Amanda Lester and the Purple Rainbow Puzzle

by Paula Berinstein

  Amanda looked closely. The boys were right. This one had yellow on the outside, then purple, green, red, blue, orange, and indigo. How odd.

  “It’s physically impossible,” said Simon.

  “Obviously not,” said Amanda.

  “What are you looking at?” said Amphora, who had just entered the common room. “Ooooh, pretty.”

  “It’s wrong,” said Amanda.

  “What do you mean wrong?” said Amphora. “How can a rainbow be wrong?”

  “Actually,” said Holmes, “it isn’t necessarily. There are variations such as supernumerary rainbows in which the light pattern is unusual. There are series of faint rainbows on the inside of the primary rainbow. The colors can vary because of the interference.”

  “I’ve never heard of that,” said Simon.

  “They’re rare,” said Holmes. “There are a number of other variations as well. This is quite a treat.”

  Amphora snapped a picture and said, “I’m going to design some clothes based on this rainbow. It’s gorgeous.”

  “I’ll say,” said Amanda.

  “Hey, what are you all doing?” said Gordon out of the blue. He sure was losing his inhibitions around the Holmes House group.

  “Look at that,” said Amphora. “Isn’t it luscious?”

  “The colors are all mixed up,” said Gordon.

  “What are you looking at?” said David, on his heels. Amanda couldn’t tell if they were together or their simultaneous appearance was a coincidence.

  “A rainbow,” said Holmes. “A very unusual one.”

  “That’s stupid,” said David. “Who cares?”

  Amanda had never felt more sorry for him.

  As Amanda and Holmes were walking back to the dining room to start their film project, they simultaneously received a text from Thrillkill. The local police had just completed Crocodile’s autopsy. The criminal had been killed after Wink’s murder, so there was no chance Wink was responsible—unless he’d hired someone to do the dirty work for him. This was good news of a sort. At least David and his mother wouldn’t have that issue to contend with. Wink was off the hook.

  Amanda and Holmes were not, however. If they didn’t come up with a plan to show Thrillkill soon, he’d bug them night and day. The problem was that they didn’t know exactly what they were supposed to do.

  “He told me he wanted a film that would explore Legatum’s options without the Bible,” said Amanda.

  “That’s a first step, but it’s a bit vague,” said Holmes.

  “He said he wanted it to save the world.”

  “Options, save the world,” said Holmes, mulling over what she’d told him. “A reconstruction plan, then. For life afterwards.”

  “That’s an interesting way to put it,” she said as tactfully as she could. She wasn’t sure that was what she wanted. It was too technical. Reconstruction sounded like some kind of huge document with diagrams and equations, but she wasn’t going to say so. It did have another meaning and she focused on that instead. “I’ve kind of been thinking of Thrillkill as Abraham Lincoln, so the term is apt.”

  “Hm, good point,” he said. “We can use that. Although I hope we’re not going to go through a civil war like America did.”

  “Sometimes I think we’re already in one,” she said. “The way the teachers have been fighting.”

  That was exactly what was happening. The teachers were at war. It was a horrifying thought.

  “We need to bring them together,” said Holmes. Yes! Now he was getting it.

  “Right. That’s exactly what we need. A sort of rah rah thing, but practical.”

  He laughed. “That’s a pretty tall order.”

  “I know,” she sighed.

  “You know what?” he said. “We’re starting in the wrong place.”

  She hoped he wasn’t going to suggest some kind of deep research. They didn’t have time for that. “What do you mean?”

  “We’re working top down, saying, ‘This is our prescription.’ We can’t do that. We don’t know enough about the problem.”

  Uh oh. That was exactly what he was doing. He was going to take his usual methodical approach and it would take them ten years to make a film they were supposed to create in just a few weeks.

  “We know that the Bible is gone, probably forever,” she said.

  “Yes, but we don’t know what that means. We have no idea what’s in it.”

  “They’re not going to tell us.”

