get their hands on it. Despite their many precautions, the secrets were no longer secure and they would have to assume the worst. This meant retrieving and destroying every copy of the mysterious metadata, of which there were several scattered around the country. But if all were destroyed, not only the criminals but the detectives wouldn’t be able to use the secrets anymore, and all that critical information would be lost. Fortunately the question didn’t lead to acrimonious debate, but everyone was on edge and Amanda expected things to blow up any minute.