  “Maybe not,” said Holmes, “but we can make some educated guesses.”

  That was more like it. Guessing wouldn’t take any time at all. “Well, sure. I’ve already thought about what might be in there.”

  “No, I mean by using evidence.”

  Not that. There wasn’t time. “What evidence?” she said.

  “Interviews,” he said. “We’ll talk to them. Get their opinions, ideas, learn their fears and concerns. Then we’ll deduce what’s in the Bible from what they do and don’t say.”

  Yes! They could do that quickly. He’d got the message. Amanda wanted to kiss him, but she didn’t dare. He might get the wrong idea and things would blow up completely. They seemed stable at the moment, although that was probably an illusion. Anyhow, there had been quite enough kissing for one summer. There would be plenty of time for that later, after they’d saved the world.

  “Great idea!” she said instead. “Let’s get started.”

  Despite the fact that Professor Also was a member of the militant Punitori faction, Amanda wanted to start with her. The history of detectives teacher had become a kind of confessor to her and she felt great affection for the woman. Plus she was less scary than some of the other teachers. Holmes decided that his target should be Professor Mukherjee, the legal issues teacher, who was a member of the Realist group. That way he and Amanda could compare the two sides’ positions.

  When Amanda arrived at Professor Also’s office, the teacher was uncharacteristically reticent.

  “You know I can’t tell you what’s in the book,” she said.

  “I understand,” said Amanda. She hadn’t expected anyone to give up those secrets. They were too big a deal. “But I still think you can be helpful.”

  “To tell you the truth,” said Professor Also, “I’m not sure this film is a good idea. The way forward is clear. We just need to get on with it.” She crossed her arms. Amanda could tell she wasn’t happy about being interviewed.

  “Why do you say that, Professor?” said Amanda.

  “Look, Miss Lester,” said the teacher. “The Realists want to throw up their hands and surrender. Detectives don’t do that. We fight. Blixus Moriarty has plagued us long enough. We need to find him and neutralize him. I’m sorry to have to say that. I know you were friends with that boy, but it’s the only way.” She fiddled with a pencil. You didn’t see those much anymore. Using one in the digital age said something about a person. They were either of a practical mind or completely clueless about technology. Professor Also was the former.

  “When you say ‘neutralize,’ what do you mean?” The word sounded terrible.

  “I think you know,” said Professor Also.

  “You mean kill him?” Amanda was astonished that one of the teachers would openly advocate murder.

  “You will never hear me say that,” said the teacher.

  “But that’s what you mean,” said Amanda.

  “I didn’t say that,” said Professor Also.

  It was obvious that Amanda wasn’t going to pin her down. “Okay, let’s say for the sake of argument that you did find the Moriartys and neutralize them. What about the Bible?”

  “We take it back,” said Professor Also, as if doing so would be easy.

  “You’re sure they have it?” said Amanda.

  “There is no doubt in my mind,” said the teacher. “It may not be easy to find, but they have it and we’ll get it.” She was confident in an edgy way. Amanda hadn’t seen this side of her before.

  “S
o you think it’s legible despite the fact that it was crushed and soaked?” said Amanda. She didn’t see how that was possible. She’d seen the water in the pit. It was so gritty it looked like it could dissolve the Statue of Liberty.

  “I do,” said Professor Also.

  “Why is that?” said Amanda.

  “Miss Lester, I am about to tell you something in confidence,” said the teacher. “This information is not to leave this room.”

  “Of course.”

  Professor Also eyed Amanda as if she was about to divulge a great secret. “The Detective’s Bible is virtually indestructible.”

  This was new. How could such a thing be possible?

  “How do you mean?” said Amanda.

  “Lovelace Earful was no dummy,” said Professor Also. “He was a brilliant technologist. He created that book out of special materials so it would last a thousand years.”

  That sounded like a stretch. Amanda wasn’t sure she believed it. Back in 1887 when the Bible was created, technology was a lot less advanced than now. Still, the detectives had their secrets. But if that was true, a lot of other things didn’t make sense.

  “If that’s the case, why is everyone so upset? If it can’t be destroyed, I mean.”

  “Well, of course it can be burned,” said Professor Also. “That would destroy it. I’m sure there are other ways as well—acid perhaps. But the main problem now is that we don’t know where it is and it might have fallen into the hands of people who will use it against us. Do you see?”

  “Yes,” said Amanda. This new fact had broad implications. If the Bible was so hardy, why all the fuss? And if it could be burned, then it couldn’t be made of metal. What else could last so long? She’d seen the Bible and it was a book, not a stone tablet. Things were getting curiouser and curiouser. “So all the teachers know about the special materials?”

  “Indeed they do,” said Professor Also.

  “Does David Wiffle know?”

  “No. Nor do the parents.”

  “But if he did know, he might not feel quite as bad, right?” said Amanda.

  “You’re not proposing that we tell him?”

  “I don’t know,” said Amanda. “Has anyone considered it?”

  “Not that I know of,” said the teacher. “It would be a mistake.” She was not reacting well. Amanda didn’t like Professor Also’s behavior when she was upset. She seemed like a different person.

  “Because?”

  “Word might get out,” said Professor Also. “You can’t be too careful.”

  “So if the Bible is indestructible—”

  “Virtually indestructible,” said Professor Also.

  “Right,” said Amanda. “If it’s as hardy as that, we should be able to find it sooner or later.”

  “One would hope so,” said Professor Also, “but not necessarily. Blixus Moriarty might have hid it anywhere. If it’s in an abandoned building or a hole in the ground, we might never know. Of course we have our ways of tracking both him and objects—”

  This was also new. “What did you just say?” said Amanda.

  “I said we can track Moriarty and also things,” said the teacher.

  “Do you know where he is?” said Amanda.

  “Sadly, no. But we’ll find him. It’s just a matter of time.”

  “How do you know where to look?”

  The teacher eyed Amanda as if assessing whether she ought to answer. For a moment she looked as if she was going to stonewall, but something seemed to click and she opened up.

  “Physical evidence, satellite photography, witnesses, informants, cyberinvestigation, that sort of thing.”

  The list seemed logical, but Amanda was surprised. The teachers hadn’t shared their personal methods with the students. Obviously a lot more went on at Legatum than the kids knew.

  “Informants?” said Amanda. “You’re not saying that Editta Sweetgum is a mole, are you? Or Philip Puppybreath and Gavin Niven?” If that were the case, she really would be surprised. She’d never thought of the kids who’d run off to be with the Moriartys as good actors. You couldn’t do that without being able to fool an awful lot of people.

  “I wish,” said Professor Also. She looked dreamy for a moment, then caught herself. “No, none of them. At least not now. It’s possible that they’ll regret their actions and try to contact us though.”

  “But you’re not counting on that.”

  “Not that specifically, no. But there are other ways.”

  “Such as Crocodile Pleth?” said Amanda.

  “If he were still alive, yes,” said the teacher. “Actually, that’s not true. There’s much we can learn from tracing his movements.”

  “So where do we go from here?”

  “We find the Moriartys,” said Professor Also. “One way or another that will get us the book.”

  “And the Realists?” said Amanda.

  “If we have to, we’ll split from them,” said the professor.

  “What does that mean?” said Amanda.

  “It means, Miss Lester, that we’ll form our own school.”

  After Amanda left Professor Also’s office she found herself chuckling. The teacher had not warmed to the idea of the film, but through skillful questioning Amanda had got her answers anyway. She was chuffed.

  When she met Holmes back at their table, he said that he too had completed a successful interview. Professor Mukherjee had told him in no uncertain terms that they were doomed. He wouldn’t say what was in the Bible either, but he had explained that it was gone, kaput, finito, and they would have to give up. He said he planned to leave at the end of the summer after cleaning up a few loose ends.

  Amanda desperately wanted to tell Holmes about Professor Also’s claim that the book was indestructible, but she had promised not to say anything. It was important to find out what Professor Mukherjee thought about the matter, though, because if he were to realize that the book hadn’t been destroyed, he might be more optimistic.

  “What does Professor Mukherjee think happened to the Bible?” she said, hoping that Holmes might reveal something important.

  “He doesn’t know,” said Holmes. “He says it doesn’t matter, though. It’s gone.”

  “So if the Moriartys have it it’s of no use to them because of what David did?” she said hopefully.

  “I guess,” said Holmes. “Why are you asking?”

  “Think about it,” said Amanda, gazing into Holmes’s eyes. He seemed to have forgotten himself because he gazed right back. “If the book was destroyed, why would Blixus have taken the remnants? Surely he wouldn’t think he could put them back together.”

  “I guess he wouldn’t have,” said Holmes looking confused.

  “Exactly,” she said. “I think it’s intact. And he has it.”

  “I’m still not following you.”

  “I think the Realists are up to something,” she said.

  “You’re not making sense.”

  “Scapulus,” she said. “Please just trust me.”

  That was rich. Asking him to trust her after everything that had happened. He’d never go for it.

  “You know something,” he said. “What is it?”

  “I can’t tell you.”

  “But you do know something. What’s going on?”

  “I’d tell you if I could. I swear.” He searched her face. His look was so intense that she flinched. “Please don’t do that,” she said.

  The air between them crackled but he didn’t pursue the feeling. She was grateful. Whatever his faults, Holmes knew when to hold back.

  “All right,” he said. “Let’s continue with the interviews. Then we’ll see what we’ve got.”

  13

  To Bee or Not to Bee

  As soon as Amanda left Holmes, Darius Plover called. “Bingo!” he said before she could even say hello.

  “Hi, Mr. Plover.”

  “No need to be so formal. Darius is fine.”

  “Darius then,” she said. She d
idn’t mind calling him by his first name. Everyone used first names in L.A. “You like my ideas?”

  “I think they’re spot on,” he said. “I’m going to use every one of them.”

  This was too good to be true. There had to be a catch.

  “You’re kidding,” she said. “I mean, that’s wonderful.”

  “Don’t think you’re off the hook, though,” he said. “The devil is in the details. Now we’re going to dig in. Are you ready?”

  “I’m ready. What’s next?”

  “I want you to rewrite the scenes.”

  She must have misheard him. There was no way Darius Plover would ask her to write part of his film.

  “Excuse me?” she said.

  “What, you don’t want to?” he said, teasing.

  “Of course I want to. But are you—I mean would you—I mean, sure!”

  “You get more time for this,” he said. “One week. Think you can make it?”

  In her copious free time. But she’d find a way. He was offering her the chance of a lifetime.

  “Absolutely,” she said. “I’m on it.”

  No sooner had Amanda ended the call with Darius than Despina phoned. While she had grown to respect her cousin’s abilities, the woman could drone on and on. Now was not a good time for a long chat.

  “Amanda, darling!” gushed Despina.

  “Hi, Despina,” said Amanda.

  “Hill and I are taking an archaeology tour of Cumbria. Did you know that there are gobs of stone circles around here? Mini Stonehenges within reach! Your cousin Jeffrey will be meeting us. It’s the perfect opportunity for you two to get together.”

  Oh great. Cousin Jeffrey again.

  “I’d love to, Despina, but—”

  “Tomorrow good?”

  “Not really. I—”

  “We’ll see you at 10:00, dear. You’ll love Jeffrey. Did I tell you he’s a detective inspector now?”

  “Yes, you told me,” said Amanda as patiently as she could. About a thousand times.

  “We’re so excited,” said Despina. “He’s going to be famous, you know.”

  Like the other Inspector Lestrade? Ha!